• Premier League Plays of the Day

The flying Scotsman shows why he's boss

An anti-Steve Kean banner is towed behind a plane © Getty Images

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Extra Kean to make a point
Not all of football's tactical battles are played out on the pitch, as was evidenced at Ewood Park as Blackburn took on Chelsea on Saturday. Fed up with fans expressing their desire for Steve Kean to be sacked as the club's manager, in midweek Rovers announced that fans would be banned (quite literally) from bringing any such banners inside the ground for the match.

Venky's evidently didn't factor in the resourcefulness (or financial might) of some of the club's supporters, however, as a plane flew over the ground early in the first half with a banner reading 'STEVE KEAN OUT' clearly visible. Well, it wasn't inside the ground, was it?

Fine strike, worth the wait
You can't say fairer than Ryan Taylor's goal, a quite blistering half-volley that gave Tim Howard no chance as Newcastle beat Everton at St James' Park. The former Wigan man may be a right-footer but he has been forced to fill in at left-back in recent weeks, but he showed the attacking quality that many know he has as he hit a pure effort that had both lift and power, resulting in a clean strike that flew over Howard before dipping in off the underside of the bar.

Taylor wheeled away in delight, before emulating Bebeto's famous celebration at the 1994 World Cup to note the birth of his son, Henry. However, it subsequently turned out that Henry was born six weeks ago - Taylor just hadn't had a prior opportunity to publicly laud the new arrival. Rumours that Jamie Carragher is still waiting for a goal (not in his own net) so he can note his 12-year-old daughter's birth in similar fashion have, alas, proven unfounded.

Far from a medical Marveaux
Sylvain Marveaux didn't join Liverpool in the summer after failing a medical, a small detail that Newcastle were happy to overlook in order to sign the well regarded former Rennes winger. The Frenchman's first Premier League start for the club may just suggest the Reds were right all along, however - as Marveaux was forced off injured after just 54 minutes.

If they weren't called into action before, the Magpies' medical team will be now. If they weren't smug before (and, as they paid £20m for Stewart Downing, they probably shouldn't have been), then Liverpool's decision-makers might just have reason to be now.

Mikel Arteta celebrates his goal with his team-mates © PA Photos

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All hail the Spanish inquisition
Robin van Persie might be the most prolific striker in the Premier League - extending his record to 29 goals in 28 games with another strike against West Brom - but Arsenal might also have the most efficient goalscorer in the Premier League, thanks to Mikel Arteta.

With his latest goal for the club against West Brom, the cultured Spaniard improved his record this season to three goals from just four shots in the league (for both Everton and the Gunners) - a pretty impressive rate of return.

The great Scot
Kudos to Manchester United for this classy move - the North Stand at Old Trafford is now renamed 'The Sir Alex Ferguson Stand' to acknowledge the 25 years of service the Scot has given the club.

David Gill also revealed that a statue of the legendary manager has been commissioned to reside outside the stand - although here's hoping they didn't commission the same artist who came up with the 'interesting' Michael Jackson monument that sits outside Fulham's Craven Cottage...

Wes Brown and a tactical masterstroke
An underrated aspect of Ferguson's managerial strategy - sell a mediocre-to-not-even-that-good player to a Premier League opponent, so they can then score an own goal on your behalf when you meet said team in the league. Today's example of that tactic - Wes Brown, who came up with a typically calamitous own goal to grant United a barely deserved victory.

Still an innovator after all these years, that Fergie.

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