It's also a weekend that has seen Burnley go into the festive season in the top half of the league and it is interesting to note that we are now just two points behind the undisciplined Brighton & Hove Albion who, incredibly, this week appealed the red card shown to Ashley Barnes.
You can't trust the FA these days, certainly not after they themselves had ludicrously appealed the Wayne Rooney red card, but common sense prevailed and Barnes will serve a three match ban along with Romain Vincelot.
Back with the top two and there's a big difference in how they've picked up their points. Southampton have dropped only one point in 11 home games whilst West Ham have already lost 13 points at home whilst having the best away record in the league. I believe West Ham will go on and win this league and I think it only needs a tightening up of results at home to achieve it.
Down at the bottom of the league and we could be sparing a thought for Coventry City. They are now eight points from safety and the club is in turmoil. They are owned by SISU who are, it seems, a Championship equivalent of Venky's.
Protests and organised demonstrations are being organised although the nonsense that is Ken Dulieu is at an end. He resigned his position as chairman recently and appointed himself as director of football. That, he believed, entitled him to go into the dressing room pre-match and take his place in the dug out against the wishes of manager Andy Thorn.
His reward for that was the sack, but the whole thing shows just what a mess this club is now in. I wouldn't back against them going down and it now looks only a matter of who with. Doncaster and Nottingham Forest are currently in the bottom three with them. Who Doncaster bring in on loan in January might decide their fate whilst I think there could be a scramble to avoid that last place.
Forest are in trouble. They've reported serious financial problems as have Birmingham City. There isn't going to be much money around for strengthening in January, except at Leicester of course where Nigel Pearson has been given the bottomless pit that was wasted by the money grabbing Swede until recently.
I'm sure I'll be miles out but I think West Ham will win the league with Middlesbrough going up in second and I'll back Leicester to win the play offs. As for going down. I'll go for Coventry, Doncaster and Millwall although Bristol City will have their work cut out if they don't get a replacement for Nicky Maynard who has now been placed on the transfer list.
Last weekend's results and the usual stats are all below.
The Week's Results | |
Saturday 17th December | |
Blackpool 0 Watford 0 | Hull City 2 Millwall 0 |
Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Burnley 1 | Ipswich Town 1 Derby County 0 |
Bristol City 0 Nottingham Forest 0 | Leeds United 0 Reading 1 |
Cardiff City 2 Middlesbrough 3 | Peterborough United 1 Coventry City 0 |
Doncaster Rovers 2 Leicester City 1 | West Ham United 1 Barnsley 0 |
Sunday 18th December | |
Portsmouth 1 Southampton 1 | |
Monday 19th December | |
Crystal Palace 1 Birmingham City 0 |
The Week's Stats | |
Biggest Win | Hull City 2-0 v Millwall (home) |
Total Goals Scored | 18 (11 home - 7 away) |
Player Scoring Most Goals |
2 - Billy Sharp (Doncaster Rovers) |
Highest Attendance | 34,749 - West Ham United v Barnsley |
Lowest Attendance | 8,062 - Peterborough United v Coventry City |
Total Yellow Cards | 30 |
Total Red Cards | 2 |
Most Cards in a Game | Cardiff City v Middlesbrough (8Y) Ref: Geoff Salisbury |
Leading Goalscorers (League Only) | |
15 | Rickie Lambert (Southampton) - includes 5 penalties |
10 | Ross McCormack (Leeds United) |
