A look at who was hot and who was not over the weekend, with diminutive strikers heading our list of hotties.

WINNERS

Michael Owen - His decisive two goals in the Tyne-Wear derby were, according to the Sky Sports commentator, "in the script". Quite who wrote this script, and more to the point how one can get hold of a copy, is anyone's guess but nevertheless, Owen's brace, predictable or not, went a long way to proving the Newcastle striker is once again approaching his best form.

Carlos Tevez (pictured, with dummy) - His goal celebrations may leave something to be desired, but few Manchester United fans will care about such trivial matters after the Argentine's last gasp equaliser against Blackburn gave United a huge point (if solitary points are capable of being distinguished by size). Tevez has developed quite a knack for popping up with late goals and his header at Ewood Park may yet prove crucial in this year's race for the title.

Benjani - There is something distinctly dignified about refusing to celebrate scoring against a former club. When Benjani sealed Manchester City's win against Portsmouth, he turned away, head bowed with almost Denis Law-like respect for his old employees. If Bernardo Corradi were still with City, he would undoubtedly have knighted Benjani with the corner flag for his noble gesture.

Rafa Benitez - Courage of conviction is a rare thing, but the Liverpool boss clearly has oodles of it. Faced with pressure from certain quarters to field his strongest side against Fulham despite his club's biggest game of the season looming on the horizon, Rafa stuck to his guns and gave his stars a rest at Craven Cottage. Fortunately for him, he was spared a vicious backlash because even his second string were too good for the Cottagers.

Gary Megson and his Bolton side - Many people's least favourite Premier League side (according to one Saturday newspaper) are well on their way to pulling off their own version of the 'Great Escape' after a gritty (what else?) 1-0 win at Middlesbrough. The 'Ginger Mourinho' may not possess the same flair as his Portuguese namesake, but he appears to have plenty of what really matters to stay in the top flight - determination and a never-say-die attitude.

LOSERS

David James - A perfect example of how easy it is for a goalkeeper to go from hero to zero in the space of a few days. This time last week, James and his hair-do were being hailed as Pompey's saviour after somehow diverting Michael Owen's close range strike over the bar. Seven days, a hilarious cock-up involving Sol Campbell and a 3-1 defeat later, we are beginning to remember why the word 'Calamity' is so liberally used as a prefix to his name.

Roy Hodgson - Just as Fulham had made huge strides towards their Premier League survival, they went and did it again and lost 2-0 to a heavily-weakened Liverpool side. The Championship now beckons for Hodgson, who is on the brink of failing in his mission to save Fulham.

Mauro Zarate - Another case of hero-to-villain in no time at all. The youngster has shown flashes of brilliance over recent weeks, but unfortunately all that good work was undone over the weekend when he lost the plot and kicked out at some advertising hoardings following his substitution in the Birmingham derby. "At least it shows his passion and commitment. I've no problem with him" is the usual line from managers. Childish, petulant and disrespectful is an alternative view.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport