Four of the top five battle it out with each other this week while Man City travel to bottom of the table West Ham. Arsenal could end gameweek 17 in fourth position, having started it Top of the table. Chances are it will be as you were. It has been such an unpredictable season that this has to be the weekend where the top five match each other and pick up a point a piece.

Having written off the Premier Leagues big hitters I’m looking further down the table for points this week. Fulham need to take three points off an in form Sunderland on Saturday. Midfielder Clint Dempsey(6.8) leads the way with 69 points this season. Man mountain Brede Hangeland(5.6) has also performed well picking up 53 points.

Sunderland are flying at the moment, due to the form of Ghanaian goal machine Asamoah Gyan(7.1), Jordan Henderson(5.5) and Nedum Onuoha(5.3). The Black Cats good run can also be attributed to the return of stopper Craig Gordon(4.5), the Scot has amassed 21 points in five games keeping two clean sheets along the way.

In gameweek 14 I said that Stoke’s Matthew Etherington(5.8) was worth a gamble. The winger has notched 27 points in his last three games, his good run is sure to continue against a Blackpool side that has conceded 29 goals in 16 games.

Alan Pardew’s first task as Newcastle boss is to address their inconsistent home form. Next up at St James Park is Liverpool in Saturday’s late game. Steven Gerrard(11.2) could feature, Fernando Torres(11.9) finally looks interested, Joe Cole(8.3) is nearing full fitness and most surprising of all Ryan Babel(6.7) played 90 minutes and scored a goal. The Magpies will be hoping that Kevin Nolan(6.1) will return from injury and that Andy Carroll(6.2) can add to his fantastic tally of 94 points.

Everton find themselves stuck in no man’s land. Right now their season could go one of two ways – An assault on the top eight, or a scrap in the bottom six. David Moyes men need to follow on from their point at Stamford Bridge with victory at home to Wigan. Centre Back Phil Jagielka(5.8) has reached a half century of points for the season, Tim Cahill(9.1) is doing for the Toffees what Steven Gerrard so often does for rivals Liverpool and Jermaine Beckford(5.1) may just be getting the knack of top flight Football. The Latics welcome back Hugo Rodallega from suspension, but I feel Roberto Martinez men will leave Goodison Park empty handed.

Last mention goes to Blackburn’s Chris Samba(5.1), one of those defenders who is imposing at the back and a genuine goal threat from set plays. Rovers have responded well after having their bottoms well and truly spanked by Man Utd and big Chris is an integral part of a normally(Old Trafford annihilation apart) tight defence.

That’s your lot for this week. If you feel like joining in the fun then join the EPL League by visiting: http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ the code you need to join is 13413-5300

Our second installment of ‘Premier League Links Of The Day’ is here! Today’s video features Dimitar Berbatov and his thoughts on his recent five goal performance.

Here’s the links:

• EPL’s 10 dirties players [Bleacher Report]
• Adrian Durham’s team of the week [Talk Sport]
• Carroll has the X-factor [Mirror Football]
• Clint Dempsey backs Mark Hughes [F & H Chronicle]
• Aaron Lennon’s unbelievable week [Tottenham FC ]
• Liverpool players adjusting to Hodgson [Liverpool FC ]
• Ashley Young makes a blooper reel [Goal]
• Bolton vs. Blackpool match highlights [101 Great Goals]

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and let me know if you’d like to suggest an article, video or photo for inclusion on the Premier League Links Of The Day.

Phew!! Well what can I say? If it hadn’t been for the antics of Nani and the reliable consistency of Charlie Adam, last week’s effort would have been disastrous. This could end up being a cryptic tips column where doing the exact opposite will prove the most rewarding! I have always been taught to hold your hands up and admit when you are wrong, well my arms are aching having been raised apologetically all week.

My quest for redemption begins at the back where there is a definite bargain to be had. Jose Bosingwa is fit again and available for 5.6 million. He may not have forced his way back into the Chelsea starting eleven yet, but he will, and if you have space to add to your squad I recommend you snap him up before his value increases.

