Premiership Weekend Roundup: September 9-10

Everton 3 - 0 Liverpool
OH MY GOD LIVERPOOL WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.

I have vague memories that their defence used to be good. Record number of clean sheets or something like that. I'm not just imagining it, right? Because they were awful on Saturday, and Carra not being 100% fit is only a partial explanation. He could have used a few more days to rest, and Daniel Agger has certainly been playing well enough to keep his place. The commentators were speculating that it was because Rafa wanted the more experienced players out there, but don't tell me that Dagger wouldn't have been up for a derby. I've seen his tattoos; he's a badass.

This was also supposedly why Robbie Fowler started instead of Kuyt or Bellamy. The problem is, though, that if you're going to spend 90 minutes pinging balls up to Peter Crouch, Fowler is really not the best choice to have playing off him. Not to mention, what's the point in buying all these pacy wingers and strikers if you're not even going to use them in a tough game?


Manchester United 1 - 0 Tottenham
The thing about Chelsea over the past couple of seasons is that they almost always get the three points from a game, even if it means winning ugly. United seem to have learned from that, and it's working for them, because they're currently undefeated at the top of the table, even if it takes weak wins like this.

It'll be good to see Rooney back in the lineup, though. Saha's working hard out there, but his shooting was abysmal on Saturday. I almost think he's been trying too hard to prove that he can take over for Van Nistelrooy -- holding on to the ball too long, or shooting when he should be passing. Ronaldo, on the other hand, continues to be a pleasant surprise. He's playing as if he's actually part of the team, instead of just a bag of tricks with stupid hair. Amazing what a difference it makes. Maybe we should've started booing him ages ago.

Verdict on Michael Carrick: Decent game. Still over-priced. Has a weirdly shaped head.


Other results

• West Ham 1 - 1 Aston Villa: Bobby Zamora, Premiership top scorer. What the hell? Incidentally, this is the point where I gloat about having picked him in my fantasy football league.
  
  
• Arsenal 1 - 1 Middlesbrough: Arsenal - 21 shots, 1 goal. Middlesbrough - 1 shot, 1 goal. Enough said.
  
  
• Bolton 1 - 0 Watford: Bolton. A game played almost entirely in the air. And a dreary one-nil win. I'm shocked, I tell you. Shocked.
  
  
• Chelsea 2 - 1 Charlton: Frank Lampard missed a penalty. I laughed. Chelsea won anyways, the bastards.
  
  
• Newcastle 1 - 2 Fulham: There's a video here of Jimmy Bullard's horrible knee injury. But I don't recommend watching it if you're at all squeamish. Watch this instead. Also disturbing, but in a different way.
  
  
• Portsmouth 1 - 0 Wigan: Portsmouth haven't conceded a goal yet this season. Are we living in opposite world all of a sudden?
  
  
• Sheffield United 0 - 0 Blackburn: - Three penalty misses! And not one of them was from Frank Lampard.