Well this season is just getting harder and harder to predict. Having just absorbed last week’s action Game Week 15 is here and no doubt will throw up plenty more surprises.

The Premier League weekend kicks off Saturday lunchtime at Villa Park. Two wounded team’s line up looking to bounce back from disappointing results. The majority of Villa’s midfield is currently residing in the treatment room. Step forward Barry Bannan and Stephen Ireland, Bannan (4.5) has performed well so far and Ireland (5.9) is eager to get his Aston Villa career up and running. Arsenal are still sitting pretty in third, despite apparently being in crisis, it’s a crisis that 17 other Premier League sides would be delighted to find themselves in. Robin Van Persie (9.5) will be looking to get his season up and running this weekend. Cesc Fabregas will be out for two weeks after picking up a hamstring injury against Braga. But Arsenal still have a wealth of talent to call upon in the absence of their inspirational skipper.

West Ham host Wigan in the basement battle of the weekend. It’s a must win game, both teams will be hoping their match winners will see them through a nervy encounter. Carlton Cole (5.8) has voiced his frustration at the lack of quality balls into the box. Now would be the ideal time to give the Hammers front man the service he craves. Wigan will miss star striker Hugo Rodellega (Suspension) but have the continually impressive Charles N’Zogbia (5.7).

Top of the table Chelsea are struggling too and face a long trip to St James Park this game week. The last time Chelsea lost two league games on the bounce everything was in black and white. They visit a Newcastle side who can’t quite decide whether to score five or concede five every week. My head say’s it all adds up to a dull no score draw But my heart is saying goals so get Andy Carroll (6.1) in your starting XI, John Terry is still absent from the Blues back line and the boy Carroll is guaranteed to give any defence a rough ride.

Sundays late game see’s Tottenham host Liverpool. Spurs cruised past Werder Bremen and into the last 16 of the Champions league Wednesday night. There can be no excuse of tiredness come Sunday, Harry Redknapp’s side had time to stop and feed the ducks on their midweek walk in the park. Jermain Defoe (8.6) is fit again and looks desperate to make up for lost time. If you have the funds available snap him up, he’ll be back in the goals sooner rather than later. Rafael Van Der Vaart (8.5) looks certain to feature after missing out in midweek. Liverpool are starting to turn the corner, but their form on the road is horrendous and they look likely to head home empty handed.

Final mention goes to Johan Elmander (6.3), Kevin Davies (6.5) and Chung-Yong Lee (5.3), I tipped them to be in the points last week and they didn’t disappoint. A home tie against Blackpool this weekend almost guarantees another return from them and hopefully, they will again keep my final shreds of credibility intact for a little while longer.

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

Arsenal v Tottenham Starting Form

The latest renewal of the North London Derby was held at Emirates Stadium between bitter rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. A 17 year drought for Spurs at Arsenal set the stage for an intriguing comeback that saw the race for the League trophy open up even more.

For Arsenal, manager Arsene Wenger brought the home side out in their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Marouane Chamakh occupied his familiar striker role, with Samir Nasri and Andrei Arshavin also serving as targets for playmaker Cesc Fabregas. Bacary Sagna was useful on overlaps with Nasri, especially in the first half.

Harry Redknapp’s squad began the game in a 4-4-1-1, which struggled to gain much offensive momentum in the first half. Attacking midfielder Rafael van de Vaart served as the link to forward Roman Pavlyuchenko. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon contributed from the wide midfield, while Alan Hutton and Benoit Assou-Ekotto had limited success on runs from the back.

The best first half chances resided with the Gunners, though possession was relatively even. Arsenal’s defensive line held Tottenham to mostly outside shots. A Bale redirection off a van der Vaart corner and a Luka Modric blast from 20 yards were the only two tests that goalkeeper Lukacz Fabianski faced in the first half.

