Alternative Premier League Team of the Year

Taking a leaf out of Michael Cox’s book, I thought I would set myself a little challenge on my return to blogging.

Rather than picking a standard Premier League team of the year, I have attempted to find the best starting XI (plus seven substitutes) using no more than one player from any Premier League team.

Some might say this is a tougher task than in most years, considering the paucity of the entire bottom half of the table for much of the campaign, but you can judge that for yourself on the basis of the side I have picked.

Please use the comments section to lay into my choices and suggest a team of your own.

Goalkeeper: Ben Foster (Birmingham City)

This season was never going to be easy for Birmingham. Alex McLeish’s team had the task of building on a return to the Premier League which – while ultimately impressive – was built on a great number of narrow victories. On top of that, many members of last season’s squad (Carr, Bowyer and Phillips to name but three) were coming towards the end of their careers, while star performer Joe Hart had returned to Manchester City. But Foster, a £4million-plus signing from Manchester United, has done everything expected of him and more, with a match-winning performance against Chelsea one of the highlights of a season which has brought Birmingham likely survival and a trophy to boot.

Right-back: Danny Simpson (Newcastle United)

In their first five games of the season, Newcastle deployed £1million signing James Perch at right-back. The former Nottingham Forest man was so far from the required standard it was laughable: he picked up five yellow cards in as many games, scored an own goal against Stoke on his return from suspension, and even looked a liability in his side’s 6-0 win over Aston Villa. Thankfully for then-manager Chris Hughton and his successor Alan Pardew, former Manchester United man Simpson proved a more-than-able replacement. After returning from an ankle operation in October he has never looked back, making the position his own with a series of marauding runs and strong defensive work, helping his team guarantee another season of top-flight football with relative ease.

 

Left-back: Leighton Baines (Everton)

On February 19 at around 3:00pm, Everton were in a spot of bother. A 2-0 defeat at Bolton had left them just three points of the drop in the league, and an extra-time goal from Frank Lampard had them on the verge of elimination from the FA Cup. Then they were awarded a last-minute free-kick on the edge of the box – Leighton Baines stepped up, found the top corner, and an Ashley Cole miss helped David Moyes’ side advance on penalties. They may have later been eliminated from the cup by Reading, but that victory at Stamford Bridge gave Everton the momentum to push on, with Baines an integral part of their rise up the table. The England international shook off the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup squad, contributing six goals, 12 assists, and a constant threat from left-back.

 

Centre-back: Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)

It was not that long ago that Manchester United were still unbeaten in the league, despite a run of form which could at best be described as patchy. The ability to grind out results was thanks in no small part to a mean back line, and central to the concession of a mere 32 goals has been the form of Vidic, the one constant in an ever-changing defence. The Serbian has missed only two league games, yet has been paired with a whole host of centre-back partners, including Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, John O’Shea, Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling, and even Michael Carrick. Winning the league without performing well is one thing, but keeping one’s head amidst chaos and disorder at the back is another altogether.

Centre-back: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)

Vidic is joined in the middle by another Serb and another player forced to content with a multitude of centre-back partners. A member of the official team of 2009/10 at right-back, Ivanovic has been forced inside by a combination of the return of regular incumbent Bosingwa and injuries to the likes of John Terry and Alex. The 27-year-old has proved equally adept in both positions, retaining the professionalism which has endeared him to the Stamford Bridge faithful but also providing an attacking threat, mostly from set pieces (five goals is a record haul for the defender) but also with the odd marauding run from the back. Imagine how much worse Chelsea’s mid-season slump might have been without his influence.

 

 Defensive midfield: Scott Parker (West Ham United)

If West Ham stay up this season (and it is a big if), it will be in no small part due to the contribution of the man who is their captain in all but name. Lesser players would have baulked at the challenge of dragging a largely abysmal team out of the mire, particularly when displays of a similar standard last season merited nothing more than 17^th place and a painful lack of international recognition. Cynics would say that recognition only truly came when he put in a match-winning performance against one of the ‘big boys’ (in a 3-1 win over Liverpool) but in truth Parker has shone all season. A record total of seven goals (as many as he scored for Chelsea and Newcastle combined) only tells part of the story: when Parker plays, West Ham have a chance; when he doesn’t, they are lost. A Football Writers’ Player of the Year Award is the least he deserves.

