“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.”

Fact or Fiction: Outside of the Big Two from Manchester, Newcastle United has been the third best team in the Premier League so far this season.

MH: Fact by default. Newcastle has not lost yet this season and they have played fine football for the most part. They have also showed an ability to get points away from St. James’s Park. But picking the third best team to this point is a very tricky endeavor. Liverpool looked to that team early, but they have struggled of late. Chelsea has been uninspiring in their victories. Arsenal? I won’t go there. It could be Tottenham if they continue to play the way they did last weekend. At this point, I would say Newcastle United are the third best team in the league, although they could be knocked from that pedestal quite soon.

ER: Fiction. The Magpies have been a good team thus far, a surprise given the losses of Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Jose Enrique and Joey Barton over the last 9 months. The players who remain, with a few key additions, have coalesced and found some solid early results this season. But for me, their fixture list has been somewhat kind to start the season. As Matt has said, no team has stood out to clearly be considered third-best. Chelsea hasn’t always looked at ease, which might be expected with a new manager and a haunted forward. Newcastle United and Aston Villa have been draw-happy. Stoke would be a choice, but their dismantling against a reeling Sunderland is a stain on their season thus far. Compared to those teams, Chelsea has been better on a more consistent basis: three wins and their only loss at Old Trafford.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Newcastle United has been the third best team in the Premier League so far this season?

The list of Americans trying to cross the pond to play in England continues to grow.

And no, I’m not talking about Landon Donovan.

Teal Bunbury, a 20-year-old U.S. International who has been on trial at Stoke City in recent weeks, is waiting to hear if the Potters will offer him a contract.

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has high praise for the young forward, but isn’t tipping his hand on what will happen next.

“He’s done smashing, mixed in well and got a goal the other day,” he told The Sentinel. “Whether he’s what we want for the next step, we’ll have to see. But he’s a nice kid and, like most American sports people, is very dedicated. His attitude during his time here has been first-class.”

Bunbury was born in Canada to a Canadian father and American mother and traveled to England and Portugal as his father played professional soccer in those two countries.

When he was 10, the Bunburys moved to Minnesota, and he eventually ended up at the University of Akron.

While playing for the Zips, he came off the bench as a freshman before blossoming in 2009 as a sophomore. He led the nation with 17 goals in 25 matches and led the Zips to the College Cup Final.

He then signed a Generation Addias deal and was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards – now known as Sporting Kansas City.

Typically a striker, Bunbury spent a lot of time in his first season in Kansas City playing more of an attacking midfield role behind the forwards. He had five goals and two assists in 26 appearances (13 starts).

It will be interesting to see if Bunbury can adapt to the physical brand of soccer that Pulis favors. Whether he gets offered a deal or not, I think Bunbury will be better for the experience.

It’s been a busy week in the Premier League and the fun just doesn’t stop. Game Week 13 is here already and we have another full fixture programme to look forward to.

It’s at the foot of the table where the excitement and the points are to be had this weekend. The bottom three are all at home and these fixtures would have been double underlined in red as winnable at the start of the season.

West Ham play host to the still free scoring Blackpool. Piquionne and Parker did the business Wednesday and will be looking for a repeat performance on Saturday. If recent form is anything to go by it will be a goal fest at Upton Park.
Wolves – who, if points were awarded for pride and guts would be top of the league – entertain an in form Bolton. Mick McCarthy’s men need to shut down not only Kevin Davies but also Johan Elmander. The big Swede has finally worked out the difference between a set of goal posts and the side of a barn, the reward for this realisation is 62 points for the Trotters front man. Wolves will be relying on the likes of Matthew Jarvis (5.3), Stephen Hunt (5.3), Kevin Doyle (5.1) and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (5.0) to breach Wanderers stubborn back line. Wolves will edge a narrow victory here.

Wigan are in desperate need of a win, so far their season’s star performers have been Hugo Rodallega (5.8) and Charles N’Zogbia (5.5). Another big performance from this pair is required against West Brom. All things good for the Latic’s seem to come from these two, take a gamble and give them a run out this game week.

Stoke are hovering above the drop zone and Welcome a rejuvenated Liverpool side. Stoke at home are always a difficult prospect. Big Robert Huth is a mountain at the back and a genuine goal threat going forward, a 4.9 million price tag has returned 37 points so far. Striker Ricardo Fuller weighed in with 9 points in the last game week and is available for a mere 4.8 million.