In the 9^th minute, Arsenal took advantage of some soft defensive play by Spurs. From his side of the center line, Fabregas lofted a long through pass to a breaking Nasri, being marked by Assou-Ekotto. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes showed indecision, and Nasri used a firm touch to get around Gomes. As the ball was teasing the goal line, Nasri got a foot to it, and the ball eased its way past Assou-Ekotto and a sprawling Gomes for the early 1-0 lead.

The play then settled down a bit, but in the 27^th minute Arshavin struck a pass towards a streaking Chamakh, and the French forward fought off Younas Kaboul and directed a left foot past Gomes for a comfortable 2-0. As play concluded in the first half, it was obvious that Tottenham was not as crisp as Arsenal. The defensive center midfielders Modric and Jermaine Jenas had failed to contain Fabregas. While the Gunners’ organized attack was less effective, the counterattack had generated a number of opportunities which resulted in the two goal cushion.

Redknapp inserted Jermain Defoe for Lennon after halftime. To place more pressure on Arsenal’s defense, he placed Defoe as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Bale and van der Vaart acted as wings for the attacking midfield line, with Pavlyuchenko falling behind Defoe.

Arsenal v Tottenham 2nd Half

Spurs expectedly came out looking to reenter the conversation. In the 50^th minute, Defoe received a lob pass outside the area. He headed it forward, and van der Vaart controlled and set the ball out in front of Bale, who flicked it forward and then knocked it in with the outside of his left foot past Fabianski. That made it a game again at 2-1 Arsenal.

Tottenham’s comeback was facilitated by a costly mistake by the Gunners’ captain. Fabregas raised his arm to protect his face inside the area on a 66^th minute van der Vaart freekick. Against Fabregas’ appeals, referee Phil Dowd pointed to the spot. Van der Vaart converted the ensuing penalty, and Arsenal’s lead had evaporated, 2-2.

After relieving Pavlyuchenko with forward Peter Crouch, Redknapp went back to the more conservative 4-4-2 formation. He paired Defoe and Crouch at the front. But for Spurs, it would take another ill-advised Gunner decision to put them on top.

On an 84^th minute counter rush, Bale received a right flank pass from van der Vaart. Back Laurent Koscielny tackled late and received a yellow card. Van der Vaart’s free kick was placed perfectly to Kaboul, and the back headed the ball into the net. Tottenham had finally climbed to victory again at Emirates Stadium

This game was influenced most by momentum and uncharacteristically poor play by Arsenal. The Spurs were ready to make an impact after halftime, but that alone would not have been enough to garner even a draw without unforced errors. Arsenal had this game in hand. The door was opened, and Tottenham stepped in and wrestled three points away from a complacent and undisciplined side. Don’t take too much credit away from Spurs though; it takes a good club to turn that gift into victory.

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

Full disclosure: I’m a Spurs fan.  Have been for round about six years, which just so happens to be just before the last time Mark Clattenburg took charge of a Manchester United v Spurs fixture at Old Trafford.  For any who needed their memory jogged (or who weren’t fans at the time):

Look, Tottenham didn’t deserve to win on Saturday.  They were undone by the same problems that have plagued the entire season to date.  Falling behind early, a few naive moments in defense, poor set piece defending.  While they generally pass the ball well through the midfield, striker play has been awful, for the most part.

That said, Spurs shouldn’t be forced to beat the referee as well.  Old Trafford is tough enough to begin with.  Some might remember Spurs going into halftime with a 2-0 lead at this fixture two seasons ago, before Howard Webb called an incorrect penalty on Gomes, after which point the floodgates opened and United won 5-2.  Getting back to Clattenburg, I also remember him taking charge of a Spurs-United match at White Hart Lane two or three years ago, and it sticks in my mind because Paul Scholes got away with three bad and cynical fouls without being shown any card at all.

