Top 10 Stars and Storylines From Arsenal and the EPL Weekend
Weekend number three of the EPL season didn't disappoint, as thrilling finishes, shocking upsets and outright dominance ruled the day.
Manchester United re-established their dominance, with an impressive win over West Ham.
Arsenal proved they can win on the road, while Wigan showed they still have some fight left in them.
Darren Bent shocked Manchester City, while Blackpool managed a draw, and proved once more that perhaps they belong up in the Premiership.
Here are the 10 biggest stars and storylines of week three.
10. Theo Walcott Leads Arsenal
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The Gunners had quite a few critics after their first match of the season at Anfield. A draw against 10-man Liverpool was not the finish most of those fans were expecting, and it spurred rumblings that perhaps Wenger's side was not capable of winning on the road.
Two weeks later, those doubts were erased, as the Gunners followed a superb effort from Theo Walcott to a gutty 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers.
Walcott scored in the 19th minute of the match, and was a nuisance for the Rovers' back line all game long.
Add in a strong finish from Andrei Arshavin in the 50th minute, and you have a team who managed to overcome a devastating equalizer from Rovers' Mame Biram Diouf and pull out a win.
9. Wayne Rooney Breaks Through As United Re-Assert Dominance
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The commonly held belief is that as Wayne Rooney goes, so go Manchester United. And for the last 5 months, Rooney hasn't been doing much scoring, for Manchester or England.
But on Saturday, against West Ham, the 24-year old striker finally found the back of the net, as part of a 3-0 drubbing of the Hammers.
Rooney's awakening comes on the heels of Man U's shocking draw to Fulham. The Red Devils will need him to produce if they want to live up to the preseason hype surrounding the team. Hopefully, this goal will be the start of one of his streaks.
8. Luke Varney Helps Tangerines Prove They Belong
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The Tangerines announced their arrival in the EPL with a shocking 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic.
But, a 6-0 loss to Arsenal the following week caused many to wonder if perhaps Blackpool didn't have what it takes to stay afloat in the strongest league in the world.
Now, thanks to the newly acquired Varney, Blackpool managed to salvage points in a 2-2 draw on the road against Fulham. Were it not for a late equalizer by Dickson Etuthu, Ian Holloway's squad would have come away with the full three points.
Blackpool has firmly established itself as an excellent offensive squad; if their defense comes around with any consistency, perhaps the Tangerines could make serious noise.
7. Villa Make Young's Goal Count
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Luke Young waited more than 2 years between goals. Needless to say, Aston Villa made sure it counted.
Young scored in the 9th minute against Everton, and the Lions held on for an impressive 1-0 victory.
The sudden defensive resurgence is made all the more shocking by the fact that Villa gave up 6 goals to newly promoted Newcastle last week, only to shut out a team many saw as a darkhorse title contender entering the season.
If Sunday showed nothing else, it was that it could be a bad season for the heart health of the Villa faithful.
6. Andrew Carroll Stars Once More
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When Newcastle clinched a return to the Premiership after a year's exile, it was widely assumed that they would have difficulty adjusting to the level of play at the highest level.
21-year-old forward Andrew Carroll, at least, seems to be doing just fine.
Carroll has been a revelation for the Toon Army through the first three weeks, scoring 4 goals to lead the Magpies to 4 points in three games.
Carroll's always been a potent goal scorer, and now that he's matured, he's a force to be reckoned with. As long as he's healthy and happy at St. James Park, the Magpies always have a chance.
5. Robbie Blake Saves The Wanderers
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Things certainly looked bleak for Bolton Wanderers on Sunday. Their goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen had been sent off for slapping Roger Johnson of Birmingham, and they trailed 2-0. But a penalty kick from Kevin Davies in the 71st minute cut the deficit to just 1, and in the 81st minute, Robbie Blake saved the Wanderers bacon.
Blake knocked home the equalizer on a free kick, and kept Bolton from an embarassing loss. It wasn't the loss to Birmingham with just 10 men that was embarassing, rather, it was Jaaskelainen's slap of Johnson that proved nearly fatal to their hopes.
But, in the clutch, Blake delivered, meriting a spot in this list.
4. Fernando Torres Makes His Triumphant Return
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For the vast majority of the match, Liverpool head coach Roy Hodgson's conservative strategy had the Reds sitting 0-0 with newly promoted West Bromwich Albion. But, in the 67th minute, Torres took a pass from Dirk Kuyt and fired a surgical strike past keeper Scott Carson to give Liverpool the lead, and eventually the win.
Torres is not at full fitness yet, after an injury plagued 2009-10 campaign. But, he proved on Sunday that even when he's not at his best, he's still a force to be reckoned with.
3. Robin Van Persie Hurt Again
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Much was made in the offseason about the age of Chelsea's starting XI. Indeed, the Blues aren't getting any younger, but, as Sunday proved once more, this team is far from washed up.
Goals from Drogba and Florent Malouda helped the Blues blow past Stoke City 2-0, and continued their stellar start to the year.
Thus far, Chelsea has looked the part of strong title defenders, and if this strong play continues, the Blues could have back-to-back titles.
2. Hugo Rodellaga Stuns Spurs
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Through the first two weeks of the season, Wigan Athletic looked to be the worst team in the Premiership. Blowout losses to newcomers Blackpool and Chelsea saw the Latics tumble to the bottom of the table, and things didn't look to be getting easier with at White Hart Lane against Tottenham.
Hugo Rodallega proved that Wigan had other ideas. The 25-year-old forward scored the only goal of the match in the 80th minute to propel the Latics to what is arguably the biggest upset of the year. The Spurs were not at their best, and Wigan found the space to score.
There will not be much more to cheer at DW Stadium this season, it stands to reason. But on this day the Latics shocked the Premiership, and proved that they still have some fight left.
1. Darren Bent Beats City
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With Manchester City tied 0-0 with Sunderland in injury time, it seemed that the Black Cats would be stealing a point at home against a side many picked to win the EPL this season.
But Darren Bent stepped to the penalty spot and knocked in the go ahead goal with just moments left in the match, giving Sunderland a 1-0 win and sending the Stadium of Light into a frenzy.
Bent is an excellent kick-taker, and has proven himself in the clutch many times. But to do it in this situation is still a stunner, and is sure to be a blow to City's confidence going forward. It was a spectacular goal, and one Bent is sure to be talking about long after he retires.
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