Twenty-First Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Despite the 4th round of the FA Cup dominating much of this weekend’s back pages, there were a handful of Premiership fixtures that took place this week that had a major impact on the top and bottom of the table.

Ronaldo who? Filling the goal-laden boots of Cristiano Ronaldo is not something many pros would fancy. But Wayne Rooney is no ordinary footballer. The Manchester United striker bagged all four golas, his first professional 4-goal tally, as the Red Devils thrashed deflated Hull 4-0. Rooney notched three in the final ten minutes at Old Trafford as Sir Alex‘s men leapfrogged Chelsea and Arsenal in to top spot.

Gunners back in business. They say that the best way for a lower placed team to beat a technically superior side is to kick them off the pitch. For half an hour at the Emirates, that theory seemed spot on. Bolton Wanderers booted red shirts into thin air, scaring their hosts into a 2-0 deficit before the match was even a third over. But led by an expertly taken Tomas Rosicky strike just before the break, Arsenal scored three more after half-time to seal a unlikely comeback brimming with heart, passion and scintillating football.

Kuyt to the rescue. Who said there was a crisis at Liverpool? The Reds put weeks of bad press behind them as Rafa Benitez‘s men rode out 2-0 winners against Tottenham at Anfield. Dirk Kuyt scored both goals as Liverpool jumped to 6th spot, one point off Manchester City and Spurs for that coveted Champions League place. Having guaranteed a top four finish in mid-December, Benitez‘s prophecy is now looking a lot less quixotic.

Keane returns to Anfield but finds no friend in Kuyt