The good and the bad from the weekend's Premier League action, and no Newcastle in sight.

Winners

Brian McBride: Go team! Watching Fulham these days and you wonder why their half-time "entertainment", the Cravenettes, have not been replaced by actual cheerleaders to make the American-dominated relegation scrappers feel even more at home.

Frat president McBride scored his first goal after recovering from a career-threatening knee injury, against his former side Everton no less, to give the Whites a crucial win in their late-doors battle to avoid the drop. His celebration was as understated and classy as the man himself, leaving Fulham fans wondering if they'd be anywhere near this mess had he been fit all season. Way to hustle.

Manchester United: The almost inevitable sense of déjà vu kicks in as United's adversaries crumble and they scrape 1-0 wins in the charge for the title. OK, Derby are awful, but they fought for pride and - with the FA Cup bizarre defeat still smarting - Ronaldo and co avoided another potential banana skin to go top.

Alan Curbishley: Phew. Old droopy was getting a bit tetchy after three consecutive 4-0 defeats, with questions raised as to his ability to motivate Bentley-driving millionaires when there is nothing much left to play for. A 2-1 win over hard-nuts Blackburn is exactly what West Ham needed, although the appointment of director of football Gianluca Nani raises doubts as to whether the Hammers board really trust him.

Jermain Defoe: Harry Redknapp just can't stop unearthing them can he? Defoe is reborn on Fratton Park, a confidence player who is now in his element and has scored six in six for Pompey, including a superb goal in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa. Is an England recall on the horizon? Special mention must go to the comical own goal scored by Nigel Reo-Coker, inadvertently blocking Scott Carson's clearance into his own net.

Losers

Mido / Gael Clichy: Ouch. Mido's attempt to control a high ball with his boot was ill-advised at best and downright filthy at worst. Given the Egypt striker's tendency to make bad decisions (dressing room bust-ups with Zlatan Ibrahimovic... calling his national team coach a donkey on being taken off only to see his replacement score immediately... joining Middlesbrough...) we'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but that won't have helped Arsenal defender Gael Clichy, who was the recipient of a size 11 in the john and an exit on a stretcher. Mido had finally returned to fitness and something approaching form, yet will now have to sit out a three match ban.

Still, Boro held on for a point and chicks dig scars, so not all doom and gloom for the duo.

Arsenal: A worrying dip in domestic form since the horror of Eduardo's leg-break has seen them relinquish their lead at the top of the Premier League and must pose serious questions about their on-pitch leadership.

When you fall off a horse you need to get straight back on it and constantly claiming victim status in a sport where injuries are commonplace and your own players are no angels earns you little sympathy from fans and opponents. And when your squad is young, inexperienced and perhaps lacking in mental strength they need guidance from both coach and senior players. They need to react, and react fast.

Christopher Samba: The big Franco-Congolese was culpable for Dean Ashton's goal for West Ham in their win over Blackburn and was the recipient of an ear-bashing from David Dunn, who one assumes he swatted like a fly, but one shudders to think the words Mark Hughes would have had with him afterwards.

Puma: Both angry at being substituted during their 2-1 defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City respectively - or perhaps smarting from their native Ireland's Six Nations defeat to England - first Reading's Shane Long and then Tottenham's Robbie Keane took out their frustrations on the breathable polyester of Puma.

Long hurled his shirt to the ground, for which he later apologised, while Keane had a paddy at a stray training top misfortunate enough to cross his path and is expected to face action from unimpressed boss Juande Ramos.

NB - Newcastle's absence is only on account of their playing tonight, but expect their inclusion in one or the other category later

Reda Maher / Eurosport