This weekend’s Premier League fixtures threw up a heady mixture of the bizarre and the sublime as defeats for Chelsea and Liverpool showed that the 2009/2010 title race is in real danger of becoming genuinely competitive.

POP GOES LIVERPOOL’S TITLE CHALLENGE

Liverpool’s title hopes suffered yet another blow as Darren Bent’s goal – deflected in off a rogue beach ball in Pepe Reina’s six-yard box – condemned them to a 1-0 defeat.

It was the Anfield side’s fourth defeat of the season and, despite the controversial nature of the winning goal, Rafa Benitez bemoaned the poor performance of his players rather than the bizarre circumstances.

“The goal changed the game but we didn’t play well, made some mistakes and gave the ball away. They played well on the counterattack. They had some chances and when we had our chances we didn’t take them,” he said.

VILLA COME OUT ON TOP AS CHELSEA FAIL TO FIGHT THEIR CORNER

Carlo Ancelotti was left ruing poor defending and finishing as Aston Villa took the points in a 2-1 win at Villa Park.

Two corners did for Chelsea as Richard Dunne and James Collins took advantage of free headers to come back from an early Didier Drogba strike. Chelsea had several chances themselves in the second half but Brad Friedel’s saves contrived to keep them at bay.

UNITED GO TOP IN BOLTON TEST

Manchester United took the points in a 2-1 victory but they were run close by a spirited Bolton side. The game would have been over as a contest much earlier in the game had United taken the raft of chances that came their way.

An own goal from Zat Knight and Antonio Valencia’s first in a United shirt put the Champions two goals up before Matt Taylor’s header set up an edgy finale. However, United stood firm to a Bolton barrage and returned to the top of the table.

REDKNAPP’S RETURN & ALL THE REST…

Harry Redknapp’s much-hyped return to Portsmouth ended with little controversy as Spurs took the points with a 2-1 win. Jermain Defoe scored and was then sent off against his former club but a well-mannered crowd avoided any kind of trouble off the pitch.

In the weekend’s other potential powder-keg affair, an impressive Blackburn beat Lancashire rivals Burnley 3-2 in the first top-flight derby between the sides in 43 years. In a frenetic encounter, it was local boy David Dunn who was Rovers’ hero with a goal and the man-of-the-match award.

Also in Lancashire, 10-man Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by a threatening Wigan side. Goals a minute either side of the half from Charles N’Zogbia and Martin Petrov meant for a share of the points at the DW Stadium.

A confident Arsenal defeated Birmingham City 3-1 at the Emirates with goals from Van Persie, Diaby and Arshavin as they continued their lethal form in front of goal.

Elsewhere, struggling West Ham were beaten at Stoke 2-1 by a James Beattie brace, with a stitched-up Matthew Upson heading in the Hammers’ reply. Robert Huth’s bludgeoning swing on Upson during the game may well see the German defender in hot water with the FA.

At Goodison Park, Everton and Wolves shared the points in a 1-1 draw. Kevin Doyle put Wolves in the lead after a classic route one assist and Russian winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov scored his first goal for the Toffeemen in reply. Giant Austrian forward Stefan Maierhofer was sent off for two bookings late on.

Monday’s night ESPN Classic saw Fulham beat an inept Hull side 2-0 with goals from strike pairing Bobby Zamora and Diomansy Kamara. Not even a returning Jimmy Bullard could help Phil Brown’s men as they remained in the bottom three.

HERO OF THE WEEK

It’s not often an inanimate object grabs the headlines but this week there can only be one hero: the Liverpool beach ball that deflected Darren Bent’s shot past Pepe Reina.

GOAL OF THE WEEK

Despite the beach ball’s predatory instinct, the sweeping counter-attack finished in incisive style by Arsenal’s Andrei Arshavin’s just edges it.

IRONY OF THE WEEK

In a weekend of soft or silly red cards, it was Robert Huth’s pub-brawl style hay-maker on Matthew Upson that went unseen and unpunished.