The international break is here and the English Premiership is off for a week’s break. In all honestly though no one wanted that to happen, such has been the excitement we have enjoyed since the resumption of the world’s most popular league – especially this past weekend.

Here are a couple of points:

• The Mighty Gunners of North London

I am super excited about the Gunners, so much so that I’m ordering a brand new replica jersey… I will admit I was thrilled to see Song leave Arsenal. I have nothing against him, he’s a wonderful talent and I truly believe he will go on to reach great heights at Barcelona. But to me Song was one of the main reasons for Arsenal’s downs last season.

It’s still too early to go around claiming vindication but the early signs are encouraging.

Yes, the season is only three games old, but the midfield of Arteta, Diaby and Carzola is looking scrumptious. Their performance against Liverpool was simply outstanding. They nullified Liverpool’s midfield and were able to set a platform for one of Arsenal’s finest league wins in recent seasons. The Gunners did ride their luck a bit; there were a couple of penalty shouts that could have easily gone the other way on another day, but after 90 minutes there was no arguing who was the better team.

Diaby. Well, what can you say? He was amazing.

When he arrived at Arsenal seven years ago from Auxerre he was said to be the new Vieira. This, however, never really materialized because he was unable to consistently play in his favorite position – frequently being deployed on the wing or further forward – while injuries also hampered him greatly.

Although he showed glimpses of his immense talent he was never settled so was never a nailed down player.

Thankfully Diaby’s back to full fitness and, based on Sunday’s evidence, could be Arsenal’s most important player in their quest for silverware.

I really believe Arsenal can challenge for the league title this season.

That midfield trio of Arteta, Diaby and Carzola is comparable to any in the league and the defensively the team suddenly looks pretty solid.

I’m happy with Jenkinson. He’s not the most refined player, but he has won me over in the last two games – games which have not been easy tasks, and have posed different challenges.

In dealing with the physical threat of Stoke and then the pace and guile of Raheem Sterling against Liverpool, Jenkinson has shown he can be a resourceful option at rightback. He’s still nervous, yes, and this coupled with his relative lack of technique means he’s prone to mistakes in possession. Nevertheless, I would like to see him get an extended run in the team.

The Mertesacker-Vermaelen combination also deserves to continue at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. Despite shaky moments from each against Liverpool, both were generally outstanding. I felt they complimented each other well, and Vermaelen’s all-action style is well-matched by Mertesacker’s composed approach.

It’s often pointed out that the most effective centreback partnerships are ones which comprise of differing personalities; the cool guy and the crazy guy – for example Carvalho and Terry, Ferdinand and Vidic, Pique and Puyol.

You would hope this partnership is given a chance to flourish because so far it hasn’t let the team down.

Upfront there remains a slight worry in terms of where the goals will consistently come from. But, for me, the most important thing is to keep this group together. Fingers crossed then that Arsenal doesn’t suffer any injuries over this international break.

• The Paul Scholes Conundrum

There’s still no convincing explanation why Paul Scholes doesn’t start more often for Manchester United.

Scholes himself has frequently said he wants to play more. Ok, he is 37, so maybe he can’t play every game, but he should be used as much as possible.

There are perhaps games where Scholes won’t be suited; a Stoke perhaps, who are more physical and where his tackling would be called into question more often. Maybe a Newcastle away too on the evidence of their victory over United last season which was underpinned by a frenetic pace and direct approach.

Probably against such styles you would require more mobility, stamina and force in midfield.

But otherwise it’s clear that Scholes should play every game. He changed the game on Sunday against Southampton.

United looks like a much different team when Scholes is on the pitch. His passing range is remarkable, and what’s more, he always seems to pick the right pass. That’s what makes him special. Scholes also brings a sense of calm and direction to the team, and because he’s been a midfield guru from his youth, he knows all the tricks of the trade.

Scholes should be played in his favored role as the creative fulcrum, not as at Everton where he was the deepest of United’s midfielders.