Manchester City will be looking for a positive reaction after a dishwater dull Manchester derby. Chelsea are beginning to pull away at the top and the Eastland’s outfit cannot afford to lose anymore ground. Birmingham could well find themselves on the wrong side of a City backlash. Blues keeper Ben Foster (4.9) could be in for a busy afternoon.

Last special mention this week to Blackburn stopper Paul Robinson – sitting 4^th overall in the goalkeeper table having so far amassed 49 points – is yours to buy for 4.6 million. An absolute bargain if you’re looking to generate some cash to strengthen other areas of your squad.

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By all accounts Stoke have been one of the sides underachieving so far in the Premier League. One of the more active teams in the transfer market over the summer, many expected the Potters to push for a top-half finish this term, but as of yet they have shown little to suggest they are capable of this. Next up for Stoke is a tricky trip to Everton which might be crucial in ensuring that Tony Pulis’ side aren’t dragged in to a relegation scrap this term.

Now in their third season back in the big time, Stoke are gradually going about changing their reputation as the brutes of the league. While there is still no doubting the Potters commitment and general work ethic, what has been noticeable is their subtle movement away from their notorious long-ball game.

Unfortunately though this hasn’t always brought results and after nine games Stoke are sitting in the precarious position of 13^th place. While the league is tight at the moment, and there is a whole host of teams separated by a few points, defeat tomorrow could see Stoke fall in to the bottom three.

Speak to Stoke fans and they will tell you that avoiding defeat tomorrow is vital, because they realise that results haven’t come as easy this season.  If the Potters were to fall in to the drop-zone at this early stage, their inconsistency might make it difficult for them to claw themselves to safety.

Unlike other years, there isn’t a team which is going to be a certainty for the drop and the league is very even. But somebody has got to go down, and despite their investment in the likes of Eidur Gudjohnsen and Jermaine Pennant over the summer there is no reason at all why the Potters aren’t as vulnerable as everybody else.

Personally I feel that in order to guarantee safety Pulis might have to resort back to his old ways, which is grinding out results and been very difficult to play against, in my opinion this needs to start by returning from Merseyside with at least a point.

Stoke continued their recent revival with a hard fought win over Newcastle today, but the game will have been a learning curve for Potters boss Tony Pulis who had to switch back to his old ways after a poor first half.

The Potters boss comes under criticism for his long ball tactics that offend most eyes. But today he opted to leave out long throw king Rory Delap, instead opting to play a side which to its credit opted to play a style that wasn’t as uncompressing as Stokes usual approach.

But the change didn’t work and with Stoke trailing 1-0 at the break it wasn’t long before Pulis opted to revert back to the tactics he knew best. The result saw a complete change in the flow of the game as Delap and fellow substitute Ricardo Fuller set about reversing the deficit. They did exactly that as the visitors came from behind to record an impressive 2-1 win. The result was enough to lift them out of the bottom three, and complete an impressive week.

You have to feel that Pulis wanted to adopt a different style, and not rely so much on the tactics that have been so often slated by the media. But with them quite evidently not working, he deserves praise for accepting that a change was needed, and that his old way was the best way to pick up a much needed result.

But for Newcastle there will be great disappointment that they couldn’t build on their first half lead, and go on to continue what has been a fairly impressive return to life in the Premier League. But I still think they have easily shown enough in their opening few games to suggest that they shouldn’t have a problem come May.

At the moment they are just struggling to make the most out of good spells in games. Look at Stoke today, they had a good spell, scored twice, and took three points. That is the sort of clinical nature that is needed for success in the Premier League. While they do have plenty of Premier League experience, the players in the side who haven’t been there before need to learn this quickly.

This will come though, and as I said I can’t see the Toon getting pulled in to any relegation fight. The same can quite comfortably be said for Stoke who after a slow start are quickly improving. If either of these two sides struggle this season, something will have gone horribly wrong.

While Robert Huth’s stoppage time strike may have earned Stoke their first Premier League win of the season, the night will forever be remembered for the unbelievable dedication shown by Potters boss Tony Pulis.

Hours after the death of his Mother, Pulis arrived at the Britannia Stadium to inspire his side to a dramatic turn around. His return gave everybody at the ground a boost and no doubt pushed them on to victory.

Potters assistant manager admits the arrival of Pulis was a surprise: “”That’s Tony, he’s passionate about his football club,” He told Sky Sports.

“He’s had a very sad day, but he wanted to get here and he wanted to be part of it. We are glad he did because he’s the manager of this football club and we wanted him here.

