Premier League – Who’s Hot and Who’s Not?

Hot team
Let’s look at this weekend’s winners. Everton, Stoke, Tottenham, Manchester City, Chelsea and Wigan all have a shout. I suppose Blackpool do as well but you would expect them to win at a side struggling in the bottom three!!

I’m actually going to give the award to Chelsea. They are deservedly top of the league and they bounced back well from their defeat at Manchester City. Arsenal played really well at times yesterday but there was just no way through that Chelsea defence that has conceded just two goals all season. At the other end they had a piece of genius from Drogba and an unbelievable strike from Alex. They are going to take some stopping.

Not Hot team
Birmingham, Blackburn, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Arsenal and Wolves all ended the weekend with the same number of points they started it. However, they are all way behind one team in the race for this award.

It can’t go to anyone other than Liverpool can it? Their position in the league is not a false one. Blackpool were every bit as good as them for most of yesterday’s game and thoroughly deserved their win. These are dark days at Anfield.

Hot keeper
When you’re 2-1 up at Anfield in the last minute and under a fair amount of pressure you need your goalkeeper to be at his best. Blackpool’s Matt Gilkes was just that and for that reason he picks up this award.

Not Hot keeper
Tough award to hand out this week as no keepers really produced any howlers. The only one I saw who looked a little shaky was Aston Villa’s Brad Friedel. He is a great keeper and has been for many years, but I thought he looked a fair way below his best at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Hot defender
From an England perspective and, I suppose, if you are a Manchester United fan, it is great to see Rio Ferdinand back where he belongs, in the heart of that back four.

He has settled straight back in and looks to be playing really well. Let’s hope that he can stay fit because, like him or not, he is the best quality defender in England and anyone who enjoys the art of defending, loves watching him play.

Not Hot defender
Birmingham’s Roger Johnson didn’t have a great day. It was topped off when he prodded the ball almost out of keeper Ben Foster’s hands and into his own net.

Having said that, he, along with the rest of the Birmingham team, have been fantastic over the past couple of years. Did I really hear the Birmingham crowd booing the team off at the end of the game against Everton? Unbelievable.

Hot midfielder
What an impact Rafael Van Der Vaart has made at Tottenham. Two more goals and an excellent performance on Saturday helped his team to a crucial 2-1 win over Aston Villa.

I wasn’t sure that he was a good signing for Harry Redknapp but the Dutchman is proving me wrong every time he takes to the field. He could be the man who helps Tottenham to maintain their place in the top four of the Premier League again this season.

Not Hot midfielder
We gave him the benefit doubt in the challenge that broke Bobby Zamora’s leg. We let him get away with some horror tackles on Joey Barton because, well, it was Joey Barton. Now though, something has to be done to stop Wolves midfielder Karl Henry.

The tackle he was sent off for on Saturday was, at best, a reckless and stupid challenge and, at worst, an attempt to cause serious injury. Enough is enough.

Hot striker
Bolton’s Swedish striker Johan Elmander has not set the world alight since he arrived at the club. In fact, he has been something of a joke figure. However, the goal he scored to earn his side a point at West Brom on Saturday was his fourth of the season and he is starting to look like a decent player.

Not Hot striker
If Fernando Torres had not unfortunately gone off injured he may have been in the frame for this award. His replacement after just ten minutes was David Ngog. The substitute did his best to do a decent impersonation of the way the player he replaced has been playing so far this season.