English Premier League Power Rankings: Week 26
This week, the Premier League saw the top team beat the bottom team, a handful of draws, three four goal outbursts and a surprising upset.
Manchester United held on to lead atop the table as they beat last placed Wigan 4-0.
Along with United, Aston Villa and Wolves unleashed four goals on their opponents this weekend, while resurgent Liverpool fell to West Ham at Upton Park on Sunday.
In the Carling Cup final, Birmingham topped Arsenal in a battle of two Premier League teams.
20. Wigan (15)
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Wigan fell to the bottom of the EPL table after suffering a 4-0 loss to Manchester United on Saturday.
The loss, combined with all of their relegation opponents gaining points over the weekend, took Roberto Martinez and company to the bottom with 27 points.
The road ahead does not get any easier for the Latics, as they visit the City of Manchester Stadium to face Manchester City on Saturday.
19. Blackburn (16)
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Blackburn suffered their third loss in four games when they were beaten by Aston Villa on Saturday.
The 4-1 defeat brought Rovers closer to the relegation battle, as they sit in 14th with 32 points, only three points above the drop.
Steve Kean's club head to London on Saturday to face Fulham, in a critical match as both teams are looking to avoid the relegation battle.
18. West Brom (17)
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Carlos Vela has been a super sub for the Baggies in the past eight days, by scoring two late goals in two games to grab two points.
The Mexican, on loan from Arsenal, scored in the 90th minute against Wolves last Sunday and then scored an 87th minute goal four minutes after entering the game against Stoke on Monday.
The points earned from those games boosted Roy Hodgson's club up to 17th with 29 points, one above the drop zone.
Baggies fans have to be wondering if Hodgson pull off another escape like he did with Fulham a few years ago.
17. Blackpool (18)
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After a shocking win over Tottenham on Tuesday at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool suffered a blowout loss on the road at the Molineux Stadium to Wolves.
Charlie Adam, DJ Campbell and Brett Ormerod scored for the Tangerines in the win over Spurs, but the scoring momentum could not continue, as they were shutout 4-0 against Wolves.
Sitting 15th in the table, Ian Holloway and company will host Chelsea at Bloomfield Road on Monday, where the Tangerines have already upset Liverpool and Tottenham.
16. Sunderland (14)
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Sunderland dropped their fourth straight match in a 2-0 loss to Everton on Saturday.
The Black Cats still sit in a good position in the table in eighth, but they do face a tough stretch of games against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in their next three matches.
15. Wolverhampton (20)
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Wolves jumped out of last place in the table after drawing with West Brom last Sunday and then blowing out Blackpool on Saturday at home.
On loan midfielder Jamie O'Hara scored his second goal in two games for the club in the 4-0 win over Blackpool.
Matthew Jarvis added a goal and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake notched two second half strikes to give the club their eighth win of the season.
14. Newcastle (12)
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Newcastle were held to a draw by visitors Bolton on Saturday.
Kevin Nolan's 11th goal of the season put the Magpies ahead early but they were equalized in the first half and held on for the draw with ten men as Ryan Taylor was sent off in the 54th minute.
With a win and three draws in the past four matches, the Magpies sit in ninth place but with a loss or two, they could fall into the relegation battle, as they are only four points ahead of 15th place Blackpool.
Next up is a home match with Everton on Saturday.
13. West Ham (17)
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Scott Parker, Demba Ba and Carlton Cole gave the Hammers a win over resurgent Liverpool on Sunday at Upton Park.
The 3-1 victory is part of a scoring hot streak that the club is on after scoring three in a draw with Wolves, and then a 5-1 thumping of Burnley in the FA Cup fifth round.
Avram Grant's club will look to jump up from 19th place out of the relegation zone with a win over Stoke on Saturday at Upton Park.
12. Fulham (6)
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Damien Duff equalized for the Cottagers in their 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.
The win came a week after Mark Hughes' club was eliminated from the FA Cup after being beaten by Bolton in the fifth round.
The 13th placed club will host Blackburn in a battle to stay away from the relegation battle on Saturday at Craven Cottage.
