Game changer ... QPR's mercurial dynamo Adel Taarabt, left, celebrates scoring against Fulham. Source: AP
The Barclays Premier League showed this weekend that it’s immune to the holiday doldrums by providing some thrilling fixtures with over three goals on average scored per game.
Three moments stood out in round 17, and it was tough picking just one to be our Golden Moment, however QPR gets the award over star men Christian Benteke and Santi Cazorla for finally becoming the last club in English league football to register a win this season.
The R’s were rooted to the bottom of the table after faililng to bag three points in 16 previous attempts, but finally got a leg up from their West London neighbours Fulham.
Rangers’ misfiring star man Adel Taarabt scored twice at Loftus Road – the stadium Fulham once shared with QPR – to send the Hoops faithful into raptures and convince even the biggest doubters that new manager Harry Redknapp may just be able to work his magic again.
The momentousness of QPR’s first win was enough, but only just, to oust Aston Villa’s Benteke’s fine contribution for moment of the round. But the Belgian 22-year-old’s scintillating performance against Liverpool at Anfield did earn him Player of the Week.
The Reds were shocked by the big forward’s display in which he scored two of Villa’s three goals and assisted the other with a sumptuous backheel to Andreas Weimann.
Weimann sang his strike partner’s praises after the match, saying he is enjoying having Benteke as his foil.
"Obviously for myself it is great to play with someone like Christian. He wins the ball and holds up and is scoring goals as well," said Weimann.
"You have seen that the last few weeks he has been outstanding for us up front. He is such a physical presence and I am sure if he continues he will be a tough player to face."
Neither of Benteke’s goals made it into our top five goals of the round but his Weimann’s did. With 28 goals to choose from the selection was tough, with a Shaun Maloney thunderbolt and Tom Cleverley curler amongst the eventual winners. Check them out in the video below.
None of the strikes from Arsenal’s Tuesday morning (AEDT) goal fest with Reading made it into the above list but Gunners midfielder Cazorla’s hat-trick saw him join Benteke and Taarabt in the EPL Team of the Week.
Manchester and the North East squared off this week, with City and United facing Newcastle United and Sudnerland respectively.
City kept up the chase on their fierce rivals with a win over Newcastle following their derby loss a week earlier, but the Red Devils maintained the distance at the top.
If you missed any of the action be sure to check out our Round 17 Review below.
City were by far the superior team against Newcastle this past weekend, but things weren’t as easy eight years ago before the Citizens were the biggest spenders in English football and the Magpies boasted Alan Shearer and Laurent Robert amongst their ranks.
In a true game of two halves, no goals were scored in the first half, while the net was found seven times in the second. See how it all unfolded and who eventually triumphed in our look back at an EPL classic.
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