Premier League Replay: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Premier League Replay: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Andrew Discenza spotlights what was best and worst about the weekend's action in the English Premier League…

The Arsenal striker was in top form on Saturday, scoring two goals and leading his side to a 3-1 win over Manchester City. The big Togolese was a powerful physical presence all game long, especially as an aerial threat. Not only was he clinical in front of goal, but contributed by holding up play and linking well with the midfielders.

Adebayor made his first impression after only nine minutes. Alexander Hleb played in Bacary Sagna, whose cross found Adebayor waiting to pounce on the edge of the six-yard box. Micah Richards got a block on Adebayor’s first-time effort, but the ball looped over goalkeeper Joe Hart and into the net.

Adebayor had a hand in Arsenal’s second goal as well, on 26 minutes. He rose well to meet a Gael Clichy cross, and knocked the ball down for Eduardo, who pivoted splendidly to rifle in his twelfth of the season in all competitions.

In the second half Adebayor terrorized the home side’s defence, and came close on multiple occasions, including when he seemed to have earned a penalty after falling victim to a Richard Dunne and Richards sandwich. The Arsenal leading scorer capped off his performance wonderfully in the 88th minute by scoring his 18th League goal of the season (21st overall). Adebayor started a breakaway but went down while the referee said play on. Hleb and Cesc Fabregas combined well on the run, and Adebayor, following up, was in an excellent position to capitalize on a shaky clearance. He thumped the ball home, scoring yet another poacher’s goal.

This sort of dominant performance is critical for Arsenal, who by winning return to the top of the table. It may very well be Adebayor’s goals that Arsenal rely on to win the title.

The Bad – Alan Wiley

The referee for Saturday’s Blackburn vs Everton goalless draw made incorrect decisions on key plays that could have supplied the goal that the game so desperately needed. He refused to call a penalty when Zurab Khizanishvili put out a leg to bring down Everton striker Andrew Johnson, who was airborne at the time. Later, David Dunn, already on a yellow card, appeared to playfully bat the ball away from the Everton player with his fist, in what would have been a bookable intentional handball. But Mr. Wiley kept his red card in his pocket, and it would prove vital for Blackburn as Dunn would clear the ball off the line from a corner minutes later.

A poor refereeing decision disallowed Everton a deserved winner at the death. James Vaughan burst through the Blackburn defence, while Johnson was in an offside position, but moving away from the play. Goalkeeper Brad Friedel came out to challenge Vaughan and Vaughan went to ground but kept the ball and then played across to Johnson, who had come in behind at least three Blackburn defenders and was clearly onside.

Johnson then went on to take a touch and pass the ball into the empty net. But the linesman flagged for offside. Wiley should have seen this to be a clear error on the part of his assistant, and allowed the goal. But instead the goal didn’t stand and the referee’s negative impact on the hard-fought encounter forced a result that is hardly justified.


The Ugly – Wayne Rooney

The Manchester United striker’s dive in his side’s 1-1 draw on Saturday against Tottenham summed up his attitude throughout the match, as well as United’s below-par performance. The visitors were getting desperate, having trailed since the 21st minute. And Rooney, running into the penalty area, chose to go to ground when the defender came across instead of playing the ball, and he was punished with a booking for simulation.

The defender didn’t get a touch, and the theatricality of Rooney’s attempt shows that the assumption that foreign players dive more than domestic ones is incorrect.

Rooney’s performance was largely positive, playing with energy and desire but was very unproductive while attacking. Manchester United certainly were not at their breathtaking best, having gone behind early they had been on the back foot for much of the game. But the champions were resilient, and forced in a goal just as the allotted three minutes of stoppage time were running out. Carlos Tevez claimed it but it seemed to have been an own goal off Michael Dawson. Manchester United drop two points, but they showed, along with Rooney’s poor attitude, that they will fight to the very end.