Top 5 Most Important New Years Day Goals.

January 1st sees the last of the crazy run of Premier League games over the festive season. On Boxing Day, on another site, I had looked at to top five most important goals for teams on that day. Due to the response I got from that I figured I would do the same on here for the New Years Day Premier League match schedule.




5) Nicklas Bendtner:
                                   Manchester City had won earlier on the day and reclaimed the top spot from Arsenal. With the New Year in North London still filled with promise of a Premier League title eyes were on the Emirates Stadium to see if Arsenal could copy what Manchester City had done earlier.

For 88 minutes the Gunners disappointed and I am sure even the toughest Arsenal fan had thoughts of 'here we go again'. Then, up stepped Bendtner who made no mistake from close range, and reclaimed the top spot.


4) Dimitar Berbatov:
                                   Fulham had a player in the top 5 for Boxing Day when Scott Parker stepped up with minutes to go at Carrow Road and turned a valuable point into a great three. For similar reasons Berbatov gets a mention. After the 6-0 hammering on Saturday the Cottagers actually went a goal down to relegation rivals West Ham.

In the second half, and after West Ham had a man sent off the Bulgarian was in the right place to again turn around the goal deficit into a good three points. Again it was from close range, but it doesn't matter how they go in, as long as they do.


3) Leighton Baines:
                                  A penalty in the last minute to get a point in a game against a team who are struggling may not seem like a vital goal on the surface. What the goal meant for Everton coming into the New Year meant that no matter the result between Manchester United and Tottenham in the later game, the Toffeemen would remain in fifth position until the League comes back again in ten days time.


2) Saido Berahino: 
                                For a side in trouble at the wrong end of the table and the attention brought onto one of their players after a controversial celebration. Add to that the fact that the Club President, John Silk, passed away earlier and the thought of facing Newcastle would really not have been wanted.

Three minutes left on the clock and with the score at 0-0 and the opposition keeper brings down your player in the area to give you a penalty. The experienced Nicolas Anelka didn't want to take it, Zoltan Gera and other, more experienced pro's up stepped a 20 year old Burundi born striker stepped up and gave the Baggies a vital three points. Now they are closer to being in the top half than the bottom three, and that has to be a Happy New Year.


1) Christian Eriksen:    
                                   This was originally going to be the Emmanuel Adebayor goal but as the game went on and with Danny Welbeck pulling a goal back the Erikson goal became the number one most important goal of New Years Day for me. New Years Eve talk was about Manchester United's title hopes with most agreeing that one more defeat would be enough to rule them out of contention.

Now eleven points behind top spot and nine below the automatic Champions League position you have to think this goal just may have ruled United out of the title for this season. In the same breath it puts Spurs right in the mix and, although a title charge may be too much for them, certainly the good run has continued and top four is only two points away right now.


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