“He’s a great manager. He’s done fantastic here. We have got the result we wanted, so we are all pleased.”

Pulis has certainly endeared himself to me with his actions tonight and I hazard a guess that the Stoke manager’s actions will have seen a lot more warm to him.  Often criticised for his tactics one thing you could never criticise Pulis for was a lack of commitment, and that has only been reinforced further after tonight.

Unfortunately the criticism over Pulis’ method will always remain, and no doubt I will be the first to lambast Stoke for their physical long-ball game in the future. But right now I have nothing but admiration for Pulis and would like to this opportunity to pass on my condolences to Pulis and his family during this difficult time.

Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross has today hit back at Arsene Wenger’s claims that Stoke players act like “rugby” players. The 23-year-old defender was left fuming after Wenger’s allegations saying: “He’s obviously got something against me. It’s just weird

“He seems to have a problem with Stoke, our manager and certain players. Criticism doesn’t bother me, unless it’s a false accusation like this one”

Shawcross has every right to be annoyed by Wenger’s comments. Yes Stoke are a team full of 6 foot plus monsters but to compare their game to rugby is absurd and Wenger, still hurting by old wounds,  is taking every opportunity he can to take a pop at Shawcross and Stoke.

It seems as if Wenger is still very bitter about the incidents that took place at the Britannia Stadium back in February. The Arsenal boss was adamant back then that Shawcross’ challenge on Aaron Ramsey wads malicious and it appears that even with seven months of reflection he hasn’t changed his mind.

Wenger has been known to hold grudges, and of course we can understand the frustrations of the Frenchman after losing a very talented youngster to an horrific injury. But Shawcross meant no harm with that challenge; he simply isn’t that type of player.

I don’t see what Wenger is trying to gain by criticising a Stoke player. If it was a title rival then maybe I could understand it, but Stoke won’t be competing with Arsenal in terms of league position this season. If Wenger is trying to play some early mind games before the always tricky meetings with Stoke this season then this ploy won’t work. Commenting on Stokes nature will only motivate Stokes intimidating fans further making the games even harder.

Wenger has always had an outspoken nature, however sometimes it has come back to haunt him, I can’t help but feel his comments about Stoke may come back to haunt again in time.

Arguably one of the most surprising transfers of deadline day was Eidur Gudjohnsen’s move to Stoke City. The former Chelsea forward has agreed a season long loan at the Britannia Stadium from Monaco, but will the Icelandic forward fit in with Stoke’s notorious physical game?

That will be the worry for Potters boss Tony Pulis who has been reluctant to change his approach to the challenge of taking Stoke to the next level. Fans have been crying out for the club to bring in a different type of player and to challenge the pre-perceived perception of a typical Stoke signing.

But Pulis attempted to do this last summer and the singing of Tuncay from Middlesbrough hasn’t really lived up to expectations. The Turkish forward has failed to fit in with Stoke’s style and it lead to constant rumours that he would seek a move away during this summer.

Gudjohnsen isn’t quite in the same situation as Tuncay though. The former Barcelona man hasn’t been used to the physical side of things during his time with Chelsea and Bolton and I expect him to have more success than Tuncay.

Some Stoke fans may be hoping that Pulis scraps his current style and attempts to play conventional Premier League football but they shouldn’t hold their breath.  Despite three league defeats to start the season Pulis has been given the financial backing of his chairman today and the result is a signing which will no doubt have thrilled Stoke fans.

Personally I was surprised that Pulis would opt to sign a player like Gudjohnsen though, and I am even more surprised to see Tuncay remain a Stoke player. Gudjohnsen is a player who probably could adapt to the demands of playing in a Stoke shirt, but for Tuncay to have success this year you feel that Pulis would have to change his method.

Gudjohnsen though won’t find it easy to adapt to Stoke’s style however we have seen in the past that he has all the ability to be a real success in the Premier League, so given time expect him to hit a goal rush with Stoke and maybe take them to new heights.

Stoke City has unveiled their new away jersey for the 2010-2011 Premier League season.

The shirt is designed and manufactured by Adidas. It’s navy blue in color with sky blue trim. And, in my opinion, it’s miles better than last year’s away kit which was black with red trim. The new Stoke City away shirt is shown in the above picture featuring Ryan Shawcross.

What do you think about Stoke City’s new away shirt? Click the comments link below to share your feedback.

For the largest selection of Premier League shirts for all 20 clubs, visit the EPL Talk Shop.

