Arsenal have to get this award this week. After three disappointing performances and results Manchester United would be just about the last team you would want to come visiting. Everyone (including me) has been somewhat critical of Arsene Wenger over the past few days and almost everyone has given an opinion about why Arsenal are simply not good enough.
Wenger and his players answered all their critics emphatically with a fantastic 2-1 win. They gave a metaphorical two-fingered salute to many of us. Let’s hope that Arsenal can keep up that level of performance because a team doing well by playing the type of football they play can only be good for the game.
West Ham haven’t won in five games and their spectacular collapse on Saturday puts them well in the frame for this award. However, Sunderland have just one win in eight games and their 2-1 defeat at home to Portsmouth on Saturday left them deep in the relegation scrap.
Roy Keane has spent quite a lot of money and the players he has put together have not really hit it off. He needs to turn things around quickly or this could be a very difficult season for the side from the Stadium of Light.
For the second week running this award goes to Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. He produced a quite wonderful performance in his team’s 1-0 win at surprise package Hull.
He made several breath taking saves and definitely earned the invaluable three points for his team. At the end of the game, most of the Bolton players ran to their goalkeeper to thank and congratulate him. That said it all.
Once again this week there were no really poor goalkeeping performances in the Premier League. I have no reason to take the award away from last week’s winner, Scott Carson at West Brom. He did nothing wrong in their 3-0 defeat at Liverpool but he did let in three and he still needs to pay for that goal for Croatia at Wembley!
Totally unfair, but I’ve got to give it to someone!
He has come in for a lot of criticism and abuse over the past couple of years but Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell is still a class act.
The former England centre half, now thirty-four years old, is a key player for Portsmouth and apart from losing out to Cisse early on in the game at Sunderland on Saturday, he put in another faultless performance.
West Ham looked assured of the three points on Saturday when they were 1-0 up against Everton with only seven minutes remaining. Then, Everton scored a remarkable three goals in four minutes. A close look at those goals will show that West Ham’s central defender James Collins fell asleep for two of the goals and he won’t be thrilled when he sees replays of the goals. Nor will Gianfranco Zola.
Not much doubt about this award this week as it goes to Arsenal’s Samir Nasri. He hasn’t set the world alight since he arrived at the club and hasn’t really settled in as well as he or the club would have liked.
Having said that, he is clearly a decent player and his two goals against Manchester United will have raised his standing with the Arsenal faithful to new heights. As well as his goals, his passing and work rate were phenomenal. He has definitely ‘arrived’ at the Emirates.
Steve Sidwell hasn’t had many chances to prove himself at Chelsea or at Aston Villa. He is a hard working and talented player but his terrible 88th minute back pass that gave Middlesbrough an unlikely 2-1 win at Villa Park means that he must take this award this week.
A few candidates for this award as usual. Robbie Keane bagged a brace for Liverpool, Andy Johnson continued his scoring form at Fulham, Louis Saha announced his arrival at Everton with a pair and the much criticised Darren Bent continued his new lease of life under Harry Redknapp at Tottenham.
Despite all these worthy candidates, I give the award to Nicolas Anelka, a striker who I have consistently criticised. His two goals for Chelsea at Blackburn took his team back to the top of the league and took his personal tally to eleven, the best in the top league.
Wigan’s Amr Zaki started the season in exceptional form and looked for all the world to be one of the Premier League’s best signings in the Summer.
He has recently lost his early season form and Wigan have slipped down the table. He had one glorious headed chance on Saturday in the dreadful 0-0 draw with Stoke but missed the target by a very long way.
I have no doubt that Zaki will come good again but at the moment, he has gone from Hot to Not.
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