There are more defensive bargains available. Liverpool’s Sotirios Kyrgiakos may play havoc with most spellcheckers but is a snip at 5.1 million. The Greek is proving to be a rock at the back for the Reds and a threat going forward at set pieces.

White Hart Lane’s current hot topic is marauding down the left wing, but if you cast your eye to the opposite flank you will see that Alan Hutton has slotted in very well at right back. He is a rampaging attack minded full back and is excellent value at 4.8 million.

Now that I’ve mentioned it I can’t ignore it. Gareth Bale has the World at his feet after having had Maicon on toast, and remarkably the Welsh wonder is currently available for 6.7 million. How the likes of Man Utd, Barcelona, Inter Milan et al must wish that Fantasy League transfer fees translated directly into the real world.

If you don’t feel like hopping on board the Bale bandwagon then for the same price you can pick up Fulham’s goal getting midfielder Clint Dempsey, or for an extra million you can opt for Arsenal’s Samir Nasri. Both are locked on 47 points and are both are bang in form.

Last week’s big tip Emile Heskey won’t be kicking any balls for a while, no, he hasn’t rediscovered his World Cup form, the big striker has picked up a knee injury. I’d look to Blackpool’s front line to fill the gap, Luke Varney and Gary Taylor-Fletcher, 4.6 and 4.5 million respectively, are performing well and confidence will be high after picking up their first home win of the Season.

I can’t leave without mentioning Newcastle, after a barnstorming derby win against Sunderland Messrs. Nolan, Barton, Carroll and Ameobi will be looking to capitalise on Arsenals disappointing showing in the Champions League. The exciting thing about Newcastle this season is their total unpredictability, Sunday’s lunchtime clash at the Emirates could be a high scoring classic.

If you feel like joining in the fun then join the EPL League by visiting: http://fantasy.premierleague.com/  the code you need to join is 13413-5300

Saturday in the Premier League was eclipsed by the top three clubs in the table while Sunday witnessed two massive local derbies play out to incredibly different results. Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United survived their respective matches to gain three points without dominating inferior opponents while Sunday’s rivalries produced a 0-0 and an emphatic 5-1 demolition.

The work in progress that is Manchester City again took one step forward and two steps back as a deserved Wolves side beat the Citizens in front of a brilliant crowd at Molineux. City took a well deserved early lead when a Jerome Boateng through ball put David Silva in on goal and Silva was subsequently felled by Richard Stearman and a penalty was awarded.

City looked the part of title challengers until just after Emmanuel Adebayor slotted home the penalty. After the lead, Manchester City all but sat back and invited Wolves to attack. Wolves obliged emphatically while £100m of attacking and footballing talent fell prey to the league’s 19th best team. City fans must soon start questioning the tactics and first team selection of boss Roberto Mancini as City’s loss on Saturday marks their second in a row, both with winger Adam Johnson far from the starting XI.

Honorable Mentions -

Matt Jarvis, Wolves – Jarvis started the match at home against City on the left flank and produced a number of good crosses into the box throughout his side’s 2-1 win. The 24 year old midfielder who gives fits to all in his path has been in fine form for Wolves this season yet the club still languish in 19th. Saturday’s home win could be just what Wolves need to jump start their season while Jarvis’ recent performances could be enough to warrant England consideration from Fabio Capello.

Mick McCarthy will want more of the same from his star man as Wolves hope to avoid any late season flirtation with relegation in their second season back in the top flight.

Matt Jarvis is the kind of player who thrives when he’s able to get at defenders one on one and provide service to a waiting striker in the box. He’s not as pacey as Gareth Bale or Nani, but he’s easily as efficient and hard working as any winger in the Premier League. Jarvis, along with opposite side winger Stephen Hunt, were the difference makers as they succeeded in stretching the City defense which enabled them to create two scrappy goals for the win.

