Game of the weekend Birmingham v Aston Villa
When your team concedes a last minute goal it is a painful and torrid experience. However, when your side scores a late winner, what a feeling it is. Add into the mix that you are playing your fiercest rivals - and you have yourself a vicious clash of emotions. The Second City derby rarely passes by without incident, and Sunday's clash was no different. Liam Ridgewell netted an own goal against his former club, but the Blues were then boosted when Mikael Forssell levelled with a bullet of a header. Both sets of fans were now fully preparing themselves for a share of the points. As a supporter, a draw pretty much conjures up a non-existent reaction, with a stalemate meaning less ridicule for either set of fans heading into work on Monday. But it was not to be, as Gabriel Agbonlahor's flicked header found its way into the corner. The majority of St Andrews were hit by anguish and screamed obscenities, while the pocket of Villa fans went barmy. Player of the weekend Dimitar Berbatov The Bulgarian has been victim of a barrage of speculation of late. But as the old adage goes, he did his talking on the pitch. While Berbatov's recent form has yet to really reach the giddy heights of last season, Sunday's display reminded football fans of his outrageous quality. He often tends to saunter round the pitch demonstrating deft of touch, and his performance against Wigan was exactly that. The highlight was his part in Aaron Lennon's quality strike, which you can read about below. The only thing really missing from Berbatov's 90 minutes of grace was a goal, which the woodwork denied him. Pass of the weekend Dimitar Berbatov Having already strung together some extremely flattering superlatives for Berbatov above, his pass shall be kept short and sweet. Paul Robinson knocked a lengthy kick down the field and the gifted striker controlled the ball with ease, before nonchalantly cushioning into Lennon's path - who dispatched expertly. Controversy of the weekend Steve Bennett A Premier League weekend would not feel complete without some version of a refereeing talking point. This weekend's comes courtesy of Steve Bennett. Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce was left fuming when his side were denied two first half penalty shouts. The first of which saw Cameron Jerome's flick-on strike Zat Knight's arm, and the second came when Daniel de Ridder crumpled under a Martin Laursen challenge. Bennett opted against awarding the Blues a penalty on both occasions and also booked De Ridder for diving - Bruce was rather displeased. Goal of the weekend Tim Cahill Nolberto Solano's superb free-kick fails to claim top prize as an acrobatic effort from a feisty Australian catches eye. The fact that it was a last minute goal adds that further spice to what was a huge goal for Everton. However, the manner in which Tim Cahill dispatched his effort deserves much praise. With seconds remaining substitute James McFadden delivered a cross which sat up nicely for Cahill. He then audaciously lifted two feet to fire home a stunning overhead kick, silencing Stamford Bridge. Performance of the weekend West Ham West Ham pip Tottenham for performance of the weekend following their 5-0 demolition of lowly Derby. Strikes from Matthew Etherington, Lee Bowyer (two), Nolberto Solano and an Eddie Lewis own goal saw Alan Curbishley's men crush The Rams at Pride Park. West Ham overcame a bright Derby start to eventually brush them aside, and credit must go to the players involved - bearing in mind the current injury crisis at Upton Park. Save of the weekend Joe Hart Rarely is save of the weekend almost won by an outfield player, but Agbonlahor did come awfully close. The pacey striker - who eventually won the game for Villa - denied Ridgewell a potential winner, and deserves praise for his defensive stretch. That moves us onto the triumphant Joe Hart, who put in a tremendous overall display at Fratton Park. His save was one of incredible reflexes as Glen Johnson fired a powerful effort at goal. Hart reacted superbly to tip the effort onto the crossbar. Stat of the weekend Derby County The final chapter in this weekend montage comes in the form of a statistic. Our apologies to Derby fans for reminding them of their goal-shy record, but it was impossible to ignore such a drought. The Rams have now gone over eight hours without a league goal - worrying times indeed for manager Billy Davies. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