Scholes in my book is key to whether United will compete this season.

• Swansea Splendour

Swansea are the story of the league so far. Continuing on from they left off under Brendan Rodgers, the Swans are third and flying after three games.

Apart from their lofty ranking Swansea are also an illustration of how English football has evolved in the last ten years – the passing and technique-based football, with a sprinkling of tactical discipline.

You could see it with Southampton (against United) as well while teams like Wigan and Fulham have an emphasis on quality possession at the core of their philosophies.

There’s a place for the other side as well as Carroll showed brilliantly with West Ham, as Stoke does so effectively and as the variation Newcastle and Everton have to their strategy.

It just makes the Premiership that more intriguing because there are so many different styles.

It also means this will be the toughest season yet. Year on year this league is getting tougher and tougher. There is no side you can say are obvious favorites for relegation, nor can you say playing a certain way will guarantee success as opposed another style.

Southampton may be pointless after three games, but they were five minutes from beating Man United and gave City a real fright on the opening day of the season.

• Liverpool…

While Rodgers’ old team is going great guns, his new team–Liverpool–has some problems.

First, I believe they’ve tried to change things a bit too quickly. Rodgers has attempted to revolutionize Liverpool’s style into a technique-based, meticulous one. It doesn’t completely suit all the players at his disposal, for example Gerrard. Stevie G is a world-class footballer, full-stop. However, Liverpool’s new style more often than not entails measured build-ups while Gerrard is an explosive player, always looking to add tempo. At times this means he’s not on the same wavelength with the system, as evidenced by a couple of personal errors so far on his part.

Most of Liverpool’s transfer activity also hasn’t made sense.

One thing that’s a blessing is Suarez is now the undisputed main man and there’s no distraction of Carroll (even if it’s still a bit of a blunder not to have had a replacement for Carroll in place). A three-man midfield with Gerrard supporting Suarez is Liverpool at their best, something akin to the deadly Torres-Gerrard combo of 2008-09.

The only problem, though, is that Suarez is not a prolific scorer. This puts pressure on Liverpool’s other attackers to find the net, and if you look at the team-sheet there are no other scorers except for Gerrard. At the moment I see Borini as a bit of a weak link. Both he and Sterling are not goalscorers, but Sterling offers sharp penetration, which Borini hasn’t done so far.

Liverpool needs someone out-wide who can score. This is where an Afellay might have been an option, and is what Kuyt used to do.

Signing Owen would have helped too. It might have meant changing the system a bit, but Liverpool would have had the goal threat they are missing.

Other parts, though not yet perfect, are fine. Without Lucas, Liverpool lacks a presence on the defensive side in midfield. Nevertheless, the midfield group as a whole has real quality, and with Shelvey lately making himself a good option, it is likely going to serve Liverpool well.

The defense and keeper are also proven Premiership quality.

However, it will take some time for Liverpool to be transformed into a winning team that also plays to the manager’s philosophy.

• AVB and Spurs…

Another man of change is Andre Villas-Boas; the man tries to change things too much whenever he lands. He looks to be repeating the same mistakes he made at Chelsea. The jettisoning of Dawson, for example, makes little sense. He has been one of Tottenham’s best defenders over recent seasons and he understands the club. Vertonghen, has been thrown in the deep end.

Although Tottenham endured a poor finish to last season under Harry Redknapp they did finish fourth. The previous three seasons the Spurs have finished 4th, 5th and 4th, a pretty incredible sequence. This is the standard that’s been set by Harry’s superb work and, sadly, I feel the Spurs have taken a step back so far.

That’s not to say AVB will not have success at White Hart Lane. He may well achieve it, but it’s unlikely to be this season.

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AC Milan put on a clinic at San Siro on Wednesday during a 4-0 win against the English Premier League’s Arsenal, in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League’s round of 16. Arsenal’s inability to setup scoring chances led to the Italian side attacking throughout the entire match, giving AC Milan a comfortable lead going into the second leg of the round.

