Gameweek 21 kicks off on New Year’s Day, the perfect time to have a quick recap on some of the season’s best performers so far.

Starting between the sticks we have Manchester City’s Joe Hart, the Blue half of Manchester are serious title contenders and much of this is due to the brilliance of their young stopper. Points wise Hart is head and shoulders above all other Goalkeepers with an impressive total of 95. If his 6.8 million price tag puts you off, there are cheaper alternatives. Birmingham’s Ben Foster(5.1) 81 points and Blackburn’s Paul Robinson(4.6) 72 points provide excellent value for money.

There is a reason Nemanja Vidic(8.0) is at the heart of 32% of Fantasy League defences, well actually there are 87 reasons. Man United’s rock at the back is top of the defensive pile going into the New Year. Following closely behind are Chelsea’s Ashley Cole(8.3) with 86 points and Everton’s Leighton Baines(7.5) 85 points. Sneaking into the top ten defenders is Sunderland’s Ahmed Elmohamady(4.8) with a 68 point return. Just one point behind Elmohamady is Baines’ team mate Seamus Coleman(4.9). Directly below Coleman you will find Patrice Evra(7.3) and John Terry(7.0), even further down the list is Man City’s Kolo Toure(6.4). It just goes to show that you don’t always get what you pay for.

Moving into midfield we start to find members of the 100 club. Rather surprisingly Everton’s Tim Cahill(9.3) leads the way with 106 points. Not only does the Australian run the midfield he often finds himself thrust upfront and has tucked away nine league goals in the process. Man United’s Nani(9.6) is just 2 points behind Cahill. The winger has been showing real quality throughout the campaign. Like Ronaldo before him Nani looks to have learnt that the tricks, however pretty they may be, do not win you Football matches and has vastly improved his all round game.

Special mention goes to Stoke City wide-man Matthew Etherington(5.9). Normally any left footed Englishman with an ounce of talent is treated like the second coming, however Etherington has quietly gone about his impressive business, three league goals and numerous assists place him ninth overall in the midfield rankings with 85 points.

Leading the way upfront is Newcastle’s Andy Carroll(6.5). They love a number 9 at St James Park and Carroll is no disappointment, the lanky striker has bagged 11 league goals this season and has 113 points to show for his efforts. It’s no surprise that the young Magpie is in 55% of Fantasy league teams.

Hot on Carroll’s heels is Carlos Tevez(11.3). The Argentine has 12 goals to his name and now that his Wayne Rooney style transfer tantrum is done and dusted he can get back to doing what he does best. A note of caution on wee Carlos this week as he is a slight doubt with a thigh injury.

And finally, I can’t go without singing the praises of Bolton’s front two. Johan Elmander(6.5) and Kevin Davies(6.5) have 191 points between them. Owen Coyle’s team are enjoying a cracking season so far and are the only team to have two strikers in the top ten.

That’s all for 2010 folks, I sincerely hope you all have a very Happy New Year.

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Ah, it’s that time of the year again and I simply love it. No, not Christmas, but the end of the year lists that all end up being about the same everywhere you look. Seriously, I think every music magazine has awarded album of the year to Kanye West, but that’s a topic for another article. Here we discuss the Premier League and the individual footballers that make it one of the best leagues in the world.

2010 has been quite interesting if you’re a fan of the Premier League. We’ve seen current Champions Chelsea start the season on a flier only to loose out on some key players and suffer once again from the goings on behind the scenes as owner Roman Abramovich and his cronies have their way. Adding parity to the Premier League, all three promoted teams are comfy in mid table or there abouts while once boring Bolton have enjoyed a mini resurgence under current boss Owen Coyle. The end of last season’s title race was a close one with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney picking up most of the accolades. Chelsea were deserved Champions but Manchester City and Tottenham have emerged as serious title contenders in the last four months.

While familiar faces currently hold the top two spots in the standings, 2010 hasn’t been the kind of year dominated by English football’s ‘big 4′. Liverpool are re-building under Roy Hodgson, Manchester United have been solid without being great, and Arsenal seem to be plagued by the same old problems that have hindered their title credentials for the last few years. Critics will say that the big 4′s lack of dominance has burdened an already top heavy league while proponents will argue just the opposite. Regardless of your stance on the overall theme of this year’s Premier League, there have been some standout performances which we’ll now take a look at in the form of the league’s best starting XI.

Author’s Note: While not an easy feat, the following list has been complied by analyzing performances from the entire 2010 calendar year. If readers fail to see a player on the list they feel was deserved, it’s likely said player had a great few months but was injured, suffered a drop in form, fell to the fact that only one player can occupy each position or simply wasn’t good enough over the course of the last 12 months. As always, feel free to leave comments and suggestions in the space below.