Robert Green, West Ham – Rarely do I mention or award a player whose team lost over the weekend but Robert Green’s exploits for West Ham at the Emirates on Saturday deserves at least a nod. Green was sensational on the day between the posts for the Hammers who lost 1-0 and remain bottom, but it was the kind of inspirational performance Hammers fans would have wanted to see as their beloved continue to struggle.

Save after save was witnessed until Alex Song scored his third goal in three games late on for Arsenal to snatch all three points at home when West Ham were deserved of at least a point. Green has had a difficult run of form since his blunder for England at the World Cup this past summer but remains a quality shot stopper when tested.

Clint Dempsey, Fulham – The US international scored a brace for Fulham on Saturday against Wigan to lead the Cottagers to a much needed three points. After just a half hour, Dempsey jumped to meet a Carlos Salcido cross into the box to head home his first of the match. Dempsey’s opener was an impressive display of his attacking and heading abilities as he simply rose above the Wigan defenders to meet the ball first.

Dempsey’s second was twice as impressive when just before the half he was able to turn scraps into gold when he met a Chris Baird ball with a swinging right foot and volleyed his shot past Ali Al Habsi in the Wigan goal.

For Fulham, the points were secured before the half which allowed the London club to climb to 9th in the table.

Premier League Footballer of the Week -

Kevin Nolan, Newcastle – Newcastle’s Captain scored a hat-trick in Sunday’s Tyne-Wear Derby while Toon fans pinched themselves and asked the question, ‘does it get any better than this?’. When former Newcastle player Titus Bramble saw red and the goals continued to flood in, most Geordies started to answer that question with an unequivocal ‘No’.

The derby really was a tale of one side’s competence in front of goal and the other side’s incompetence at everything else. Newcastle opened the scoring through Nolan when the midfielder found the ball approaching him deep in Sunderland’s box. Without the time for a touch to settle, Nolan flicked the ball over his head while falling to the ground to beat Simon Mignolet for his first but not his last goal of the day.

Nolan’s second was the result of some shoddy defending by Sunderland, inept in all rights, but the Captain found himself in a forward position at the right place at the right time and showed enough poise to again beat Mignolet when the ball trickled into his path. Nolan’s third and final came off of a well taken set piece from Newcastle when Joey Barton’s corner found the other man of the moment, Shola Ameobi, who flicked on to Nolan to head home an unsaveable effort.

It was a day Newcastle won’t soon forget while most importantly the win places them 7th in the league table.

Walking up and down the streets of New York before the most highly anticipated U.S. soccer match in history, one could have mistaken this city for London, Berlin or Rio de Janeiro. Thousands of people clad in football jerseys, and not the variety of Manning, Brady, or Peterson, but those of Donovan, Altidore and Dempsey. If just for one day, the country stood still for the world’s game, and it was a truly fantastic site to behold.

Having been in Europe for the 2006 World Cup, it was my first taste of just how much this game means to the rest of the world. Every car and storefront fitted with unbridled nationalism. And not a jingoistic nationalism, but a peaceful nationalism that only the world’s very best sporting tournament can conjure.

Like so many others that follow the European game, and having witnessed the previous Cup amongst true fans of the game, I was weary of following the tournament here in the States, if only because I felt most would treat it as a passing interest, and not the end-all, be-all that the event represents for serious fans. I wanted to be around the electricity of Munich and Amsterdam, Liverpool and London. Little did I know I had to go no further than five blocks to get just what I craved.

New York, of course, is the country’s most diverse and cosmopolitan of cities. Here, there are literally hundreds of nationalities represented and languages spoken. I knew there would be an energy come World Cup time, but I got much more than expected.

Since Friday’s opener, everywhere you turn you cannot avoid people sporting their favorite players’ jerseys or national scarves. From the obvious Messi and Rooney jerseys, to the more obscure Appiah and Forlan shirts, soccer fever has truly taken hold of this town.

