Premier League review: Gary Neville’s refreshing bloodlust, referee Martin Atkinson’s shocker and don’t be hasty with Joe Hart
As Manchester United spoil City's title party, we take a look at the highs and lows of another dramatic weekend
IT was Premier League derby day madness this weekend.
United came back brilliantly from two down to upset the Manchester City title charge.
Chelsea and West Ham went at it hammer and tongs at Stamford Bridge.
Yeah, well the less said about the better really.
Better the Neville You Know
Did anybody else catch Sky Sports’ Gary Neville’s rampant bloodlust during the tempestuous second half of the Manchester derby?
“One more flashpoint and this is all going to go off,” he said on more than one occasion with the anticipation – and genuine glee – in his voice all too obvious.
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I have to say that in an age where pundits always say how we don’t want to see ‘that kind of thing’ in the game, Neville’s honesty was unusually refreshing.
And more to the point, it merely echoed what most viewers were thinking anyway.
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Ref Justice
I hereby demand that referee Martin Atkinson be forced to watch that shocking Ashley Young tackle on Sergio Aguero again and try to explain exactly why it was neither a penalty nor a red card for the United defender.
And they wonder why we won’t have a single English referee at the World Cup this summer…
Blue Mood
How must you feel if you’re an Everton fan today?
After a difficult season your team are presented with the best possible chance to record their first win in 17 attempts against their closest rivals and, yet again, turn in a damp squib of a performance.
Liverpool, with one eye on the Champions League game against Manchester City tomorrow, were a much changed side and, let’s face it were there for the taking.
But no.
Everton were predictably toothless again and the fact that there wasn’t a single yellow card in what’s usually the most fiery of fixtures speaks volumes. I’m not saying neither side cared that much but…
Mark My Words
Much talk at the moment of new Southampton boss Mark Hughes effectively taking two teams down in the same season.
But let’s be fair, he was given the boot as Stoke manager at the beginning of January.
That’s three months in which Paul Lambert has had the chance to turn things around at the Potters and three months that’s seen them win just once in ten Premier League games and lost their last four on the spin.
I know it’s fashionable to knock Sparky but sometimes it’s simply not fair.
Hart of the Matter
Another man who’s come in for a large dollop of stick this season is Joe Hart but the West Ham keeper turned in one of his best performances of the season as the Irons pinched a point against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge yesterday.
And you know what one good game makes, don’t you?
Yes, immediate promotion to England’s No1 yet again.
Ray of Hope
Talking of West Ham, their fans get a lot of stick but fair play to them for singing ‘There’s only one Ray Wilkins’ as loudly as anyone at Stamford Bridge yesterday.
Hats off to the Hammers.