“We were never in the game, and it was a big shock,” said Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger in a postgame interview.

Tomas Rosicky gave the first scoring attempt to Arsenal, but was unable to make good contact with the shot leading to him missing the net widely. Kevin-Prince Boateng started off the scoring for AC Milan after volleying the ball underneath the crossbar on his first touch in the fifteenth minute of play.

Twenty minutes later, Zlatan Ibrahimovic walked the ball in from the left side of the field and easily crossed the ball to Robinho, who nodded the ball into the bottom right corner to increase AC Milan’s lead to 2-0.

Early substitutions by Arsene Wenger led to Johan Djourou and Thierry Henry coming into the match for Arsenal for the start of the second half. But the changes in the line-up would not effect Arsenal’s attacking ability, leading to Robinho scoring his second goal of the night for AC Milan four minutes into the second half.

Robin van Persie gave Arsenal their only close chance at getting a goal in the match, but AC Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati was able to sprawl out and make the save and protect his clean sheet. Arsenal prevented any chance of coming back from behind when Ibrahimovic was brought down in the box and rewarded a penalty. This led to AC Milan’s fourth and final goal of the night in the 79^th minute of play.

“Our defense was slow to read the game and slow to respond,” said Wenger, “we must regroup and prepare ourselves for the next game.” Arsenal will be hosting AC Milan at the Emirates Stadium on March 6, in the second leg of the tournament between the two teams.

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In what seemed more befitting a movie screen than in a soccer match, Thierry Henry was welcomed back to the Emirates Stadium and in return, scored the winning goal for Arsenal in a 1-0 FA cup win over Leeds United on Monday, pushing the club into the fourth round of the FA Cup to face Aston Villa at the end of January.

Henry’s goal for the North London club sincerely verified Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger decision to bring the French striker back to the club on January 6, on loan from New York Red Bulls, to cover for Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh, who are currently participating in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. His performance also extended his already impressive goal record with the club to a 227 total.

Wearing the number 12 on his jersey instead of his recognizable number 14, which at the time of his loan is being worn by Theo Walcott, Henry was substituted into the match in the 68^th minute and received a standing ovation for his second debut with Arsenal. Ten minutes later, Henry was able to slip behind the Leeds defenders and put the ball into the bottom-right corner, giving Arsenal the only goal of the match, and the lead that would allow them to continue in the FA Cup tournament.

”The feeling I had when I scored was amazing,” the 34-year-old Henry told ESPN television. ”I think I will always remember tonight.” The outcome of the match provoked flashbacks of Henry’s previous reign at Arsenal which lasted from 1999-2007. The eight-year long stint with the English club turned Henry into one of the most successful players for ‘The Gunners’ in the early 21^st century, making him a legend in club history.

Henry’s career has gotten him the Premier League Golden Boot four times; he won the FIFA World Cup with France in 1998, and also won the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona in 2009. At the age of 34, Henry is still going strong, winning more trophies and awards for whoever he plays for.

Although he is set to return to the United States in March, Henry will be sure to provide goal opportunities on English ground throughout his stay and cement his affectionate place in the hearts of Arsenal fans. By season end, he might even have created other opportunities for himself and his future career.

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Whilst many clubs can suffer from a ‘Euro Hangover’ whereby they fail to perform to their usual standards in the days following a grueling away fixture in the Champions League, Arsenal may have been suffering from a domestic hangover during their draw with Marseille.

Their excellent 5-3 victory over London rivals Chelsea on Saturday may have taken more out of the Arsenal players than at first expected, with the home side looking sluggish throughout their 0-0 draw. The visitors from France were the first to almost break the deadlock, with brothers Andre and Jordan Ayew both coming close on separate occasions.

