Here are this week’s results:

ARSENAL 2-0 WEST BROM

OnFootball: 2-1                    Cox: 2-2

Harvey: 2-1                            Smith: 1-0

RESULT: OnFootball, Harvey and Smith correct outcome

VILLA 0-0 STOKE

OnFootball: 0-1                    Cox: 0-1

Harvey: 0-0                            Smith: 0-0

RESULT: Harvey and Smith correct score

SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 READING

OnFootball: 2-1                    Cox: 2-0

Harvey: 2-0                            Smith: 1-1

RESULT: OnFootball, Cox and Harvey correct outcome

SUNDERLAND 1-3 CHELSEA

OnFootball: 0-1                    Cox: 1-2

Harvey: 1-2                            Smith: 0-2

RESULT: All correct outcome

SWANSEA 3-4 NORWICH

OnFootball: 3-1                    Cox: 2-1

Harvey: 1-1                            Smith: 3-1

RESULT: All incorrect

WIGAN 2-2 QPR

OnFootball: 1-2                    Cox: 1-2

Harvey: 2-0                            Smith: 1-1

RESULT: Smith correct outcome

MAN CITY 2-3 MAN UTD

OnFootball: 1-2                    Cox: 2-3

Harvey: 3-4                            Smith: 2-2

RESULT: OnFootball and Harvey correct outcome, Cox correct score

EVERTON 2-1 SPURS

OnFootball: 2-1                    Cox: 1-1

Harvey: 1-1                            Smith: 2-0

RESULT: OnFootball correct score, Smith correct outcome

WEST HAM 2-3 LIVERPOOL

OnFootball: 1-1                    Cox: 1-2

Harvey: 2-0                           Smith: 1-0

This weeks competitors are, sadly, a trio of United fans: Dom Cox, Ollie Harvey and Joe Smith. Can OnFootball put the Surrey Mancs in their place?:

COX

HARVEY

SMITH

ARSENAL vs WEST BROM

OnFootball: 2-1                    Cox: 2-2

Harvey: 2-1                            Smith: 1-0

VILLA vs STOKE

OnFootball: 0-1                    Cox: 0-1

Harvey: 0-0                            Smith: 0-0

SOUTHAMPTON vs READING

OnFootball: 2-1                    Cox: 2-0

Harvey: 2-0                            Smith: 1-1

SUNDERLAND vs CHELSEA

OnFootball: 0-1                    Cox: 1-2

Harvey: 1-2                            Smith: 0-2

SWANSEA vs NORWICH

OnFootball: 3-1                    Cox: 2-1

Harvey: 1-1                            Smith: 3-1

WIGAN vs QPR

OnFootball: 1-2                    Cox: 1-2

Harvey: 2-0                            Smith: 1-1

MAN CITY vs MAN UTD

OnFootball: 1-2                    Cox: 2-3

Harvey: 3-4                            Smith: 2-2

EVERTON vs SPURS

OnFootball: 2-1                    Cox: 1-1

Harvey: 1-1                            Smith: 2-0

WEST HAM vs LIVERPOOL

OnFootball: 1-1                    Cox: 1-2

Harvey: 2-0                           Smith: 1-0

FULHAM vs NEWCASTLE

OnFootball: 1-1                    Cox: 1-1

Harvey: 1-2                            Smith: 2-1

Here are the result’s from the weekend’s games. Once again it is not good reading for OnFootball:

WEST HAM 3-1 CHELSEA

OnFootball: 1-1 Coombes: 1-2

Beadle: 0-1 Searle: 1-2

RESULT: All incorrect

ARSENAL 0-2 SWANSEA

OnFootball: 3-1 Coombes: 3-2

Beadle: 2-2 Searle: 2-1

RESULT: All incorrect

FULHAM 0-3 SPURS

OnFootball: 2-2 Coombes: 1-2

Beadle: 2-2 Searle: 0-2

RESULT: Coombes, Searle correct outcome

LIVERPOOL 1-0 SOUTHAMPTON

OnFootball: 2-1 Coombes: 2-2

Beadle: 2-1 Searle: 3-1

RESULT: OnFootball, Beadle, Searle correct outcome

MAN CITY 1-1 EVERTON

OnFootball: 1-2 Coombes: 3-1

Beadle: 3-2 Searle: 2-1

RESULT: All incorrect

QPR 1-1 VILLA

OnFootball: 2-0 Coombes: 1-1

Beadle: 1-1 Searle: 1-0

RESULT: Coombes, Beadle correct score

WEST BROM 0-1 STOKE

OnFootball: 1-1 Coombes: 2-0

Beadle: 3-2 Searle: 2-2

RESULT: All incorrect

READING 3-4 MAN UTD

OnFootball: 0-3 Coombes: 1-3

Beadle: 0-3 Searle: 0-2

RESULT: All correct outcome

NORWICH 2-1 SUNDERLAND

OnFootball: 0-0 Coombes: 1-0

Beadle: 2-1 Searle: 1-1

RESULT: Coombes correct outcome, Beadle correct score

NEWCASTLE  3-0 WIGAN

OnFootball: 2-1 Coombes: 2-2

Beadle: 2-1 Searle: 2-1

RESULT: OnFootball, Beadle, Searle correct outcome

WINNER: Sam Beadle (3 correct outcome, 2 correct scores)

The return of Lucas Leiva on Saturday was a huge positive for Liverpool, with many claiming it will be the catalyst in igniting Liverpool’s stuttering season.

