Wayne Rooney was truly outstanding today. England fans should begin to get excited ahead of the World Cup if Rooney can maintain his form.

Can people please stop this nonsense that Arsenal need grit. Read my post from after Chelsea hammered the Gunners 3-0 earlier this season.

Our friends at avoidingthedrop have a new post explaining the some aspects of undersoil heating, written by someone who works for a company that sells heating systems. Of course, it doesn't matter to the wider public if the supporters can't make it to the stadium and the match is cancelled for that reason.

Spanish sports fans have gained a sad reputation for abject behaviour toward minority groups.

English fans will remember the night in November 2004 when Spanish fans hurled racist abuse and made monkey chants at England's black players in a match between the two countries. This prompted Ashley Cole to announce that he will never play for a club in "racist Spain".

In 2008 racing car driver Lewis Hamilton was jeered and subjected to monkey chants by pathetic fans in the course of the Barcelona Grand Prix.

Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a photograph of the Spanish national basketball team was released displaying the players making slant eyes in a mocking manner.

And now a new story has emerged from Osasuna, Spain. A match between Real Mallorca and Osasuna was marred by antisemitic chants thrown at Real Mallorca's Israeli goalkeeper Dudu Aouate.

According to referee Alfonso Alvarez Izquierdo, "From the 14th minute and on five other occasions in the first half, (anti-Semitic) chants... were directed at the visiting goalkeeper by the home fans behind the goal, every time he touched the ball," the referee said in his match report posted on the Spanish federation Web site. Izquierdo informed the match delegate and a message was put out over the stadium PA system calling for the chants to stop. They were not repeated in the second half."

According to Haaretz, "The fans waved Palestinian flags and also shouted "murderer" at Aouate.

Aouate sounded unfazed by the chanting, telling local media that, "This happens to me every time I play here in Pamplona. It really makes me happy that we won."

This is not the first time that the Israeli 'keeper has been subjected to anti-Semitic taunts by Osasuna fans. In 2006, while playing for Deportivo La Coruna, he also came in for some untoward treatment."

The Spanish football federation is set to bring Osasuna before a disciplinary committee.

PlainSoccer.com Premier League Leaderboard: Week 16

Player	Club	Goals	Assists	Combined
1.Drogba, Didier	Chelsea	13	5	18
2.Fabregas, Cesc	Arsenal	6	10	16
3.Persie, Robin van	Arsenal	7	7	14
4.Defoe, Jermaine	Tottenham	12	1	13
-.Bent, Darren	Sunderland	10	3	13
5.Lampard, Frank	Chelsea	4	8	12
6.Rooney, Wayne	Man Utd	11	0	11
-.Torres, Fernando	Liverpool	10	1	11
7.Milner, James	Aston Villa	3	7	10
-.Giggs, Ryan	Man Utd	2	8	10
-.Tevez, Carlos	Man City	5	5	10
-.Saha, Louis	Everton	10	0	10
-Agbonlahor, Gabriel	Aston Villa	8	2	10
8.Gerrard, Steven	Liverpool	4	5	9
-.Lennon, Aaron	Tottenham	3	6	9
-.Adebayor, Emmanuel	Man City	6	3	9
-Bellamy, Craig	Man City	5	4	9

Didier Drogba takes the lead once again after a two goal performance versus Everton.

I work almost every Saturday morning, so it isn't that often that I have the opportunity to actually sit in-front of the tv which happens to have the sports channel necessary to watch the Premiership. What seems to happen more often than not? Internationals. What a waste. As someone who has no loyalty to any European country, why do I care if England's playing Georgia. I don't care if it's Euro qualifying. Just have every team play every 4 years in some pan-European tournament or something like that - or play friendlies after the season has finished. Don't ruin my Premiership watching by scheduling friendlies or qualifiers during one of those precious weeks that I could actually watch that league. I'd rather watch Wigan & Hull. Why? Wigan is fun to watch and its match against Hull actually is meaningful.

I've never talked to anyone who actually enjoys friendlies. Before the recent regime in England, friendlies 'didn't matter' according to every Englishman who I mentioned another Eriksson draw or a US victory to. The thing is, they do matter. Robin van Persie's injury shows us this. I don't really think that Wenger has a great case, but I feel sorry for the guy. There is no justification for Italy & the Netherlands to play each other during the domestic season - especially when the game was as physical as it was. Neither coach will want to tip his hand before the real tournaments, so I doubt that there is much that can be gained by playing a match like this.

I was going to post something along these lines as soon as I realized it was internationals the last time, but I didn't have internet access. At least I could add in the vanPersie injury. I suppose the only thing that internationals are good for is that the teams without as much depth end up resting their internationals a little more and it gives a more favourable mid-week matchup to the lower-table teams than could otherwise be hoped.

Fabregas must have read my recent article on Arsenal.

He told the Guardian,

"Throughout the game [at Manchester City in the 3-0 Carling Cup defeat last Wednesday], we had a lot of possession but didn't really have anyone to go in behind the defenders, apart from Carlos Vela," Fábregas said. "We had a lot of similar players who like the ball into their feet. Sometimes it's true that you need a different kind of option."

Fábregas need only look across London to see the striker who he rates as the finest in the world. Didier Drogba was at his muscular, destructive best in orchestrating Chelsea's 3-0 Premier League win at the Emirates on the Sunday before last. What Fábregas would give for a similar player at Arsenal.

"Overall, I saw a Chelsea team that was normal but a team that has probably the best striker in the world, and that makes such a difference‚" Fábregas said. "An average team that has the best striker in the world can always do something and Didier Drogba makes all the difference to them. Without him, their team would not be the same. Perhaps we had the same kind of problem against Chelsea as the boys had at Manchester City, not really having someone whose game is to go beyond defenders, and we were a little small to fight against them on crosses, too."

This raises the matter of the status of Arsenal forward Eduardo da Silva.

He has been given a huge opportunity to showcase his skills in the absence of Robin van Persie, but so far he has failed.

He is good but not great with the ball at his feet which means he has to be a lethal finisher. Unfortunately for Arsenal, he has not been a lethal finisher of late. Chelsea came to town last week in arguably Arsenal's biggest game of the season. Eduardo attempted 0 shots and had few effective touches of the ball. He failed massively on the big stage. His performance in this game, I think, really disappointed Arsene Wenger and Arsenal's midfield support players.

Eduardo was dropped for the next league game.

Arsenal need the option of a big presence in attack.

PlainSoccer.com Premier League Leaderboard: Week 15

Player	Club	Goals	Assists	Combined
1.Fabregas, Cesc	Arsenal	6	10	16
-.Drogba, Didier	Chelsea	11	5	16
2.Persie, Robin van	Arsenal	7	7	14
3.Defoe, Jermaine	Tottenham	12	1	13
4.Bent, Darren	Sunderland	9	3	12
5.Torres, Fernando	Liverpool	10	1	11
-.Rooney, Wayne	Man Utd	11	0	11
-.Lampard, Frank	Chelsea	4	7	11
6.Giggs, Ryan	Man Utd	2	8	10
-.Lennon, Aaron	Tottenham	3	7	10
-.Milner, James	Aston Villa	3	7	10
7.Gerrard, Steven	Liverpool	4	5	9

Aston Villa midfielder James Milner breaks into the top 6, setting himself up for a potential inclusion in the England World Cup squad. Most surprising so far, however, is the form of Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs. He remains one of the best players in his position in the Premier League.