Goalkeeper – Joe Hart, Manchester City- While Chelsea’s Petr Cech has enjoyed his best form since 2007, the league’s best keeper thus far has been the England #1 Hart. Hart started 2010 on loan with Brum then was called back to his parent club Manchester City. He began the season in the kind of super-human form football fans are used to seeing on highlight reels and maybe even in their dreams. Manchester City are chasing the title and with Hart healthy, fit and between the sticks, they’ll feel their shot at the title will increase.

Right Back -Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea- Having filled in for the injured, first choice right back at Chelsea Jose Bosingwa, Ivanovic slowly claimed the spot as his very own over 2010 yet remains available to fill in in defense wherever needed. A good crosser of the ball when getting forward to support attacks, Ivanovic is a staunch defender and able to score the occasional goal from a set piece when opportunities present themselves.

Central Defender -  Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United – Vidic has arguably been the league’s best defender for a couple of years as well as this calendar year of 2010. Strong, smart and with brilliant defensive positioning, Vidic remains a staple in the heart of United’s back line and should be considered as one of the best defenders in the world.

Central Defender – Vincent Kompany, Manchester City- Although City have been leaky recently, they’re not challenging for the title for nothing. They finished last year in fifth and look to improve upon that this season. Kompany has been a rock solid defender for City through their resurgence up the table.

Left Back – Leighton Baines, Everton- Ashley Cole and Patrice Evra have also had a great 2010, but I grow tired of players the likes of Leighton Baines missing out on recognition. Baines has been one of a few standouts on an Everton side with not much to gloat about in recent weeks. And although one could argue that Baines isn’t asked to do as much as the aforementioned Cole and Evra, he remains as important to his team as Cole and Evra do to theirs. Baines just missed out on joining England at last summer’s World Cup to Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock but it wasn’t because of form, but more because of the experienced players in front of him. Baines is a solid defender and possesses the attacking abilities that modern day full backs need to enhance the shape of their team moving forward.

Midfield (Right) – Nani, Manchester United- Nani’s stock has risen immensely in 2010 with some great wing play on the right, a number of important goals scored and has shown he possesses the kind of footballing maturity needed to succeed at United. Nani was brilliant in last season’s away victory at Arsenal on 31 January by turning in a man of the match performance and remains one of the league’s most dangerous attackers when on form.

Midfield (Attacking) – Samir Nasri, Arsenal- The brilliant Nasri can play on either flank or in central midfield in an attacking role. Quite possibly the league’s form player so far this season, Nasri has been an instrumental play-maker and attacker as Arsenal chase the Premier League title. Quick, a good link player, a goal scorer and emerging as a leader while Cesc Fabregas continues to struggle with injury, Nasri has excelled as a footballer in 2010.

Midfield (Defensive) – Nigel de Jong, Manchester City- What a year City midfielder Nigel de Jong has had for both club and country. His exploits in South Africa, while at times controversial, earned him a starting spot in the Final v Spain while he remains a staple with club. Strong in the tackle, a good distributor of the ball and a solid defender, de Jong is currently one of the most effective defensive midfielders in the Premier League.

Midfield (Left) – Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur – No one in the world has been as effective on the left side of midfield in world football in 2010 as Bale has been for Spurs. First a left back with attacking abilities and now an out and out attacking winger, Bale’s stock has risen higher than any footballer this year. Bale’s a strong, marauding runner, a brilliant crosser of the ball, dangerous over a free kick and can score goals. His trickery in attack is only matched by his effectiveness when running at defenders while his abilities to defend shouldn’t be overlooked.

Forward – Didier Drogba, Chelsea- Drogba hasn’t been at his best in recent weeks, yet he’s still a top five goal scorer this season and was last season’s highest scorer. Although he’s battled sickness and injury, Drogba remains a threat the moment he steps out onto the pitch and let’s not forget, Chelsea are the title holders largely because of how good Drogba was earlier this year.

Forward – Carlos Tevez, Manchester City- Like Drogba, Tevez is always near the top of the goals scored list while his work rate remains mostly unmatched by any other forward in the Premier League. I’m happy to hear that he’s rescinded his transfer request and will remain at City, at least for the time being. Tevez is one of the league’s best and most exciting players to watch.

Bench: John Terry, Chelsea – Patrice Evra, Manchester United – Petr Cech, Chelsea – Darren Fletcher, Manchester United, Roger Johnson, Birmingham City – Florent Malouda, Chelsea – Wayne Rooney, Manchester United – Darren Bent, Sunderland – Stewart Downing, Aston Villa

The big freeze and the dismal failure of England’s 2018 World Cup bid will not stop the Premier League from rolling on. Its game week 16, time to forget the disappointment, put the heating on and enjoy another weekend of Football.