Despite his universal popularity among Liverpool fans, it is to easy forget that the Brazilian was once the least popular player at the club.

When Rafa Benitez signed Lucas for £5 million in the summer of 2007 he was a highly rated 20 year old, seen as a terrific midfield prospect. He had just won the Bola de Ouro, the Brazilian equivalent of the PFA Player of the Year award, after a superb season with Gremio. The fact that players of the calibre of Zico, Romario, Kaka and Carlos Tevez had won the award previously showed how highly Lucas was rated.

Apart from winning Liverpool a crucial penalty in a dramatic 3-2 win over Everton at Goodison Park, he had a disappointing first season at the club, with many supporters frustrated at Benitez’s insistence on playing him so frequently. He looked nervous on the ball and was technically poor, particularly for a Brazilian.

The 2008/09 season was Liverpool’s most impressive in the Premier League era, and the trio of Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard were arguably the most complete midfield in Europe at the time. This gave Lucas limited opportunities to show his worth, but whenever he did play he was invariably disappointing. Liverpool fans are a very loyal bunch, but even they grew restless with the Brazilian’s lack of impact. After a drab draw with Fulham he was booed incessantly, and things were about to get even worse for him. Having conceded a penalty against Wigan, he was then red carded against Everton, and his popularity hit an all time low, with many calling for him to be sold.

In 2009/10, following the departure of Alonso and an injury to new signing Alberto Aquilani, Lucas became a regular alongside Gerrard in the centre of midfield, playing 50 times in all competitions.

The season was a poor one for all concerned at the club, and having promised so much the previous year Liverpool finished 7th. While Alonso’s departure was the key factor for such a poor campaign, Lucas’s inability to stamp his authority on the team was also a major issue. There were slight signs that he was slowly beginning to mature, but very few felt he had the quality to become a key player at such a big club.

They were wrong.

Between Lucas’s arrival in 2007 and Benitez’s sacking in 2010, the Spaniard always stood up for the likeable Brazilian, claiming that he was hugely underrated. While many ridiculed these comments, the last couple of years have shown that Benitez knew what he was talking about.

Roy Hodgson arrived in the summer of 2010, and although his reign at the club was disastrous, this was the year that Lucas came of age. Although it is something of a cliche, he looked as though he had matured from a boy to a man between May and August 2010. Physically he looked more imposing, and there suddenly seemed to be an authority about his game.

With Mascherano now at Barcelona and Gerrard missing a large chunk of the 2010/11 season through injury, Lucas was the main man in midfield. With Kenny Dalglish at the helm, Lucas was outstanding in a struggling side. His tackling, distribution and all-round influence on the team did not go unnoticed with the fans, and he was deservedly voted Liverpool’s Player of the Year. At 24, he was now an experienced player but one whose best years were still way ahead of him.

If ever his importance to the side was now in question, he had made more tackles than any other player in the top four European League’s that season. That statistic alone was proof of how far he had come as a player.

He started last season in similarly terrific form, and he had again been Liverpool’s standout player when a cruciate ligament injury against Chelsea in December cruelly saw him ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. Liverpool missed him greatly.

Although he was now a crowd favourite at Anfield, with many rating him among the most assured defensive midfielders in the league, his reputation was actually enhanced further while he was on the sidelines. Much like Jack Wilshere at Arsenal, Lucas’s injury made people throughout the football world realise what a class act he had become.

Having returned at the start of this season injury again struck, with a thigh problem against Manchester City ruling him out for a further three months.

New manager Brendon Rodgers has struggled to get a balance in the midfield without him in the side, with Gerrard playing far too deep and lacking the influence he has when playing further up the pitch.  Similarly Joe Allen, who has been solid but unspectacular for Liverpool, has not played with the freedom he did at Swansea, where he had Leon Britton playing Lucas’s role to great effect.

Put simply, Lucas makes others around him play better by doing their dirty work. Andres Iniesta and Xavi are wonderful players, but without Sergio Busquets they would not have to same license to attack. At Chelsea, Jon Obi Mikel is often not given credit for the amount of work he gets through, giving the likes of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar the chance to play with more freedom.

