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| *No ill-feelings |
GOOD, BAD, UGLY
THE Barclays Premier League lead changes hands again but its Manchester City who holds it at the moment after another eventful weekend.
THE Barclays Premier League lead changes hands again but its Manchester City who holds it at the moment after another eventful weekend.
Here's the Good, Bad and Ugly for round 21, which could see
Arsenal re-claim the lead again today should it beat Aston Villa on the
road.
SGOOD
SAS BACK IN BUSINES
What a contest at the Britannia Stadium, pure entertainment
as Liverpool gave up a 2-0 lead as Stoke
clawed its way back, only for the Reds to claim their first win at Stoke in 29
years.
Daniel Sturridge has been absent since November 23, and in
that time Luis Suarez won the player of the month in December.
But it was normal business resuming upon his return, with
Suarez's brace taking his tally to an extraordinary 22 in 16 EPL games, while
Sturridge marked his return with his 12th of the campaign.
Stoke will have nightmares over the two goals - an own goal and
a long ball to Suarez - and Brendan Rodgers was happy to admit Liverpool got
lucky with a penalty awarded -but Liverpool showed its own defensive frailties
allowing the hosts back into the contest.
"We made mistakes defensively which wasn't so good and
we'll assess that," Rodgers said.
"But to come here and score five goals - I think it's
the first time Liverpool have won here in the
Premier League - is fantastic. I'm delighted for the players. We were really
offensive in our play. We lost our concentration and it's back to 2-2 but
that's when we showed the character of the team."
Sturridge's return and a bright contribution from Raheem
Sterling were highlights, and it was interesting to see Steven Gerrard deployed
in a deeper role in midfield.
"The manager told me that moving forward I'll be
playing this role a lot more," he said afterwards.
"It's going to take a bit of getting used to it. I'll
be comfortable in there once I get used to it."
MOYES'S RELIEF
It's was a strange week for Manchester United manager David
Moyes. Despite leading the Red Devils to their first three-game losing streak
in more than a decade, the Scot has s But even Mores must have breathed a sigh
of relief after the whistle blew on United's 2-0 defeat of Swansea, with
teenage winger Adnan Januzaj again looking like Old Trafford's brightest young
prospect in some years.
"Adnan played very well behind the striker in midweek
but he can play in all the positions around the front and I wanted to see if he
could give us any more creativity and more chances," Moyes said of the
18-year-old.
SHARP SPURS
After the stifling boredom of the Andre Villas-Boas reign,
Tim Sherwood looks to have done a Darren Lehmann-style management turnaround
for Tottenham, bringing back the fun and encouraging his players to enjoy
themselves.
Spurs have now won six of their last 10 games - not a bad
record for the rookie - who has been giving all of Tottenham's expansive and
expensive squad a chance to prove themselves, including Jermaine Defoe, set to
leave London for MLS club Toronto.
"It was a typical Jermaine Defoe finish," Sherwood
said of his striker's goal to give his side a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
JOSE'S EDEN
Eden Hazard could be the player to lead Chelsea into the promised land. After a slow
start to his Stamford Bridge career, the Belgian is arguably the most
improved player of the season, and after another stunning display in the 2-0
victory over Hull,
Jose Mourinho is well aware of his importance to the Blues' title hopes.
Hazard has been linked with a possible move to France but
Mourinho isn't about to let his star man go.
"The club doesn't want to sell him. Obviously the
manager has that decision. Every manager wants players like him.
"Last year you saw a talented Hazard; this year he is a
much more mature player. He deserves more than man of the match, probably
player of the month. Not many are doing what he is doing."
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