Premier League Performance of the Week

This week's performance of the week was Arsenal’s 5-2 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur.

Following the defeat to Milan in the Champions League and FA Cup exit at Sunderland, Arsenal’s season was in danger of imploding as they trailed their North London rivals by two goals on home soil after little more than half-an-hour.

In this, their 150th league meeting, Tottenham Hotspur looked like increasing their chances of finishing above their hosts for the first time since 1995 when former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor became only the second player after Jimmy Robertson to score for both teams in derby matches.

Indeed, Spurs fans were looking forward to back-to-back league wins at the home of the Gunners for the first time since 1926.

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Our Premier League Performance of the Week goes to Blackburn Rovers for their New Year’s Eve win at Manchester United.
- The scene seemed perfectly set at Old Trafford for United to celebrate manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s 70th birthday as, if defeat was avoided, they would return to the top of the Premier League.
- With 11 defeats in the 18 league games in 2011-12, it also seemed like the old year would end in familiar fashion for crisis-club Rovers.
- Having amazingly led 2-0, another familiar pattern appeared to emerge as United drew level after 62 minutes.
- However, against the odds, Steve Kean’s team pulled off arguably the biggest shock win in Premier League history with youngster Grant Hanley’s first senior goal.
- According to the bookies, Rovers ...

The clear winners this week have to be Fulham FC

- Went into the game with QPR as the only team without a win in the Premier League this season.

- It was the first-ever top-flight meeting with their noisy neighbours.
- The unseasonal sweltering heat in their 18th game of the season was a ready-made excuse.
- There were also Sunday tabloid rumours of a bust-up between new manager Martin Jol and England striker Bobby Zamora.
- The 6-0 win equalled Fulham’s biggest-ever victory in the Premier League.
- Andrew Johnson’s hat-trick was his first in the Premier League and the first by a Fulham player in the top division since Allan Clarke against Newcastle United in February 1967.