This game actually represents the first time both brothers have started a Champions League fixture together, and they looked keen to make it a night to celebrate. Arsenal had chances of their own however, the most threatening seeing Gervinho, who has plenty of experience playing Marseille from his time at Lille, play the ball perfectly into the patch on the onrushing Theo Walcott.

Despite placing the shot well towards the bottom corner of the net, the England international saw his shot tipped wide by an excellent save from goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. Both teams seemed to ease up then, seemingly content to go into the interval with the game finely balanced at 0-0, and see what, if any, tactical changes their managers had in store for then.

It looked as though Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may have had the more effective half-time team talk, as his side came out looking hungry to create more chances for their attacking players. Despite this renewed enthusiasm, striker Ju-Young Park was failing to make anything happen against the Marseille defense, and was substituted for Robin Van Persie.

Fresh from his superb hattrick against Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League, Van Persie will have expected to give Arsenal the lead when he beat the last man of the Marseille defense, and was left one on one with Madanda.

Unfortunately for the home fans though, Van Persie’s effort lacked it’s usual precision, and his attempted chip didn’t quite have enough on it to see it fly over Madanda’s head, and instead fell straight into his arms.

Although a win would have secured qualification from the group stage with two games to spare for Wenger’s men, the draw still keeps them at the top of their group, and reinforces their tag of favorites going into the remaining games.

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With many of the stars having a good trip with their international teams the week before, this past week brought about some great matches that have caused some big changes in the standings. This includes Chelsea regaining a top three position, Stoke City taking the fourth place position, and Liverpool slipping down two spots to fifth place.

However, Manchester United and Manchester City are still going head to head for the leading position in the league, making the space between the leaders and the followers in the standings quite large.

Arsenal 1:0 Swansea City

Arsenal came out in better form than they had in their 8-2 loss to Manchester United two weeks ago, allowing them to move up in the standings and maybe motivate the team to reach their usual top four position once again.

The win was not a pretty win, with the only goal coming in the 40^th minute from Andrei Arshavin after a terrible mistake between Swansea goalkeeper Michael Vorm and one of his defenders. This left the net wind open for Arshavin to help Arsenal win a big three points that they desperately needed.

Everton 2:2 Aston Villa

After an entertaining match that saw several goals and drama with penalties, neither Everton nor Aston Villa was able to come away from the match with a win.

The first goal of the match came off the boot of Everton forward Leon Osman in the 19^th minute. This gave Everton the lead going into the second half. However, Aston Villa was able to equalize in the 63^rd minute when midfielder Stilian Petrov was able to get past Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Drama came five minutes later with a penalty kick awarded to Everton’s Leighton Baines who was able to hit the back of the net. After a strong battle in the closing minutes of the match, Aston Villa was able to equalize yet again from a shot off the boot of Gabriel Agbonlahor in the 83^rd minute, giving both teams a point in the standings.

Manchester City 3:0 Wigan Athletic

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s most popular newcomer from this past transfer window, showed he was more than worth the money paid for him by contributing all three of the goals in their win against Wigan Athletic.

Aguero scored early in the first half, putting the ball in the back of the net in the 13^th minute. It wasn’t until the second half when Aguero would put in two more goals to finish his hat trick and stop any chance of Wigan making a comeback in the latter half of the game. With this win, Manchester City sits in second place due to goal difference between Manchester United.

Sunderland 1:2 Chelsea

Chelsea moved back into the top four of the Premier League with their win against Sunderland, who they outplayed the entire match. The first goal of the game was scored by Chelsea defender John Terry in the 18^th minute, and was the only goal scored in the first half. Daniel Sturridge, in covering for the injured Didier Drogba, put the second goal in for Chelsea in the 50^th minute.

Although there was a glimmer of hope shown in Sunderland when substitute Ji Dong-Wong scored in the last minute of the match, Chelsea was able to defend well through injury time and secure the win.

