Mohamed Al Fayed decided to ruin Lawrie Sanchez’s Christmas by sacking him in midweek but at least Fulham finally scored a goal after six hours and fifteen minutes of trying. Ray Lewington took temporary charge of the side and despite a number of chances it was Steve Bruce’s Wigan who took the lead through Marcus Bent with 20 minutes to go. Bent has now scored 4 goals in a week and his form has coincided with the return of his voluptuous girlfriend Gemma Atkinson from the ‘I’m a Celebrity’ jungle. To be fair to him I think we would all be playing with a smile on our faces if we were in the same situation.

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Another home win for Gary Megson’s Bolton was greeted with delight by 56% of you who expected the Trotters to do the business. Despite a 3-0 score line it took until the 72nd minute before Bolton finally broke the deadlock dampening the festive spirits of 31% of you expected a hard fought draw.

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Roy Keane’s Black Cats felt robbed of a point after Reading’s controversial last gasp winner but did 61% of you care, did you heck! Stephen Hunt’s late effort was adjudged to have gone over the line by assistant referee Steve Ruberry so you know who to thank if you won Premier 10 this week. On the other hand 25% of you who backed a draw may not feel such goodwill towards the official.

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The Hammers had never won at Middlesbrough in the Premier League but a last minute strike from Scott Parker ended 17 years of pain on Teesside. Boro had won their last 2 matches and 38% of you expected them to make it a hat-trick of Premier League wins with Tuncay in sparkling form. However, it was the Hammers who nicked the points with their 5th away win of the season. Only Portsmouth have won more away games this season. In fact, Alan Curbishley’s side have already won more away matches than in the whole of last season.

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Harry’s incredible away winning run was ended emphatically by Liverpool’s tormenter in chief Fernando Torres on Saturday. Despite 6 away wins on the trot only 7% of you expected Pompey to win away at Anfield. The majority 77% expected a Reds victory but few would have expected such a Christmas stuffing of Portsmouth.

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So Sven’s City side failed to win away for the 8th successive match but the draw did delight 34% of you who fancied a Villa Park stalemate. The Citizens took the lead through born again Italian hitman Rolando Bianchi with his 3rd Premier League goal in as many games. The £8.8 million man has been rarely used this season with Eriksson preferring the misfiring Emile Mpenza or not so deadly Darius Vassell in the lone strikers role. But surely he is starting to make that spot his own now.

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Well 84% of you were perfectly correct in predicting a customary home win for the red side of North London but it was the not the easy win you may have expected. Tottenham missing a host of first team regulars put in another impressive display to suggest that the Ramos revival is taking shape. Emmanuel Adebayor’s 48th minute opener would have calmed the majority of your nerves but when Dimitar Berbatov smashed in an equaliser the 12% of you that backed a draw were starting to fill full of festive cheer.

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Wear-side is becoming more Irish by the day as Roy Keane’s riverdance revolution continues to take shape. Not only is the manager from the Emerald Isle but also the chairman, kit sponsors and 9 of the playing staff. Rumours of Dwight Yorke changing his surname to O’Yorke are said to be incorrect. This weekend Roy can cast his eye over 3 Irish stars that slipped through the net in the shape of Reading’s Kevin Doyle, Shane Long and Stephen Hunt.

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On paper this looks like a decent chance of three points for the Hammers but looking back at the history books you soon find out this is one club West Ham hate to visit. The year 1990 is remembered for many different reasons. Some remember England reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup or James ‘Buster’ Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson. Perhaps Nelson Mandela being released from 26 years imprisonment or the reunification of Germany springs to mind. However, die-hard Hammers fans will remember the year for their sides last win at Boro. Yes, that’s correct it has been a mere 17 years since ‘mad-dog’ Martin Allen scored in a 1-0 win for the Irons in their last win on Teesside. If Middlesbrough confidence wasn’t boosted from their last 2 League wins then the knowledge that West Ham have not beaten them at home in the history of the Premier League surely will.

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Harry Redknapp’s Jekyll and Hyde Pompey side visit Anfield this Saturday aiming for their seventh consecutive away League win. This incredible run of wins over the likes of Blackburn, Fulham, Wigan, Newcastle, Birmingham and Aston Villa is already a Portsmouth club record in the top division. However, a trip to Anfield is a very different proposition to the likes of Craven Cottage and the JJB.

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