BPL Heroes and Zeros

Liverpool bought out their A-game at OT, Andrey Arshavin looks like a steal and El-Hadji Diouf should find a new job.

HEROES

LIVERPOOL

It was just one game - but what a game. Old Trafford has been a bogey ground for Liverpool even when they were winning league titles during the 70s and 80s but last Saturday's victory was arguably their finest game against their arch-rivals Manchester United in a long, long while. It was also a surprise that Andreas Dossena will forever be etched in Liverpool history as the most unlikely player to score against both Real Madrid and Man United in the same week! Of course, he is not alone. Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were again on the score-sheet. Every Liverpool player, bar the jittery Jose Reina, had a great game. Sami Hyypia, a last-minute replacement for Alvaro Arbeloa, was flawless in possession and it was his deft touch with his cultured left foot that started the move for the second goal. Lucas Leiva, also a late replacement, deputised well for Xabi Alonso. United's craft had no answer to Liverpool's graft

FERNANDO TORRES

Where would Liverpool be if Fernando Torres had not been injured for parts of the season? That's the question some Liverpool fans might be thinking after the Spaniard's contribution at Old Trafford. Torres gave Nemanja Vidic, a potential PFA Footballer of the Year, a torrid time. No player has ever make Vidic look like a mug. For the Reds' crucial equaliser, Torres used his instincts to pressure Vidic into a mistake - the cardinal sin of a defender of letting the ball bounce. Then it was Torres' blinding pace that stole the ball from Vidic and sent him on a one-on-one against Edwin van der Sar. Then it was Torres' coolness that enabled him to slot the ball past a static Van der Sar. Torres might have played with pain-killers - but at the end of the game, it was the United players who needed them.

ALAN WILEY

Referees tend to be at the wrong end of managers' and players' tirades whenever a team wins or loses. But even Sir Alex Ferguson could not find fault with Alan Wiley. Wiley basically did his job and got the big decisions right. Both penalties awarded to Liverpool and Man United were spot-on.

CHELSEA

"The door is a little bit open," so says Guus Hiddink with a straight face. Chelsea made sure they took full advantage of United's slip-up by posting a win over United's city neighbours. so far, Hiddink's arrival at Stamford Bridge has had the desired effect. Chelsea have a 100% record in the league under the Dutch manager, are through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and have retaken second place from Liverpool. The return of Michael Essien, aka Chelsea's Terminator, has also helped the Blues. His energy and determination were sorely missed by Chelsea and so was his goal-scoring ability. Chelsea may not catch up with Man United, but they are hot favourites to take second place.

ANDREY ARSHAVIN

Arsenal were looking less than convincing in their home game against Blackburn. After 63 minute and at 1-0, the Gunners were struggling to cope with Blackburn - then Andrey Arshavin finally decided to take the bull by its horns. With a fantastic individual effort, the Russian gave Arsenal a crucial two-goal cushion to carry them on to a comfortable victory. Arshavin was so happy with his goal that he ran to hug Arsenal's doctor who had stitched his foot at half-time. It's not just about goals too. Arshavin can pass a ball with his eyes closed. His first-time passes were a joy to watch but Nicklas Bendtner forgot to put his goal-scoring boots on. Nonethelesss, Arshavin has proved he is a classy, yet grateful player. It's rare to see both qualities at the Emirates nowadays. Arshavin is proving to be one of most important signings Arsene Wenger has made for the past three seasons.

ZEROES

MAN UNITED

The scoreline actually flattered Manchester United. Liverpool could have scored more than four goals and Nemanja Vidic could have been punished with a three-match ban. It was a massive wake-up call for the United players. They had been playing below-par but getting the results by grinding them out unconvincingly. Last Saturday's game was their 50th of the season, so was it one game too many for the Red Devils? Rubbish. They have possibly the strongest squad in the country to deal with all fronts. If there's something to blame it would be the atrocious decision-making by Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra. Vidic especially could have been sent-off even earlier when he tried to trip Fernando Torres with his hand. He would not have been in that situation if he had cleared the ball first-time rather than trying to play a fool and letting the ball bounce. Evra too was disappointing and his ill-advised lunge at Gerrard conceded the penalty. On the flipside though, it would be very rare for Vidic and Evra to ever repeat this kind of performance ever again.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON

After putting one over the Special One in the Champions League, Sir Alex Ferguson did a Jose Mourinho by making three substitutions in the 73rd-74th minute. Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Dimitar Berbatov were all brought on to try to save the game for Man United. On hind-sight, Ferguson's tactical substitutions back-fired spectacularly when Vidic was sent-off just four minutes later and United could not bring on any defensive reinforcements. Also, Ferguson tends to field the local players in 'derby' games such as the understated Darren Fletcher, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs. These are the players who know what local pride is all about. But Ferguson chose to rotate the squad. Is he the new Tinkerman?

ASTON VILLA FANS

Football fans can be so fickle. Especially in the case of Gabriel Agbonlahor who has fallen foul to some of the boo-boys from the terraces. It was just a small section of the crowd but it was still unwarranted to give Agbonlahor stick. These so-called fans seemed to have forgotten how Agbonlahor carried the team to the giddy heights of the "Top Four" before Emile Heskey came or whenever John Carew was injured (which was often). Gabby, who rose through the youth ranks at Villa Park, has been one of the poster boys of Martin ONeill's Aston Villa revolution. But, like all great players, he is in a midst of a mini-slump. Hopefully he will learn from this and take the criticism in his stride. Otherwise, these so-called fans will soon find themselves booing Agbonlahor when he plays at Villa Park for the opposing team.

EL-HADJI DIOUF

Thank you Gerard Houllier for bringing him to British shores. El-Hadji Diouf is the thug of all thugs who should not be allowed to play football. He was unrepentent after nearly ending the career of Manuel Almunia and continued to play on as if the world owes him something. The FA should forget about Neil Warnock and deal with the thug that is Diouf.

WEST BROM

West Ham were there for the taking. WBA's game at Upton Park was one of their best chances of getting three vital points but they blew it. Relegation looms.

Source :: http://www.espnstar.com/football/premier-league/news/detail/item226447/The-BPL-Heroes-and-Zeroes-29/