Portsmouth

Relegation was the least of Portsmouth’s problems from the season, with the on going off-the-pitch saga of the sheer volumes of money owed to the tax man.  This highlights that Football is not an exception to the global financial crises we are currently in.  Back on the pitch the poor start to the season, (not winning their first league game until end of October against Wigan) continued throughout the campaign winning 7 games all season.  Yet by the unpredictability of the FA Cup reached the Final and had Kevin Prince-Boateng scored the 54^th minute penalty, things could have been very different.

Grade: F-

Teacher’s Pet:  Avram Grant for taking on the challenge and winning the hearts of the Pompey fans facing such adversity.  On the pitch, that distinction goes to Jamie O’Hara, who has showed real quality in his loan spell.

Detention: The board for the financial mess Portsmouth are in.

Stoke City

No second season syndrome for The Potters, top of the bottom half the Premier League, never in any real threat of regulation and have shown that they are a settled and well organised team to cope with the best of England has to throw at them.  Lack of goals up from Fuller, Kitson, Beattie and Tuncay suggested that if Stoke want to go to the next level they will need to find a goalscorer.

Grade: C-

Teacher’s pet: Matthew Etherington has rediscovered the form that he had for a few years with West Ham United, even got mentioned in the media of England honours, but realistically that was never on the horizon.

Detention: James Beattie for his spat with Tony Pulis in the middle of the season.

Sunderland

Despite a period of 11 league games without a win from mid November to early March – with the goal machine that is Darren Bent – Sunderland always had enough in the locker to survive.  On paper they have a productive strike force with Kenwin Jones and Frazier Campbell to boot, who scored key end of season goals for the Black Cats. Next term one would expect to see a better performing Sunderland team especially if Lee Cattermole stays fit and away from disciplinary problems.

Grade: D-

Teacher’s pet: Darren Bent – 24 league goals in a struggling side, fait accompli.

Detention: Kieran Richardson – a player with plenty of talent who has had a below par season.

Tottenham Hotspur

After going so close in 2005/06 Spurs finally make the potentially lucrative position of 4^th spot in the Champions League.  All-round they have a strong squad, with many attacking flair players including Modric, Lennon, Kranjcar and Bale; they still have some cracks to fill defensively, with King and Woodgate re their fitness and Bale requiring more experience to play at left-back.  Let’s put things into perspective: it’s still only a playoff and not qualification but fully deserved for a fantastic season.

Grade: B

Teacher’s pet: Tom Huddlestone – the ever-present in the centre of midfield and fully deserved his place in the England 30-man squad.

Detention: Jermaine Jenas – was at one stage a stand-in captain and England international who now struggles to make the first eleven.

West Ham

Survived in the Premier League by the skin of their teeth.  Another football team with financial difficulties but this time with very outspoken Chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan, Sullivan has stated that everyone is for sale except Scott Parker, clearly emphasising they need to sell before funds are available to spend on new players.  They are in the market for a new manager and current favourite appears to be Avram Grant, which would a good move for West Ham, a manager with good experience of managing in the Premier League something that despite all of his charisma and friendliness Zola didn’t posses.

Grade: F

Teacher’s pet: Scott Parker – the fans favourite: week in week out gives 100%, and fittingly scored the winner against Wigan to secure survival to round off an excellent end of the season for him.

Detention: Kieran Dyer – still struggling to get to fully fit, and has only played 4 league games this season.

Wigan

Closing the leaky pipe defence will be the No. 1 priority for Wigan, they conceded 79 league goals – only Burnley and Hull shipped more.  Key victories at home to Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal saved Wigan’s season.  On the plus note, they do have a couple of match winners in Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia (when N’Zogbia feels in the mood that is!!).

Grade: E-

Teacher’s pet – Hugo Rodallega – Score goals in a struggling side, all in his first season in the Premier League.

Detention – the defence for conceding so many goals.

Wolves

There was only one priority for Mick McCarthy’s men and that was finishing 17^th or above.  He was heavily criticised for playing an under strength 11 at Old Trafford in December before a massive six pointer against Burnley.  It proved to be the correct decision – they won 2-0 and finished 8 points above the drop zone.

Grade: D

Teacher’s pet: Kevin Doyle – a work ethic and goal threat throughout the whole season where he often played up-front on his own. An excellent signing by Mick McCarthy

Detention – Sylvan Ebanks-Blake – hasn’t scored the goals in the Premier League and looks out of his depth at the highest level.