While Chelsea sit four points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, striker Didier Drogba was left feeling blue after being knocked off the top of the Actim Premier League standings. Drogba missed his side’s 2-1 home victory over Portsmouth through injury and then posted -7 in the 1-1 draw at West Ham. Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas replaced him at the summit – despite only playing once. He netted in the 1-1 draw at Burnley but was absent for the 3-0 home win over Hull due to a hamstring strain. However, the Spaniard (377) holds a seven-point lead over the Ivorian.

After just missing out of Champions League football last season, Aston Villa are mounting a stronger push time time around. Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and James Milner - all hoping to be on the plane to South Africa next summer – are joined in the top 10 by Carlos Cuellar, who is enjoying a more productive second season at Villa Park. Richard Dunne is not far behind in 11th. Milner moved ninth thanks to a 36-point haul – and a contender for goal of the season – at Sunderland while Cuellar is 10th after posting 36 points from his last two outings.

Lanky striker Peter Crouch left Tottenham standing tall in fifth place in the Barclays Premier League as they continue their quest to bring European football back to White Hart Lane. While some of the squad would have had been suffering a headache following their secret Christmas party in Ireland – and an earache from boss Harry Redknapp as a result – Crouch used his head to put Spurs in front at Blackburn before a cool finish for his second. His 50-point haul – and best score of the season – lifted him into the top 100 and in 85th place with 178 points.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without Santa – and Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz certainly got into the festive spirit. He netted his first Barclays Premier League goals for the club in the 4-3 home win over Sunderland which proved to be manager Mark Hughes’ last in charge. The Paraguayan posted his best tally of the campaign as his 49-point haul saw him jump into 288th place with 53 points. Former Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy sits 20th (248 points) after registering one of his highest scores this term with 38 points against the Black Cats.

The Pompey chimes were ringing loud and proud after the Barclays Premier League’s basement side gave their survival battle a massive shot in the arm with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Liverpool at Anfield. Goals from Nadir Belhadj and Frederic Piquionne helped Avram Grant’s side move to within three points of safety. Algerian defender Belhadj bagged his first goal of the season and 36 points – his highest of the campaign – while Piquionne netted for the second successive game. Tal Ben-Haim is the highest-placed Pompey player in 147th place with 132 points.

Bobby Zamora has often being ridiculed during his time as a Premier League player but after netting for the third successive top-flight match, some are pushing forward his claims for a place in England’s World Cup squad. The 3-0 win over Manchester United at Craven Cottage extended Fulham’s unbeaten league run to five games. Zamora bagged 34 points against the champions and now sits 44th in the Index with 216 points and is six places behind team-mate Damien Duff (226 points).

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Coventry striker Freddy Eastwood leads the way in this week’s Coca-Cola Championship Actim Index. Eastwood – restored to his favoured attacking role after spending much of the season on the wing – notched a hat-trick to help the Sky Blues to a 3-2 victory over fellow strugglers Peterborough at the weekend. Although Coventry were beaten 2-0 by leaders Newcastle three days earlier, Eastwood was still able to claim a whopping total of 61 points for his week’s efforts. Eastwood is joined in the Team of the Week by Coventry defenders Leon Barnett and Stephen Wright, who claimed 27 and 25 points respectively.

Following heavy defeats to Bristol City and Nottingham Forest, Leicester got back to winning ways at the weekend with a 3-0 triumph over Sheffield Wednesday. The victory over the Owls was inspired by midfielder Andy King, who scored twice after Steve Howard had opened the scoring at the Walkers Stadium. King’s two goals helped him to a total of 52 points for the week and also lifted him into the top 100 in the overall standings.

Sheffield United are one of the form sides in the Championship at the moment and they maintained their good form with two creditable results at Bramall Lane this week. A goalless draw with high-flying Nottingham Forest was followed by a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace and the two goalscorers in that game – Lee Williamson and Stephen Quinn - have both been rewarded with places in the Team of the Week. Williamson collected 36 points for his efforts during the week, despite not starting in the draw with Forest. Quinn, meanwhile, picked up an even more impressive 43 points and now sits in 70th position overall.

Ipswich’s Gareth McAuley is the week’s highest-scoring defender after helping Roy Keane’s side to four points from their two league games. McAuley was part of the backline that shut out Peterborough in a goalless draw at Portman Road in midweek. He also figured in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Blackpool - a result which boosts the club’s survival hopes. As a result, the Northern Ireland international earned 35 points, three less than Tractor Boys team-mate Jon Stead, who is also named in the Team of the Week.