Needless to say, when I saw who the referee was for this match, I went in expecting an uphill battle.  Nani’s goal has been discussed ad nauseum on here, on pundit shows, and everywhere else so I’ll be brief when I get to it.  I’m more concerned about the other incidents in what was a very clean match with few other talking points at all.  But close examination does provide some enlightening details, in my opinion.  Here’s a short rundown – by minute – of all the other incidents in the match (I’ve tried to put away my lilywhite colored specs to do this, please cut me a little slack!):

1′st minute – Nani goes up for a 50/50 ball with Benoit Assou-Ekotto, clean play but Nani decides to roll around on the pitch for a few seconds and make an appeal to Clattenburg.  A pretty tame moment, but bares mentioning for all that happened later…

2′ – …including because of what happens in the next minute.  Nani, now popping up on the opposite side, attacks Alan Hutton.  There might’ve been minor (incidental) contact with Hutton, but not even close to being a foul.  Nani then loses control of the ball as it goes out for a goal kick, takes 3 more steps and dives with no one around him.  He then puts out his arms to appeal for God-knows-what.   At this point Clattenburg should’ve at least given Nani a telling-off to stop all the complaining and play-acting (a yellow card for this sort of crap should be the way forward IMO), yet does nothing.

17′ – William Gallas receives the first yellow of the match for a foul on Javier Hernandez.  The foul occurs near midfield, was not malicious but a fraction late, and was Gallas’ first foul of the match.  Extremely harsh on Gallas, and of course now he has to be careful for the rest of the match.

21′ - The linesman makes a mistake in Spurs’ favor, as the ball goes over the touch line before Bale crosses to win a corner.  Although the cynical side of me thinks that the only refereeing  mistakes likely to go in Spurs’ favor in a match like this are the objective ones (was the ball out of play, who was last to touch it, etc), rather than the subjective ones.

30′ - Younes Kaboul makes a silly rash challenge on Hernandez which earns United a dangerous free kick and himself a yellow card.  Which then led to Vidic’s goal.  No complaints here, Kaboul’s defending in this instance was poor.

40′ - Park Ji-Sung fouls Aaron Lennon in Spurs’ half of the pitch; a slide tackle from behind while Lennon was away on a counter.  Considering Lennon’s pace, the space in front of him, and the lack of United defenders back, it’s obvious Park knew what he was doing.  Clattenburg doesn’t think this warrants a yellow however.

45′ - Michael Carrick fouls Assou-Ekotto from behind while he’s attacking in United’s half.  Not a dangerous foul though, and didn’t deserve a card in my opinion.  However, after Clattenburg whistles for the foul, Rio Ferdinand kicks the ball 50 yards up the field in frustration.  I was under the impression this constitutes an automatic yellow, just like taking your shirt off after a goal.  Guess not.

84′ - The Nani “goal”.  For video, analysis, and discussion of the incident here’s the Gaffer’s post on the subject.  I found an article in the Wall Street Journal of all places which pretty much sums up my viewpoint on the incident.

What I do feel the need to mention is why on earth Rio Ferdinand was allowed to take part in the discussion between Clattenburg and the linesman (Simon Beck) after Beck raised his flag when the goal was scored.  And yes,  I realize that it isn’t that dissimilar to the protests Tom Huddlestone made to the referee after his goal was originally disallowed two weeks ago at Fulham.  But surely players shouldn’t be allowed to take part in decisions which are supposed to be made by the officials alone.  It hurts the ability of the referees to do their job, and the integrity of the game, so that people like me can watch on TV and make an argument that something sinister is going on.  Since there’s no culpability of the officials after the fact, one never truly knows how a decision is reached.

Finally, after the goal was given, and all the Spurs players protested for the better part of a minute, Luka Modric was given a yellow card after Clattenburg had had enough.  I thought that as captain, Modric was entitled to an explanation of his decision to award the goal (especially as Ferdinand – the opposite captain – was allowed to confer before it was given) ?

All in all, an appalling display by the referee.  3 yellow cards to Spurs, 1 of which was deserved (Kaboul) ; none to United, who deserved 3 (Park, Ferdinand, and Nani for persistent play acting).

This is all an account of what my eyes have seen in one match, and isn’t meant to project what happens in all matches of this sort.  But for marquee matches between two top teams, there’s only a pool of four or five generally recognized “elite referees” which do most of the big matches (of which Clattenburg and Webb are two), and at least with recent United-Spurs matches, they consistently get big decisions wrong, and in favor of the so-called “bigger club”.

