Premier League Quick Hits

So I haven't exactly diligently updated on the Premier League, but if there is anyone actually coming here for there EPL news, they are in the wrong place. I would suggest bbc.co.uk/sport, personally. However, I do have a few quick thoughts regarding the day's action.

• Wigan leads Blackburn 3-0. How quickly will Paul Ince be fired? During the post-game press conference seems likely. I feel bad for the guy being a young manager and all that, but right now he's got Blackburn on the fast track to relegation and they should be much more competitive.
• Hull did it again and somehow managed a 2-0 lead against Liverpool only to have Steven Gerrard pull it back for the league leaders with two goals in 10 minutes. I don't think it's possible to be any more clutch than Gerrard is. He's worth about 10 points a season on his own. I will never forget how he conned his way into a penalty to sneak an undeserved point against Atletico Madrid in Champions' League.
• A typical Arsenal day. Arsenal beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, which is surely impressive. The difference between Arsenal and Chelsea, though, is that Chelsea had 7 first team players injured (including Cech, both Coles, Drogba, and Ballack) and beat Middlesborough 5-0 at the Riverside. Arsenal--more or less healthy except for Theo Walcott and I suppose Tomas Rosicky--blew a 1-0 lead and limped to a 1-1 draw.
• Arsenal, at least in theory, has more than enough quality to handle Boro'. For goodness sake, their Carling Cup side of reserves beat a full strength Wigan club 3-0. Still, they can't get it done consistently enough.
• Liverpool's draw with Hull City bails out the Gunners, though. They remain just 8 points off the pace. However, Aston Villa's 4-2 win over Bolton will drop Arsenal to fifth and they also may cede points to Manchester United who face Spurs later.
• The big winners are guess who? Yep, Chelsea and Manchester United. Last season's top two are poised to each gain two points on Liverpool with wins. Chelsea can go top of the table with a win over West Ham. United can moved to just 4 points behind Liverpool with a game in hand.
• Liverpool's draw means that Arsenal will remain within striking distance, but in all honesty they need a drastic change in form and soon. They were lifeless against Porto and only occasionally showed quality against Boro'. If they can't give a more consistent effort, they'll never be able to challenge the big boys.
• They're still too shaky in defence. It's not just Almunia or Gallas, even though they certainly have their flaws. Clichy, at least as live texts indicate, had a bit of a shocker with some rash challenges. I think Wenger probably prioritizes fluid attacking play so much that he compromises his defence.
• Exhibit A: Kieran Gibbs. Gibbs may make a fine fullback some day, but against Wigan he was constantly getting run up and down the flank. To be fair, he always recovered and never was fully beaten, but it's indicative of what happens when you turn wingers into fullbacks.
• Chelsea gets away with Cole and Bosingwa pushing deep into the wings but they have John Terry and Petr Cech forming the backbone of their defence to bail them out. Gallas and Almunia hardly compare.
• In fairness to Arsenal, Theo Walcott's and Tomas Rosicky's injuries are significant. Right now, they have no true wingers and Walcott's pace and creativity always gives defenders fits. Right now, it seems that all the midfield playmaking must come from Cesc Fabregas and that's too heavy a burden for the young captain.
• I suppose Wenger could get creative and play Adebayor and/or Van Persie in midfield, but that would require quality reserve strikers. Carlos Vela has sublime skill but Wenger clearly doesn't trust him just yet and he has a tendency to be anonymous for stretches. Bentdner, goal against Kiev aside, can't finish a goal for the life of him.
• If Arsenal is to be competitve in the Premier League, or even in Champions' League for that matter, Wenger is going to have to spend some cash in the transfer window. A capable winger and solid centre-back should be at the top of the list.
• Rumour has it that Wenger is interested in Brede Hangleand, Fulham's rock in central defence. Hangeland seems like an odd fit for such a fluid team as Arsenal, given his awkward playing style, but there is no doubting his effectiveness. I suppose the Cottagers would listen to the right offer, but I can't see how Fulham could sell him. Fulham is not a good scoring team so they depend on their rock-solid defence. Hangeland is the key to that. He defuses an absurd amount of aerial threats and frees up Hughes, Pantsil, and Konchesky to focus on dispossessing opposing attackers.
• Speaking of Fulham, they are almost certainly the most tedious team in the league to follow. Today's 0-0 draw with Stoke City makes it three goalless draws in four for Fulham. Certainly, one point at a time is better than none. Ask Paul Ince, Tony Mowbray, or Roy Keane and I'm sure they'll confirm that. Furthermore, all of those goalless draws are on the road, so it's hard to complain too terribly much because at least they're avoiding a relegation battle. Still, it doesn't exactly make thrilling reading on the live texts.