 

Defensive midfield: Lucas (Liverpool)

While team mate Raul Meireles has taken many of the plaudits (and a deserved Fans’ Player of the Year Award), Brazilian midfielder Lucas has been diligent, hard-working, and a vital cog as Liverpool have made the most of a worrying start to the campaign. It is strange to think that the man from Grêmio is just 24 years old, considering that this year saw him surpass the 100-appearance mark for his club, and after taking a bit of time to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League he has truly come of age when the pressure has been at its highest. What’s more, Lucas has been forced to do the work of two men, neither of them him: the departure of Javier Mascherano in August left a huge hole, which then-manager Roy Hodgson mistakenly believed Christian Poulsen capable of filling. But while the Dane has failed abysmally, Lucas has stepped up to the plate with class, skill, and a real connection to the club.

 

 Attacking midfield: Samir Nasri (Arsenal)

Injuries may have taken his toll since Christmas, and he may have gone off the boil a bit, but in the first half of the season Samir Nasri was entirely unplayable. The skill we saw in patches last season, most notably with his Goal of the Year nominee against Porto, was suddenly visible on a more regular basis and Arsenal reaped the rewards. While continuing to create chances for team-mates, the French international has also been far more productive in front of goal, more than doubling his previous best with a month of the season to spare. Perhaps spurred on by missing out on the World Cup last summer, Nasri has also not been subject to the criticism and alienation which greeted many of his international team-mates.

Attacking midfield: Luka Modric (Tottenham)

Gareth Bale may have been named PFA Player of the Year, but ask any Tottenham fan and they will tell you the Welshman was not even the best player at White Hart Lane this season. Sure, Bale starred in the Champions League group stage, and Rafael van der Vaart similarly impressed in the early part of the season, but Luka Modric has been consistently brilliant throughout. The Croatia star has flown under the radar at times, but only because we have come to expect the nimble-footedness and unbelievable close-control which has characterised his game since a £16.5m move from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008. That fee is looking more and more like a bargain every day, as Modric continues to embody the attacking flair which has won Spurs so many new admirers from across England and Europe this season.

 

 Attacking midfield: Charlie Adam (Blackpool)

If Scott Parker’s contribution to West Ham has been crucial, then I am lost for words when trying to describe how vital Blackpool captain Charlie Adam has been to what could yet end up the Tangerines’ maiden Premier League campaign. Many questioned what impact the former Rangers man would have, given his obvious lack of pace, but he has more than made up for that with his ability on the ball, helping bring team-mates into the game at every opportunity and making the 2010-11 season an enjoyable one in the most part for fans of Ian Holloway’s club. There are obvious parallels with Geovanni’s debut season with Hull City two years ago, not least due to the Scotsman’s dead-ball prowess, and if his team can stay the distance then the Bloomfield Road faithful will know who to thank for their survival.

 

Striker: Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)

Emmanuel Adebayor had a limited impact before his departure to Real Madrid, Edin Dzeko has struggled to find his feet since replacing the Togolese international, and Mario Balotelli has been in equal parts sublime and ridiculous. But amidst all that chaos, Carlos Tevez has once again been magnificent. Injuries have somewhat restricted the Argentine’s impact, but he has still managed better than a goal every other game, providing the one element of consistency in a Manchester City frontline affected by Roberto Mancini’s Ranieri-esque tinkering. The captain’s armband has seemed to invigorate Tevez, and – while his best performance arguably came back in August against Liverpool, he has continued to let his form on the pitch override any off-field rumours, however strong.

 

Substitutes:

Simon Mignolet (Sunderland) A shrewd signing from Steve Bruce, the Belgian has outshone Craig Gordon in the fight for the goalkeeper’s jersey at the Stadium of Light.

Carlos Salcido (Fulham) The former PSV man has more than made up for the departure of Paul Konchesky at left-back, settling in at Craven Cottage immediately.

Christopher Samba (Blackburn Rovers) A rock at the back as always, Blackburn would be lost without the Congolese international .

Stilyan Petrov (Aston Villa) Providing some much-needed steel once he returned to the fray around the turn of the year, Villa’s captain has eventually helped them pull away from the relegation zone.

Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers) One of the stars of the campaign until suffering a horrific broken leg for the second season running, Holden’s absence has coincided with Bolton’s downturn in form.