On Saturday, Lucas made his return from injury to a hero’s welcome. Although Liverpool only won 1-0 against a struggling Southampton team, Lucas’s influence was clear to see, and the side had a far more balanced look to it. He made more tackles and interceptions than any other player in the Premier League this weekend, which tells it’s own story.

Having captained Brazil at under-20 level, Lucas made his senior debut in 2007. Although in and out of the squad during the first few years, he had become a regular before his recent injuries and his return will be a huge boost to new manager Luis Felipe Scolari. Brazil are world-renowned for their sensational attacking talents over the years- Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Neymar- but the likes of Gilberto Silva and Dunga have always been criminally underrated for their roles in the side. Lucas has become that player for Brazil, where he is a cross between Claude Makelele and Xavi, doing the ugly work in defensive but also building attacks. As long as he stays fit he will be a key player for Brazil when they host the 2014 World Cup.

At 25, Lucas Leiva still has years ahead of him at the top, where is he now a key player for club and country. He has come a long way since he was booed by his own fans and was the subject of ridicule from rival supporters. There is hope for Jordan Henderson yet.

Follow me on twitter: @henryjackson87, go to www.onfootball.co.uk to read more of my work

This weeks competitors are United fan Toby Coombes, Rugby-loving Arsenal fan Sam Beadle and Liverpool fan Justin Searle. After three dismal weeks, OnFootball needs to respond. Let battle commence:

WEST HAM vs CHELSEA

OnFootball: 1-1 Coombes: 1-2

Beadle: 0-1 Searle: 1-2

Toby says: Rafa Benitez will have a difficult night as The Hammers score first from the head of Andy Carroll. However, Chelsea’s midfield will come good in the end, providing two late goals to win. Abramovich will celebrate by rattling his loose change in applause whilst looking menacing.

ARSENAL vs SWANSEA

OnFootball: 3-1 Coombes: 3-2

Beadle: 2-2 Searle: 2-1

Toby says: Both sides are likely to score and neither is likely to keep a clean sheet. Olivier Giroud will score at least two – I discovered him last year when I was living in Montpellier and he was spear-heading their attack, so like a great band that suddenly make it big I want to tell everyone that I saw him first – he’s mine!

FULHAM vs SPURS

OnFootball: 2-2 Coombes: 1-2

Beadle: 2-2 Searle: 0-2

Toby says: The speed and agility of Bale, Lennon and Defoe against the splendour of Berbatov’s performance art project (no true artist sweats for their work). Spurs will have too much for The Cottagers to cope with.

LIVERPOOL vs SOUTHAMPTON

OnFootball: 2-1 Coombes: 2-2

Beadle: 2-1 Searle: 3-1

Toby says: I can’t pick Liverpool to win, not on Jackson’s blog.

MAN CITY vs EVERTON

OnFootball: 1-2 Coombes: 3-1

Beadle: 3-2 Searle: 2-1

Toby says: Man City will win, but will find it difficult if Marouane Fellaini is able to bully City’s two holding midfielders and centre-backs.

QPR vs VILLA

OnFootball: 2-0 Coombes: 1-1

Beadle: 1-1 Searle: 1-0

Toby says: One not to cherish this, as the really quite movable object comes up against the frankly rather stoppable force. Benteke may well breach QPR’s defence which is leaking goals for fun. However, Harry will have a plan and I’m not going to back against him.

WEST BROM vs STOKE

OnFootball: 1-1 Coombes: 2-0

Beadle: 3-2 Searle: 2-2

Toby says: Stoke playing away against a Baggies side that has speed and skill on the attack. Huth and Shawcross won’t be able to deal with Lukaku, Long and Odemwingie running in between them.

READING vs MAN UTD

OnFootball: 0-3 Coombes: 1-3

Beadle: 0-3 Searle: 0-2

Toby says: As a United fan, I know that Reading will score first while we fart about scratching ourselves for 60 minutes. Then the Reds will yawn, have a stretch, and finally wake up just enough to swat those pesky Royals out of the way before going back to sleep until 60 mintues through the next game. Anderson will score with his engorged belly.

NORWICH vs SUNDERLAND

OnFootball: 0-0 Coombes: 1-0

Beadle: 2-1 Searle: 1-1

Toby says: Another game to ease the minds of the overactive. Sunderland will attempt to bore Norwich into falling asleep, but Norwich’s crafty manager Chris Hughton will keep his side pumped full of pro-plus and ribena during the game to keep them energised. Norwich will celebrate another win, while Sunderland will celebrate any time they manage to actually kick the ball at the goal.

NEWCASTLE vs WIGAN

OnFootball: 2-1 Coombes: 2-2

Beadle: 2-1 Searle: 2-1

Toby says: Newcastle are struggling after 4 defeats in as many matches. Wigan are playing some good football but remain just above the relegation zone. This will be an exciting match with neither side quite having enough to come out on top.