English Premier League Power Rankings: Week 20
This week, Premier League clubs had to face a mid week league match followed by a weekend FA Cup match.
In the league matches, tons of surprises were delivered with Wolves and Everton delivering shock wins over Chelsea and Tottenham, while Manchester City and Arsenal played to a goal less draw in the key fixture.
In the FA Cup, four Premier League teams were knocked out and four teams face replays.
Note: The FA Cup results are factored in to the rankings this week.
20. West Brom (20)
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Not a good week for West Brom as they lost both games on their travels this week,
A league loss to Fulham, followed by an exit in the FA Cup provided by Championship side Reading gave West Brom fans nothing to celebrate in the past week.
The Baggies are looking to find an answer to their goal scoring by trying to get John Carew from Aston Villa but that move has been stalled at the moment.
19. Blackpool (11)
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A rough week it was for Blackpool as well as they suffered two defeats.
The Seasiders lost a home match to Birmingham on Tuesday and then their trip to St. Mary's Stadium resulted in a 2-0 loss to Southampton.
Ian Holloway's club still sit in a comfortable 13th place in the EPL table but still need to get results as they look to hold on to their captain Charlie Adam, who is getting offers from both EPL clubs in Birmingham.
A rescheduled match with Liverpool comes up on Wednesday at Bloomfield Road for the club.
18. West Ham (19)
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Just as things were looking promising for the Hammers, they are now back at the bottom of the EPL table after a 5-0 thrashing they suffered at the hands of Newcastle on Wednesday.
The Hammers did rebound on Saturday and stayed alive in the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Barnsley at Upton Park.
A chance at getting to Wembley will come up on Tuesday in the League Cup semifinals with Birmingham.
In transfer news, after losing out on Steve Sidwell, Avram Grant is looking at Wayne Bridge to come in from Manchester City, with Bridge's high wages being a problem to seal the deal.
17. Aston Villa (18)
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What a difference a year makes at Villa Park.
The appointment of Gerard Houllier and subsequent results has put Villa in the drop zone in the EPL table at 18th.
A loss to Sunderland on Wednesday was crushing to the relegation fight the Villains are now in.
A good sign came though on Saturday with the debut of on loan defender Kyle Walker adding to the youth contingent at Villa Park as Walker opened the scoring in a 3-1 win over Sheffield United.
The Villa side could look different going into Derby Sunday when they face Birmingham with John Carew and Stephen Ireland looking to be on the way out and with Wayne Bridge and Jean Makoun possibly joining the side if the price is right.
16. Wigan (17)
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Wigan secured a point on the road at Bolton on Wednesday in a 1-1 draw and then took a win in a crazy 3-2 win over Hull City.
Two goals from Mohamed Diame and one from Callum McManaman gave the Latics enough to secure a spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup where they will face Bolton.
Next on the schedule for Roberto Martinez and company is a visit from Fulham to the DW Stadium on Saturday.
15. Birmingham (15)
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Birmingham had a solid week picking up two wins.
Alexander Hleb and Scott Dann found the back of the net in a 2-1 league win over Blackpool, while in the FA Cup a four goal output, led by two from Matt Derbyshire gave the Blues a win over Millwall to set up a fourth round match with Coventry.
A big win is ahead of Alex McLeish's club as they face West Ham in the Carling Cup semifinals on Tuesday and then face Aston Villa on Derby Sunday. It looks like David Bentley is close to joining the club from Tottenham.
14. Liverpool (13)
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Another rough week at Anfield for Liverpool and its supporters.
After a 3-1 loss to Blackburn on Wednesday, Roy Hodgson stepped down and in came Kenny Dalglish to manage until the end of the season.
In Dalglish's first game back in charge, the Reds dropped their FA Cup tie with Manchester United by a score of 1-0.
News on the transfer front for the club will be sorted out in the next day or two, but news on a FA investigation has come through after Ryan Babel posted a picture of referee Howard Webb in a Manchester United shirt on Twitter after the FA Cup loss.
And with a trip to Bloomfield Road on Wednesday, followed by a Derby Sunday match with Everton at Anfield, the Reds have a chance to get back on track.
13. Blackburn (12)
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Benjani was the hero at Ewood Park on Wednesday when he score twice to beat Liverpool 3-1 in a shock result that boosted Rovers up to ninth in the table.
Another quality win came on Saturday thanks to David Hoilett's 77th minute goal to beat Championship leaders Queens Park Rangers.
As the Ronaldinho rumors fizzle out, Steve Kean's club have to focus on their trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
12. Newcastle (10)
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What a roller coaster week for Newcastle United as they thrashed West Ham in the Premier League 5-0 and then were subject to the upset of the round when they lost to League Two side Stevenage on Saturday in the FA Cup.
The main concern right now for Alan Pardew is the health of forwards Andy Carroll and Shola Ameobi, who were both ruled out of the past week's games.
Another blow for the Magpies going into the Tyne-Wear derby on Derby Sunday is the loss of Cheik Tiote for three games after he received a red card against Stevenage.
