Gameweek 12 – Misanthrope

Happy midweek then chaps and chapettes, and despite an awful weekend weather-wise, a good time was had by all. The two pace-setters Chelsea and Liverpool enjoyed a successful couple of hours in the office, breezing past their opposition without really breaking sweat. Both Nicolas Anelka and Robbie Keane bagged a brace each, and looked in fine form as Blackburn and West Brom crumbled appropriately.

Manchester City and Aston Villa continue to infuriate, both losing in pretty flat performances to Spurs and Middlesbrough respectively. Everton meanwhile seem to be putting it together at last, with a rejuvenated Louis Saha netting twice against a West Ham side who are surely in real trouble this season. Heading to the North-East then, and poor times were had by both Sunderland and Newcastle to keep them rooted in the relegation scrap.

Finally, the two glamour games this weekend saw Hull play Bolton, and Wigan host Stoke. Predictably there was just a goal across both matches, with Bolton sneaking three points away from the KC Stadium, while dejected Wigan fans apparently sat through literally the worst 90 minutes the Premier League has seen for quite some time. I’d comment further but I just couldn’t face watching the ‘highlights.’

Game of the Week – Arsenal vs Manchester United

The BIG game this weekend was of course in North London, as two of the major superpowers sized each other for the first time this year. Going into the match, Manchester United were starting to look pretty slick after a shaky start to the season, while Arsenal were apparently on the ropes already after a couple of pretty tepid performances to say the least. However, in the rare case of a big-four clash actually being open and exciting, Saturday lunchtime at the Emirates was a pretty captivating affair. There was a breakneck tempo for 90 minutes, and enough end-to-end action for it to have finished 4 – 4 on another day, but the Gunners just edged it thanks to a couple of nicely-taken Samir Nasri goals.

Player of the Week – Jussi Jaaskelainen

It’s rare for a keeper to get this award but Jaaskelainen just edges it this week over a brace-scoring Robbie Keane. The giant Finn was in absolutely inspired form as Bolton further helped to burst the Hull bubble, with a scrappy one-goal win at the KC Stadium. The unpronouncably-named keeper made a string of superb saves in the face of a late Tigers fight-back, with the pick being a double-save where he first parried Marlon King’s effort before pushing clear the loose ball as Geovanni swooped.

Trick of the Week – Scott Parker

Scott Parker always respect around our office for looking commendably like a World War II fighter pilot, however this weekend he proved he can play a bit too. In the build-up to Jack Collison’s opener at Upton Park, he delightfully backheeled the ball and wrong-footed the entire Everton defence. Kudos Mr Parker, kudos.

Goal of the Week – Rafael Silva

I don’t know much about Rafael, but I think he’s quite sweet. He also has ace hair. Anyway, after coming on for the ailing Gary Neville, the young Brazilian was excellent both in defence and attack, netting this cracking volley with five minutes left on the clock to worry the Arsenal faithful as they clock-watched.

Worst Goal of the Week – Nicolas Anelka

Ok, so Anelka’s second was very nicely taken, but this first goal was absolutely hilarious. Jose Boswinga unleashed one of the most speculative efforts of the season so far, but his 4o-yard drive swerved straight into Anelka’s groin and subsequently wrong-footed Paul Robinson in the Blackburn goal. Not sure what ‘they all count’ in French is, answers on a postcard please.

Fashion Statement of the Week – Jose Bosingwa

I think Boswinga’s pretty cool, in a street-kid-done-good kind of way, but he rapidly plummeted in my estimation this weekend after being snapped playing on Sunday with surgical gloves over his normal wooly gloves. Why, you might ask. Well, to make sure his warm Adidas gloves stayed fresh and dry of course! What a lady.

Good-to-have-you-back-playing-again Moment of the Week – Steve Sidwell

Depending on who you talk to, Steve Sidwell is either unlucky or a complete prick. Regardless of your opinion on his various transfer sagas, I guess it was good to see him starting a game for Villa this weekend after quite a long lay-off with a broken arm. He marked his debut with a goal, sure, but then unfortunately underlined it by gifting Middlesbrough a last minute winner, when his misplaced pass played in Tuncay expertly to slot past Friedel. Stick to bench-warming methinks.

Special Mention of the Week – Darren Bent

He’s got a lot of stick over the last couple of years but it seems that finally Darren Bent is finally finding his scoring boots for Tottenham. Following a superb hat-trick last week against Dynamo Zagreb, Bent once again netted for Spurs as the Harry Redknapp show keeps on rolling. Both goals were sweet against Manchester City, but the first was especially well-taken. £16million well spent? We’re not quite there yet, but still…

Esta Es Inglaterra!

Every six months or so this old chestnut rears its ugly head so I guess it’s probably time we gave it a bit of coverage. If you are a football fan with ears you have undoubtedly heard the conjecture that Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta and Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia are considering switching their international allegiance from Spain to England, after being repeatedly ignored by the national set-up over there in sunny Espana. Maybe because the Spanish have literally hundreds of better options in both positions, but more likely because the Premier League stars lack the shiny swimming shorts and long, lady-like hair required to make the cut.

Anyway, Arteta will be eligible to play for England in January 2010, after having lived in the UK for the necessary five years required to apply for residency, but the 26-year-old claims he still harbours hope of pulling on the shirt of his home nation: “At the moment the idea of playing for England hasn't even crossed my mind,” Arteta told Spanish sports daily Marca last week. “I have the desire to play with Spain’s senior side. The truth is that it is an idea that has come about through the fans here,” he concluded, referring to the petition cobbled together by some of Everton’s more drunk fans last season.

Yesterday newspapers however seem to think that the wheels might be more in motion now, quoting the Toffees’ midfielder as saying: “I've been here four years so that possibility (to play for England) will exist… I appreciate a lot the affection they (the Everton fans) are giving me and the campaign they are doing for me to play for England.” Not exactly conclusive, but a bit more positive I guess.

So how do we feel about this then? On the one hand, I find it hard to imagine anyone being prepared to represent a different country to their native one, especially at something as passionate as football, but I guess if they’ve been overlooked by their country and want to play for their adopted home, why not? Both are clearly decent players, who would bring something a bit different to the England set-up, so why wouldn’t the fans embrace them? And it isn’t like this kind of thing is unheard either. Think of the various famous players who have repatriated in recent memory: Zinedine Zidane, Deco, Patrick Viera, Bojan Krkic, Shaun Goater, Colin Kazim-Richards…