Paul Parker Index

If there was any question about Jermain Defoe's status as England's best natural finisher, he ended the debate with his devastating five-goal performance for Tottenham against Wigan. It was typical of his single-minded approach to the game that he said afterwards he was disappointed not to get a double hat-trick! I'm sure his place in...More

54 comments

MATCH OF THE WEEKEND: Manchester City v Liverpool It's another big game for Liverpool and one they should be able to raise their game for. They proved against Manchester United they can perform when the pressure is on, and with the spotlight still firmly on Rafa Benitez, the situation is...More

30 comments

Thierry Henry has insisted he is no cheat and that he was acting purely on instinct when he handled the ball in France's controversial World Cup play-off with the Republic of Ireland, and I can understand his point of view. In the heat of the moment, with the ball coming...More

62 comments

The Republic of Ireland may have lost the first leg of their play-off match to France, but they will have been able to take a great deal of heart from the game at Croke Park. As usual, the Irish had a go and but for some poor finishing and a slice of bad luck,...More

86 comments

I'm not a fan of mid-season friendlies at the best of times, but England's money-spinner against Brazil in the Middle East is plain crazy. And I imagine that's the view of most Premier League managers too, who will be spending this weekend fretting over those players who have travelled to the Middle East. There...More

36 comments

David Ngog's dive to win a penalty against Birmingham on Monday has caused uproar, and rightly so. What it served to do, apart from getting Liverpool and Rafa Benitez out of jail, is highlight once again the need for action to be taken to combat cheating. Gaining an unfair advantage through...More

237 comments

Match of the weekend: Chelsea v Manchester United It's the big one and I have to listen to my head, not my heart, when predicting the outcome. Chelsea are simply too strong for United at the moment and I expect them, with home advantage, to take all three points at Stamford Bridge. Didier Drogba is...More

149 comments

With just under a third of the season gone, it looks like the Premier League title could be heading down south to London. Arsenal have played the best-looking football so far and I would love to say they were my favourites to win the league, but that label has to go to Chelsea. Carlo Ancelotti's side...More

85 comments

Match of the weekend: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur This is a real test of Tottenham's ambitions. They have a bigger squad than Arsenal and more strength in depth, but lack individuals with the quality of Andrei Arshavin or Cesc Fabregas. Arsenal have started the season well, but they have frailties in defence and you...More

32 comments