We encountered no less than 10 pubs in the East Village turn down prospective patrons because they had exceeded capacity. Granted, this was primarily for the US-England encounter, but it was still a site to behold in this country. There are street fairs popping up in the city for the Cup, a makeshift soccer “stadium” showing all 64 matches in SoHo, and literally every single business with a liquor license and access to at least one TV is opening its doors from 7 a.m. everyday for the group stage.

But the most exciting aspect of all of this was the masses’ reaction for the big one: USA-England. Fearful of ex-pat Englishmen outnumbering Americans on the streets and in the bars, it was a terrific surprise to see literally tens of thousands of people donning their American regalia. It doesn’t take much for Americans to sport their pride, we are a truly patriotic nation, a great sports nation as well. On Saturday though, everyone was a US soccer fan.

People I have known for years that know nothing of football were talking formations, starting lineups and tactics. Certainly playing the English helped invoke exuberant pride and a nationwide longing to beat the British. Always healthy allies, it easy for the media to spin this match into a must-see. It is an interesting relationship between the two countries, almost one of older-brother, younger-brother. We may respect and admire our friendship with the British, but we certainly would never want to lose to them at anything.

Rather than be amongst English supporters at countless pubs in the city, my group chose an American sports bar, with about 95% Americans there on the day. And atmosphere was not lacking. It was truly an amazing moment when the Star-Spangled Banner began, and the whole bar erupted in song in a glorious show of patriotism. There was an energy in the bar I had not felt since London and England’s clash with Portugal in the 2006 quarterfinals. It was electric.

When Steven Gerrard neatly tucked the ball underneath Tim Howard to put the Brits up 1-0, the crowd fell silent. But not for long. At any chance, chants of USA filled the bar and by the time Clint Dempsey’s speculative shot squirmed underneath the hapless Robert Green’s arms, the crowd just about tore the roof off the place.

The historic rivalry of the two countries contributed significantly to the overall viewership, being billed as US soccer’s biggest game ever. Whether that kind of passion can be invoked while playing the likes of Slovenia or Algeria remains to be seen, but a trip to the last-16 against Germany could see the reaction go above and beyond that of Saturday.

I am under no illusion that because of the awesome displays of patriotism and footballing enthusiasm over the weekend that the US will emerge as a true soccer nation. We have our sports that dominate the mainstream, and that is the way it should be. American football, baseball, and basketball are who we are, they are our sports and ingrained in our culture.

But, without a doubt, Saturday was one of the greatest sports-watching days of my life. And it had nothing to do with any of the aforementioned sports. If just for one day, it truly felt special to watch the US become a soccer nation. I’ll never forget it.

Leave your thoughts on the game and your experience viewing the match in the US below.

Ever since the World Cup draw was made back in December, all eyes in the United States have been on the first game in Group C. The match against England is widely anticipated in America, but here it’s just another group game. There’s not the same level of excitement, sure England fans are looking forward to it, but because it’s the first game, not because we’re playing the United States.

Everything in England is geared to the tournament finally getting underway. There is no real sense of trepidation or concern for the game against the USA. Don’t mistake that lack of fear as arrogance, it’s simply that there is no real rivalry for England fans to gauge their feelings towards the USA on a football basis. We don’t view the first opponents in that way, we don’t have any footballing history against America.

The view over here is that we’ve been drawn in the easier side of the draw and our group could have been a lot worse. Looking back, it’s probably viewed as the easiest group we’ve had since 1986. Yet that should serve as a stark remainder of what can happen if you take your eye off the ball. A group containing Portugal, Morocco and Poland was viewed as a matter of course for qualification and it simply seemed a case of who would finish second behind England. How wrong those feelings were.

England were drab and lifeless in the first game against Portugal and deservedly lost one nil. England have played Portugal several times since then and are still awaiting another opportunity to end a run that now stretches to 44 years since the last competitive victory against our oldest allies. The next match saw England once again fail to produce and were in danger of imploding, Bryan Robson injured and out of the tournament, Ray Wilkins sent off and 0-0 draw against Morocco left qualification in the balance.

Everything was on the last game, against Poland but the team had been altered due to the loss of Wilkins and Robson and the failings of Mark Hateley up front. The rest as they say is history, with Gary Lineker’s hat trick catapulted England through. It’s certainly not a situation that anyone in the UK sees repeating itself this time in South Africa. Confidence is high amongst the fans, but the ridiculous tub thumbing bravado of the Eriksson years has settled away to something more reflective, more assured, more believable.

The usual four year worrying about key players has also subsided, concerns remain against several members of the squad, through form, injury and personal worries that dogged certain members this year. Yet for all that, most England fans are already plotting England’s opponents in the Second Round. Will it be our old nemesis, Germany, or the hard working Australians or as some experts predict, the dark horses of Ghana. Any of those permutations is already being discussed and dissected.

That’s not to say they’re right in thinking that, but that’s football fans the world over, daring to dream. The players will be under no doubts or allow dreams to cloud the thinking. Capello will have them facing each game and each opponent one at a time. There will be no excuses for getting ahead of themselves. As a USA fan, you may be thinking this is all rather conceited and arrogant. I assure you, it isn’t. No-one is expecting another 1950 and we all know enough about the US team, the key players and the tactics, that surprises like that warm Brazilian day on June 29th won’t happen again.

The defeat is now classed as so long ago by the media, that it doesn’t allow the option to stir up the primal need for revenge that say matches against Argentina, France, Germany, Scotland and Portugal brings. Even allowing for the 2-0 defeat in Boston back in 1993 fails to raise the hackles of English fans. That period of failure is written off as the “Graham Taylor era” and no-one likes opening that particular box back up.  Wedged between the semi finals of 1990 and 1996, it’s glossed over at any given opportunity. It’s not that England fans don’t care or feel the result is a forgone conclusion, they just expect the team to win.

Some parts of the media will try and stir it up, get some anti-American feeling going, but in general, it’s not there to stir and I feel it’s vice versa. I couldn’t have met a friendlier bunch of people when I was in the States, I really like the place and the people. It suited me. Honestly, I could think of nothing better than living in either Florida or California, I’d love to live the States. I’d bite your arm off to live there, I really would. Especially now that football is growing as a sport.

What has surprised me are some attempts at belittling England, such as the laughable comments that England had an easy group to get through. Despite the excuses being made for Croatia having two players missing, which I think certainly overplays the amount of ability and influence Eduardo has on the national side, beating them 4-1 away and 5-1 at home is not something to write off so easily. Croatia were on a 14 year unbeaten home run. 14 years, now come on surely that deserves a little credit? No, well disputing that as two excellent results is pointless.

Just because we’re not banging on about the game doesn’t mean we think less of the USA as a footballing nation, or that we don’t rate the team, the talent and tenacity are clearly there. It doesn’t mean we don’t view the USA as a threat, we do. It’s just that as with Algeria and Slovakia, the team are expected to win. Nothing more, nothing less. Me, I’m expecting it to be the toughest game of the group stage and I do honestly hope the USA get through to the second round too. It’ll be tough, but it’s certainly an easier group than you got saddled with last time.

No-one is taken the USA lightly, don’t judge us on our media and some of the chatter that descends through the Internet, like a room full of monkeys tweeting. Talk to us, ask us what we think, don’t make outlandish sweeping statements about how crap England are just to get a reaction, that’s just juvenile. We see enough football to know when someone’s talented.

We were all impressed at Landon Donovan finally having a productive spell in European football, we know what Clint Dempsey offers the team. We know Freddy Adu has dropped off the edge of the world by getting too big for his boots. We’ve seen some of the best players the USA has produced week in, week out in all our leagues. Don’t mistake our silence or reticence for arrogance.It just means we quite like you and surely that’s a good thing isn’t it??

Leave me your comments below, or you can find me on twitter.com/paulbestall where I can talk football all day.

Two Americans who will never be forgotten in English football are Clint Dempsey and John Harkes. Nothing is more memorable than scoring one of the goals of the season.

In 1990, John Harkes scored his first goal for Sheffield Wednesday and what a beauty it was. The 35 yard screamer ended up being the goal of the season. And to make matters even better, the goal was scored against legendary England goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

Then just this past Tuesday, Clint Dempsey scored an almost identical goal for Fulham against Stoke. Will this go down as the goal of the season? We’ll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, please enjoy both videos above. Just click the image to have the videos load.

US striker Clint Dempsey is in the form of his life right now with Fulham. The American has solidified a role in the attack for Fulham and to his credit scored one of the goals of the season Tuesday night in the Premier League game against Stoke City.

You could say that Dempsey is showing Landon Donovan how to make a mark in England. Let’s see if Donovan can come close in his debut game against Arsenal this Saturday. But to be fair to Donovan, it took a while for Dempsey to settle in at Craven Cottage.

What a brilliant goal!

Q: Why did he mention Dempsey and Howard in the title?

A: It’s a sneaky writer’s trick. He name-dropped Americans who play in the Premier League to justify writing about USA v Brazil for EPLTalk.com.

Q: Is that why he posted that hastily sketched drawing of Dempsey’s mug as well?

A: Yes indeed.

Is there such a thing as a great loss in football? As a Liverpool supporter, I am told I enjoyed two great draws this past season. 4-4 against Chelsea and 4-4 against Arsenal. I was too devastated by Liverpool being knocked out of the Champions League and sliding out of the title race to notice I enjoyed anything. Out of context, I can appreciate the matches’ greatness. The bombardment of goals. The tension and drama. I get it. But in light of the repercussions of a cup exit and key points dropped, these matches leave a bitter, clinging residue. It still stings to think about them.

Yet, as an American North American USAian Statesman, ahem… Yet, as a Yank, I can say I enjoyed the USA’s great loss to Brazil yesterday.

The first half was a dream. Jonathan Spector’s service was brilliant but Dempsey’s shot looked awkward. It bounced optimistically toward goal. I was positive Julio César had it covered. When it bounced just past his fingertips, I couldn’t believe it. USA were one-nil up on Brazil. I still felt sure we’d lose 4-1. But I’d said before the match I’d feel better losing 4-1 than another 3-0. And now we’d scored first. Beautiful.

The US continued with convincing possession and driving play.  And while Brazil created some chances in the first half, Tim Howard continually read the attacks perfectly. He snatched, scooped and punched the danger away each time it knocked on his door.

Then there were two USA players running down the Brazilian defense with loads of space. Almost a mirror image of Brazil’s charge off the failed US corner kick in the previous match. Charlie Davies had the ball out wide and Landon Donovan made the perfect run. Davies found him with a sharp pass past two defenders and Donovan turned his man before launching the ball into the far corner. Was this the same team that bumbled and stuttered against Brazil just ten days ago? Had the USA and Brazil players swapped shirts before the match instead of after? Would Real Madrid be making a €50m bid on Donovan? I considered dumping a glass of cold water over myself just to make sure I was awake.

If you’d told me before the match we were going to finish the half two nil up on Brazil, I would have hurled rotting vegetables at your head to teach you not to say such ridiculous things. But the whistle blew. And 2-0 was the score. I couldn’t relax though. If it had been 8-0 maybe I could have taken a deep breath and relaxed. Maybe. But I was still too elated for words.

A minute into the first half, and Luis Fabiano was there to guide me back down to earth with a stunner. His back to goal and defender Jay DeMerit, he spun toward the target, slinging the ball between DeMerit’s legs and past Tim Howard. DeMerit gave him too much room and the shot came off before Howard could process the ball’s movement. The keeper lunged but it was no use.

At this point, I thought the US could still prevail. Brazil had gotten one off, but if our boys kept their heads they could create another like the Dempsey or Donovan goal and we could win it 3-1.

But Fabiano’s goal had thrown our side off balance and Brazil would take advantage with blistering resolve.

