The good, bad and barely acceptable
After a day of shocks in the Premier League, we've picked out the teams who will have spent their Saturday night with either a celebratory glass of champagne or a consoling pint...
THE GOOD
Manchester City
It was pretty good for Manchester City before Arsenal lost against West Brom - but now it's brilliant. We said in our review of their victory over Chelsea, that backing them to finish in the top three could be worth a punt, and the Citizens are now level on points with the Gunners thanks to Carlos Tevez's goal. With games against Newcastle United and Blackpool coming up, City look set to exert some real pressure at the top of the table.
West Bromwich Albion
They had to be in here, didn't they? The Baggies' excellent performance, combined with the Gunner's ineptitude at the back, means that West Brom are now up to fifth in the league and are only one point behind the Gunners in third! West Brom are now at [10.0] to finish in the top four and claim a Champions League spot... What do you mean we're getting carried away?
THE BAD
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace's away form should be of real concern to George Burley. They have lost all four of their Championship away games this season, and have failed to score a goal in the process. A 3-0 defeat against Scunthorpe was followed by a 3-0 defeat at Reading, which was compounded by their 5-0 hammering against Derby County this weekend. It'll take more than Edgar Davids to turn results like that around.
Sheffield Wednesday
With all the talk of Southampton's poor start, it's easy to forget about Wednesday's struggles so far. What was pencilled in as a top-of-the-table clash with the Saints at the start of the season, became a chance for both sides to kick-start their play-off push. The Saints came through 1-0 thanks to a strike from Lee Barnard - the first league goal they've scored since Alan Pardew's exit. Wednesday are now seven points behind League One leaders Brighton.
THE BARELY ACCEPTABLE
West Ham United
Any other week and they definitely would have been in the 'Good' section, but we've limited ourselves to two teams in each, and we're sticking to the rules, damn it. We couldn't let West Ham's victory over Spurs pass without mention though. Frederic Piquionne's header was enough to get the Irons their first win of the season, lift them off the bottom of the table, and give Harry Redknapp his first taste of defeat at the Boleyn as visiting manager.
Everton
They may still be searching for their first win of the season, but a point at Craven Cottage is not to be sniffed at. West London hasn't been a happy hunting ground for the Toffees, with only one win in their last 11 visits to Fulham. They may be bottom of the table after West Ham's win, but Everton looked as good as they have all season and may even have snuck a win. Does the turnaround start here?
Disagree with our picks? Let us know what you think below...
Published: 25 Sep 2010
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