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Manchester United were crowned Premier League champions in May, but have just one player to show for their success as we compile the definitive team of 2009.

There is no room for the mercurial talents of Robin van Persie (7.02) and the rejuvenated Didier Drogba (6.91) in our side as Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres form our indomitable frontline.

Equally, Frank Lampard (6.79) is edged out of the midfield with Cesc Fabregas and Steven Gerrard occupying the two central berths, flanked by wing wizards Andrei Arshavin and Aaron Lennon.

Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson are the two full-backs after consistent displays for Chelsea and, in the right-back’s case, Liverpool and formerly Portsmouth.

Brede Hangeland and Joleon Lescott form a slightly surprising centre-back pairing, with no room for either of United’s first-choice partnership of Nemanja Vidic (6.32) and Rio Ferdinand (5.93).

How it works

We take marks out of 10 awarded to Premier League players from a selection of six national newspapers – The Sun, Daily Star, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, The Times and the Guardian – then create an average. The top player in each position is rewarded with a spot in our team of the year for 2009.

2009 Team of the Year

Goalkeeper: Shay Given (Manchester City) – 6.89

Right back: Glen Johnson (Liverpool) – 6.73

Centre back: Brede Hangeland (Fulham) – 6.61

Centre back: John Terry (Chelsea) – 6.75

Left back: Ashley Cole (Chelsea) – 6.51

Right midfield: Aaron Lennon (Tottenham) – 6.89

Centre midfield: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) – 7.03

Centre midfield: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) – 6.98

Left midfield: Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal) – 7.05

Centre forward: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) – 7.15

Centre forward: Fernando Torres (Liverpool) – 7.05

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says Glen Johnson may need a scan on an injured knee after he was forced off in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

The 25-year-old right-back came off in the 89th minute with a suspected knee injury and left the ground on crutches.

“We don’t know, we have to do a scan – maybe he has a problem with his knee,” said manager Rafael Benitez.

Johnson has already missed three games with a calf problem as Liverpool have endured an injury-plagued campaign.

Liverpool’s winner was scored by Fernando Torres, who has been hampered by a groin injury this season.

Benitez revealed the Spanish striker, whose injury-time winner resulted in him overtaking Roger Hunt as the quickest Liverpool player to reach 50 league goals (in 72 games) for the club, has more recently been troubled by an ankle injury.

“Fernando has had some problems with his ankle more than his groin and he has been working very hard with the fitness coach and the physio,” added Benitez.

“It depends on how he feels – in terms of how many games he can play – but against Villa he was OK.

“We will have to assess things and see what happens. We will leave it with him but we need to keep him fit for the remainder of the season. That is the important thing.”

Benitez says he is surprised by the furore which has greeted his statement that Liverpool will finish in the top four this season.

The victory over Villa took them to seventh in the Premier League, four points behind Tottenham who are in fourth place.

“What else am I going to say? What other answer can I give? I have to be the first one to believe and I have to make the players believe,” he said.

“People say I am putting pressure on them. What else am I supposed to do? I am the manager.

“It is important for us to keep Torres and Gerrard fit.

“If they stay fit and can play in most of the games remaining for us then we have a very good chance.”

Tuesday, 29 December 2009

Aston Villa v Liverpool, 19:45

Bolton v Hull, 20:00

Chelsea   2 - 1   Fulham

Chelsea opened up a five-point gap at the top of the Premier League table as they came from behind to beat Fulham.

The visitors stunned Chelsea by taking the lead after four minutes when Zoltan Gera hooked in from 12 yards.

Fulham then defended comfortably as Chelsea struggled to make an impact but Didier Drogba finally got the equaliser when he headed in at the far post.

And an unfortunate own goal by Chris Smalling handed Chelsea a victory that had looked unlikely for long spells.

For much of the match Chelsea looked short of ideas and out-of-sorts as Fulham produced a performance that was full of commitment and excellent defending.

Even without the injured Brede Hangeland, Fulham looked comfortable at the back – until John Pantsil went off injured, and that was perhaps the turning point of the game.

Until then Pantsil had got the better of Drogba in an excellent battle, with the Ivorian striker cutting a frustrated figure.

But in the end Drogba helped give Chelsea the perfect farewell present before he heads off to the African Cup of Nations.

It was a crushing blow for Fulham but worse was to follow.

Three minutes later, Daniel Sturridge’s cross-shot was beaten out by Schwarzer but it hit Smalling and he put through his own net trying to clear.

Kalou clipped the bar with a shot late on, but the result was already harsh enough on Fulham.

Chelsea, however, will be buoyed by a victory that was achieved when they were far from their best.

Yet it might have been so different. If ever there was a perfect time for Fulham to play Chelsea, perhaps this was it with the Blues having won only one of their five previous games in December.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Birmingham that his side were lacking confidence and that was certainly in evidence.

The Italian made six changes to his line-up but the number of alterations outweighed the number of chances created.