Kevin Nolan could be handed an opportunity to extend his lead at the top of the Actim Index after nearest rival Peter Whittingham picked up an injury in Cardiff’s victory over Middlesbrough. Whittingham limped out of the 1-0 win at the Riverside Stadium with a groin problem and could now face a spell on the sidelines. The former Aston Villa man is just 19 points behind Nolan in the overall standings, with Watford striker Danny Graham a further 63 points back in third.

Preston goalkeeper Andy Lonergan has recently been linked with a move to the Premier League and he continued his impressive form with consecutive clean sheets this week. Lonergan managed to avoid conceding in home games against Derby and Plymouth and collected 24 points for his efforts. He is the leading keeper in this week’s Index and now lies in 38th position in the overall standings.

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Aston Villa defender Luke Young may have broken the nation’s hearts by retiring from international football but there are plenty of people in the Villa squad who will fancy their chances of being handed a plane ticket to South Africa by Fabio Capello, specifically Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and James Milner. And they did their chances no harm at all by helping Villa beat champions Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Saturday. It was Agbonlahor and Young that were involved in the goal, with Young crossing for the striker to head home. Young’s performance ensured he made it into the Actim Team of the Week, but Agbonlahor is omitted, meaning he will have to make do with the kudos of having secured Villa’s first win at Old Trafford since 1983.

If Capello picked his squad for the World Cup from the Actim Index, then Agbonlahor would definitely be collecting some air miles as he is the highest-placed English player at four in the charts. He would be paired in attack with Jermain Defoe, who is fifth, with Aaron Lennon and Ashley Young providing from the wings. Sounds good doesn’t it? The driving force in midfield would be the resurgent Lee Bowyer, who has rolled back the years to become one of Birmingham’s top performers. Luckily, Wayne Rooney, John Terry and Ashley Cole all feature in the top 11 English players in the Index, so we would have some chance.

With just two games to go before we all tuck into the turkey and try to find drawer space for endless pairs of socks, Didier Drogba remains top of the pile. And with the Chelsea striker continuing to show such imperious form, he looks set to join an elite group that contains Mr Blobby, Bob The Builder and Westlife in registering number one spot at Christmas. The Ivory Coast star is 16 points clear of Cesc Fabregas at the summit and a whopping 71 in front of third-placed Nicolas Anelka. See you on Top Of The Pops Didier.

Arsenal hammered another nail in the coffin of Liverpool’s season after their fine second-half comeback at the weekend earned them a 2-1 win at Anfield and ensured three of their players made it into the Team of the Week. Manuel Almunia is perhaps fortunate to make it considering the way he flapped for Liverpool’s goal, but Fabgregas and Andrey Arshavin are well worthy of their places in the select XI. Stoke’s impressive centre-half Ryan Shawcross, Wolves’ Christophe Berra, Birmingham’s Liam Ridgewell and Branislav Ivanovic make up the defence. Bowyer and Young complete the midfield quartet, while Carlos Tevez and Ivan Klasnic are the front two.

Back to the World Cup theme and Fabio Capello has warned how England’s success will be dependent on the fitness of his squad. Therefore he will be delighted to know his skipper Terry is currently second in the list of people with most minutes spent on the pitch, with a mammoth 1550. Capello need not lose too much sleep over Hull’s Andy Dawson, who tops the list with over 1600 minutes. In reality, Capello should not be too worried as Terry is the only player out of his first-choice side that appears anywhere near the top of that list, with Glen Johnson coming next in 87th. Glasses at the ready chaps, we are going to win the World Cup!

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Nottingham Forest striker Robert Earnshaw leads the way in this week’s Championship Actim Index following his hat-trick against local rivals Leicester. Earnshaw’s three goals helped Billy Davies’ side to an impressive 5-1 victory at the City Ground and also earned the Wales forward a bumper haul of 59 points. The diminutive 28-year-old is no stranger to scoring three goals in a match, having previously notched a hat-trick in all four divisions of English football, both domestic cup competitions and an international match.

Reading have been struggling at the wrong end of the table this season but Brendan Rodgers’ men have three representatives in the team of the week after their 2-0 win at fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday. Grzegorz Rasiak and Kalifa Cisse were on target at Hillsborough and are joined in this week’s leading XI by goalkeeper Adam Federici. Rasiak was the Royals’ top-scorer with a hefty total of 47, while Cisse and Federici collected 37 and 24 points respectively for their efforts.