Wolverhampton 0:2 Tottenham

Although the game was uneventful in the first half, Tottenham’s Emmanuel Adebayor was able to secure a goal and the lead in the 67^th minute. Jermaine Defoe, Tottenham’s second forward paired up with Adebayor, scored the second goal in the 80^th minute.

Tottenham was able to rally in the last half hour of the match in order to secure the win against Wolverhampton, and also move farther away from regulation.

Stoke City 1:0 Liverpool

The one and only goal was scored from a penalty kick off the boot of Stoke forward Jonathan Walters in the 21^st minute. The rest of the match was evenly battled between the two sides; however, Liverpool was unable to capitalize on chances while Stoke’s defense showed to be the stronger of the two teams.

Liverpool slipped down the standings with their first loss of the season to Stoke City, although both teams were evenly matched throughout the entire game.

Bolton 0:5 Manchester United

Javier Hernandez came out in form for his first start this season scoring in the first five minutes of the match. Wayne Rooney also continued his form with a goal in the 20^th minute, then another goal five minutes later. Hernandez scored his second goal of the match in the 58^th minute with no sign of Bolton having a chance to get one in the net.

Finally, Rooney finished his hat trick in the 68^th minute, making it back to back hat tricks for the player. Another high scoring match leaves Manchester United at the top of the standings, along with making more room in between them and other teams in the middle of the standings.

Norwich City 0:1 West Bromwich Albion

Thanks to a very early first half goal, West Brom was able to get their first win of the season while visiting Norwich City on Saturday. Peter Odemwingie was able to capitalize on a mistake in the third minute of the game between one Norwich defender and backup goalkeeper Declan Rudd, filling in the first spot due to John Ruddy’s suspension.

This one goal was all West Brom needed in order to get their first win, allowing them to forget about their three game losing streak and hopefully keep away from the relegation zone.

Fulham 1:1 Blackburn

With the two teams sitting in the relegation zone, and in desperate need of a couple points, the battle between Fulham and Blackburn concluded in a draw that keeps both teams without a win so far this season.

Although putting up a great fight at the beginning of the match, Blackburn was the first to score with a blistering shot off the boot of Ruben Rochina in the 32^nd minute. Thankfully, Fulham were able to come back six minutes later from the help of Bobby Zamora, making it all even going into the uneventful second half.

Queens Park Rangers 0:0 Newcastle United

With five newly transferred players in the starting squad for Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United had the mindset of coming out of the match with a win since the players would not be in sync with each other. However, QPR were the team to watch this match due to having the most scoring chances in the match even though they could not capitalize on any of them.

Newcastle move up to sixth place, leaving them secure until next weekend.

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This summer’s transfer window was one for the record books, with the Barclay’s Premier League teams spending close to €500 million in the past three months. All in all, every team has made dramatic changes to the club with several additions. Out of all the transfers this summer, we counted down the top ten significant transfers that will make or break teams this season:

10)       Gervinho (Lille OSC to Arsenal)

A native to the Ivory Coast, Gervinho got noticed from Premier side Arsenal after his past team, French Ligue One team Lille OSC, won the League Cup and the Coupe de France in the 2010-2011 season.

Although the start to the season has not gone the way Arsenal have wanted it, with Gervinho getting suspended for three games after getting into a fight with Johnny Barton in his debut in the English Premier League, Arsene Wenger hopes that the Ivorian national will be able to help fill the boots of the recently transferred Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

9)         Mikel Arteta (Everton to Arsenal)

Having his best season with Everton scoring nine goals in 35 matches during the 2006-2007 season, Mikel Arteta suffered from injuries that kept him out of several matches up until he was traded to Arsenal this summer. Although he is injury prone, Arteta is a strong midfielder who could help Arsenal fill in the gaps that Fabregas and Nasri left when they transferred.