Matthew Etherington (Stoke City) For all their physical strength and aerial prowess, Stoke have needed someone to provide a spark. Etherington has consistently been that man.

Peter Odemwingie (West Bromwich Albion) 12 league goals and counting have endeared the Russo-Nigerian striker to the Hawthorns faithful, and the scary thing is that Odemwingie is still improving.

Premier League Round-Up 16/01/11

There were many sub-plots running through this weekend’s full programme of Premier League fixtures, but for many the biggest story was the Manchester City debut of £27m man Edin Dzeko.

The Bosnian enjoyed an accomplished introduction to English football, made even more impressive by the fact that he hadn’t played in a month, but his appearance in a nervy 4-3 win over Wolves was overshadowed by a splendid individual goal from Carlos Tevez.

City’s visitors also played their part in one of the games of the weekend, and it could have been a different story if Matt Jarvis’ first-half shot had evaded the block of Aleksandr Kolarov and put Wolves 2-0 in front.

The only other top-six side in action on Saturday was Arsenal, who took advantage of a comically-bad West Ham debut from Wayne Bridge to cruise to a 3-0 victory.

Bridge was at fault for all three goals, two of which came from the boot of Robin van Persie, in what could yet prove Hammers boss Avram Grant’s last game in charge.

In a battle between two newly-promoted teams, West Brom edged past Blackpool to end a losing run which had threatened to drag them into the relegation zone.

Peter Odemwingie fired home the winner after getting the better of Craig Cathcart, and the Nigerian striker looks to have put his recent poor form behind him.

That victory lifted Albion above fellow-strugglers Fulham, who themselves had a previously-misfiring striker to thank for earning them a point at Wigan.

Andrew Johnson had not scored in the league since March 2009, and both he and manager Mark Hughes will hope yesterday’s late equaliser gives him the confidence to recapture the form which earned him a £10.5m move to Craven Cottage in 2008.

Hughes opposite number Roberto Martinez will also be pleased to see one of his strikers getting on the scoresheet. With Mauro Boselli’s departure on loan to Genoa, Hugo Rodallega will be under even more pressure to fire the Latics to safety.

After that 1-1 draw Wigan have two wins from their last 10 league games, a figure matched by Chelsea after Carlo Ancelotti’s side got the better of Blackburn at Stamford Bridge.

Branislav Ivanovic and Nicolas Anelka were on target, but just as important is the clean sheet, Chelsea’s first in three top-flight outings since the turn of the year.

Blackburn boss Steve Kean will have been disappointed at his side’s inability to build on an impressive win over Liverpool last time out, but they are unlikely to be looking over their shoulders too much during the remainder of the campaign.

The sixth game on Saturday saw Stoke City beat Bolton to move level with their opponents on 30 points. Matthew Etherington and Danny Higginbotham scored the goals, demonstrating that what the hosts lack in flair they make up for in long names.

After a flying start to the season, Bolton have now moved back into the mid-table pack thanks to a run of four points from their last six games.

Sunday’s four matches were optimistically billed as ‘super’ before kickoff, but there was far more grit than skill for the most part as they all ended level.

The best of Sunday’s action came at Anfield, where Kenny Dalglish had Dirk Kuyt to thank for avoiding the ignominy of three successive defeats since returning to the Liverpool hotseat.

Raul Meireles first strike for his new club gave the hosts a half-time lead, but Sylvain Distin and Jermaine Beckford looked like inflicting another body-blow on an already-painful season before Kuyt’s penalty – awarded for a foul by Tim Howard on Maxi Rodriguez – restored parity.

Despite surrendering top spot to Manchester City on Saturday, Manchester United returned to the top after an underwhelming goalless draw against Tottenham.

A harsh second-half red card for Rafael killed what spark was left in the game, as two teams afraid to lose ended up cancelling each other out.

Lunchtime kickoffs all-too-often take the sting out of local derbies, but at least Sunderland and Newcastle displayed some passion and commitment at the Stadium of Light.

The visitors squandered early chances but it still looked like Kevin Nolan’s second-half strike would secure a famous double over the Toon Army’s local rivals. However Asamoah Gyan had the last word, the £13m man drawing the teams level as the clock ticked down.

