How did the big four fare in the festive round of matches ?

The time around Christmas is always a busy one for Premiership teams. Instead of the standard one game a week, they play as many as four games in a span of 10 days. For managers, it is crunch time. The side leading the league going into the New Year is always tipped to be the favourite to win it. The managers also have to contend with tired players, and need to get their selections 100 % correct. Let us have a look at how Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United fared.

Game dates- Dec 22/23

Perfect result for Grant, Fergie, Rafa and Arsene. Arsenal and United both won 2-1, while Chelsea beat Blackburn thanks to a Joe Cole goal. Liverpool rode on the back of a Torres brace to beat Portsmouth 4-1. The Red Devils beat Everton 2- 1, while Arsenal won the North London derby by beating bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

 December 26/27

Boxing Day saw a deluge of goals in the Premiership.

Chelsea shared points with Aston Villa in a spectacular 4-4 draw at the Bridge. Zat Knight, Ricardo Carvalho and Ashley Cole were all sent off. Petr Cech was not at his best, and committed a blunder which resulted in Aston Villa’s second goal. From 2-0 in favour of Villa, the game went to 3-2 in Chelsea’s favour. Martin Laursen equalised for the Villains, only for Ballack to strike a marvellous freekick 2 minutes from time. Further drama was still to come as Gareth Barry converted a penalty in the dying minutes, after Cole was sent off for handball.

Both Knight and Cole had their red card appeals turned down by the FA.

Liverpool huffed and puffed their way to a 2-1 win over Derby County, a team that they had thrashed 6-0 earlier in the season at Anfield. Derby were brilliant in the second half, but had their hearts broken when Steven Gerrard scored in the final minutes to round off a move that he had initiated.

Arsenal played out a goalless draw with Portsmouth.

Manchester United rarely needed to get out of second gear as they put in another professional performance to demolish Sunderland 4-0.

December 29/30

United suffered a rare defeat, with a determined West Ham beating the Red Devils 2-1 at Upton Park. Many United fans will feel that the Cristiano Ronaldo penalty miss was the turning point of the game.

Liverpool and Man City, 4th and 5th in the league respectively, drew at CoMS. The game was between a team which had never lost at home, and a team which had done exceptionally well on its travels.

Arsenal beat Everton 4-1.

Chelsea beat Newcastle 2-1 thanks to a controversial Salomon Kalou goal.