Scunthorpe’s defenders showed their steely side in a 1-0 home victory over Coventry. Two of the Iron’s backline have been rewarded with spots in the team of the week following their determined display. Marcus Williams led the way with an Actim score of 25 while team-mate David Mirfin claimed 24 points. However, Scunthorpe’s highest-placed player in the overall standings is Gary Hooper, who is up to 59th after scoring the goal which sunk Chris Coleman’s side.

Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan has seen his lead at the top of the overall standings cut to 40 points. Nolan failed to add to his tally of 390 points after he was sent off for two bookable offences in the 2-0 triumph over Watford at St James’ Park. Second-placed Peter Whittingham, meanwhile, picked up 24 points for his efforts in Cardiff’s 1-0 win against Preston. Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson remains in third position, ahead of Watford forward Danny Graham and Coventry striker Leon Best.

Doncaster registered their first away win of the season – and arguably the result of the weekend – with a 3-0 success at Crystal Palace. Surprisingly, Rovers do not have any representatives in the team of the week. But the three goalscorers at Selhurst Park (Billy Sharp, Martin Woods and James Hayter) are all among the top 20 points scorers. Sharp was the pick of the Doncaster bunch with 38 points while Woods and Hayter also achieved impressive scores of 33 and 31 respectively.

Middlesbrough will be hoping to surge up the Coca-Cola Championship table over the festive period and two of their players have made significant strides in the overall Actim standings as a result of their 5-1 win at QPR. Leroy Lita hit the target twice at Loftus Road and his 42-point haul lifts him 20 places to 23rd. Gary O’Neil was another Boro player on target and jumps 33 places to 39th after collecting 39 points.

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Birmingham are one of the form sides in the Barclays Premier League, having gone six games since last tasting defeat. Their latest win came at Wigan at the weekend in a topsy-turvy encounter which ended 3-2. Sebastian Larsson was the hero for Blues grabbing two goals, his second an imperious free-kick, and that performance makes him the highest Actim Index points scorer of the week, with 52.

Larsson obviously takes his place in the Team of the Week, but surprisingly, in what is probably a record, there is only one player from a ‘top four’ club in the select XI. Antonio Valencia makes it after his goal and assist in Manchester United’s 4-0 romp at West Ham. Players from the unfashionable clubs of Wolves, Fulham, Portsmouth and Wigan make up most of the side with entrants from perennial top four chasers Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham completing the team.

Talking of the top four, it’s as you were in the overall Actim Index this week as there in no movement in the top four spots. Didier Drogba remains king of the castle with a 12-point lead ahead of Cesc Fabregas. Drogba’s Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka is sitting pretty in third and Tottenham’s in-form pint-sized striker Jermain Defoe remains in fourth. Two new entries in the top 10 see Manchester City’s pitch-sprinting Emmanuel Adebayor and Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs climb five and three places respectively.

Some things we know are just better at home than anywhere else. Going to bed after your work’s Christmas party, lounging around in your dressing gown all day and listening to your Venga Boys compilation album on full blast are just three examples of this. Fernando Torres is another example has he has the highest average score at home in the entire index. Liverpool’s second man of their two-man team averages 29 points when the Reds play at home this term, compared to 17 on the road.

With plenty of focus on South Africa at the moment, let’s have a look at how the South Africans are performing in this season’s Index. Well, it’s not good. Everton’s Steven Pienaar is currently flying the flag in 149th place but it is a bit of a damp squib after that. Aaron Mokoena, Benedict McCarthy, Kagisho Dikgacoi are doing about as well as Charlize Theron did at presenting the World Cup draw – which was not very.

Paul Scholes has been known for many things over the years. Being the most talented ginger-haired person in the Premier League, having a lethal shot from distance and being reckless in a challenge. And the veteran has been living up to all three billings this season. He scored a cracking goal against West Ham at the weekend, to confirm his status as the red-haired master, and he also tops the list of people with most bookings. Scholes has been booked six times this season and that has been matched only by Michael Turner and Marouane Fellaini.

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West Brom have been known as a yo-yo club in recent years given their inability to stay in the Barclays Premier League for a sustained period of time and the ease in which they return to the top tier from the Coca-Cola Championship. And they are doing nothing to shirk off that tag this season as Roberto Di Matteo is masterminding yet another promotion to the Premier League and they did their cause no harm last week with a 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. That win sees them dominate the Actim Team of the Week with no less than five players in there. Scott Carson, Jerome Thomas, Graham Dorrans, Chris Brunt and Simon Cox all contributed to the win and have been rewarded accordingly.

