Premier League Winners and Losers: Merseyside Derby, Relegation Battle and More

I know I say it every week, but everything turned up a notch this weekend.

In the title race, Manchester City surrendered their first-place spot with a loss at Swansea, watching their neighbors, Manchester United, claim the top spot with a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

In the fight for a top-four finish, Arsenal put the pressure on Spurs after Harry Redknapp's men lost to Everton to complete their three-game losing streak. At the other side of London, Chelsea scrapped together their first win under Roberto Di Matteo with a narrow 1-0 win at home to 10-men Stoke.

Much more happened regarding the top-four race this weekend, and we'll get to all that later. The race that heated up the most this weekend was the relegation battle, with just four points separating 16th place and 20th place.

No more time for recaps—let's get right into the thick of what was possibly the most defining weekend (or week) of the Premier League yet.

Winner: Bolton

In the most controversial of ways (that's coming up later), Bolton won their crucial relegation clash with QPR at Reebok Stadium, sending the Wanderers out of the relegation zone—for now.

Owen Coyle and Bolton seem to be the masters of capturing the best young talents in the league on loan. First, they picked up Jack Wilshere in the 2009-10 season. Then they got Daniel Sturridge last season. Ryo Miyaichi is the latest acquisition. 

It was an incredibly shrewd signing to bring in the flying young winger from Arsenal, and if there's any player who will save Bolton from relegation now, it's Ryo.

Winner: Junior Hoilett and Blackburn

Could Blackburn escape relegation after all?

They seem to have had one of the worst seasons in the league. They now sit three points above the relegation zone in 16th place, following their massively important 2-0 win over Wolves at the Molineux.

While Bolton have Ryo, Blackburn have the equally promising Junior Hoilett (although sure to leave at the end of the season). Hoilett is a dynamic player capable of pulling the Rovers out of the drop zone as he demonstrated with his brace on Saturday. 

Winner: Chelsea

They're just barely winners—just barely.

The only reason they're winners is that if they had lost their home match against Stoke on Saturday, chances at a top-four finish would look even slimmer as the Blues would be six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

Nonetheless, if there's any side asserting themselves as the best in the race for the top-four finish, it's Arsenal. Arsenal have been the only side producing results in recent weeks with Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea all enduring domestic slumps.

They may have won, but Chelsea still seem destined for fifth place.

Winner: Everton

Everton are proving us all right by showing the signs of a classic Everton season in the making.

They started slow, but have now gained momentum. We can expect them to finish the season just as strong as any other top Premier League team.

Their 1-0 win over Tottenham wasn't the first of their upsets, with David Moyes' side beating Chelsea 2-0 a few weeks back.

Never mind their 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby—Everton are in for a strong end of the season.

Winner: Manchester United

Manchester United are top of the table.

It may seem (at least to me) like Manchester City have been the more dominant team in the league this season, but the fixtures from now to the end of May decide the champions.

Nonetheless, that still means that there are 10 matches left—that's 30 points, so expect the title race to get right down to the wire...

...or down to the run-in on April 30th at the Etihad Stadium. That'll be intense, to say the least.

Winner: The Comeback Kings

No, not Manchester United.

Arsenal have undoubtedly shown more spirit in the squad than any other team in the Premier League this season. They confirmed that when they set a record with their 2-1 win over Newcastle to come back after conceding and win—four matches in a row.

They've done it in dramatic style, too, scoring winners in stoppage time in three of their last four matches—the other match was their 5-2 derby comeback over Spurs.

Not only is it nice to set a record, but these three points also put them just one point behind third-placed Spurs and three points above fifth-placed Chelsea.

The Gunners are certainly now favourites for that top-four finish—but are they in the race for fourth place, or third?

Winner: Steven Gerrard

A hat trick against bitter rivals Everton in one of the most heated derbies in English football...

Enough said.

Loser: Us...and QPR

We want goal-line technology.

Is it so much to ask?

When it's a goal, over the line, one nil to the good—we want it to be a goal. And when it's not a goal, not over the line—we want it to not be goal.

In a world where your shoe tells you how many kilometers you've run in the game and matches can be watched anywhere in the world on a cell phone, goal-line technology is possible.

So just do it, FIFA.

Loser: Wolves

Sacking Mick McCarthy was the worst possible thing Wolves could have done in the thick of a relegation scrap.

In my opinion, the man was performing miracles at Wolverhampton, keeping his side alive for a few seasons and possibly doing it again this season.

It's not that Terry Connor is doing a bad job—he isn't being given much to work with—but Mick McCarthy had experience in relegation battles. Although Connor was his right-hand man, McCarthy had what it took to heave his side out of the drop zone when it mattered most.

The relegation battle is certainly close, but right now it's not looking good for Wolves.

Loser: Liverpool

Sure, they beat hatred rivals Everton 3-0 in the Merseyside derby.

But they also lost 1-0 at Sunderland, putting them 10 points away from the top four.

Would you rather beat your rivals, or play Champions League football?

Thought so.

Loser: Spurs

Tottenham's loss to Everton at Goodison Park made it three losses on the bounce for Harry Redknapp's side.

It seemed as if Spurs had the third-place spot wrapped up after overachieving so far this season. But with Arsenal just one point behind and with much more momentum, it's looking like Spurs' recent slip-ups could cost them dearly.

Remember, they're also only four points ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea, so even Champions League football isn't a guarantee as it once seemed.

Loser: Manchester City

Manchester City dropped into second place with their 1-0 loss to Swansea at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday.

Players at the Etihad keep talking about how they won't crack and how they have what it takes to win the title. But like I said before, this stretch is where champions are decided, and Manchester United may just have more experience.

But you could also argue that Manchester City make up for their lack of experience with more quality in the squad than their neighbors—which is true. Manchester United have problems with multiple positions in the squad.

So it could very well come down to experience versus quality.

Who do you think will prevail?