THE NEW YORK ANFIELDER

When was the last time Arsenal and Chelsea dropped points on the same weekend, aside from playing each other? Don't know? ME NEITHER! And Manchester United in 1st place heading into the New Year? Away victories for Liverpool and Manchester City? A bizarre matchday to say the least...

Charlton Athletic 2, Aston Villa 1 - I woke up early to watch this match and was left underwhelmed by a number of performances on the pitch. Although it seemed as if they would hang on for another hard-fought point away from Villa Park, Aston Villa were punished for profligate finishing. Moments before Bryan Hughes lashed in the winner in stoppage time, Gabriel Agbonlahor spurned a good, but not easy, chance to steal all three points for 10-man Aston Villa. Immediately afterwards, play shifted into the Aston Villa third. Hermann Hreidarsson rose high at the far post from a cross, headed the ball down into the path of Bryan Hughes, and Hughes capped off a strong substitute performance by giving Charlton all three points. The turning point of the game: undoubtedly Gareth Barry's sending off. He can have no complaints as he had no choice. Standout performances: for Charlton, Darren Bent had another strong game leading the attack. He seems to have risen to the responsibility of captaining this relegation-threatened side and leading their charge out of the drop zone. Matthew Holland also played well disrupting Aston Villa's midfield buildups. Amdy Faye who? Darren Ambrose also looked dangerous at times, including hitting a shot in the first half that forced Aston Villa goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly to tip onto his own post.

Although I didn't see the game, it's become quite obvious to me that Chelsea are not a Championship-winning calibre side without John Terry in their defense. Another 2 goals shipped in a 2-2 draw with Fulham. When was the last time Chelsea failed to pick up maximum points in back-to-back home games? It's now 8 goals conceded in 4 Premiership matches for the champions - 2 goals in each of the last four games to Everton, Wigan, Reading and Fulham. Imagine if Chelsea had to endure this lean spell against sides like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal...

I also watched a gritty and industrious Sheffield United shock Arsenal 1-0 at Bramall Lane. Full credit to Neil Warnock's side - I thought they fully deserved 3 points for their efforts. It seems that Sheffield United and Bolton Wanderers have found the formula for beating Arsenal: disrupt their passing moves by closing down their passers quickly, play physically and outmuscle them, and play direct football. It worked a gem today. Julio Baptista looked off color, especially after he missed a golden opportunity to score early on. I think it's safe to say that he's definitely one import who hasn't fully adjusted to the English game. Tomas Rosicky was in and out of the game, but for the most part, his passing was subpar. The Arsenal backline looked rattled at times, though Philippe Senderos was generally solid for a change. Full credit to Sheffield United though - players like Morgan, Montgomery, and Davis were immense in defense today for The Blades. And full marks to Jagielka for a calm and composed half hour in goal - though in fairness, Arsenal hardly tested him...why that was, I don't know - that could very well be the reason why Arsenal left Bramall Lane emptyhanded.