Darius Henderson will have been a popular name in the Blackwell household after the striker’s exploits in the 3-2 win over Bristol City eased some of the pressure on Blades boss Kevin. The former Watford man bagged a hat-trick at Ashton Gate to seal the points, and it included an injury-time winner after Sheffield United had squandered a 2-0 lead. His performance in sealing United’s first away win in six games sees Henderson as the leading points scorer of the week with an impressive 65 points. That haul also sees him climb 34 places and he now sits just 11th in the overall index. That is the fourth best individual tally of the season, with Michael Chopra still leading the way with 88.

Nose bleeds may have been rife in Newcastle this season as fans come to terms with a place towards the top end of a table for the first time in some considerable years and Kevin Nolan may be suffering a similar problem as he continues to top the overall index. He has been an outstanding performer for Chris Hughton’s men this term and sits 64 points clear of Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham in second placed. Middlesbrough’s Adam Johnson, Watford’s Danny Graham and Coventry’s Leon Best make up the top five.

Crystal Palace players may be having a difficult time of it after it emerged their wages have been delayed, but they put in an impressive performance to beat Watford 3-0 to extend their unbeaten run to six games. That win saw highly-rated Victor Moses and Danny Butterfield make the Team of the Week, which is made up with the five Baggies players, Newcastle’s Fabricio Coloccini, Nottingham Forest’s Wes Morgan and Coventry’s Richard Wood completing the select XI.

The Championship often gets a reputation for it’s all-action physical nature where the ethos of most teams is to get the ball from the defence to attack as quickly as possible. There are a few exceptions to the rule, with Swansea, Doncaster, Scunthorpe and West Brom all playing an entertaining brand of passing football. And there are players who do not just hoof the ball at the earliest opportunity to prove this. Derby’s Robbie Savage leads the way with 279 completed passes and he is closely followed by Nottingham Forest’s Paul McKenna, who has 250 to his name.

Another thing that cannot be levelled at the Championship is that is does not provide a stamping ground for home grown players to ply their trade at a decent level. There are inevitably plenty of foreigners in the league with players hailing from Sierra Leone, Brazil, Congo, Jamaica and Chile. However, all but four of the top 40 ranked players hail from either England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales or the Republic of Ireland.

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Didier Drogba’s virtuoso display destroyed Arsenal at the weekend and increased the Chelsea striker’s lead at the top of the Actim Index. Drogba helped himself to a brace in the 3-0 win at the Emirates which took his Index score to 350 – a massive 39 points ahead of Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas in second place. Drogba has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League games this season and is a major factor in Carlo Ancelotti’s side taking a five-point lead at the top of the table.

Drogba’s haul of 48 points for the week was impressive – but was bettered by England striker Wayne Rooney. Rooney picked up his first hat-trick in over two years as Manchester United thrashed Portsmouth 4-1 to collect 52 points, and the forward moved up 29 places in the Index to 17th place.

Hull left-back Andy Dawson perhaps surprisingly scooped the most points in this week`s Actim Index. He clocked up 53 points as he helped Phil Brown’s side to a 3-2 win over Everton and a draw at Manchester City. Dawson climbed 65 places up the standings and was joined in the Team of the Week by Tigers team-mate Stephen Hunt, who amassed 51 points over the two games.

Evergreen Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs scored his 100th goal in the Premier League on Saturday – a trademark free-kick at Fratton Park – to claim a place in the Team of the Week and climb to 12th place in the Actim Index. Giggs may have turned 36 in the last week but he is showing no signs of losing his touch and remains a fixture in the Actim Team of the Season.

Back at the head of the standings, Drogba’s strike partner Nicolas Anelka had a quiet afternoon against his former club but still moved up to third place, overtaking Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe.

Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt scored his fourth goal of the season in a much-needed 2-0 win at derby rivals Everton to climb up to fifth place, while climber of the week was Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak. The Poland international has found himself behind both Edwin van der Sar and Ben Foster for most of the season but was given a chance at Portsmouth to climb 96 places to 353rd overall.

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What a week it has been for Watford strikers Heidar Helguson and Danny Graham. Not only did they help the Hornets to a 3-0 victory against Scunthorpe, but the duo also made major strides in the Actim Index. Helguson`s brace earned him the highest score of the week – 52 points – and moved him up 116 places to 184th overall, while Graham posted the third highest score for a striker, with his 39 points moving him up two places to sit third in the rankings.