11. Stoke (11)
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Stoke suffered heartbreak at home as they were only able to get a point out of their match with West Brom.
Rory Delap scored for the Potters in the 53rd minute before they were equalized by Carlos Vela in the 87th minute.
The draw was the Potters' fourth of the season, which is a EPL low.
10. Bolton (8)
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Daniel Sturridge continued his fantastic form as he scored the equalizer in Bolton's 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Saturday.
Sturridge's four goals in four EPL games has made manager Owen Coyle look to see if he can keep the Chelsea youngster on a permanent basis.
The Trotters are sitting comfortably in seventh place as they go into Saturday's clash with Aston Villa at home.
9. Aston Villa (13)
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Aston Villa extended their unbeaten streak to three games as they took down Blackburn in their 4-1 win on Saturday.
Ashley Young scored twice in the win which boosts Villa up to 12th place in the table.
The Villains will look to advance in the FA Cup on Wednesday as they visit Manchester City before they travel to Bolton in Premier League action on Saturday.
8. Arsenal (3)
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Arsenal gave football fans a blooper for the blooper reel for years to come as Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny did not protect the ball correctly and handed Birmingham's Obafemi Martins the Carling Cup winning goal.
The six year trophy drought continues at the Emirates, but the Gunners are still alive in three competitions.
Arsene Wenger's club host Leyton Orient on Wednesday in a FA Cup fifth round replay, then visit Barcelona on the 8th of March in the Champions League.
The Gunners pursuit of Manchester United in the Premier League continues at Saturday at the Emirates Stadium as they host Sunderland.
7. Everton (9)
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Jermaine Beckford scored twice for the Toffees at Goodison Park on Saturday to give the club a 2-0 home win over Sunderland.
David Moyes and company will look to keep the winning momentum going as they host Reading in the FA Cup fifth round on Tuesday and then visit Newcastle on Saturday in the Premier League.
6. Liverpool (7)
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Liverpool suffered a surprise loss to West Ham on Sunday in London.
The loss came after a 1-0 victory over Sparta Prague to advance to the round of 16 in the Europa League, where Braga is their next opponent.
Before the clash with the Portugese club, an important rivalry showdown with Manchester United at Anfield awaits on Sunday.
5. Birmingham (10)
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Obafemi Martins capitalized on an Arsenal mishap to score the winning goal in the 89th minute of the Carling Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.
In the 2-1 win, Nikola Zigic scored in the 28th minute before Martins' goal gave the Blues their first title triumph since 1963.
The Blues go back in to EPL play on Saturday where they host West Brom in a relegation showdown on Saturday.
4. Tottenham (2)
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Spurs were off this past weekend, as their match with Arsenal was rescheduled due to the Carling Cup final.
Harry Redknapp and company visit the Molineux Stadium on Sunday to face Wolves before AC Milan comes to White Hart Lane in the Champions League next Wednesday.
3. Manchester City (7)
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Mario Balotelli's brilliant 26th minute strike gave City the lead before they were equalized by Fulham's Damien Duff on Sunday.
The match resulted in a 1-1 draw that ended a busy week for City as they won two games in two different competitions before Sunday's match.
A 5-0 win over Notts County in the FA Cup fourth round and a 3-0 win over Aris in the Europa League gave Roberto Mancini's club advancement in both competitions.
The busy schedule continues with a Wednesday FA Cup fifth round tie with Aston Villa, followed by a visit from Wigan in the Premier League on Saturday.
2. Chelsea (5)
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Chelsea had the weekend off after beating Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday by a score of 2-0.
The Blues were not out of the news as controversy came from Ashley Cole allegedly shooting an intern at the club's training ground with an air rifle.
Cole and his teammates will be gunning for a win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to try and jump back into the hunt for Champions League spots.
1. Manchester United (1)
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Chicharito took center stage on Saturday as he netted two goals for United in their 4-0 win over Wigan.
Wayne Rooney and Fabio added a goal each to give the Red Devils the win that moved them four points ahead of Arsenal in the table.
United will face two of their big rivals this week as they visit Chelsea on Tuesday and travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday.