In the other midday kickoff, Birmingham and Aston Villa also drew 1-1. Again both goals came in the second period, with James Collins cancelling out Roger Johnson’s opener.

With strikers from both teams struggling for goals this season, it was perhaps no surprise that the two scorers were centre-backs, and Alex McLeish and Gerard Houllier may well invest in a new frontman before the transfer window closes.

Team of the week (4-3-1-2): Al-Habsi (Wigan); Ivanovic (Chelsea), Vidic (Man Utd), Coloccini (Newcastle), Kolarov (Man City); Mulumbu (West Brom), Ramires (Chelsea), Etuhu (Fulham); Tuncay (Stoke); van Persie (Arsenal), Tevez (Man City)

Bobby vs the Bookies

In his first guest post for Pele Confidential, Bobby Hare makes his predictions for a selection of the weekend’s Premier League games.

Payday’s a couple of weeks away, I’m precariously close to the wrong end of my overdraft and Christmas presents for the family aren’t going to buy themselves.

Nonetheless, there’s a cracking weekend of Premier League football to come so it’s time to get down the bookies (or onto their websites). Feast your eyes on my tips and you’ll be quids in. Hopefully.

Aston Villa vs West Bromwich Albion

As soon as Martin O’Neill decided to leave Villa in the lurch just five days before the start of the new season, it was always likely that they were going to have a season of transition.

Whilst a lowly position of 16th looks precarious, any judgement of Gerard Houllier’s team needs to be placed into context.

The tightness of the Premier League means that whilst the pessimist will point out that Villa are only two points from the relegation zone, a (wo)man of a cheerier disposition will retort that they are a mere three points from mid-table security.

Albion have enjoyed a great return to the top league, with Roberto Di Matteo promoting a style of ‘carpet football’ that regularly delights the neutral observer.

In Chris Brunt, Somen Tchoyi and Peter Odemwingie, the Baggies have an attacking triumvirate that are capable of hitting the net and the general (understated) quality of their squad means that they’ll be more than comfortable this season.

That said, their away form is rather hit-and-miss at the moment (only one win in the past five), while Villa have only been beaten once at home in eight outings.

With Ashley Young back in the side, Villa will add some much needed attacking impetus to a line-up that looked severely deficient at the sharp end against Liverpool on Monday.

Emile Heskey is also likely to start, although I am still undecided as to whether this will be to Villa’s detriment or not.

Considering Villa’s poor form, 11/10 for them to win is a little skinny for my liking, but given both sides’ propensity to ship goals, betting on over three goals at 2/1 is money in the bank.

Everton vs Wigan Athletic

Casting a quick glance over the fixture list tells me that there aren’t many bankers in the Premier League over the coming days, but Everton’s weekend assignment against Wigan is probably as
straightforward a task as any side will have.

David Moyes’ boys have struggled thus far, but it should come as no surprise whatsoever. There are seemingly three certainties in life: taxes, death and Everton having half a season of hibernation before they start bothering.

It’s a mystery as to why the Toffees seem to begin each season in such lacklustre fashion, but if they could replicate their frequent post-Christmas surges in the first half of each campaign, they’d be bona fide Champions League contenders.

Despite indifferent form, they’ll be buoyed by their recent (fully deserved) point at Stamford Bridge and this is probably the point they will start to kick on.

Perhaps not coincidentally, their squad is beginning to assume a more familiar complexion, with a number of injured absentees slowly returning to the fray.

Wigan, meanwhile, are a poor side. They’re frightfully inept in front of goal (only 13 goals in 16 games) and astonishingly accommodative to opposition attackers (28 conceded).

Perhaps more concerning is that Roberto Martinez can’t seem to compute the fact that they’re in dire straits.

Wigan will probably be relegated this season. There won’t be much of a fight. It won’t be very exciting. And once they’re gone, no one will really care.

Tim Cahill is Everton’s top scorer this season with an impressive haul of eight league goals. I’m tempted by him to score first at 9/2 (whilst the more conservative punter might be attracted by Cahill anytime at 6/5). Such will be the Merseysiders’ superiority in this one, I’ll be getting on Everton to win both halves at 2/1.

West Ham United vs Manchester City

If we discount West Ham’s demolition of Man Utd in the Carling Cup (and I really would urge everyone to forget that particular result) then it’s fair to posit that the Hammers are a struggling outfit.