So what do you think?  Am I just a whining Spurs fan?  Is there a shred of truth there?  Are there other good examples in recent history of major decisions going in favor of the Uniteds and the Chelsea’s when they shouldn’t have?  Are there major changes needed in the way matches are officiated, and the officials assigned to them?  Please share in the comments.

Here in the U.K, Sky Sports News have been trailing Transfer Deadline day for two weeks. For many viewers, the strained excitement of the presenters trying to display uncontrollable excitement over minor transfer dealings is something of a running joke. The memory of a half frozen reporter standing outside the Brittania Stadium trying to summon some energy as the club announced they had signed Micheal Tonge lives on.

If anything, along with the number of made up texts that litter a variety of websites, transfer deadline day has become something of a swollen, bloated joke of a day. Now of course, the Internet is littered with tales that nearly 40 transfers are awaiting confirmation due to the amount of faxes sent in to the Premier League’s offices before the 6pm GMT deadline. So much for the finality of a timed lock down.

Whilst most Spurs fans are apoplectic with expectation that the club has pulled off the coup of signing Rafael Van der Vaart, most fans have seen little to excite them in the way the media tell us to. Of course, the Spurs fans expectations are heightened by the hope it’s true, so they can see Sylvie Van der Vaart on a regular basis.

What surprises me, with the amount of money floating around the Premiership, is that we have a situation where a fax machine can delay deals being completed. Yet, thinking about it, how else is the paperwork going to be fired around Europe like intercontinental ballistic missiles? Of course they could scan things in and then email the PDF files over the Internet but surely that’s even more time consuming? The fax machine returns to the forefront of technology on deadline day.

What surprises me is the other side of transfer deadline day. For every Robinho moving to A.C. Milan or Asamoah Gyan joining Sunderland, there are ten professionals trying to desperately find a club. The Professional Footballers Association is currently hosting a list of over 300 players currently without a club. Whilst there are plenty of junior or trainee players, there are several familiar names.

For instance, would you be surprised to see that Jay De Merit is on the list or Wilfred Bouma? Perhaps French striker Jeremie Aliadere could do a job for your club and as I type this, the P.F.A. website is stuck on its front page due to the amount of traffic on the site. It seems plenty of managers are trying to fill up some squad places now.

Former Tottenham player Rohan Ricketts wrote an article about how transfer deadline day effects players when it comes around and gave an insight in to just how it makes certain players feel. On reading it, it was interesting how he felt the situation at Tottenham had developed in to a no win situation. Ricketts is building himself a reputation as more than just a footballer and when you read articles like this, it gives you a more honest reflection to what really goes on behind the facade football clubs like to show us.

All in all, the transfer deadline simply fails to deliver because even in this day and age, things can get delayed. Ramping up the hype for a cut off points only works when you actually know who has applied for what. With spurious text messages constantly relayed as fact, such as Ronaldo being seen at Gatwick earlier this afternoon, the hype simply fails due the lack of real evidence until the club actually confirms the deal.

Here is a preview photo of the new Tottenham Hotspur kits which will be worn in the Premier League this upcoming season.  The sponsor here, Autonomy, is an enterprise software company based in the UK.  However, in a departure for English clubs, Autonomy has a sponsorship deal for Premier League jerseys only, and Spurs have yet to announce a sponsor for Cup/European competiton.

Personally, I think the white home jersey is the best I’ve seen from Spurs for awhile, but I’ve never been a fan of the sky blue (this one definitely has a Uruguay or Coventry vibe to it), and I have no idea what’s going on with the 3rd shirt, although I’m sure it won’t look too bad from a distance on the TV.

This is the last season Spurs will have Puma as their kit supplier, and they are rumored to have a deal with Adidas starting next season.

What do you think?