• In all honesty, Aston Villa is one of the top four teams in the league right now both in points and in actuality. With Ashley Young in positively scorching form and Gabriel Agbonlahor not much worse, Villa is legitimately a better team than Arsenal and certainly more consistent. That makes Fulham's back to back draws at Anfield and Villa Park that much more impressive.
• Still, Fulham is going to need to start getting three points from some of their fixtures sooner or later. Particularly they are crying out for some away wins. Their form at Craven Cottage is absolutely solid, but they just don't win enough points away from home.
• It's hard to reconcile the Robbie Keane situation. Keane is saying that he is staying at Anfield. Rafa Benitez insists he will not be sold. But when Liverpool is searching for a late breakthrough against Hull it's not Keane that comes of the bench. El Zhar and Babel instead take the pitch. How damning of an indictment is it that even without Torres available, Benitez apparently rates Keane as no better than his fourth best striking option behind El Zhar, Babel, and Dirk Kuyt playing out of position?
• If Keane isn't going to see the field, there doesn't seem to be any reason why Benitez wouldn't sell him back to Tottenham and Harry Redknapp, who covets him, other than pride.
• One almost wonders if there isn't something more at play, an injury perhaps? Yes, Keane isn't in form, but his form did not appear to be so horrendous as to warrant his current treatment.
• It's nice to read these articles about how not even Manchester United fans like Dimitar Berbatov. Even his own team's supporters realize what a wanker he is.
• Wanker of the Year shortlist: Berbatov, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nicolas Bendtner, William Gallas, Albert Riera. Any others?
• Everton nicked a late goal to beat Manchester City despite having exactly zero fit strikers for the game and being forced to play midfielder Tim Cahill up front. Surely this is cosmic (karmic?) justice for last week's heartbreaking loss to Aston Villa.
• Every time I hear about Tim Cahill, I think of the song "Trippin' On You" by a dance artist named Cahill.
• City fans now officially want Mark Hughes' head and I can hardly blame them. City has a lot of talent but they are letting it go to waste and keep suffering poor results. Surely things will improve after the January transfer window, but is Hughes really the man to spend those millions?
• It's fascinating to wonder who City will get. Among the rumored names are Gianluigi Buffon, John Terry (don't see that happening), Frank Ribery, Lukas Podolski, and David Villa. Just to name a few. That's five players to the world's best starting XI.
• Chelsea meanwhile have signed, are in talks to sign, or will not sign Braga striker Orlando Sa, depending on who you believe. The Blues are also rumored to be after Wigan striker Amr Zaki, but Steve Bruce insists that that will happen over his dead body.
• You better believe that Roman Abramovich has mob contacts and can make that happen.
• Chelsea was also rumored to be after Fluminese defender Thiago Silva, possibly to replace fellow Brazilian Alex, who reportedly wants to leave Stamford Bridge. However, it seems as if Silva to AC Milan is all but a done deal.
• Sunderland's 4-0 win is certainly a positive for interim boss Ricky Sbragia, who is at the very least auditioning for future openings.
• Not so much for Tony Mowbray at West Brom, who doesn't appear to be under any pressure. Presumably management knows that he's at the helm of one of the least talented sides in the league. At any rate, the Baggies better be preparing scouting reports on teams like Cardiff City and Burnley because they'll probably end up playing them next year. Actually, at this point Burnley has a better chance of being up next year than West Brom does.
• Can West Brom say they've beated Fulham, Arsenal, and Chelsea this season. Didn't think so. Sure it was the Carling Cup, but still...
• It will be fascinating to see how Luis Felipe Scolari lines up Chelsea tomorrow afternoon. Will he put Drogba and Anelka both in the starting lineup? I think he should, but the question then becomes who goes in midfield. I would line it up Cech, Bosingwa, Terry, Alex (or Ivanovic), A Cole, Mikel, J Cole, Lampard, Ballack/Deco/Kalou, Drogba, Anelka. It would be a 4-1-3-2 with Mikel in his holding midfield role and two strikers. The only question is how to line up the midfield. Joe Cole goes on one wing but do you put Lampard on the other? Or does Lamps go center? Kalou is more of a winger than Deco or Ballack but Deco and Ballack are higher in the pecking order, assuredly. Perhaps Big Phil will go with a basic 4-4-2 and put Mikel on the bench with Ballack and Lampard in central midfield. Or he may just stick with the 4-1-4-1 and leave either Drogba and Anelka as substitutes.