8)         Raul Meireles (Liverpool to Chelsea)

Noticing that many of Liverpool’s new signings during the summer would give him a lesser chance in the starting eleven, Raul Meireles asked to be put on the transfer block and was picked up by Chelsea. Scoring 5 goals in 6 games during the 2010-2011 season, Meireles showed signs of creating chances in the midfield that will be helpful in Chelsea’s attempts to win the league this season.

7)         Stuart Downing (Aston Villa to Liverpool)

Although Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish said that Stuart Downing would not be traded this past transfer window, an agreement was made between Villa and Liverpool for the English midfielder.

The signing of Downing helps fill in the role of the injured Steven Gerrard, which left a big gap in the Liverpool midfield. However, the signing of Downing along with other young and talented midfielders makes Liverpool a contender for the championship this year.

6)         David De Gea (Atletico Madrid to Manchester United)

De Gea arrived in the Premier League with a difficult objective to achieve: to fill in as goalkeeper for the recently retired Edwin van der Sar. Arriving from the Spanish league side Athletico Madrid, De Gea has shown signs that he will be able to fit the role quite well in Manchester United’s win against Manchester City in the Community Shield, his first competitive match in the English Premier League.

Making some key saves as Manchester United rallied to win the charity competition 3-2, De Gea proved that he is more than capable to fill a spot that could have been the weakest link in the championship team.

5)         Charlie Adam (Blackpool to Liverpool)

The Scotland-born Charlie Adam was transferred to Liverpool along with Stuart Downing and Jordan Henderson to help provide midfield support in the absence of Steven Gerrard. With 29 goals in two seasons with Blackpool, Adam will be a major threat in the attacking area and will be a great addition to support Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll from the outside or center midfield.

4)         Juan Mata (Valencia to Chelsea)

For a big €23.5 million transfer fee, Juan Mata moved from the Spanish club Valencia to the Premier League club Chelsea. Mata, who scored 33 goals in four seasons with Valencia, will likely be trained as the newcomer for when Chelsea veteran Frank Lampard decides to retire.

Even though Lampard has a couple seasons left in him, Mata can definitely handle the pressure of taking up the reins when Lampard leaves.

3)         Ashley Young (Aston Villa to Manchester United)

The transfer of Ashley Young from Aston Villa to Manchester United was one of the biggest for the small club at the beginning of the transfer window. With a very successful career at Villa, playing four seasons and scoring 30 goals, Young also got recognized and given a spot on the England national team.

Now that Young is paired up with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Young will be more than helpful towards winning another title for his new club.

2)         Samir Nasri (Arsenal to Manchester City)

The drama between Samir Nasri and Arsenal during the summer, along with the transfer of Cesc Fabregas, was one of the most talked about subject when it came to the end of the transfer window. Whether or not Nasri was going to be leaving Arsenal was never clear, since Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger did not want to lose two of his best players in the same transfer window.

However, Nasri left for Manchester City, where he has already begun to show prowess in helping get Manchester City back to the top of the league again.

1)         Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid to Manchester City)

Manchester City came into the summer transfer window looking to buy anything that it takes to get them a league title. However, just by purchasing Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid gives them a very strong chance of achieving that.

Aguero scored 74 goals in 174 matches with his old Spanish club, and has already scored three goals in the last three Premier league matches he has played with Manchester City. Pairing Aguero up with Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri will mean that Manchester City will be putting on quite a show in the attacking field.

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After a week filled with the usual stars shining, cross-town rivals Manchester United and Manchester City sit at the top of the standings while Liverpool and Chelsea battle for third and fourth place.

Not coming as a surprise, due to all of the drama surrounding Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger, the usual top tier team is sitting in 17th place. Along with this, Tottenham sits in last place after three weeks, the lowest the team has ever been in the standings in the last couple of years.

Aston Villa 0:0 Wolverhampton

Coming off of an easy 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers last week, Aston Villa went into this week eager to get another three points to keep them in the middle of the standings.

