The Weekend Review...

After a weekend after by snowfall and accompanying postponements, only two games took place on Saturday in the English top flight, with none taking place on Sunday. Manchester City kept up their recent winning run to throw themselves firmly in the title mix.

While in normally sunny Iberia, the full set of games took place and with such cold that the players are normally not used to.

The EPL Review

Since only three games took place in the premier league over the weekend, it makes over work that little bit easier.

Arsenal vs. Everton: The home side will consider this as a point gained rather than two points lost when they consider what could have been.

That they say is the mark of champions. To always come back in the face of adversity.

On to the playing staff, when does it get to the point when Arsene Wenger decides that Manuel Almunia shouldn’t be first choice?

He could have done a lot better for Everton’s second

Arsenal fans must really wish Nicklas Bendtner was fit.

If (or when) either of William Gallas or Thomas Vermaelen goes into the treatment room for a long spell, Arsenal could be in some trouble... Oh, they’ve got Sol Campbell. Let’s see how that ends then.

...It has to be said that Everton should go back to being a decent team when they get all (or at least most) of their players back into the team.

Well, it was a decent debut for Landon Donovan.

Birmingham City vs. Manchester United: It is a measure of how far Birmingham City have come that the get a draw against the champions and then talk of how disappointed they were, even though they were totally outplayed by the visitors.

They are presently exceeding expectations, having not lost a game since the defeat by Arsenal.

They will surely fancy chances of being in the scrap for European completion at the business end of the season.

For the away team, they may yet rue this result. The manager may say otherwise, but they had the chance to go top and they fluffed it. They’ve not really hit the imperious levels of the 2007/2008 for a long while now. They can still mount a serious challenge but they would have to be much more consistent.

Manchester City vs. Blackburn Rovers: Manchester City continued their good run under new manager, Roberto Mancini. They are now within striking distance of the top and that should make the league a wee bit interesting.

In Carlos Tevez, they have arguably the league most in-form striker with eleven goals in nine games. He seems to be priming himself for a pivotal role for his country in the world cup.

As for Sam Allardyce and his Blackburn team, they really have to do something quick before they slip into the bottom three.

They can’t win away for or money and it’s not like they are they are pulling up trees at Ewood Park.

That has to change.

During midweek, Liverpool lost to Reading at Anfield. One only wonders when Rafa Benitez will do the honourable thing and quit (We don’t expect him to considering his contract). Liverpool can’t afford to sack him. And they can’t afford to not sack him either. What a dilemma.

Aston Villa took a one goal lead heading to the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final courtesy of a James Milner goal.

And in the Spanish King’s cup, Barcelona were knocked out by Sevilla (who lost at home to a Sergio Canales inspired Racing team), even though they won at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Deportivo La Coruňa completed the job of knocking out Valencia at home.

We look forward to this weekend’s games