So it was a thrashing. Whichever way one looks at it, and despite the red card for Danny Rose (which one expects to be rescinded), it was the pure class and quality of Manchester City that shown through with aplomb.
The damage could have been worse if Sergio Aguero had not gone off injured, which further points to the clear superiority of play. Despite him coming off at half time, City scored four after the substitution.
But if there is going to be a defeat, best it comes against the best team in the world at this point in time.
Can and will City take this form into their Champions League clash against Barcelona? Or will super tactical Chelsea provide a bigger test on the weekend?
Manchester City are the team to beat and the ultimate test for opponents aspiring to win titles, both domestic and continental.
As for Spurs, a football game has been lost but no reason to panic or doubt that Tim Sherwood is the right man to rebound from this. Manchester United and Arsenal can attest to that.
As the clock ticked away deep into injury time, Eden Hazard squared for ex-West Ham boy Frank Lampard and it was game over for West Ham – not!
Poor Frank had enough energy to put foot to ball but lacked the strength to put power into the shot. Good save from Adrian, or a poor finish from Lampard?
If the clock was rolled back a few seasons, the ball would have been thrashed into the net, hence, this is unfortunately a bad miss from Frank and two valuable points dropped for the Pedantic One.
At Anfield, there was no "Mersey" for Everton, as the Reds were too dominant. Great result and super performance but good timing for Everton to face such a thrashing, too.
The Toffees have been fantastic and will take this defeat as a lesson to restart their season.
It is a good wake-up call for the squad to understand the need to keep lifting their level of performance to truly be a club on the cusp of Europe.
It is commendable how Roberto Martinez has made this Everton side so exciting to watch by encouraging individual flair but occasionally, a lesson, harsh words or the old-fashioned slap in the face can work wonders.
On the other hand, Steven Pienaar might need a call, as he went missing on the day. He was awfully underperforming at the most inopportune moment.
The Red Devils had Robin Van Persie back and they had Juan Mata making his debut against the right opponent, too, in Cardiff City at this point in the season.
It has to be taken as a good result.
Is Manchester United's title defence back on track? Not so fast, but steady steps in the right direction for David Moyes' men.
The Gunners will appreciate the point won at Southampton as it was a delight to watch two teams passing the ball at a good tempo.
A team that has delighted and will continue to delight, Southampton are worth a place in Europe if they can get their consistency going again.
Their football is a breath of fresh air and has been a personal highlight this Premier League season. – January 31, 2014.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
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