Best and worst of EPL: Smiles better for West Ham

Best smile

Avram Grant, the West Ham United manager, is often portrayed as a dour, emotionless character who patrols the technical area like a pallbearer.

He might not be the most charismatic of characters but just because he does not perform a Jose Mourinho-esque sprint down the touchline every time his side finds the back of the net, does not mean he is not passionate or tactically astute.

He broke into a smile, with some justification, for what felt like the first time in months following Saturday's win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Grant's role in steering Chelsea to within a spot-kick of Champions League glory in 2008 and also very close to the Premier League title is grossly undervalued.

You only have to see how badly Chelsea are performing now when the dressing is apparently in chaos to see how Grant managed to unite a fractious group of players following the upheaval that followed Mourinho's departure.

With West Ham out of the relegation zone for the first time in weeks, Grant has every reason to smile and so do the West Ham board for choosing to stick with him.

Worst penalty

There were two contenders but Peter Odemwingie just about wins it from Manchester City's Carlos Tevez.

Saturday's game at The Hawthorns was very much in the balance when Jerome Thomas not only induced a rare mis-timed tackle from Rio Ferdinand but also got Chris Foy to point to the spot - an achievement in itself.

Odemwingie had the chance to give West Bromwich Albion a potentially decisive lead in a helter-skelter match but he did not even force a save from Tomas Kuszczak, rolling his spot-kick tamely wide.

Penalties being awarded against Manchester United are so rare that you have to take them.

Tevez's attempt for City was not much better and the debate between him and Mario Balotelli, who scored twice from the spot in Tevez's absence last week, when City are next awarded a penalty and they are both on the field could be interesting to say the least.

Best singing voice

Roy Hodgson hardly endeared himself to Liverpool supporters when he claimed last week that he had not been awarded the traditional warm feeling from the fans of the Merseyside club since his arrival in the summer.

The PR team at Anfield have clearly been working overtime behind the scenes this week as Hodgson could be viewed singing You'll Never Walk Alone, the anthem that reverberates around the ground before the start of every home game, in a move that could be considered by some cynics as a gesture to win back from support from the crowd.

Hodgson may still be in the eye of the storm but he perhaps bought himself some breathing space with his vocal chords and a valauble three points as they defeated Bolton 2-1 on Saturday.

Best move

The interplay between Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri for Arsenal's second and third goals was breathtaking.

The movement and passing between the two playmakers was telepathic, overwhelming for Birmingham City and was made all the more impressive by the fact that it was achieved on a heavy pitch and against rugged opponents who had held league leaders Manchester United to a draw just three days earlier.

The test for Nasri and Fabregas is to now to repeat that high level of midfield play against Manchester City on Wednesday night in the league and then next month against Barcelona in the Champions League.

The battle between Nasri and Fabregas against Barca's Iniesta and Xavi could be one to savour for purists. The one positive for England fans is that Jack Wilshere, the teenage prodigy, is learning his trade at Arsenal alongside these two magicians. Perhaps England might develop a player who can retain possession after all.

Best reprieve

What is it about Gary Neville and referees? For the second time this season, the redoubtable Manchester United defender somehow escaped a red card on Saturday.

For reasons only he will know, Andre Marriner failed to brandish a second yellow card to the former England international for a reckless tackle on Stoke City's Matthew Etherington in October.

Neville escaped any sanction on Saturday after his lack of pace and positioning was exposed by West Bromwich Albion's Graham Dorrans. Chris Foy, the referee, was perfectly placed to make the correct call, award a penalty and dismiss Neville.

You can be sure that if the incident had taken place in front of the Stretford End at Old Trafford and it had been a West Brom player hauling down a United player in full flow, then the decision would have been very different.

Perhaps Sir Alex Ferguson's continued berating of referee's eventually pays dividends.

Worst tackle

Emotions have always been high at St Andrew's when Birmingham City meet Arsenal since Martin Taylor unintentionally shattered Eduardo's leg in 2008. Arsenal have complained relentlessly about being on the receiving end of over-zealous challenges since and Arsene Wenger's argument gained some credence yesterday.

Roger Johnson's challenge on Cesc Fabregas in the first half was dangerous and the Spanish schemer was lucky not to sustain a serious injury.

Instead of checking on the welfare of Fabregas, Johnson, a fellow professional, instead opted to argue with the referee over being awarded a yellow card.

He was lucky it was not red and that he did not become the latest centre-half - following on from Taylor and Ryan Shawcross - to inflict a potentially career-threatening injury on an Arsenal player.

kaffleck@thenational.ae