Spurs enjoyed a much needed rest midweek and will be hoping to capitalise on any signs of a Birmingham hangover following their Carling Cup exploits. Both sides are on a good run and Harry Redknapp will be desperate to keep the pressure on the teams above them. The Blues have a fantastic home record but I have a feeling Tottenham are going to leave with all three points.

Birmingham will be relieved to see that Rafael Van der Vaart is once again doubtful, but Jermain Defoe(8.6), Aaron Lennon(7.5) and Luka Modric(7.2) are looking good, and they will need to be on their game if they are to breach a Birmingham back line that boasts some impressive points tallies. Ben Foster(5.0) 71 points, Liam Ridgewell(5.8) 65 points and Roger Johnson(5.2) 56 points, are in the top five points scorers so far this season in their positions. “If you score two we will score three” seems to be Spurs attitude, so there will be chances at the other end too. Cameron Jerome(5.7) and Nikola Zigic(5.3) are the cheaper alternatives in a match that promises goals.

Man Utd have been on the receiving end of a fair amount of criticism this season, yet they are undefeated and top of the Premier League table. United are off to the seaside Saturday evening and a certain Wane Rooney(11.5) will be desperate to get back in the goals after failing to get on the score sheet during the massacre of Blackburn Rovers last week. A special mention this week for Rooney’s team mate Nani(9.3) for reaching the 100 points mark this season.

Game week 16 concludes with a slightly rejuvenated Liverpool hosting a Villa side that are on the slide. The Reds are still missing inspirational Captain Steven Gerrard but the usually ineffective Lucas has added some steel to Liverpools midfield. The Brazilian is available for a mere 4.5 million and could be a shrewd acquisition in Gerrards absence. Jamie Carragher is facing three months on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder against Tottenham. It could mean a recall for Sotirios Kyrgiakos(5.1) and the Greek will be hoping to recapture his early season form.

Villa rallied well in the second half against Arsenal but they are struggling without Marc Albrighton, skipper Stiliyan Petrov and punch-line Emile Heskey. Robert Pires(5.0) who has a wealth of experience and young Ciaran Clark(4.5) could prove to be important players for Gerard Houllier in the run up to Christmas.

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

In arguably the weekend’s marquee match, undefeated Manchester United traveled to Birmingham to take on undefeated at home Aston Villa to open Premier League play on Saturday. The match itself placed 10th against 2nd in the league while it saw United coming off one of their best team performances of the season, Wednesday’s Manchester derby.

Aston Villa are in the midst of an injury crisis which witnessed the Villans without the services of John Carew, Emile Heskey, Stiliyan Petrov, Nigel Reo-Coker and Steve Sidwell, among others. For all their absentees, Villa were by far the better team in what ended up a scoreless first half. Numerous balls into the box, both from Marc Albrighton on the right and Stewart Downing on the left, were flown into United’s penalty area yet Villa lacked the height and attacking gusto needed to head home.

Manchester United failed to really test Brad Friedel in the first half through a two-man strike force of Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez. The game’s second half witnessed a resurgent Villa and a United side that continued to lack any real spark in attack, until late on.

For the neutral, the match would have been an entertaining and open contest that ended with both sides sharing a point. Villa hit both the crossbar and the post in the second half before finally finding the breakthrough when Ashley Young converted a well deserved penalty.

Villa’s second of the day was the result of a spot on counter attack when Marc Albrighton deservedly finished after playing well throughout the match. While Villa continued to boss the match, United remained lackluster until Sir Alex Ferguson elected to pull his two starting strikers in favor of Federico Macheda and Gabriel Obertan who both provided the spark United needed to take control of the match late on.

Without further ado, here are five observations from what ended up a great Premier League match.

