EPL Hot 11: Ba's Hat Trick, Van Persie's Double Key for Newcastle, Arsenal

Many goals from the home sides was the main story this weekend in the Barclays Premier League, as the host clubs scored a combined 19 goals for a 6-3-1 record on the day.

Demba Ba notched a hat trick and Robin van Persie recorded a double in decisive results for the Magpies and the Gunners respectively. Ramires also makes his first appearance in the EPL Hot 11 with a double of his own against Swansea.

Nani's form continues to increase, as consistency is the word with Sergio Aguero and Luis Suarez.

Every Wednesday, 11 footballers in the Premier League will make up the EPL Hot 11, a fluctuating power ranking that highlights the top performers over the course of the entire season. Dependent on their match-day performances, players may move up or down the list each week.

Demba Ba

Demba Ba makes his debut in the EPL Hot 11 this week in stunning fashion, scoring a hat trick for Newcastle en route to a 3-1 win against Blackburn on Saturday.

Up until Saturday's match, the former West Ham man had yet to record a goal for the Magpies, and after scoring his first with the club in the 27th minute, it took him just three more minutes before getting his second.

With Ba's hat trick and Newcastle's win, it brings to club to fourth in the table, putting it among three other teams without a loss this season (Manchester United, Manchester City, Aston Villa).

Robin van Persie

Arsenal's atrocious start to its 2011 campaign leaves one certainty. There is room for improvement.

With just a single win (and three losses and a draw) before the weekend, the Gunners had allowed a remarkable 14 goals, well more than any other club not in the relegation zone.

But behind Robin van Persie's two-goal effort in a 3-0 win over a struggling Bolton club, Arsenal could be gaining its momentum to push into the table half of the table.

The captain's scoring form has hardly wavered, even from last season when he scored 18 goals in just 19 appearances for the club.

Perhaps Arsenal's fortunes are turning.

Ramires

The Brazilian Ramires has been hounded recently for his poor finishing efforts, but he put some of those criticisms to rest on Saturday with a double in Chelsea's 4-1 win over Swansea.

The midfielder put the Blues ahead by two goals in the 36th minute, just moments before Fernando Torres was sent off with a red card.

Class disparity was evident, though, as the former Benfica man scored again in the 76th minute, all but icing the game before Didier Drogba put the finishing touches on Chelsea's fourth win of the season.

Nani

Of the players maintaining their place in the Hot 11 this week, Nani is top.

After scoring on a cracking effort against Chelsea last weekend, the Portuguese international netted United's only goal in the club's 1-1 draw against Stoke City.

Typically deadly with his right foot, Nani looked to his weak foot to keep United's unbeaten record intact.

Sergio Aguero

For three straight match days, both Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney recorded goals for their respective clubs.

But on match day six, neither picked up a tally to add to their scoring totals.

Aguero, however, still had his contributions, providing an assist to Mario Balotelli, who scored his first goal of the season.

In a game where City's playmakers in David Silva and Samir Nasri wee somewhat unnoticeable, Aguero managed to keep himself on the stat sheet.

Luis Suarez

After a two-week absence from the EPL Hot 11, Luis Suarez returns to the rankings this week after quite a goal against Wolves.

Suarez's sharp-angled goal was decisive in the Reds' 2-1 result on Saturday, as the club kept its place in the top five in England's top flight.

The Uruguayan continues to impress as he can post his claim as one of the more productive players for the Merseyside club.

Dating back to last season, Liverpool hasn't lost in its last six Premier League games when Suarez has scored

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney keeps his place at the top of the Premier League score sheet, keeping a marginal spot in the Hot 11.

Reports coming out of the United camp say that Rooney will be sidelined for more than a week with a hamstring injury, making him the second striker on the club to face such a setback.

How United fares without its leading scorer remains to be seen, but the club's scoring form will definitely take a hit, as will Rooney's place in the Hot 11.

Luka Modric

Last week, Luka Modric emptied a stunning one-timer into the top corner to open his scoring in his 2011 campaign.

While the Croatian didn't make the score sheet this week against Wigan, he did record his first assist of the season.

With Spurs up 1-0 from Rafael van der Vaart's third minute goal, Modric put his corner kick at the near post, finding the glancing head of Gareth Bale who buried it at the far post.

That makes three wins in a row for a Spurs side that is slowly gaining momentum up the table.

Barry Bannan

For an Aston Villa team that has drawn five of its first six matches in the Premier League this season, the likes of Stephen Ireland and Charles N'Zogbia have hardly held up to their reputations in the middle of the field.

However, the 21-year-old Barry Bannan has given Villa an unexpected lift, providing fluid creativity and precise touches that has fueled a Villa attack that has often been stagnate at times.

The Scot calmly converted from the penalty spot in the club's 1-1 disappointing draw against QPR. Should Ireland and N'Zgobia begin picking up form, Villa will have a relatively potent midfield grouping.

Gareth Bale

For all the hype and hope that Gareth Bale brought to Spurs last season, he had been simply too quiet over the first five games in the Premier League.

Consider Bale's performance in Tottenham's 2-1 over Wigan his coming out party.

The talented left-footed midfielder was a handful for the Latics, as the Welshman twice drew bookings, earning a sending off for Steve Gohouri.

Bale put Spurs up 2-0 with a glancing header from a Luka Modric corner.

Micah Richards

He won't fill up the box score, but Micah Richards proved just how valuable he could be to a City side in serious contention for a Premier League crown.

The young, England international utilized his speed, physicality and strength almost effortlessly in the club's 2-0 decision over Everton. With the Toffees presenting a heavy defensive front to slow down City's high-powered attack, Richards added fantastic width.

He came close to notching his third assist of the season, but his delivery was a little behind Edin Dzeko.