That’s the question I was asking as soon as the team news came out and we saw Harry Redknapp had moved Benoit Assou-Ekotto from left back to right back; Gareth Bale from left midfield to left back, and Luka Modric from center midfield to left midfield.  All to accomodate the return to action of Wilson Palacios from a two game suspension, which left Younes Kaboul (who had been at right back for the last two matches) starting on the bench.

Aside from a great team spirit, Spurs had a wonderful balance in the side for the home matches against Arsenal and Chelsea;  Bale marauding up and down the left hand side, helping out defensively while also serving as the main outlet in the attack.  Modric and Tom Huddlestone providing calm on the ball in the center of the park; even though both are rather suspect defensively, the Spurs team defended wonderfully as a unit: from Gomes being in the form of his Spurs career at the back, to Michael Dawson dominating everything in the air and on the ground (get the man an England cap already!).  Even Kaboul, though not first choice as a right back, performed adequately enough there, in a position he has a good amount of experience with from his Portsmouth days.

I see the point of adding Palacios away at Old Trafford, but Assou-Ekotto should have never been asked to play right back.  It’s somewhat ironic to me as a Spurs fan, that a year ago we seemingly had 52 right backs on the roster, and today we went in starting with a converted left-back there, and ended with slotting in a defensive midfielder there (Palacios).  Is it any wonder the two penalties Spurs gave away were both by the out-of-position right backs?

Obviously it’s easy to second guess after the fact, but I would’ve kept Bale and Assou-Ekotto down the left with Kaboul at RB.  Bale at left back can work against lower sides which provide Spurs time and space to pick out passes, but you want Bale in midfield against the tougher teams, as then it greatly eases his defensive duties and allows him to get forward.  It’s no wonder Spurs looked much more dangerous in the second half when Bale was moved back to midfield.  If I had to start Palacios, I would’ve either put five in midfield, sacrificing either Jermain Defoe or Roman Pavlyuchenko, or left out David Bentley (hopefully with Lennon finally back we’ve seen the last of him for the season), and moved Modric to the right.

But ideally, I would’ve left Palacios on the bench to start, and used the same team shape that defeated Arsenal and Chelsea.  After all, why change a winning side?

When I first started watching English football as a Yank six years ago, I was drawn to the best clubs and star players, like anyone would be.  But then I quickly realized that being a fan of one of the Big 4 clubs is no fun.   Since the ’02-’03 season, only once has an outsider beaten one of England’s Big 4 to a Top-4 finish (Everton in ’05, and even then they couldn’t keep Liverpool out of the Champs League).  If you’re counting, that’s once in 24 chances.

In short, Liverpool finishing outside the Champions League places can only be good for English football, and is something every non-Liverpool fan should want.  Just from a neutral perspective, if Spurs or Manchester City were to break the Big 4 cartel for this season at least, it should mean a changing of the guard at the top of the league for the near future.  Spurs are on solid financial footing, with a new stadium in the pipeline, and finally a solid manager to go with all the flair players they’ve assembled over the last few years.  City, being the richest club in the world, will surely at least be in the mix, even if they have to go through another couple managers to get there.  And while Liverpool currently have deep financial problems, even if they miss out on the Champions League and lose Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, they’re still one of the world’s massive clubs and should easily be able to attract the investments needed to rebuild quickly.

While Aston Villa and Everton currently don’t have the financial clout or setup to challenge at the top of the league, they’re certainly solid enough to challenge for the 4th spot for the next few years if they can catch a few timely breaks.  Both are well placed with solid squads and very good managers.  As far as the rest of the league goes, massive infusions of cash will be necessary for any other club to vault from the ranks of the also-rans to a sustained run at the European places.

So in short, I’ll be rooting against Liverpool in the coming weeks, but not just for self-serving reasons (full disclosure, I’m a massive Spurs fan), as I’d still prefer Man City over the reds if I had to choose.  I have nothing against Liverpool as a club, I just have a big problem with the structure as it currently stands in England.

So who are you rooting for to finish fourth?