However, it was not the case after a drawn out 90 minutes of play leaving both Villa and Wolverhampton scoreless. Aston Villa controlled the second half of play, but were unable to capitalize on chances against an unwavering Wolverhampton defense.

Wigan Athletic 2:0 Queens Park Rangers

A very hard-fought battle between two evenly matched teams was altered by the foot of Wigan’s Franco Di Santo, who scored one goal in each half to give his team the win. Queens Park Rangers didn’t go down without a fight, with Adel Taarabt hitting the post twice in the first half that could have given the new boys to the English Premier league the draw.

Chelsea 3:1 Norwich City

Being the clear favorites against the newly promoted Norwich City, Chelsea showed their superiority with a well thought win. Norwich City showed signs of upsetting the powerhouse from Stamford Bridge, when Grant Holt scored in the 63^rd minute, Chelsea goalkeeper Hilario made an amateur mistake that almost equalized the two teams at two goals apiece, and Didier Drogba was knocked unconscious in an aerial effort against Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy.

However, Frank Lampard scored a penalty kick after Ruddy was given a red card and thrown out of the match to double the score. Finally, Juan Mata scored on his debut in the 90^th minute to secure the win.

Blackburn Rovers 0:1 Everton

Out of all the matches this weekend, Blackburn versus Everton was one of the most entertaining. Blackburn’s goalkeeper Paul Robinson and Everton’s goalkeeper Tim Howard kept both teams in the match, making amazing saves throughout. Blackburn missed two penalty kicks in the match, which were costly mistakes that wouldn’t be seen until a penalty kick was given in injury time to Everton.

Mikel Arteta went to the spot and fired home to give Everton the win.

Swansea City 0:0 Sunderland

Two teams without wins this season were unable to capitalize on their chances to add another draw to both teams record. The best chances came from Swansea’s Danny Graham and Sunderland’s Asamoah Gyan, who both miscalculated attempts that were either saved or went wide of goal.

Swansea, who have yet to score their first Premier League goal this season, have their next chance against Arsenal next week.

Liverpool 3:1 Bolton Wanderers

Liverpool makes a great move to third place this weekend after goals from newcomers Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam help secure the win. Martin Skyrtel also scored in the 52^nd minute to contribute to the Liverpool victory. Bolton’s Ivan Klasnic scored the only goal for Bolton in injury time, stopping the possible clean sheet for Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina.

West Brom 0:1 Stoke City

Confusion between West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster and center-back Gabriel Tamas led to Stoke substitute Ryan Shotton sneaking in and scoring a late goal in the final minutes of the match to steal away three points away from a game that should have ended as a draw.

Work from Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, and West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster kept both teams in the game. However, Stoke came out of the game with the win.

Tottenham Hotspur 1:5 Manchester City

Tottenham found their way to the bottom of the table this weekend, after failing to defend against a stronger Manchester City offense. Edin Dzeko scored four goals helped by Samir Nasri, the newcomer from Arsenal who made his debut with Manchester City Sunday.

Younes Kabou scored the final goal for Manchester City, taking them to the top of the standings, just behind their rivals Manchester United due to goal difference.

Newcastle 2:1 Fulham

Newcastle lengthens their unbeaten streak with two goals from Leon Best. American star Clint Dempsey scored the only goal for Fulham, but it was not enough to secure the win.

With a club that is having a lot of non-soccer related drama, including the confrontations between management and Joey Barton and Nile Ranger being arrested, Newcastle show signs of survival in the Premier League with this win against Fulham.

Manchester United 8:2 Arsenal

With a final score that you would expect at the end of a match versus a bottom-ranked Premier League team, Manchester United ran over Arsenal taking them once again to the top of the Premier League. Wayne Rooney came out of the match with a hat-trick, and also securing his 150^th goal in the Premier League.

Newcomer Ashley Young also scored two goals, while Danny Welbeck, Nani, and Ji-Sung Park scored to give Arsenal the biggest loss it has ever had with manager Arsene Wenger.

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