• Aston Villa have more than a few incredibly promising young players. Villa looked most dangerous in the match when the ball was at the feet of Marc Albrighton on the right side of midfield. Time after time Villa utilized the crossing abilities of Albrighton to provide service that was only lacking a target man such as John Carew or Emile Heskey to head home Albrighton’s crosses. For Villa, young Scot Barry Bannan was impressive in the center of midfield with his accurate passing and vision. Although not dominant, Bannan produced a few moments of quality that lends a lot of belief to his potential.
• United’s Nani is the epitome of a player who drifts in and out of form. When United lack the services of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, they desperately need Nani to be at his creative best. On Saturday, he wasn’t. In fact, he was far from the Nani who so brilliantly uses his pace both down the right flank and cutting into the center of the pitch to create the space he needs to shoot, pass or cross to United’s strikers. Going forward, it was painfully obvious that United were without a few of their key attacking players as time after time their attacks would break down in the final third.
• When Manchester United fail to create width, they struggle. I suppose this could be said about most clubs on most days, but whether it’s Nani on the right, Giggs on the left or Evra overlapping United’s left sided midfielder, United need to create width on the flanks as opposed to forcing play so narrowly down the center of the pitch. It’s far too easy for clubs to clog the middle, sit back and defend. While it could easily be said that United missed Scholes, Giggs and Rooney, creative players the likes of Nani and Dimitar Berbatov are good enough to provide such a spark, they just weren’t on the day.
• Stewart Downing had quite the game for Aston Villa. The former England winger gave Wes Brown fits all day long bombing down the left side of midfield. He produced a cross to marvel at midway through the second half that Marc Albrighton should have headed home. Downing’s pace and inventiveness will appear in the nightmares of Wes Brown who had a difficult time dealing with Downing’s creativity.
• Sir Alex Ferguson still knows how to effectively implement his substitutes. In a move not seen that often, Ferguson pulled both of his starting forwards at the same time in the 73rd minute and replaced them with Federico Macheda and Gabriel Obertan. The move turned out to be the much needed change United needed as they ran riot over Villa for the final 15 minutes. Macheda scored United’s opener with a blistering strike and Obertan attacked with pace and purpose and could have easily won the game for United if it wasn’t for Brad Friedel’s face saving Obertan’s late shot.

As exciting as the game was for the neutral, both sets of supporters will likely feel slightly disappointed. Villa thought the three points belonged to them while United fans will view the draw as yet another two points dropped.

Hello and welcome to EPL Talk’s new weekly Fantasy League tips column. If you are constantly experiencing selection problems ahead of the weekends fixtures this is the column for you (hopefully!). Every week I will do my best to not only pick out the weeks potential points grabbers but also suggest who might benefit from a weekend of bench warming.

Kicking off in controversial style, my first tip is Emile Heskey. The Villa front man may have all the grace of a concussed Bambi on ice but he is shining once again under the guidance of Gerrard Houllier. It’s the second City derby this weekend and I can see a resurgent Heskey being more than a handful for the Birmingham back four.

Looking for someone to Partner big Emile upfront? Look no further than Man Utd’s part owl goal machine Javier Hernandez, the rubber necked Mexican grabbed two at the weekend and came off the bench midweek to help overcome Wolves in the Carling Cup. Come Saturday he’ll find himself up against a Spurs side that, when it comes to keeping clean sheets, are about as successful as “Chicharito’s” absent team mate Wayne Rooney. There are points to be had at Old Trafford and Nani will be looking to get in on the action too. The winger’s toes are beginning to twinkle as brightly as his winking predecessor, seeing him currently sit second overall in the midfield rankings.

Be sure to bolster your engine room with Blackpool’s star man Charlie Adam. Like a pair of Day-Glo hot pants The Tangerine’s are far from fashionable but they certainly catch the eye and Adam is reaping the benefits of Blackpool’s free flowing approach. They host West Brom this weekend in what promises to be an open game. Having notched up a respectable 46 points so far this season, the Baggies Chris Brunt is well worth a look too.

If you’re in the market for a bargain then you may want to cast your eye over Sunderland’s Ahmed Elmohamady (I’d never heard of him either). The Egyptian has so far accumulated 44 points and looks a snip at 5 million. Another potential steal available at the Stadium of Light is goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. The stopper has 35 points on the board and is available for a cool 4.1 million.

It’s not just about who to add it’s also about who to axe. If you have any West Ham players in your squad now is the time to give them a rest. On the back of a Carling cup tie that went to extra time the last place you want to visit is the Emirates Stadium. The Hammers defensive unit will be coughing up lungs and seeing double after 90 minutes of chasing Arsenal shadows.

Finally Manchester City’s barrel-chested nuisance Carlos Tevez is very doubtful for their trip to Wolves with a thigh injury. I’d follow Mancini’s lead and reward wee Carlos with a weekend off.

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As the Premier League wraps up its 6th Gameweek, the league table begins to take a familiar yet still somewhat open shape. Manchester United failed to take advantage of the losses suffered by Chelsea and Arsenal when they made the short journey to Bolton and came away with only a point. As disappointing as the draw was for supporters, United were still able to jump ahead of Arsenal and into second place. As United still search for the attacking cohesion that won them three Premier League titles in a row, here are a few key observations for United fans to keep in mind after the draw and after the first six weeks of the season.

