lovelystyle
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WinnersManchester City Winning away to Hull may perhaps not sound like a ma sive achievement considering they have little to play for this season after all-but securing their Premier League status, but to Sacramento Kings T-Shirts do so with your talismanic captain (and only decent excuse for a centre-back) sent off suddenly makes this a big win. Couple that with Chelseas implosion at Villa Park and this could well prove a big result for City as they attempt to bounce back from Champions League and FA Cup elimination over the last couple of weeks.Referees integrity You wont find much complaining about referees on this blog as I am a qualified one myself and can testify to how demanding the role is. I am also extremely concerned at the rate at which referees are losing the respect of fans, players and managers. From Manuel Pellegrinis not impartial comments made after the first Barcelona game to Jose Mourinhos request on Monday that Chris Foy shouldnt be allowed to referee Chelsea matches anymore, I think referees are only likely to suffer more as youngsters look at how they are treated in the mainstream pre s. However, to see three penalties awarded at Old Trafford (the last one albeit mi sed by Gerrard in a sporting gesture as Sturridge clearly dived) was refreshing and whats more Tyrese Haliburton Jersey , it was the first time in Premier League history more than one penalty has been awarded to an opposition team at Old Trafford. The cynical could suggest that this says more about the fearle s demeanour referees have now Sir Alex Ferguson isnt in the home dugout, but I think it is about referees feeling like enough is enough. Diving, violent touchline clashes and habitual abuse have all crept into the game and I for one am glad to see any hints that referees are a serting their authority.West Brom and Pepe Mel Boy, did West Brom need a win. I for one did not see it coming at the Liberty Stadium but I think this shows the danger of having little to play for come the busine s end of the season. The bottom line is that Swansea are out of every cup they entered and are safely in nestled in mid-table. West Brom, on the other hand, are out of every cup they entered but are Hassan Whiteside Jersey staring down the very real barrel of the relegation gun. However, away wins are the making of a succe sful escape from the aby s. I was extremely doubtful when Pepe Mel came in, not just because of his CBBC-style comedy name, but because West Brom werent actually doing badly. Admittedly, the Nicolas Anelka affair cant be blamed on the Spaniard but the lack of wins could be. But now, he has his first win in England and Anelka has waved bonjour, potentially for the last time, to the Premier League. What a difference a week makes.LosersArsenal On Sky Sports after the Tottenham match, Paul Merson suggested that Arsenal have no chance of the title playing the way they did in the north London derby. Arsenal has an image of a squeaky-clean club that does everything with cla s and style. So, for them to win ugly is considered by the pre s to be a chink in their Emirates-sponsored armour. Over the years, the same pundits have lauded the Chelseas and Manchester Uniteds of the league for winning in exactly the same conditions (Tottenham managed a whopping 59% po se sion against their closest rivals) but for Arsenal it is apparently the sign of weakne s. I believe fairne s is important here because the poor Gunners won a big game on Sunday and, for no reason that I can see, are getting Reggie Theus Jersey precious little credit for it.Tim Sherwood Anyone who fancies their chances as the next Spurs manager will have been writing their letters of application in earnest on Sunday evening. Despite having a decent record since taking over Tottenham Hotspur, pundits and bookies alike are suggesting Tim Sherwoods reign will come to an end in the summer when Spurs look for a bigger name to take them forward. The 1-0 defeat to north London rivals Arsenal will have stung and, although the actual performance was creditable, it surely puts if the not the final, then certainly one of the last few, nails in the Top Four coffin. With Champions League football looking a long shot, Sherwoods time looks up in the summer when chairman Daniel Levy attempts to find a buyer (or a pretty display cabinet) for the 100m of underperforming playing staff he splashed out on last summer.Juan Mata If you are worth 37.5m, you would expect to have a team built around you. Kyle Guy Jersey What Juan Mata has walked into, during a World Cup year remember, is a team that is falling apart around him. Wheeled in as the Spanish saviour in January, Manchester Uniteds record signing is struggling to make an impact. With his favourite number 10 position taken by a very rich and popular Scouser, he is finding it difficult to influences games to justify his hefty price tag. A humbling defeat to the old enemy will have hurt everyone in and around the club, but there will surely be a few voices of doubt creeping into the diminutive Spaniards head after his decision to jump from Chelseas bench to Old Trafford. All of this and he is forced to watch the Chelsea pantomime from outside which I bet is only half as fun.