Skysports.com casts an eye over the Premier League action and picks out the highlights.
Skysports.com casts an eye over the New Year Premier League action and picks out the highlights from the lowlights
Team of the weekend
Game of the weekend
Manchester United 2 Blackburn 3
Blackburn arrived at Old Trafford cast as the proverbial lambs to the slaughter but courtesy of a display full of resilience and no little endeavour they made light of those bookies who'd offered odds of 28/1 for a Rovers win. Pre-match there was a jovial atmosphere as those present joined in with an impromptu rendition of 'Happy Birthday' as Sir Alex celebrated his 70th, 25 of which he's spent in Manchester. It was to be a birthday he'll never forget; for all the wrong reasons. If reports are to be believed Wayne Rooney's absence for the squad owed more to an ill-advised night out than the 'niggles' his manager suggested. How United could have done with a little Rooney magic... A flat performance and even flatter atmosphere allowed Blackburn to commandeer a two-goal advantage when early in the second half an in-form Yakubu Aiyegbeni added to his first half penalty. Dimitar Berbatov scored five against Blackburn in the corresponding fixture last season and when he grabbed a quick-fire brace there appeared to be only one winner. Neither David de Gea or Grant Hanley had the read script, though, and when the former failed to deal with a routine corner the latter was on hand to steal a three-point haul for his beleaguered boss Steve Kean.
Goal of the weekend
Sam Ricketts v Wolves
Only a true curmudgeon would have denied Sam Ricketts a little New Year cheer after a 10-month injury lay-off and that's precisely what he got as the Welshman closed the door on a miserable 2011 with a wonder goal. A 1-1 draw with Wolves was not a game that will live long in the memory but Ricketts' strike certainly will. Collecting possession wide on the left Ricketts cut onto his preferred right foot before curling into the far top corner a majestic effort out of keeping with what both preceded or followed it. Honourable mentions go to Robin van Persie, whose sweeping finish against QPR was his 35th of the calendar year, and Fulham's Orlando Sa, whose cute curling effort at Carrow Road showed there may just be life after Bobby Zamora, if the England man departs in the January transfer window.
Player of the weekend
Stephen Ireland v Chelsea
Aston Villa's forgotten man began the week in inauspicious circumstances when the football fraternity was reminded of his existence via a tweeted picture of him shirtless, clad in snakeskin strides and smoking a shisha pipe. Whatever he was smoking clearly had the desired effect as the Irishman demonstrated that when he's got his head right there's not many better playmakers in the Premier League, as Chelsea were left chasing his shadow for much of the afternoon at Stamford Bridge. Ireland scored the first and then set up Villa's third for Darren Bent, who himself has hardly endeared himself to the club's supporters of late.
Gaffe of the weekend
Frank Lampard v Aston Villa
David de Gea's limp wristed effort against Blackburn elicited a collective groan from all associated with Manchester United (with perhaps the exception of Anders Lindergaard) but it is Lampard's faux pas that perhaps best sums up Chelsea of late. There is no doubt Andre Villas-Boas is overseeing a transitional period for the West Londoners and