0 Lost in 8 in all competitions (9 if you count the Community Shield) - At times United look as if they’re struggling with their oh-so-familiar early season form. But really, how bad are things? As occurrences on the pitch could easily be better, United are undefeated in all competitions this season. A few mental lapses avoided and United could easily be top of the league. While rivals Chelsea have now lost two in a row and with Arsenal dropping their first home match since January, United remain unbeaten while only 3 points behind the leaders. Maybe not Premier League favorites just yet, but until someone figures out how to beat them, they’ll remain not far from the top.

Wayne Rooney’s dip in form may take more time to sort out. He’s obviously out of sorts. No real spark, no creativity. When was the last time Rooney was pulled in the 61st minute of a match based on his form? The off the field distractions have obviously gotten the better of the England international who’s netted once in six matches, a penalty. Rooney’s always been a form player, when he’s clicking, he’s one of the best in the world, but when he’s off his game, it usually takes him a handful of games to regain his best form. Rooney’s a long way from his form of last season, but with time and patience, he’ll recover it. Dimitar Berbatov’s fine run of games has been an early season savior for United.

It’s looking more and more like Johnny Evans isn’t a Manchester United-quality defender. For two or three weeks in a row now, and with Rio Ferdinand still struggling with fitness, Johnny Evans has been caught out in central defense which has nearly led to an opposition goal and caused United problems. While he’s progressed miles in the last few years, Evans is currently experiencing a difficult run of form as he and Nemanja Vidic attempt to settle into a central defensive partnership. Usually close to a 5 or 6 out of 10 in the loathed or loved player ratings, Evans, an athletically gifted defender, must continue to focus his energies on his concentration.

Manchester United can still win the league and silverware this year. No one imagined United would be top of the league with a 100% record heading into October. As at times good and mediocre as United has been this season, they’ll likely get better. With the impending return of Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves and Anderson into the first team soon, United will have more cover for the aging Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs – two players who were largely ineffective Sunday v Bolton. A completed product United have yet to become.

Nani is coming good this season and will continue to improve, impress. Nani scored a brilliant goal to bring United level in the first half when he picked up the ball at the halfway line, got the better of four Bolton defenders, and slotted home past Jussi Jaaskelainen. His continued improvement in form over the last few years hasn’t placed him in the realm of the one he replaced, but has at least showed immense improvement and growing potential. Nani is proving he’s becoming a very good attacking player and that he can be counted on. He’s contributed with goals, assists, and has even shown his abilities to track back and defend (see under his defensive performance v Leighton Baines v Everton).

Some will say it was two huge points dropped away to Bolton on Sunday while I wouldn’t necessarily disagree. But the point earned when those in front of United gained 0 could end up counting for a lot.

Gameweek three of the Barclays Premier League had that business as usual feel to it as it marked the first time in the young season where one or two of those marquee matches weren’t on offer. Approaching the weekend, the Aston Villa v Everton clash intrigued me the most, while Manchester City v Sunderland and Liverpool v WBA also proved interesting litmus test matches for traditionally bigger clubs to gauge where they stand against teams they “should” beat. If their pursuits of Champions League football or league titles are an achievable truth, the big boys need three points from the smaller boys, it really is that simple.

My pre-weekend thoughts served me well as Villa v Everton proved to be as exciting and enthralling of a 1-0 match as that deceptively low scoreline would allow it to be. Everton played some fantastic football through Gareth Bale-esq left back Leighton Baines, who in the first half constantly pushed forward and provided decent enough service to create a few chances early on. His pace and footwork were tricky and sharp enough to embarrass Villa’s Marc Albrighton on more than one occasion. Yet as good as Everton were in attack, they could not and would not find that killer instinct in front of goal. An exciting and involved match ended 1-0 to Villa.

Wigan produced the shock result of the weekend with a grind-it-out 1-0 win at White Hart Lane v Spurs. Tottenham looked a shell of their former selves as they called it quits on any cohesive defending in the final 15-20 minutes of the match. That final quarter or so saw Wigan create multiple chances on goal through Hugo Rodallega down Wigan’s right flank. It was then Rodallega himself who eventually found the net with the winner in the 80th minute when he struck a low, hard shot that found the far corner of the net a la Theo Walcott v Blackburn. Wigan deserved the three points as Spurs looked to be nursing a hangover stemming from their midweek Champions League exploits.

