Eboué in cheat storm

Controversy is never far away in the Premier League. Emmanuel Eboué managed to lose the plot (twice), performing a poor man’s Adebayor and punching in a “goal”, while West Ham scored a penalty despite the converter, Italian Alessandro Diamanti, seeming to take two touches.

Arsenal beat Wigan 4-0 but their Ivory Coast midfielder used his fist to score a disallowed goal, and was booked, before making the unwise decision to celebrate when he deflected in his goal by mimicking his friend Emmanuel Adebayor and sliding in front of the Wigan fans. Thankfully, there were only a few hundred Latics supporters and they showed total indifference, but it was not the brightest thing to do.

At Upton Park, Fernando Torres put Liverpool 1-0 up with a great goal before West Ham equalised with a debatable penalty taken by Diamanti, who slipped as he made contact with the ball, which looped in. He appeared to touch the ball twice. Dirk Kuyt restored Liverpool’s lead before Carlton Cole made it 2-2 but Torres wrapped up a 3-2 win with an excellent header. The Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said: “The players thought he touched it twice.”