Manchester United Fly The Flag as Joey Barton Loses His Rag: My 300th Article

Manchester United have clawed there way to the top of the Barclays Premier League for the first time this season, thanks mainly to Liverpool and Chelsea misfiring but also ten clean sheets in a row.

Welcome to the first Hot or Not of 2009 with me, Andrew McNair, celebrating 300 articles on Bleacher Report.

HOT

Where else could we start this week but with the Man United defence? Ten shut outs in their last ten top flight games is just one clean sheet away from a new record. United’s form has been magnificent since their stuttering start and are surely favourites to push on and win the title.

United won their game 1-0 over Bolton Wanderers thanks to a late Dimitar Berbatov goal but Nemanja Vidic is my star of the last ten games. Rio who?

It was great to see Stoke City’s new striker, James Beattie, back in the top flight. The former Everton player didn’t look out of place in his new side’s late 2-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

Stoke’s superman, Rory Delap, was in the headlines again but this time for a silky finish with his feet—who’d have thought he can kick the ball too?

The title race may not be such a forgone conclusion if Chelsea have anything to do with it. They showed real courage in overcoming the determined Stoke and it is wins like those that win clubs titles.

Winning was probably even more important for “Big Phil” Scolari as a loss would have put him under some serious pressure from a certain Russian. The fact the players chose to celebrate with their coach after their injury time winner says a lot I feel.

Lastly from Stamford Bridge, one must say “well done Frank Lampard“, who celebrated 400 games at Chelsea with the winning goal.

It was wins all round at the top of the table with 10-man Aston Villa coming from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. The Villains have a bit of steel too.

Well one doesn’t often see Titus Bramble in the dizzy heights of the Hot section of Hot or Not but his goal line clearance from Robinho’s sublime effort was well worth a mention.

Manchester City won the game over Wigan Athletic 1-0 with the home side showing a certain team spirit after Richard Dunne had been given his marching orders, a real team effort keeping Wigan out.

What is it with Daniel Cousin? He may as well go to Barbados between big games. The Gabon and Hull City striker only scores against big teams and proved it with Hull’s equalizer at the KC Stadium against who else but Arsenal.

Save of the week: This week, the honour goes to Hull’s Boaz Myhill after his finger tip save from a powerful curling Robin Van Persie free kick.

Arsenal showed some serious guts in coming back from the blow of Cousin’s equalizer to win the game 3-1. It was a good weekend for England’s “softer” starting 11’s.

After a great start to the season, Jason Roberts hasn’t had it all his way this season but two goals in Blackburn Rovers 3-0 win over Newcastle United signalled a return to form for the big striker.

Just to prove no one is safe from relegation this season, West Bromwich Albion hammered Middlesbrough to get within touching distance of Premier League safety. Maybe my choice of West Brom to stay up at the start of the season wasn’t so bad after all.

Goal of the week: Easy enough choice, Paul Konchesky’s Sunday screamer during his Fulham sides 3-1 defeat at West Ham United. If he wasn’t left footed we would have called it a swinger.

NOT

Every now and then, a Premier League team signs a complete “tube” and that man is Ariza Makukula. The big forward got stuck into Nemanja Vidic quite early on Saturday earning himself a yellow card. I’d love to give him the benefit of the doubt but nine clubs in as many years says it all really.

Didier Drogba is a name that rings with controversy and another no-show in the Chelsea squad hints at the end of the line for his Chelsea career. Would love to say I’d miss him but that would be subjective.

Another player who’s season is over for Chelsea is Joe Cole, the English international is out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury. A major blow to both club and country.

If you were to name the least malicious players in England you might well mention Ashley Young. His red on Saturday for his reckless challenge at Sunderland may change a few peoples opinions but in all honesty he didn’t mean to hurt anyone and the three match ban will be a real eye opener.

So James Milner scored Villa’s equalizer with his hand, claim Sunderland. Maybe he did but as Gareth Barry proved later, he’d have scored the penalty had the referee ruled it out.

The Villa side’s winner was even more controversial as the foul appeared to take place outside the box but Barry wasn’t going to waste the opportunity and Martin O’Neill’s men will need plenty more luck if they are to cement a UEFA Champions League spot.

Richard Dunne was stupid to kick out at Amr Zaki but the Egyptians reaction was pitiful. The City captain deserved to go but a yellow for theatrics would have been well deserved too.

Miss of the week: What goes around, comes around Mr Zaki, the goal gaping with a rebound off the bar, Zaki must have wondered whether to put it away or dive…the result, Zaki put it over the bar.

Now when is a penalty not a penalty in modern times? When there is contact of course. Wigan’s Lee Cattermole might have something to say on the subject after clearly winning a point saving penalty at Eastlands.

Maybe soft penalties are just easier to give. How Newcastle’s David Edgar’s supposed clear push on Benni McCarthy was a penalty I’ll never know?

Speaking of Benni, he took the penalty well. The South African striker is destined to be a major talking point at the 2010 World Cup whether he is playing or not. He is South Africa’s Antonio Cassano.

Joey Barton: Well he is Joey Barton and tends to lose his rag but this time I was with him. Jose Enrique’s effort was “piss poor” and the Spaniard deserved a smack.

Who knows if it really made a difference but Arsenal’s killer goal was offside. The difference between 2-1 and 3-1 was certainly a big difference to Hull.

Gaff of the week: We all knew that John Pantsil could dive with the best but defending? The Fulham player has a lot to learn after gifting West Ham the opener by chesting the ball in his own box at Upton Park. British pantomime’s favourite line could have come in handy, “he’s behind you.” Don’t Australian keepers go to the panto?

Does anyone else think that Alfonso Alves is the unluckiest player in Britain? 1) He can’t seem to score. 2) He’s attracted to the woodwork and 3) He plays for Middlesbrough.