The silly moment of the weekend came from Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen who was sent off for nothing short of handbags when he attempted to play Pat-a-cake with Birmingham City defender Roger Johnson’s face. It was an odd moment that saw Jaaskelainen sent off for the infraction and allowed City to eventually take a not-so-commanding 2-0 lead. Bolton deserve credit, they fought back to level the score 2-2 at home through a Kevin Davies penalty and a stunning Robbie Blake free kick – Owen Coyle pulling the strings in an impressive fight back to earn a point.

Other notable matches saw Chelsea maintain their 100% record by dispatching of yet-to-gain-a-point Stoke City where Florent Malouda had another fine game, Fulham’s earning of a point away to Blackpool, and Manchester City’s shock late defeat away to Sunderland.

Honorable Mentions -

Nani, Manchester United- During United’s 3-0 home win v West Ham I yelled a four letter word, one in which I won’t repeat on this site or even tell you which letter it started with as thankfully now, my discretion’s win out. Directed solely at Nani, my verbal tirade eventually fell on deaf ears as the Portuguese winger redeemed himself somewhat. My outburst got me thinking a little about my love/hate relationship with Nani which realistically sums up my feelings on him – equal parts frustrating and at times brilliant.

Nani, now in his fourth season at Old Trafford, seems to improve aspects of his game each year. His one downfall is that he’s still relatively wasteful with the ball as his excitement seems to overtake his footballing brain. Nani is the type of player that will continually frustrate supporters of United only to produce a moment of brilliance in the second half to redeem his inadequacies in the first. He did so yet again on Saturday when a brilliant 1-2 was flawlessly consummated with Wayne Rooney that resulted in Nani ducking and darting the West Ham defense and scoring emphatically. Nani is always involved for Manchester United, he’s just yet to displace his boyhood dreams of heroism at every touch of the ball. His progress thus far has been thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson and his man management tactics. United fans will hope he continues to calm down and use his head more, because when he does, he’s a valuable asset to Wayne Rooney in attack as he proved on Saturday.

Note: I also want to recognize Dimitar Berbatov for Manchester United. He seems to be working harder for United and when he does, he creates more chances for himself and for those around him. His skill has never been in question (see under his brilliant volley in the 68th), it’s his often times lax work rate. He’s now scored three in four matches for United and as I predicated earlier in the season, seems poised to have a break through season.

Moussa Dembele, Fulham- The impressive performance on Saturday from Fulham new boy Dembele could end up proving a great purchase by Fulham and Mark Hughes. The Belgium international linked up well with strike partner Bobby Zamaora and was key in both of Fulham’s goals on the day. His 87th minute ball from midfield was a brilliantly weighted pass that released Dickson Etuhu in on goal for the equalizer. Earlier in the 35th, Dembele was able to shed his marker to provide a good cross that Zamora was able to head home to open up the scoring.

Dembele scored in Fulham’s midweek Carling Cup 6-0 thrashing of Port Vale. He’s already stated his love for playing in strike partnerships and has expressed his healthy communication with Bobby Zamora as being essential in helping Zamora score more goals. Zamora limped off injured early in the match, but Dembele seems ready to do the work needed to create goals for Fulham.

Ashley Young, Aston Villa- Young set up Villa’s only goal, the winner, in a match where Villa were often times outplayed by Everton. Young started out on the left for Villa and often times drifted towards the center in a more forward attacking or roaming midfield role. His quickness allowed him to pose the biggest threat against Everton’s defense while late on he became the focal point of Aston Villa’s counter attack.

Young’s pace, like fellow wingers Theo Walcott and Marc Albrighton, is often times his best asset. When he’s at his precise best, he’s a great crosser of the ball and possesses a striker’s instinct when finishing. Young was included in the most recent England squad for their Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Premier League Footballer of the Week -

Theo Walcott, Arsenal- Last week’s honorable mention continued his current form to impress again as Arsenal, level with Manchester United on points, keep close tabs on league leaders Chelsea. Now joint top scorer in the Premier League with three others, Walcott did again what he does best on Saturday away to Blackburn. As valuable as Walcott is blitzing down the right side of midfield and scoring every so often, he’s equally as brilliant in creating space for others with his well timed runs to draw defenders away. These stretching diagonal runs from out wide to center, or switching to opposite flanks from Walcott do wonders in pulling defenders with him and creating space for others to run into or pass into.

He did both on Saturday scoring Arsenal’s first and made multiple runs without the ball to create space for his teammates. In watching the highlights of Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Blackburn again late Sunday night, I realized yet again just how powerful Walcott’s burst of pace is when he’s attempting to pull away from his marker. He so nearly was responsible for Arsenal’s third goal, but couldn’t finish from a tight angle. Walcott and Arsenal on form early on.