They’ve collected only four points from their last five games and are arguably a long-term Scott Parker injury away from going down, unless some of the supporting cast can come to the fore.

Victor Obinna has played a more influential role in recent weeks, whilst Avram Grant will be hoping he can coax more of the sort of performance that Carlton Cole produced when he terrorised Jonny Evans in the aforementioned cup win.

With Rob Green enjoying a quietly effective season following his tortuous summer with England and Matt Upson slowly edging back to his best form, there is hope for the East Londoners.

Meanwhile Man City are besieged by infighting as Roberto Mancini (the third Roberto mentioned in this column!) apparently struggles to juggle the assortment of egos in the Eastlands dressing room.

If press rumours are to be believed (in this column, for the sake of a more interesting discourse, they will be) Carlos Tevez can’t stand his manager. But far from throwing a strop, the indefatigable Argentinean has channelled his frustrations postively – finding the net 10 times already.

And therein lies City’s problem. Tevez accounts for nearly half of all his side’s goals and he’s suspended on Saturday.

Shorn of their talisman and attacking inspiration, City could struggle to break their opponents down, while West Ham don’t exactly boast a galaxy of attacking riches either.

Something tells me that neither team will have enough firepower to win this one and I’ll be piling on the draw at a shade over twos.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea

Perhaps it’s the fact that he’s not speaking his native language, meaning he can’t suitably paint a picture of how he truly feels, but Carlo Ancelotti is magnificently understated every time he tells
us: “it’s not a good moment.”

It’d be far more apt to say: “it’s an absolute fucking crisis to be honest.” But Carlo is a nice man, with a superb eyebrow, so I’m prepared to let it slide.

Sometimes teams suffer a loss of form and it’s difficult to pinpoint quite what’s gone wrong. This is not one of those situations.

Roman Abramovich has been a bit of a silly bugger by interfering with a side that started the season as though they were intent on smashing the 100-goal barrier for a second consecutive year.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are chugging along beautifully as the neutrals’ second team, playing a brand of football that relies on a swashbuckling ‘you score three, we’ll score four’ approach.

They also consigned a particularly troubling ghost to its grave when they completed an unlikely comeback over Arsenal at the Emirates last month: They finally beat one of the big boys away from home.

Whilst it can be argued that this was only one isolated victory, it’s still likely that Spurs have smashed a key mental barrier and they’ll feel as though they are now fully paid up members of the league’s ‘Big Four.’

Chelsea are a big-game team, and there is a school of thought that consecutive fixtures against Spurs (away), Man Utd (home) and Arsenal (away) is just what they need to overcome their malaise.

But I play truant from that particular school. Whilst it’s arguable that 8/5 for ‘Chewsea’ is an inviting price, I tend to think it’s a bit skimpy considering they’ve mustered a paltry three goals in their last six league games and collected just five points.

Instead, I’ll be looking at the in-form Gareth Bale (who has goals
against Arsenal, Chelsea and Internazionale against his name this calendar year), playing against one of Chelsea’s rickety right backs, to score anytime at 11/4.

Manchester United vs Arsenal

Arsenal and United are positioned one and two going into this weekend. The former are genuine title contenders once more and for the first time in a while between these two clubs, there appears to be an undercurrent of animosity and needling.

United’s Patrice Evra, the loon of a left back, has fanned the flames by stating that Arsenal are a club in “crisis” having not troubled the trophy engravers for five years, whilst Arsene Wenger’s retort is that his fellow countryman has been disrespectful.

However, shorn of combustible characters like Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Martin Keown, the game itself is likely to go relatively incident free.

On the pitch, United-Arsenal games at Old Trafford have tended to be tight affairs of late. United have won two of the past three games 2-1, with the odd game being drawn 0-0.

Interestingly, in the two United wins, it was Arsenal who took the lead before being pegged back and eventually defeated. And that is pretty much an encapsulation of the current Arsenal crop: they beguile us at the beginning, teasing and tantalising us into thinking they can challenge, before they’re bought crashing down to the
ground by a grittier and more determined outfit.

Irrespective of the fact that both sides have conceded goals with alarming regularity, this game probably won’t be a goalfest. The stakes are far too high for an open exhibition of attacking football to
be displayed.