11. Fulham (16)
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If you picked a team to score nine goals in the past week, it certainly would not have been Fulham.
Well, this week it was Fulham, who got goals from six different players, including a hat trick from Diomansy Kamara in their 6-2 win over Peterborough in the FA Cup third round.
The Cottagers have locked up Steve Sidwell's signature and are looking at Millwall's Steve Morison according to reports as they look to climb further up the table.
Mark Hughes' club currently sit 14th on 22 points and travel to Wigan on Saturday.
10. Stoke (7)
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Stoke had a tough week, suffering a 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Tuesday, followed by a 1-1 with Cardiff City in the FA Cup third round.
The Potters sit in 10th place in the table on 27 points as they head into a clash with Bolton at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday.
9. Wolverhampton (17)
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Wolves pulled off the shock result of the week in the Premier League when they took down Chelsea at home on Wednesday.
Thanks to a Bosingwa own goal and a stout defensive performance, Wolves were able to jump out of last place in the table with the win.
However, the momentum did not carry over into the FA Cup tie at Keepmoat with Doncaster as Stephen Hunt had to rescue a replay with his 58th minute goal.
Before their replay with Doncaster next week, Wolves face a trip to the City of Manchester Stadium to face Manchester City.
8. Everton (11)
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No Tim Cahill for a month, no Landon Donovan loan move, no goal scoring problem at Goodison Park.
Everton put home seven goals in the past week.
Starting with an impressive 2-1 win over Tottenham at home on Wednesday thanks to goals from Louis Saha and the in form Seamus Coleman, and then a 5-1 away win at Scunthorpe on Saturday, the Toffees have found some positive momentum.
The Toffees go in to Derby Sunday in 11th place and will look to beat rivals Liverpool for the second time this season.
7. Sunderland (6)
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Sunderland took three points from Villa Park on Wednesday in a 1-0 win, but then suffered a defeat at the hands of Notts County at home on Saturday.
The loss was a huge blow to the sixth placed club who now look to get back on track in what should be an exciting Tyne-Wear derby on Derby Sunday.
In transfer news, Steve Bruce is looking to bring in Sulley Muntari from Inter Milan and Stephane Sessegnon from PSG but right now both moves are in the beginning stages and it will be tough for the Black Cats to gain the signature of both players.
6. Bolton (9)
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After dropping points at home to Wigan on Wednesday, Bolton rebounded with a 2-0 win over minnows York City.
Late goals from Kevin Davies and Johan Elmander gave Bolton the win that will have them face Wigan in the FA Cup fourth round.
Owen Coyle is looking at Middlesborough defender David Wheater as a possible replacement if Gary Cahill is signed by one of the big clubs.
5. Chelsea (5)
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Chelsea rebounded from their 1-0 loss to Wolves on Wednesday with a complete thrashing of Ipswich Town on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard and Daniel Sturridge scored two goals while Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou scored once and an own goal from Carlos Edwards made the total tally equal seven goals.
Carlo Ancelotti's club are sitting one point out of the Champions League places and will try and gain the whole three points against Blackburn at home on Saturday.
4. Tottenham (3)
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With the David Beckham saga getting the full attention of the media, Tottenham did play two games this week.
A tough 2-1 away loss to Everton on Wednesday leaves them four points behind third place Arsenal in the table.
Spurs did rebound with a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round on Sunday thanks to a double from Jermain Defoe and a goal from Andros Townsend.
With the Beckham saga all but over, unless you ask Harry Redknapp, Spurs have to focus on their matchup with Beckham's old club Manchester United on Sunday.
3. Manchester City (2)
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City were criticized for their defensive play in their goal less draw with Arsenal on Wednesday and the criticism kept coming with a draw at The Walkers with Leicester City on Sunday.
But City's problems could be solved in the form of a Bosnian striker, Edin Dzeko, who is now officially a member of the club.
But, with the transfer window comes the rumored exit of disgruntled City players.
This January the list of possible exits include Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz, Wayne Bridge, Jo and Micah Richards.
2. Arsenal (4)
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Arsenal looked the better team against Manchester City but were held to a goal less draw with their fellow title contenders.
On Saturday, a late Cesc Fabregas penalty kept the Gunners from embarrasment at home as they drew with Leeds United.
The third placed club could see some changes in the squad with Eden Hazard being targeted by Arsene Wenger and a possible move for a defender needed as Manuel Almunia could exit the club.
The Gunners face two road trips this week as they face Ipswich Town in the Carling Cup semifinals on Wednesday and then go to Upton Park to face West Ham on Saturday.
1. Manchester United (1)
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Manchester United continued their undefeated run in the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Stoke on Tuesday and then beat rivals Liverpool on Sunday in the FA Cup by a score of 1-0.
The attention on the red part of Manchester has turned to Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to make a move in the transfer window.
Over the weekend, many names were linked with United including keeper Rene Adler, Lassana Diarra, Jordan Henderson and Jose Enrique.
United's undefeated run will be tested by Tottenham on Sunday as they travel to White Hart Lane.
