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1. Strikers and their love for own goals
Wayne Rooney and Demba Ba, two players who fans were so used to scoring on the opposite end, were to be blamed for the lapses that cost their teams an own goal each. It is funny that on a weekend where there was a decent goal fest, and on a day Liverpool actually managed to score at Anfield, these lugubrious events happened at the Stadium of Light and Old Trafford. This may or may not have hurt the strikers personally, but they would be raring to go next weekend – that’s for sure!
2. Liverpool and Anfield fall in love with each other again
Just when you thought the fortress that Liverpool fans pride in was collapsing, Liverpool resurrected it with a confident display against Reading. The biggest encouragement from the game was Raheem Sterling’s showcase against a weakened Reading defense that stood up to nothing Liverpool threatened with. Suarez was in his usual cheeky best, while Gerrard seemed to be slowly slotting back into his traditional central midfield role. Years down the line, the legend of Liverpool will deeply remember this Raheem Sterling strike. Many may doubt it, but this winger from Queens Park seems to be the spark that the wings seemed to lack forever.
3. The sorrow of North London
Arsenal was edged 1-0 by a motivated Norwich side, whereas Chelsea stomped past Tottenham in another goal fest. In conclusion, both the rival clubs can’t pride themselves in better results, in a weekend that saw them lose games that could have sent them into the top 4. Arsenal, in their encounter against the Canaries, clearly dominated the game with as many shots on target as Norwich’s total shots. Yet, an early Grant Holt strike seemed good enough to shut Arsenal out to its second defeat of the season. Tottenham, meanwhile, faced the wrath of Juan Mata, whose brace set the pace for a 4-2 victory at White Hart Lane. Tottenham barely hang on to fifth place in the table, but would have liked to be back in the top 4 by winning against Chelsea.
4. West Ham hammers Southampton
By 50 mins, West Ham sealed the game against Southampton. The game witnessed the brilliance of the Hammers’ midfield led by Noble and Nolan. The creativity of the West Ham attack seemed insurmountable at times while Southampton often got caught out. While the Saints responed on the counter, the game was one-sided thanks to the efficiency of the Hammers attack. Almost every shot taken by a Red shirt in the game was on target, which constantly kept Arthur Borac on his toes. Two years ago, West Ham made the dreadful drop to the Championship. Today, the club is in Europa League contention. What a resurrection!
5. If things go on like this, Chelsea might wrap up the title by early March
8 games, unbeaten so far, and only a single draw – Chelsea FC, under Robert Di Matteo, seem to be finally stable. Last year, they were lucky against Bayern Munich in a controversial final, whereas this season has the squad boasting young and world renowned talents such as Hazard, Oscar and Marin. 8 games in might be just too early, but no fan can disagree that this team misses the legendary Drogba or is still vulnerable in set pieces. If Matteo can keep his team together for another 8 months, Chelsea and Roman Abramovich could well be on a roll.