• For Those About to Stoke, We Score 7 on You
• Should Someone Tell Wayne Rooney He’s Needed on the Pitch & not in that Hospitality Box?

For a second there I actually thought Rooney was allegorically announcing his retirement from Manchester United as he symbolically passed on his son, full kit and all, to a family member perched high above his plot of employment. “Here, take Kai to the pitch, he’s ready to start today, tell Fergie he’ll slot in just behind Berbs“, Rooney wasn’t quoted as saying on Saturday. A Kai-less and Rooney-less United went on to beat Tottenham 3-1 but will continue to be without their talisman for the rest of the season.

Stoke City looked to play ‘title wrenchers’ in Chelsea’s plans after the London club started their Sunday match 2 points behind United. Uh, it wasn’t to be.

Interesting though that as we approach the last few weeks of the season, supporters and clubs who remain standing with something to play for must let their pride fall down as other results across the country, often including their fiercest rivals, are needed to achieve their desired result.

For example, after United played snatch & grab at City last weekend, blue Mancunians would have surely been cheering for United to beat Tottenham. Likewise, Spurs supporters would have been cheering on their lovable old friends at Arsenal to beat City at the Emirates just a week or so after having beaten them in that now famous win at White Heart Lane. Such are the intricacies and oddities of  football when every game matters, and the fickleness of supporters when so much is on the line.

The race for L4 really couldn’t be any closer at this, the most important time of the season. Aston Villa made Mike Skinner cry as they won another entry of the Second City derby and WHOA! – seem to have quietly come out of no where in the pursuit of fourth as they are now level on points with Tottenham and a point ahead of City having played a game more. The May 1st match between City and Villa and the May 5th clash between Spurs and City remain crucial and compelling in the race for fourth.

Shall we then?

Nominees –

Scott Parker, West Ham – Passion, guts and determination were all on display in the middle of the pitch Saturday. Parker was massive for the Hammers and has easily been their best and most consistent player all year. I’ve spoken of my admiration for Parker and my desire that West Ham stay up this season in recent weeks, and thanks to Parker, I may just get my wish. Parker produced another solid performance in midfield against Wigan and scored a blistering winner in a 5-goal thriller at Upton Park to just about secure the Hammers safety.

Nani, Manchester United – Nani was almost unworthy of a mention until his flash moment of brilliance saw the winner scored in the second half. Before his goal, Nani continually made bad decisions for United and yes of course, blasted his 3 to 4 trademark missiles into outer space.

Wasteful, petulant, cramping yet still vital for United, Nani’s chip winner was yet another bullet point on the CV Nani looks to write as Ronaldo’s replacement. Yes, the chip was a piece of skill and class, but for me, Nani’s first touch which set up the chip was a more important moment of skill. How many times have we all seen the Portuguese winger waste a decent ball with his over-anxious and clumsy touch?

When Nani received the weighted ball in from Federico Macheda, his first touch perfectly laid the ball out in front of him and allowed him the time and angle needed to finish the play and score the winner. Nani’s involvement in attack later won United their second penalty of the day when Tottenham’s Wilson Palacios bundled over the winger in the box allowing Ryan Giggs to slot home his second penalty and put United top of the league for a day.

Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou, Chelsea – One played supplier and the other played finisher on Sunday as Chelsea scorched Stoke for seven to reclaim top spot. Like the aforementioned Nani, Drogba can be a dangerous player, but usually needs to get 3 or 4 row Zed rocket ships out of his system before he calms down and scores powerful goals.

Kalou and Lampard got 5 of the 7 goals, but Drogba’s service in the first half was vital for Chelsea as he set up Kalou’s first with a brilliant piece of skill. Drogba’s back heel cushion of a Malouda cross field ball allowed him to bring the ball down behind himself with composure and cross to the waiting Kalou who headed home Chelsea’s first.

Chelsea’s second came when Drogba laid off a neat ball for an on-rushing Frank Lampard who blasted towards goal. When Thomas Sorensen could only parry the shot, the opportunist Kalou pounced with his second. Kalou’s involvement in front of goal was rewarded when the Ivorian finished off his day with a hat trick late in the second half when his work provided a rebound that he tapped home for another scrappy finish.

So another week passes with only small pieces of the finalized Premier League puzzle in place. Burnley officially secured relegation while everything is left to play for at the top and for fourth. The World Cup is just a sniff away, but don’t dare miss these last two weeks of the season. If not for me, then do it for little Kai.

