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Evans finally ends barren run - oh, and Torres too

It was a day to forget for Wolves, who have gone to the bottom of the table © PA Photos

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On a day that saw Manchester United go four points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a 5-0 win over Wolves, and Fernando Torres finally get on the scoresheet, we round up the best and worst of the action:

Toothless Wolves
We're not saying that Mick McCarthy or Terry Connor's pre-match team-talks aren't up to much - but Wolves, after 29 games, are the only team who haven't found the back of the net in the opening 15 minutes of a Premier League match this season. It was easy to see why in their game against Manchester United, with lone striker Steven Fletcher seemingly having a force field around him that stopped team-mates bounding up in support.

Good Evans
Defender Jonny Evans opened the scoring at Molineux with his first goal for United, tapping in from the middle of the six-yard box following some pretty shocking defending from the hosts. Interestingly (honest), the strike arrived five years and a day after his only other previous senior strike, which came when on loan at Sunderland. So in another five years' time, remember to wade in with a first goalscorer bet. You can thank us then.

Zu gotta be kidding
Wolves defender Ronald Zubar got his marching orders following two first-half yellows; the second one was about as mindless as they come, as he lunged into a tackle on Danny Welbeck that he just didn't need to make. You might have expected Wolves fans to be fuming - but no, he left the field to a chorus of claps. Madness. Independent journo Sam Wallace summed it up nicely on Twitter: "Ronald Zubar sent off for two silly tackles. Smattering of applause for him from WWFC fans. Why? He's cost their team dearly." Good shout, sir. And speaking of Twitter, this from the peerless OptaJoe: "No team has ever beaten Manchester United in the Premier League after having a player sent off in the first half."

Terry woe-again
Wolves, quite simply, got an absolute pasting - and boss Terry Connor, who has the kind of rabbit-in-the-headlights look about him when things aren't going his way, seemed powerless to stop it. But at least someone in a Wolves shirt took responsibility: yes, trusty mascot Wolfie, who tried to entertain the crowd by doing forward rolls on the touchline. Didn't go down terribly well.

Grand smal
Chris Smalling trundled onto the pitch late in the day wearing protective headgear straight out of the Steve Borthwick fashion handbook. And tell you what, United's line-out didn't half improve afterwards.

Class Cahill
Gary Cahill opened the scoring for Chelsea against Leicester in the FA Cup, and celebrated by revealing a T-shirt imploring people to pray for Fabrice Muamba, who he played with whilst at Bolton. One of many nice touches on an emotional day. Muamba is in a critical condition in hospital following a cardiac arrest on Saturday.

King Kalou
When Salomon Kalou doubled Chelsea's lead he became only the second man to have found the back of the net in all of the Premier League, FA Cup, Carling Cup and Europe this season. Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is the other. Kalou's contract is up at the end of the season - are Chelsea fighting hard enough to keep him? Some of the mid-table sides in the league could do a lot worse.

Tor de force
Well, finally. After more than 25 hours without scoring, Fernando Torres... Scored. It wasn't one he'll tell his grandchildren about - he scuffed the ball in, really - but at least the wait was over. And then, sure enough, he added a second in the last few minutes. Didn't stop him looking moody in the post-match interview, though.

Stewpendous
So Evans scored, then Torres too - and yeah, we were a little surprised. But then Stewart Downing found the back of the net, and suddenly nothing felt right with the world. The Liverpool winger's Premier League stats this season (courtesy of Soccernet) read: played 27, no goals, no assists - which probably isn't what Kenny Dalglish had in mind when he signed him last summer. Yet here he was, thundering a shot past Thomas Sorensen to restore Liverpool's lead in the FA Cup quarter-final. What's next? Emile Heskey netting?!?

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