9 | Keith Andrews (Ipswich Town) Matty Fryatt (Hull City) - includes 1 penalty Darius Henderson (Millwall) - includes 1 penalty Billy Sharp (Doncaster Rovers) - includes 1 penalty Chris Wood (Birmingham City) |
8 | Keith Andrews (Ipswich Town) Charlie Austin (Burnley) Craig Davies (Barnsley) - includes 1 penalty Lukas Jutkiewicz (Coventry City) - includes 1 penalty Grant McCann (Peterborough United) - includes 2 penalties Robert Snodgrass (Leeds United) - includes 1 penalty |
7 | Michael Chopra (Ipswich Town) Carlton Cole (West Ham United) Guly Do Prado (Southampton) Marvin Emnes (Middlesbrough) Robert Koren (Hull City) Nicky Maynard (Bristol City) David Nugent (Leicester City) Kevin Phillips (Blackpool) Ricardo Vaz Te (Barnsley) Pete Whittingham (Cardiff City) - includes 2 penalties |
Hat Tricks | |
Date | Player & Game |
20/08/11 | 3: Lee Tomlin - PETERBOROUGH UNITED v Ipswich Town |
10/09/11 | 3: Rickie Lambert - SOUTHAMPTON v Nottingham Forest |
11/09/11 | 3: Chris Wood - BIRMINGHAM CITY v Millwall |
12/10/11 | 3: Darius Henderson - Leicester City v MILLWALL |
02/11/11 | 3: Jonjo Shelvey - Leeds United v BLACKPOOL |
19/11/11 | 3: Rickie Lambert - SOUTHAMPTON v Brighton & Hove Albion |
Disciplinary Record (League and Cup) | |||||||||
Club | Y | R | Y | R | Club | Y | R | Y | R |
League | Total | League | Total | ||||||
Barnsley | 30 | 1 | 31 | 1 | Ipswich Town | 25 | 3 | 25 | 3 |
Birmingham City | 30 | 1 | 30 | 1 | Leeds United | 33 | 5 | 37 | 5 |
Blackpool | 32 | 0 | 33 | 1 | Leicester City | 32 | 4 | 36 | 4 |
Brighton and Hove Albion | 53 | 4 | 59 | 4 | Middlesbrough | 38 | 2 | 39 | 2 |
Bristol City | 32 | 0 | 33 | 0 | Millwall | 36 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
Burnley | 29 | 1 | 37 | 1 | Nottingham Forest | 33 | 2 | 36 | 2 |
Cardiff City | 27 | 0 | 37 | 0 | Peterborough United | 27 | 2 | 29 | 2 |
Coventry City | 25 | 2 | 26 | 2 | Portsmouth | 34 | 2 | 37 | 2 |
Crystal Palace | 30 | 0 | 32 | 0 | Reading | 32 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
Derby County | 32 | 1 | 32 | 1 | Southampton | 28 | 2 | 29 | 2 |
Doncaster Rovers | 34 | 0 | 34 | 0 | Watford | 29 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
Hull City | 37 | 1 | 37 | 1 | West Ham United | 32 | 3 | 32 | 4 |
Highest and Lowest Attendances | |||
Highest | Lowest | ||
Att | Fixture | Att | Fixture |
34,749 | West Ham United v Barnsley (17/12) | 6,351 | Peterborough United v Cardiff City (18/10) |
33,465 | West Ham United v Portsmouth (10/09) | 7,650 | Doncaster Rovers v Watford (26/11) |
33,010 | Derby County v Southampton (15/10) | 7,778 | Doncaster Rovers v Bristol City (27/08) |
32,150 | Southampton v West Ham United (18/10) | 7,901 | Peterborough United v Burnley (17/09) |
31,812 | Southampton v Brighton & Hove Albion (19/11) | 7,928 | Peterborough United v Ipswich Town (20/08) |
31,448 | West Ham United v Blackpool (15/10) | 8,062 | Peterborough United v Coventry City (17/12) |
30,410 | West Ham United v Leicester City (29/10) | 8,320 | Peterborough United v Barnsley (03/12) |
30,391 | Derby County v Hull City (19/11) | 8,426 | Doncaster Rovers v Coventry City (29/10) |
29,895 | West Ham Utd v Peterborough Utd (24/09) | 8,500 | Peterborough Utd v Doncaster Rovers (01/10) |
28,252 | West Ham United v Leeds United (21/08) | 8,685 | Peterborough United v Hull City (10/09) |
The Next Fixtures | |
Monday 26th December | |
Barnsley v Blackpool | Middlesbrough v Hull City |
Birmingham City v West Ham United (17.30) | Millwall v Portsmouth (13:00) |
Burnley v Doncaster Rovers | Nottingham Forest v Peterborough United |
Coventry City v Bristol City | Reading v Brighton & Hove Albion |
Derby County v Leeds United (13:00) |
Southampton v Crystal Palace (13:00) |
Leicester City v Ipswich Town |
Watford v Cardiff City (12:00) |