Kevin Nolan is trying his best to single-handedly get Newcastle back into the Premier League at the first time of asking. The former Bolton midfielder scored his ninth goal of the season in Monday`s 1-0 win at Preston - not the first time his goals have proved crucial for the Magpies. His decisive strike against North End helped him to 40 points – the second best for a midfielder this week – and kept him at the top of the Actim Index.

Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson moved into second place overall with a score of 16 points for the week, while Cardiff schemer Peter Whittingham dropped to fourth and Bristol City striker Nicky Maynard slipped to fifth place in the Actim rankings.

Darren Ambrose is enjoying his best season in years with Crystal Palace, and as a result is making steady progress up the Actim Index standings. Ambrose scored his 11th goal of an electric campaign to help the Eagles take a point against Coventry, but that strike was his fifth in as many matches. He earned 38 points for the week and moved up 19 places to break into the top 20 at 19th.

Dean Shiels` impressive form continued last weekend as he scored his fourth goal in five games to help Doncaster to a 2-0 win against QPR. The Northern Ireland international`s display earned him 48 points and a place alongside Watford`s Helguson in the Team of the Week attack.

Mark Bunn (23 points), who saved a penalty in Sheffield United`s 1-0 win at home to Peterborough, is the goalkeeper in the Team of the Week, while his Blades team-mate Chris Morgan (28) is in defence alongside Swansea`s Federico Bessone (39), Carl Dickinson of Barnsley (34) and Tommy Spurr of Sheffield Wednesday (25 points). West Brom`s Chris Brunt posted the highest score of the weekend for a midfielder – 47 – and he is joined in the Team of the Week by Nolan, Ambrose and Reading`s Jobi McAnuff (36 points). Helguson and Shiels form the strike partnership.

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Tottenham’s staggering 9-1 win over Wigan at the weekend saw a number of records either broken or equalled. As well as being Spurs’ biggest top-flight win, Sunday’s one-sided clash at White Hart Lane also saw Harry Redknapp’s side become the second Barclays Premier League team to hit nine in one match. Jermain Defoe matched Andy Cole and Alan Shearer’s record of five individual goals in one Premier League fixture, while Wigan’s Paul Scharner got in on the act by claiming the ‘Thierry Henry slam-dunk of the week award’ as he claimed the Latics’ solitary goal.

Unsurprisingly, Defoe’s five-star performance helped him to earn the highest Actim Index score of the season, a sensational 87 points. The England striker’s mammoth score eclipsed that of Tottenham team-mate Robbie Keane, who held the previous highest total of 80 after scoring four against Burnley. Another Spurs star, Aaron Lennon, picked up 60 points this week to move back into the Team of the Season.

Despite the efforts of Wigan, Spurs do not have the highest number of players in the Team of the Week. That honour goes to London rivals Chelsea, who strolled to a 4-0 victory over struggling Wolves at Stamford Bridge. French winger Florent Malouda grabbed the Blues’ opening goal and picked up a healthy 39 points, while fellow goalscorers Michael Essien and Joe Cole also eclipsed the 30-point mark to book their place among the week’s top scorers.

Stoke’s televised victory over bottom club Portsmouth could politely be described as one for the purists. However, although entertainment was in short supply in a dire clash at the Britannia Stadium, the Potters can claim two of the week’s 20 highest scorers. Jamaica forward Ricardo Fuller grabbed the only goal of the game with 16 minutes remaining and earned 32 points, while Dean Whitehead claimed 26 points for his efforts in midfield. Stoke’s highest-scoring player remains highly-rated defender Ryan Shawcross. The giant 22-year-old, who captained the club for the first time at the weekend in the absence of the suspended Abdoulaye Faye, is in 44th position overall with 159 points.

Didier Drogba may not have featured for Chelsea this weekend due to injury, but the Ivory Coast striker has still moved to the top of the overall Actim standings after Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas endured a torrid time in his side’s clash with Sunderland. Fabregas led Drogba by two points ahead of the Gunners’ trip to the Stadium of Light and was expected to extend his lead at the Actim summit. However, the Spaniard went on to record a miserable score of -4 as Arsene Wenger’s side slumped to a 1-0 defeat, putting Drogba back on top. Arsenal forward Robin van Persie was another to miss the latest round of Premier League fixtures through injury and he has slipped from third to fifth in the overall standings as a result.