Against Spain, the US were able to congest the box. There was plenty of room for Spain on each wing, but no one open in the box no matter how good the service. Against Brazil, this same space on the wing was an open invitation to an onslought. The Brazilians would just keep coming. Wave upon wave of attack. Another goal from Fabiano and one from Lúcio would smother my hopes. Kaká should have been credited with a goal as well, but Tim Howard got the ball out before the officials could see it had crossed the line.

Brazil’s goals stung my heart, but when the final whistle blew I wasn’t devastated. We’d had no business getting past the group stage. We’d had no business beating Spain. But there we were in the final against Brazil. We lost by a mere goal.

After the miserable group stage loss to Brazil which was plagued by horrible US passing and embarrassing concessions, all I wanted from yesterday was for the US to play well. They could lose to Brazil as long as it wasn’t a dismal display. The biggest problem the US had in the previous encounter was they let Brazil’s reputation overwhelm them. They played infinitely better against Spain, The Best Team in the World™. But Spain haven’t been The Best Team in the World™ long enough for the US to let it shake their psychology. They kept their heads and managed an upset.

Brazil have been Brazil for decades. It’s not just that they are great players, but their legend is a long-standing institution which looms large. The idea of Brazil put the US on the back foot even before the opening whistle of the group stage match. That the US were able to overcome this psychological hurdle yesterday and play out of their skin and go two nil up is massive. An important leap before South Africa 2010.

I didn’t expect us to win the final. But then I didn’t expect us to escape the group stage and I certainly didn’t expect us to oust Spain. So yesterday I was open to the boys flipping my reality on its head one last time. Which they did, if only in the first half.

Thanks for giving me that dream, boys. The Brazilian comeback may have been inevitable. But the great fight of the first half was pure joy and a big step for the future of team USA.

One year ago, Fulham was arguably the worst team in the Premier League not named Derby.  The club showed little holiday spirit, sacking Lawrie Sanchez just four days before Christmas.  New manager Roy Hodgson needed a great escape, scraping to 36 points and safety on the season’s final day.

This season, however, Hodgson has revolutionized Fulham, currently sitting comfortably mid-table on 26 points with a game in hand.  Here are five facts to explain Fulham’s resurgence this season.

Ferocity at the Back: Americans have a saying, “Offense wins games.  Defense wins championships.”  Fulham are nowhere near title contention, but a vastly improved defense has proved pivotal.  Halfway through the current season, Fulham have allowed just 14 goals in the 19 matches.  That’s fourth best in the Premier League, behind only Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.  If Fulham maintain that pace, they would allow 28 goals.  They shipped 60 the previous year.  Fulham are far more competitive and have their backline to thank.

Fortress Craven Cottage: Fulham’s 2008-09 model has the requisite fragility away from home.  They’ve failed to win in nine attempts, although they have drawn five.  However, Fulham have been spectacular at home this season, winning six and drawing three of their ten matches.  Only Manchester United and Liverpool have fared better at home this season than Fulham.

Overcoming Squandered Investments: Fulham spent serious moolah over the summer, nearly £20m, to revamp their striking with Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora.  Despite their success, the duo have been largely ineffective, combining for only five goals in 33 combined appearances.  American forward Clint Dempsey has four times as many goals as Bobby Zamora, with barely more than half as many pitch minutes.  Fulham’s success has been despite not because of this substantial investment.

A Steely Run: Fulham, though only winning three, are undefeated in their past nine matches, last losing to 1-0 to Everton on Nov. 1.  This run of matches saw Fulham play top tier sides, such as Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa.  They also played more talented teams, such as Manchester City, Newcastle and Tottenham twice.  Fulham may fade a bit, but those fifteen difficult points could stave off relegation.

Backbone Against the Big Five: These fixtures are often overrated.  For a team out of the title race six-pointers, they matter not more than any other match.  However, Fulham, with a victory against Arsenal and draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa, are undefeated in these matches.  They conceded just two goals in the four matches, both against Chelsea.  Tangibly, Fulham gain six points, but the value of the confidence earned is considerable.