There's little variety to be found at the top of the English Premier League, explaining why Bolton and Newcastle captured so many imaginations this weekend. Each club scored mild upsets over North London's clubs, wins that explain only part of their appeal.
English Premier League: Bolton, Newcastle Capture Imaginations, Further European Dreams
On a circuit where only Tottenham Hotspur and Everton have recently cracked the league's Big Four, Europa League slots capture the league's variance. Though Aston Villa and Everton have become regular contenders for Europe, Manchester City, Fulham and Blackburn have all been recent surprises in the top seven. With this weekend's victories, Newcastle and Bolton sit fifth and sixth, threatening to become the next surprise Europa qualifiers from England.
While their places in the table are mild surprises, Newcastle and Bolton's wins were not. True, on Friday few were predicting victories over Arsenal and Tottenham, but once the final whistles blew at the Reebok and the Emirates, a feeling of "oh, that makes sense" quickly settled-in.
Newcastle's success was covered in this Arsenal discussion, but if the Magpies' recent failings against the Gunners made you question the weight of Sunday's win, consider where the 0-1 win fits in amidst the Toon's other results. Newcastle currently has the fourth best goal difference in the league (+6), bested by only Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal. They have a League Cup win at Stamford Bridge and have posted 6-0 and 5-1 wins over Aston Villa and Sunderland, scorelines normally reserved for relegation-destined sides. Kevin Nolan is tied for the league lead in goals (seven), while Andy Carroll has only two fewer, helping Newcastle become the fourth club in league to hit the 20-goal mark.
Though Newcastle’s defensive record has been less impressive, Sunday’s shutout of the Gunners reflected significant improvement over the team that allowed three goals to open the season at Old Trafford. Strong days from center backs Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson withstood Arsenal attempts to move through their line, while stand-in goalkeeper Tim Krul perfectly read Gunner attempts to exploit Newcastle’s high line.
Should the Magpies continue to get performances like those, there’s no reason Newcastle can’t replicate Sunday’s result, though the key to doing so will be the man playing directly in front of the defense. Defensive midfielder Chieck Tiote wasn’t with the team when they faced Manchester United, but since his late summer acquisition from Twente Eschende, Newcastle’s defense has steadily improved. On Sunday, the Ivorian was crucial in breaking up Arsenal’s short passing game as it approached the back line. Arsenal was still able to pass the ball through the defense, but the depth from which they had to do it often gave Krul the opportunity to correctly read the play.
While Tiote’s day wasn’t perfect, his performance illustrated how important the defensive midfielder’s become in the modern game, highlighting how remarkable it was that Newcastle got by with Alan Smith as Tiote’s predecessor.
Bolton had an equally impressive performance from their destroyer. Fabrice Muamba has continuiously improved since moving to Bolton from St. Andrew's, but his effort on Bolton's first goal on Saturday illustrated his importance to Owen Coyle's side. Coming from his deep midfield position to pressure Sandro (near Tottenham's area), Muamba created the turnover which, within seconds, was converted into Kevin Davies' goal.
Particularly with central midfield partner Stuart Holden still acclimating in his first full season in England, the 22-year-old's 150-plus matches worth of Premier League experience is the cornerstone of Bolton's midfield. Should the England national team every realize that a real ball winner is part of the modern game (sorry, Gareth Barry), the Zaire-born midfielder could see time for the nation he's represented at the youth levels.
Unlike Newcastle, Bolton has some obvious holes. Whereas a player like Lee Chong-Yong offers the Trotters one advantage (a creative presence the Magpies lack), the left side of Bolton's defense is suspect. In that way, Bolton was fortunate on Saturday to face Niko Kranjcar instead of Aaron Lennon. Neither left back Paul Robinson nor left-center defender Zat Knight would have contained the speedy winger. Muamba would have had to help, perhaps preventing him from making plays like the one he made on Sandro. When you look across the league's other Europe contenders and see the likes of Nani, Theo Walcott, Ahmed Al Mohammadi (and even Adam Johnson and Wayne Routledge), the viability of Knight and Robinson is questionable.
Despite that weakness, Bolton holds sixth place, a standing occupied by West Bromwich Albion before a disappointing Sunday. The Baggies' 0-2 loss to City, combined with their 2-1 loss at Blackpool on Monday, has reversed the momentum accumulated over the last month. Now sitting in 10th place, West Brom has felt the absences of forward Peter Odemwingie (who returned in a substitute's role on Sunday) and defender Jonas Olsson.
The Baggies will have a chance to improve upon that standing over the next two weeks thanks to a merciful fixture list. Upcoming matches against West Ham United (20th), Wigan Athletic (18th), and Stoke City (17th) with give Roberto Di Matteo a chance to guide his team back into a European spot.
The other surprise top half contender is Sunderland, who bounced back from last weekend's 5-1 loss in the Tyne-Wear Derby with a 2-0 win over Stoke City. Missing leading goal scorer Darren Bent out, Black Cats supporters will be encouraged by record signing Asamoah Gyan's brace, hinting that their club, normally so dependent on Bent for goal scoring, is on the verge of a more well-rounded attack. Though he was an injury doubt coming into the weekend, Gyan got the start along side Danny Welbeck, scoring seven minutes into the match. His late goal, scored after Ryan Shawcross was dismissed, gave the Stadium of Light a glimpse of the Ghanaians' World Cup form.
While the Black Cats have failed to captivate those looking for underdogs, the talent on hand at the Stadium of Light could keep them in contention for Europe through the end of the season. If Gyan emerges, a Bent-Gyan striker tandem would be amongst the league’s best. Jordan Henderson continues to emerge in midfield along side Lee Cattermole, while Mohammadi provides dynamism on the right. Titus Bramble has proven to be a solid acquisition at the back, while Nedum Onouha has helped fill the back line’s other hole.
Like Newcastle, Sunderland is a solid team that lacks creativity. Unlike Newcastle, Sunderland lacks confidence. Scoring only one goal per match and having accumulated six draws, the Black Cats need to show more in attack if they’re to keep up their chase for Europe.
The biggest problem, player quality, has been addressed.
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