Given Arsenal’s penchant for a collapse, I’m tempted to have a flutter on Arsenal half-time, Man Utd full-time at a meaty 22-1.

Finally, if you like your doubles, why not get on Man Utd and Tottenham at over 4s?

Good luck and Merry Crimbo!

(All odds are from Bet365.com)

Premier League Round-Up 06/12/10

With Manchester United’s game against Blackpool falling foul of the weather, this weekend saw only nine Premier League matches.

Arsenal took full advantage of their rivals’ week off, but only just. Samir Nasri was the main difference between Arsene Wenger’s side and visiting Fulham, with two goals from the Frenchman earning the Gunners a narrow 2-1 victory.

In normal circumstances Wenger might be concerned by his side struggling at home to a team without a win on the road since the opening day of last season.

However the depleted nature of his squad and their recent shaky form at the Emirates Stadium he will surely be more relieved at the North Londoners getting their season back on track.

Chelsea missed the chance to return to the summit after dropping yet more points at home in a 1-1 draw with Everton.

Owner Roman Abramovich may be regretting his decision not to provide Carlo Ancelotti with funds to replace the departed midfield trio of Cole, Ballack and Deco, as a stretched Blues outfit failed to contain their visitors.

In the last six games Chelsea have only amassed five points, one more than Saturday’s opponents who are also heading in the wrong direction.

With no one in particular staking a claim for this season’s title, we might yet see Manchester  City creep up on their rivals and surprise everyone.

Roberto Mancini’s side are only three points behind the league leaders after outclassing Bolton at Eastlands, and at times a 5-0 victory – rather than the 1-0 they actually achieved – did not seem beyond the realms of possibility.

It was one of the few occasions this season where Owen Coyle’s Bolton have been neutralised, and the return of midfield dynamo Stuart Holden next week will not be a minute too soon.

West Brom continue to confound those who tipped them for relegation at the start of the season, cruising to a 3-1 win over a Newcastle side which sorely missed the presence of Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan in the middle.

Still the result, which came courtesy of two composed finishes from Peter Odemwingie, will ultimately be remembered as Chris Hughton’s last as Newcastle manager.

It is difficult to justify Mike Ashley sacking the Magpies boss, and there is a sense among fans that the chairman was waiting for a bad run to use as an excuse for what remains a controversial decision.

Defeat for Newcastle saw them leapfrogged by Blackburn, who had keeper Paul Robinson to thank for a flattering win over lowly Wolves.

The former England number one kept out the visitors on numerous occasions and Blackburn took their chances well to run out victors by three goals.

They are still looking up at Sunderland, though, after Steve Bruce’s men kept up their unbeaten home record with a narrow victory over bottom-of-the-table West Ham.

Jordan Henderson’s goal proved the difference in a game which never really took off despite the hosts starting with three up front and the visitors ending the match with four strikers on the pitch.

Elsewhere, Wigan and Stoke played out an entertaining encounter which was high on goals but low on quality.

Three of the four goals in the 2-2 draw came courtesy of deflections, while Latics midfielder Hendry Thomas showed why he is more at home in the Makelele role with one of the misses of the season.

Saturday’s remaining game saw Tottenham held by draw specialists Birmingham thanks to a headed goal from surprise top-scorer Craig Gardner.

Spurs will be disappointed to only emerge with a point after wins in their last four outings, but they only have themselves to blame after some lax defending allowed their opponents to level the scores late on.

Team of the week (4-2-3-1)

Robinson (Blackburn); Tomkins (West Ham), Kompany (Man City), Nelsen (Blackburn), Baines (Everton); Yaya Toure (Man City), Tchoyi (West Brom); Lennon (Tottenham), Nasri (Arsenal), Silva (Man City), Odemwingie (West Brom)

Premier League round-up 23/08/2010

Last week I talked about champions Chelsea being frustrated by one of the minnows of the Premier League before emerging with an inconceivable 6-0 win. I didn’t in my wildest dreams believe I’d be repeating myself this week.

Chelsea’s second-half performance at the DW Stadium was by all accounts a procession, but they had been more than matched in chances and commitment by a determined Wigan side keen to erase the memory of an embarrassing 4-0 home loss to Blackpool on the opening weekend.