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has come in for significant praise in recent months, with many observers highlighting his importance to Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. And the 25-year-old Scot made another fine contribution as United eased to a 3-0 victory over Everton, opening the scoring with a sublime half-volley. Fletcher’s 29-point total sees him leap from 79th to 45th in the overall standings, making him United’s fourth highest-scoring player of the season.

Birmingham goalkeeper Joe Hart insists he still believes he can break into England’s squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. And the 22-year-old stopper, on loan at St Andrews from Manchester City, did his chances no harm with a fine performance in Birmingham’s 1-0 win over Fulham at the weekend. Hart picked up 21 points for his efforts – the highest score by a goalkeeper this week – and will hope to maintain his good form as the season progresses.

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Darren Pratley was the toast of Swansea after his match-winning double in the South Wales against Cardiff last weekend. The former Fulham midfielder showed why Swans boss Paul Sousa rates his so highly, opening his goalscoring account for the season with two clinical finishes and scoring 53 points in the Actim Championship Index in the process. The Londoner has only made seven appearances for the in-form Swans due to injury, but he looked to be getting back to his best as the Bluebirds’ wings were clipped by a Swansea side who are unbeaten in 10 Championship games. Pratley’s exploits ensured he moved up a whopping 112 places in the Actim Index and although he is way down in 194th place overall, the combative midfielder is certainly one to watch.

Blackpool defender Alex Baptiste was a major mover in the Actim Index as the Tangerines thrashed Scunthorpe 4-1 to move up to fifth in the Championship table. Boss Ian Holloway put his faith in Baptiste to be a rock at the heart of his defence and the big centre-half has not let him down.The former Mansfield man scored his third goal of the season against the Iron and bagged 45 points for the week to move up 21 places to 16th in the Index. As well as chipping in with a few goals, the 23-year-old has been solid at the back, winning 52 tackles and making 21 interceptions. Baptiste was joined in the Actim team of the week by team-mates Ian Evatt and Charlie Adam, who were also on the scoresheet against Nigel Adkins’ side.

Rob Hulse was Derby’s hero as they secured a much-needed victory against Coventry on Friday night and the striker matched Baptiste’s tally of 45 Actim points for the week. The former Sheffield United frontman produced two clinical finishes as the Rams came from behind to beat Chris Coleman’s side and it would be no surprise to see him shoot up the Actim Index. Hulse has been one of a host of Derby players in the treatment room this season, but he looked to be nearing full fitness against the Sky Blues and his 45-point haul was his biggest of the season. The other striker included in the Actim team of the week was Rory Fallon after his striker gave Plymouth a 2-1 win over Doncaster which moved them out of the bottom three. The former Swansea man moved up 64 places to 107th in the Index after registering 36 points for Paul Sturrock’s Pilgrims.

Kevin Nolan still leads the way in the Actim Championship Index after playing his part in Newcastle’s 3-1 win over Peterborough. The former Bolton man is 31 points ahead of Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham after adding another 19 points to make his overall tally 335 points. Nolan has seven goals and three assists to his name this season and has completed 180 passes for the Championship leaders. QPR’s flying winger Wayne Routledge is a new addition to the top 10 in the Index, moving up five places to seventh. Routledge has more assists than any other player in the Championship, setting up eight goals for Jim Magilton’s side.

Newcastle’s Steve Harper remains the leading goalkeeper in the Actim Championship Index. The 34-year-old Magpies custodian has made 81 saves for Chris Hughton’s side and he moved up one place this week to 13th place. Scott Carson is the next highest keeper but the West Brom number one is 15 places and 21 points behind Harper. But it was Crystal Palace keeper Julian Speroni who made the team of the week after another impressive display in the 1-0 win over Middlesbrough. The Argentine was recently hailed by Palace boss Neil Warnock as the best keeper in the country and he was once against outstanding against Boro. Speroni is 58th in the Index and moved up 44 places this week after picking up 24 points against Gordon Strachan’s side.

Jay Simpson is a striker in form at the moment and the on-loan QPR man is making strides in the Championship Index. The Arsenal youngster has scored four goals in his last six games for Rangers and was on target in the 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday. Simpson escalated 26 places in the Index to 27th following his performance against the Owls and scored 31 points at Hillsborough. He has now notched seven goals for the Hoops and is developing into a key performer for the Londoners, who look to be a good bet for a play-off place.

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