English Premier League Power Rankings: Week 15
This week in the English Premier League, we saw the first postponement because of brutal winter weather at Bloomfield Road.
Arsenal took the top spot in the table thanks to their win over Fulham, United's postponed game and Chelsea's fourth straight slip up.
Surprisingly, the first manager sacked this season was not Avram Grant, it was Newcastle's Chris Hughton, who got the boot on Monday after Newcastle lost to West Brom.
20. West Ham (17)
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After their shocking win in the Carling Cup over Manchester United in midweek, the Hammers were unable to carry that momentum into Sunday's match with Sunderland.
Avram Grant's club lost the game 1-0 and are still stuck at the bottom of the table on 12 points.
Rumors are now swirling over the departure of captain Scott Parker and of forward Carlton Cole in the January transfer window to go along with who the new manager may be if Grant gets sacked.
19. Aston Villa (16)
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Gerard Houllier's return to Anfield was not very pleasant as the Villa boss saw his club lose 3-0 and drop further down in the table.
Now in 16th place, the Villains are on a four-game losing streak in all competitions.
They will look to right the ship against West Brom at Villa Park on Saturday.
18. Wolverhampton (13)
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After keeping track with fellow bottom feeders West Ham last week, Wolves did the same this week by losing and not being able to gain ground.
Wolves took a 3-0 loss to Blackburn on the road at Ewood Park on Saturday.
Next up for Mick McCarthy's club is a home match with Birmingham on Sunday.
17. Wigan (20)
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Tom Cleverley's 40th-minute goal leveled the Latics match with Stoke on Saturday.
Cleverley's goal tied the game at two goals a piece, which ended up being the final score of the match.
A Saturday road trip to Goodison Park to face Everton in a game that possesses the potential for a swing up the table for the winner is next up for Wigan.
16. Fulham (15)
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Fulham are still stuck in 17th place in the table after their 2-1 loss to Arsenal.
Diomansy Kamara equalized in the 30th minute before a late Arsenal goal took down the Cottagers.
Depending on who you talk to, Mark Hughes is on the hot seat and needs to improve the club's results, or he could see the ax for the second straight year in the Premier League.
15. Everton (18)
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Jermaine Beckford played the role of hero for the Toffees at Stamford Bridge when his 86th-minute goal equalized the match with Chelsea.
A crucial point was earned, moving David Moyes' club up to 15th place jumping over relegation rivals like Aston Villa and Fulham that lost over the weekend.
A relegation battle at home with Wigan is next on the schedule for Everton.
14. Newcastle (8)
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Newcastle had the most eventful weekend, and it was in a negative fashion.
Manager Chris Hughton was sacked after the Magpies' 3-1 defeat at West Brom on Sunday.
The surprising firing caught the players off guard and is yet another one of owner Mike Ashley's rash decisions he has made while in charge of the club.
Ashley wants to appoint a new manager before Saturday's home clash with Liverpool and speculation has it that the main contender is Martin Jol.
13. Blackburn (19)
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David Dunn. Brett Emerton and Ryan Nelsen powered Rovers' 3-0 shutout win over Wolves.
The win sprung the club into 11th place in the table on 21 points.
A trip to the Reebok Stadium to face Bolton is next up on Sunday for Sam Allardyce's club.
12. Sunderland (14)
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Jordan Henderson scored his first club goal for Sunderland in their 1-0 win over West Ham.
The young England midfielder struck in the 34th-minute to give the Black Cats their fifth win of the season.
A trip to struggling Fulham on Saturday gives Steve Bruce's club a chance to further advance in the standings from their current seventh place spot.
11. West Brom (12)
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Albion continued their roller coaster ride through the middle of the Premier League table when their win over Newcastle on Sunday propelled them up to ninth.
Peter Odemwingie scored twice in the second half to help secure the win after Somen Tchoyi opened the scoring on a 32nd-minute goal.
10. Blackpool (11)
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The Bloomfield Road pitch was not in good enough condition to play on Saturday so the Tangerines' match against Manchester United was postponed.
The Tangerines sit 13th in the table on 19 points with a game in hand now.
A trip to the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke is next on the schedule on Saturday.
9. Birmingham (9)
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Craig Gardner's 81st-minute equalizer gave the Blues a draw with Tottenham at St. Andrews' Stadium on Saturday.
The draw kept the Blues in 14th place in the table as they head into a road matchup with Wolves at the Molineux on Sunday.
8. Liverpool (10)
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Liverpool took care of business at Anfield on Monday night with a victory over Aston Villa.
David Ngog, Ryan Babel and Maxi Rodriguez all found the back of the net once as the Reds cruised to a 3-0 victory.
The sixth win of the season for Roy Hodgson and company moved them up into eighth place ahead of their trip to St. James' Park to face Newcastle.
7. Chelsea (7)
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A 1-1 draw with Everton at Stamford Bridge added to Chelsea's Premier League woes.
The draw continued their four-game winless streak after the firing of assistant coach Ray Wilkins.
The tough times may continue for the third place Blues as they now have to face Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal in their next three matches.
6. Stoke (5)
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Robert Huth and Matthew Etherington scored for the Potters in their 2-2 road draw with Wigan on Saturday.
The draw did drop the Potters down to 10th in the table, but they can easily bounce back up the table with a win at home against Blackpool on Saturday.
5. Bolton (4)
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Jussi Jaaskelainen gave up a fourth-minute goal to Manchester City, and that was all the damage that was needed to be done.
Bolton were unable to muster a goal past City keeper Joe Hart, who only had to make one save.
The Trotters will receive a visit from Blackburn on Sunday at the Reebok Stadium, where they have only lost once this season.
4. Tottenham (2)
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Spurs were only able to get a point out of their trip to St. Andrews' Stadium this weekend.
Sebastien Bassong scored the club's only goal in the 19th-minute.
Harry Redknapp's club stays fifth in the table with a huge clash with Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
3. Manchester City (6)
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Carlos Tevez struck early in the fourth-minute to give City a 1-0 win over Bolton at home on Saturday.
A trip to struggling West Ham is next on the schedule Saturday for the fourth place club in the table.
2. Manchester United (1)
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United's match against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road was postponed due to poor pitch conditions.
The postponement does give Sir Alex Ferguson a chance to rest his players ahead of Big Four clashes with Arsenal on Monday and then at Chelsea on Sunday the 19th.
1. Arsenal (2)
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The Gunners took the top spot in not only the power rankings this week but more importantly in the EPL table with their 2-1 win over Fulham and Manchester United's postponed match.
Samir Nasri found the back of the net in the 14th and 75th minutes to give the Gunners the win.
A trip to Old Trafford for a Big Four clash with Manchester United is ahead on Monday night for the top team in all of England.