So what makes a great goal? I know it seems a easy question but honestly, what makes a goal truly great? Is it the goal that keeps a side up or a lob from the half way line? The goal that drags a side back in to a game when they’re 2-0 or a last minute winner in injury time? Everyone has a different variation on what they judge to be a great goal or what the ingredients are that makes some goals stand out above all others.

Well, I’m going to give you my ten goals of the decade, which you may agree with, but probably won’t. Yet that’s one of the great things about football, we all have different opinions and views of the same incident. Hopefully you can view these goals without blinkers of your favourite team and simply judge them on the goal itself. OK, ready? Then we’ll begin.

Goal Number Ten: Thierry Henry v Spurs November 2002

Another North London derby, another Arsenal win but this for me is one of the best goals that this decade saw in the continuing battle between Arsenal and Tottenham. A wonderful solo run and finish saw Henry begin to show the form that was to torment defenders the length and breadth of Europe for the remainder of the decade. A truly great individual goal.

Goal Number Nine: Dietmar Hamann v Portsmouth March 2004

There looked nothing on when Michael Owen swung the ball back in from the left wing but Didi Hamann was running in to hit this strike beautifully from the edge of the box. One of those wonderful volleys that occur every now and again, I doubt Hamann has ever scored a goal better than this in his life.

Goal Number Eight: Shaun Bartlett v Leicester April 2001

What a strike this was for Charlton Athletic. A wonderful cross field pass from Graeme Stuart that the South African Shaun Bartlett hit first time to fire it past the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner. A fabulous hit, set up by a fantastic pass.

Goal Number Seven: Dennis Bergkamp v Newcastle March 2002

What a wonderful piece of skill this is. From Pires’ crossfield pass, Bergkamp flicks the ball one way and rolls around the defender the other and then slides it past Shay Given. A delightful bit of skill from the Dutch master.

Goal Number Six: Xabi Alonso v Newcastle November 2006

Alonso seemed to be one of those players that could try and score from inside his own half more than most. This strike against Newcastle left Steve Harper scrambling to get back, but to no avail. Perhaps more impressive than the similar goal he scored against Luton Town in the F.A. Cup, it will live long in the memory for its precision from distance.

Goal Number Five: David Bentley v Arsenal October 2008

Probably Bentley’s high point during his difficult spell at Tottenham, this wonderful hit saw him control the ball on his chest and volley the ball in to the Arsenal net from 50 yards out. A sublime strike that shows the quality he has, but he simply hasn’t delivered at White Hart Lane. The only benefit to Spurs would seem to be the consistent quality that Aaron Lennon now shows week in, week out since Bentley joined.

Goal Number Four: Wayne Rooney v Newcastle April 2005

Everyone knows the power of Wayne Rooney but this goal shows it for me like no other. Like something from a video game, Rooney spanked the ball in midair at what seems 100mph. The only thing that surprised me was that it didn’t burst the net. A wonder goal from a player that on his day is unplayable.

Goal Number Three: Glen Johnson v Hull City October 2008

Well, it is always special when a full back scores a screamer, Stuart Pearce built a career on smashing the ball in the back of the net, but this was a fantastic strike from Johnson. It impressed me, because he runs on to the ball, controls it with two defenders closing in and smashes it home with his left foot. An outstanding goal.

Goal Number Two: Paolo Di Canio v Wimbledon April 2000

Now this goal summed up the genius of Di Canio in one swift moment. A flying volley that saw him use his left leg to propel him upward for a smashing volley with the right foot past Neil Sullivan, it was a divine finish from one of the Premiership’s most enigmatic players. A truly great goal.

Goal Number One: Robin van Persie v Charlton September 2007

This for me, is one of the best goals I’ve ever seen. A simply breathtaking goal that showed fantastic technique, athleticism and an eye for goal that Marco Van Basten would have been proud of. Everyone knows the qualities that van Persie offers the Gunners, but niggly injuries have held him back from showing the Arsenal faithful his full potency.

So there you have it, my favourite ten goals from the last decade of Premiership football. Leave me some comments, or memories of your favourite goals over the last ten years.