Roberto Martinez has a lot of thinking to do

Unfortunately for Roberto Martinez’s side they collapsed after falling a couple of goals behind, a situation all-too-familiar to the Spaniard. Indeed you only have to go back to the end of last season to find an example of a Latics capitulation at the hands of the same opponents who defeated them on Saturday.

Amazingly, this was not the only case of a team racing to a flattering 6-0 win in a game they might have drawn or even lost. Aston Villa looked to be cruising against Newcastle in the early stages, but John Carew’s penalty miss (not the first or last of the weekend, but more on that later) seemed to provide a catalyst for the Toon Army to wake up and run away with the tie.

Chris Hughton’s side displayed a flair and counter-attacking verve completely absent in their relegation campaign two seasons ago, and if the 3-0 scoreline at half-time was generous, they never looked in danger of relinquishing their lead. The manner in which Newcastle cruised through the second half suggests they will have few concerns come May, and in Andy Carroll they have a striker capable of tucking away the chances squandered by the likes of Shola Ameobi in the past.

There was, believe it or not, a third 6-0 game this weekend. The only difference as far as Arsenal’s triumph over Blackpool is concerned is that the hosts were fully deserving of the crushing victory. Of course things may have been different if Ian Evatt had not scythed down Marouane Chamakh before the break, but the Tangerines already knew they were going to be in for a long afternoon.

How costly will Carlton Cole's penalty miss prove to be?

It was, it seems, a week of missed penalties. Of the six awarded only two were converted, by Mark Noble and Andrei Arshavin. And Noble’s goal came only after West Ham team-mate Carlton Cole had sent a feeble effort into the hands of Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. In a classic game of two halves, the Finn’s save ensured the Trotters ended a West Ham-dominated first period on level terms before outplaying their opponents after the break to emerge with a 3-1 victory.

Just as costly a penalty miss was Nani’s for Manchester United against Fulham. With four minutes left on the clock he had the opportunity to make the game safe, but David Stockdale pulled off an impressive save and Brede Hangeland’s late header allowed Mark Hughes’ side to escape with a 2-2 draw.

What is it with English goalkeepers and penalty saves? The day before Stockdale’s heroics, former United number one Ben Foster tipped Morten Gamst Pedersen’s spot-kick onto the woodwork, paving the way for his Birmingham side to edge past Blackburn 2-1. The hero at the other end was Craig Gardner, a young man enjoying his football after making the move across England’s second city from rivals Villa.

If English goalkeepers provided one of the main talking points this summer, another was provided by the argument for or against goal-line technology. It would of course only be a matter of time until that particular debate reared its ugly head once more, and the Britannia Stadium was the setting for the source of pub debates across the country.

Did Jonathan Walters’ late effort cross the line? Probably. Would sensors or cameras have confirmed whether a goal should have been awarded? Possibly. With a clear view of the incident, should Chris Foy have made a decision himself rather than delegating to an unsighted linesman? Definitely.

Ebanks-Blake might finally be finding his feet in the Premier League

While Stoke may have lost their opening two games, they still look like an established Premier League team, and Mick McCarthy’s Wolves are looking to follow their example. While many (myself included) tipped Wolves to struggle, they already seem a more solid outfit than they did last season, as demonstrated by a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Everton at Goodison Park. One of their problems last campaign was their strikers’ lack of confidence in front of goal, so Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s equaliser will have done him a world of good at this early stage.

Speaking of strikers looking to benefit from an early-season pick-me-up, Peter Odemwingie got his West Bromwich Albion career off to the perfect start, netting the winner against Sunderland. Perhaps just as important for Baggies boss Roberto di Matteo was the clean sheet, erasing the memories of the opening-day defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Finally, one of the advantages of writing my round-up on a Monday night is that I can comment on the final match in this round of fixtures. Manchester City’s victory over Liverpool was as comfortable as they come, and a perfect present for watching owner Sheikh Mansour. With Carlos Tevez getting into his goalscoring stride and James Milner slotting into the first-team as if he had been at Eastlands for years, City look capable of a top-four finish if not better.

Team of the week (4-3-2-1):

Jaaskelainen (Bolton); Richards (Man City), Roger Johnson (Birmingham), Williamson (Newcastle), Cole (Chelsea); Scholes (Man Utd), Henry (Wolves), Gardner (Birmingham); Walcott (Arsenal), Adam Johnson (Man City); Carroll (Newcastle)