As long as Frenchmen continue to cross the chanel Oliver Scrimgeour will continue to bring us the best performances from Les Bleus in the Premier League.
They say a good side can win without playing well, and Newcastle are illustrating that they fulfil this criteria as they beat Wigan Athletic 1-0 at St James Park on Saturday in a close encounter.
Newcastle were so lacklustre during the first half that they failed to take a notable shot for the first half an hour of the game. Hatem Ben Arfa was introduced just after the interval, as a means of adding more attacking and creative threat as fellow Frenchman and winger Gabriel Obertan was one of those guilty of offering very little going forwards.
French central midfielder Yohan Cabaye was involved in a midfield battle for much of the game, picking up a yellow card in the process, until he popped up with the winner late on. It was a sublime finish, as he curled the ball home from the edge of the area in dramatic style, highlighting his excellent technique and ability to cope with pressure.
Cabaye has been one of the signings of the season so far, and Newcastle United have indeed been one of the most high-quality sides in the Premier League, as they find themselves in fourth place, and level on points with Chelsea, after nine games. The Frenchman has added a touch of class to the Tyneside outfit, and it is fitting that his first goal for Newcastle came in such memorable fashion.
Bolton Wanderers lost 0-2 in another close fought game against Sunderland at the Reebok Stadium. The visitors stole the game in the last ten minutes, but it is the lack of goals for the Trotters that will be of greatest concern.
Two Frenchmen made up part of the attack, David N’Gog and for the last twenty-five minutes, Gael Kakuta. Quite frankly, Kakuta was disappointing, offering little when he came on, while N’Gog was impressive in parts during the first half, fighting hard against the Sunderland defence and creating a number of chances for teammates who failed to capitalise. Even so, after his goal last week, N’Gog will be looking to put himself on the score sheet more often or Bolton could begin to struggle.
Aston Villa slumped to their second defeat on the trot at home to local rivals West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Charles N’Zogbia was the only Frenchman on the field and as has been the story of the rest of his season thus far, he did little of note. There is little doubt that he is a good player, but his £10 million price tag is not really feeling much lighter upon his shoulders after game week 9 during which his side were pretty poor, and Emile Heskey replaced him on sixty minutes. He must improve, and so must Villa.
QPR and Chelsea were involved in Sunday’s Derby Day, and they provided a hugely entertaining fixture. It was a game that had everything, and QPR shockingly took three points and dented Chelsea’s progress towards the Premier League summit, after the giants were reduced to nine men.
Chelsea provided the French aspect too, with Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda making substitute appearances. The latter was on for just twenty minutes and was involved in the late skirmish to try and grab Chelsea a goal. Anelka had probably the best opportunity to get the elusive goal, as he rose to meet a header just six yards out, unmarked and in front of the goal. He hit it straight at Paddy Kenny who was delighted to catch it. The game ended 1-0 to Queens Park Rangers.
1-6 is a scoreline that has shocked the Premier League, and embarrassed Manchester United as they suffered this home defeat to their greatest of rivals, Manchester City, on Sunday. Patrice Evra was part of the defence for the Red Devils; a part of the defence that saw United concede their worst defeat at Old Trafford since February 1955. He couldn’t deal with Silva, who regularly came in from the right with his trickery and created the majority of City’s goals.
Playing in the Manchester City blue was Gael Clichy, who had a far more successful game than Evra. He kept the very real threat of Nani quiet throughout and was useful in his adventures up the left wing. Samir Nasri made a late appearance, coming on for Aguero with fifteen minutes remaining. He evidently made an impact, with his added craft and flair resulting in three goals in the last ten minutes for Man City to round off a historic match for Manchester and the Premier League.
I’ve said for a long time that Louis Saha could be one of the best strikers in the Premiership on his day, and on Sunday, it was certainly his day. The French forward, who has had a difficult career riddled with injuries, scored a last minute goal away at Fulham, as Everton surged to a 1-3 victory. He was strong and sharp all game, both of these attributes rolled into one for his goal, as he brushed off the centre back and slid the ball past the onrushing keeper.
Steven N’Zonzi and Blackburn Rovers will feel slightly disappointed that they got nothing from their clash with Tottenham Hotspur as they lost 1-2 at Ewood Park. The French centre back pairing of Younes Kaboul and Sebastien Bassong for the visitors will feel quite pleased with the victory they helped to earn for Spurs, who continue a decent run of form.
At the Emirates, Robin van Persie was the hero yet again, but praise should go to his teammate Laurent Koscielny who was part of a defensive setup that successfully (Crouch’s close range effort apart) dealt with the aerial challenge of Stoke City. 3-1 to the Gunners and Wenger will feel things are looking up.