Time and again Fulham easily repelled half-hearted Chelsea attacks

Right from the start, Chelsea looked off key and when skipper John Terry failed to head away Paul Konchesky’s cross, Gera was on hand to hook the ball in after Bobby Zamora had nodded it his way.

A miserable afternoon for Terry continued when he suffered cuts under his eye and on his cheek after a clash with team-mate Yuri Zhirkov, who will not look back fondly on his first Premier League start.

For all their possession, Chelsea barely forced a save from Mark Schwarzer in the first half – the Australian easily gathered two Drogba efforts, while Salomon Kalou dragged a shot well wide.

And just after the break, Zamora should have punished Chelsea when he intercepted Ricardo Carvalho’s backpass but Petr Cech made a fine save.

That might have wrapped up Fulham’s second victory over Chelsea in the last three decades, but instead they ended up suffering a 17th defeat.

Drogba gave warning that Chelsea were far from finished when he tested Schwarzer with a fizzing shot.

And it was Drogba who hauled his side back into the game when he exploited the space at right-back, after Pantsil had been forced off injured, and headed in Paulo Ferreira’s far-post cross.

It was a crushing blow for Fulham but worse was to follow.

Three minutes later, Daniel Sturridge’s cross-shot was beaten out by Schwarzer but it hit Smalling and he put through his own net trying to clear.

Kalou clipped the bar with a shot late on, but the result was already harsh enough on Fulham.

Chelsea, however, will be buoyed by a victory that was achieved when they were far from their best.

Manchester United edged an error-strewn encounter with Hull to close to within two points of leaders Chelsea in the race for the Premier League title.

Wayne Rooney drew first blood for United on the stroke of half-time, but later made a calamitous back-pass which paved the way for a Hull penalty.

Craig Fagan levelled from the spot, but Rooney made amends when his low cross led to an Andy Dawson own goal.

Dimitar Berbatov then sealed the win after a pin-point pass from Rooney.

At a stage of the season when champions United traditionally begin to hit their stride, the victory closed the gap on Chelsea after they were held to a goalless draw at Birmingham on Saturday.

But for all Rooney’s influence, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men – who arrived on Humberside in wounded-animal mode after suffering two defeats in their previous three Premier League outings – were rarely at their best.

In fairness that had much to do with Hull, whose industry and commitment proved formidable obstacles despite some hairy moments for goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, most notably when he miscued a first-half clearance.

Having seen his team charged by the Football Association after last weekend’s mass confrontation at Arsenal, Phil Brown had looked to foster a siege mentality among his players in the build-up.

And his players clearly bought into the billing of unfairly-punished underdogs as they absorbed United’s strong start and were unlucky to be denied an early penalty.

Fagan found Richard Garcia with a precise through-ball, but as the Australia international raced into the area he was upended by a sliding tackle from Nemanja Vidic that prompted furious protests from Hull.

It was Alan Wiley, the referee whose fitness was questioned by Ferguson after United’s 2-2 draw against Sunderland earlier this season, who came to the visitors’ rescue.

Wiley saw nothing wrong with the challenge, but no sooner had he waved away the complaints than Hull were at United again, Seyi Olofinjana forcing a fine reflex save from Tomasz Kuszczak.

Another opportunity to open the scoring went begging when Olofinjana put Stephen Hunt through only for the Republic of Ireland midfielder to shoot wide.

As the misses mounted for Hull, the feeling grew that there would be a price to pay against a United side desperate to bounce back following last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Fulham.

The return of a trio of defenders in Rafael da Silva, Vidic and Wes Brown provided a platform for United to go forward with greater confidence, and although their attacking fluency was never at its best, they nonetheless offered plenty of threat.

Giggs twice went close early on, volleying on to the roof of the net before rippling the side-netting with a free-kick, while Rooney and Rafael both forced acrobatic saves from Myhill.

The danger was clear and, sure enough, with the interval beckoning Darren Fletcher swung in a near-post cross from the right flank, Giggs deflected it to Rooney, and the lurking England man prodded home from close-range.

With the hour mark approaching, however, Rooney gifted Hull a reprieve, directing a woeful back-pass to Kuszczak which was intercepted by Fagan.

Da Silva bundled over Jozy Altidore from the resulting cross, and Fagan shot unerringly past Kuszczak to ensure that there would be no repeat of Geovanni’s missed spot kick against Arsenal last week.

Sensing the possibility of a win that would lift them clear of the relegation zone, Hull poured forward in search of a winner, but their enterprise was to prove their undoing.

With 17 minutes remaining, Giggs led a United counter-attack, slotting the ball through for Rooney to direct a low cross towards substitute Ji-Sung Park which the sliding Dawson could only direct into his own net.

And Rooney was once again at the heart of the action as United put the polish on their win with eight minutes remaining, directing a slide-rule pass through the legs of Anthony Gardner that enabled Berbatov to score with a tap-in.