Match Day 18 (Boxing Day) Scores and Analysis

Chelsea vs. Fulham - Stamford Bridge, London

Three things Andre Villa Boas got wrong in this game -

1. Didier Drogba should have started against Fulham instead of Torres. The mere presence of Drogba terrorizes Fulham's Centre Back, Phillipe Senderos. In fact, thanks to Drogba 'owning' him, his career ended at Arsenal.
2. Frank Lampard should not have started or played. Juan Mata should  be Chelsea's number #1 attacking midfielder. A diamond formation midfield with Mata up top, Ramirez, Merieles and Romeu at the bottom should be AVB's lineup.
3. Sturridge should not have been substituted. Bringing in Drogba and moving Torres to the right side didn't make sense. Torres is useless wide, while Sturridge has scored all his goals playing wide.

Three things Fulham did right -

1. Pack the midfield with Dempsey, Dembele, Bryan Ruiz, Murphy and youngster, Frei
2. Frei was sensational operating on the left wing
3. Dembele  made the game look easy with his skillful control and navigation in the middle. Dempsey stayed hungry and it paid off with a goal.

West Brom vs. Man City - The Hawthorns, West Bromwich

West Brom worked very hard to secure a point at home against the league leaders. They not only defended solidly, they counter attacked and looked likely to take all three points during some parts of the game.


Man City's formation and selection looked odd with James Milner  playing defensive midfield while  Yaya Toure joined the attack. Nasri, Milner and both Full Backs performances were underwhelming. 


Sunderland vs. Everton - Stadium of Light, Sunderland

Stephane Sessognon is slowly showing just how good he is for Sunderland. I will be surprised if he remains at the club next season.




Manchester United vs. Wigan Athletic - Old Trafford, Manchester

Another five-star outing for the defending champions. Dimitar Berbatov makes an appearance and grabs a hat trick. Antonio Valencia gets a rare start at the Right Back position and scores a beauty. Nothing seems to be going wrong for the champions.


For Wigan, same as usual. They find themselves in a very familiar territory at the bottom part of the league. 


Liverpool vs. Blackburn - Anfield, Liverpool

A very disappointing result for the Reds and their fans. Failing to take maximum points from Blackburn at home is a massive miss. What is most troubling is the fact that this is the sixth draw at Anfield this season. On a positive note, Steven Gerrard returned from injury and saw action late in the second half. Nice timing, considering Suarez will be going on a 'forced vacation' soon due to the FA ban.


Steve Kean may just make it to the New Year as Blackburn's boss.


Bolton Wanderers vs. Newcastle United - Reebok Stadium, Bolton

Demba Ba and Hatem Ben Arfa each get a goal to make life miserable again for Owen Coyle. A victory for the Bolton Manager would have guaranteed the safety of his job. He's definitely back in the top 5 managers to be sacked soon.


Stoke City 0 vs. Aston Villa 0 - Britannia Stadium, Stoke-On-Trent

At press time, this game was just getting underway. Final score Stoke City 0 Aston Villa 0