Bolton Wanderers 0 – 3 Manchester United

Bolton Wanderers 0 – 4 Manchester United

Every once in a while, you see a footballer make an incredible move. It’s so good that you have to rub your eyes, rewind the DVR and watch it in slow motion to see how he did it exactly. In the case of Nani, Manchester United’s left winger, he did an incredible twist and turn to beat his defender Saturday against Bolton. His move opened up valuable space in the penalty area where he slotted the ball into the middle to allow a Manchester United teammate to score.

The move was remarkable, but it was even more outstanding when you consider that he tried the same exact move (except for turning a different way) against the same defender just minutes later and he again slotted the ball across the goal into the path of another teammate which again led to a goal.

The way that Nani leaned one way and pulled his leg back to shoot which sent Bolton defender Sam Ricketts one way was sublime, but then Nani faked the shot and rolled the ball the other way leaving Ricketts off balance. That gave Nani enough space and a second of time to slot the pass across the box and into the path of Dimitar Berbatov for the first of Nani’s two wonder assists.

The second was almost identical but Nani this team did the same trick and turned the other way and fed the ball to Darron Gibson who rifled the ball into the top of the net and the ball bounced down inside the goal for wondrous celebrations and relief from the Manchester United players and fans.

Nani is pulling these twists and turns off more successfully lately which is a beautiful thing to watch. He did it earlier this season against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. And I’m sure he’ll do it again on an unsuspecting defender in the coming weeks before the season ends.

Classic European nights. When we complain about the stifling dominance of the Big Four; when we curse every transfer that sends a promising young player from a lesser club to the Big Four; when we ponder proposals such as debt-to-revenue restrictions, foreign player quotas, and playoffs for European places; when we talk about all these things, we are talking about the promise of classic European nights like Tuesday night at a raucous and roaring San Siro. Some observations:

1. For those, like me, who have not followed Serie A this season, rumors of Ronaldinho’s reemergence proved true as his side-steps, dummys and darting runs gave Man United no end of trouble in the first half. Nineteen-year old Rafael will have much to ponder before the second leg should he get the chance to start again.
2. Not a news flash, but the match gave further proof that Manchester United’s defense is in shambles. Poor communication, poor tackling, poor clearances, poor marking, poor closing, Man United was guilty of it all. Nemanja Vidic’s absence was glaring. Patrice Evra looked like he had been shot in the back as he attempted to clear Goldenballs’ free kick; which produced Ronaldinho’s goal. Last season, defense was Man United’s greatest strength during their dominating run to the Champions League final. In the first half last night, Milan played like a young Colin Farrell, penetrating at will. Man United were quite lucky to only be down by one before Paul Scholes’ fluky equalizer in the 36th.
3. Man United’s defence may have been awful, but Rio Ferdinand showed he may be on the road to recovery with his stoppage of a rampaging Ronaldinho in the 19th minute. Caught one-on-one, Rio got all of the ball as Ronaldinho tripped to the ground a moment later. Ronaldinho knew he was beat fairly as he only gave a half-hearted shout for a foul.
4. Nani, Nani, Nani. No, no, no. It got so bad that his own mates were chewing him out, most notably a visibly disgusted Wayne Rooney. Nani’s “crosses” don’t deserve the term. They were more like releasing hummingbirds into the wind. Or balloons let go by giddy children on a breezy spring day. His “crosses” are perhaps easier understood as tributes to Norman Foster’s Wembley arch.
5. Rooney had so much space as he headed his second goal, even Nani could have bagged it. Daniele Bonera and Alessandro Nesta played that sequence like they were statues better suited for display in Milan’s Castello Sforzesco museum.
6. Man United’s change kit of a plain white shirt accented by random stripes paired with blue shorts and white socks is a bore. The chevron that goes across the chest of both their red and blue shirts is striking and oddly absent from this white shirt. I’m of the belief that Manchester United’s change shirt for European games should be blue whenever possible, in honor of 1968.
7. The tale of the tape for the managers entering the game favored Sir Alex Ferguson’s 36 years of experience against Leonardo’s nine months. Man United weathered the early storm well. Substitutions had real impact. Antonio Valencia came on for an inept Nani in the 64th. Within 2 minutes he lofted a perfect cross for Rooney to head home. Big bossman Clarence Seedorf came on in the 72nd for a largely invisible David Beckham. Seedorf’s audacious and stupendous back-heeled goal in the 85th gave a new intensity to the game’s final minutes and gives Milan hope for the second leg at Old Trafford.
8. The second leg at Old Trafford is not until March 10th. This new gap between legs, implemented this season for the first time, allows us to watch more of the games in this first knockout round. Man United won the first leg, but Milan definitely have the firepower to answer the challenge. With both Milan and Manchester United displaying such ineptitude on defence, it should be another scorcher.