Ivorian Didier Drogba was on target for the first time in 11 matches to help Chelsea to a 1-1 draw away to Stoke, while Nigerian Dickson Etuhu got his first English Premiership goal since August for Fulham over the weekend.
On the receiving end of Etuhu's goal show was Ghana's Richard Kingston, who had helped his country to a 1-1 draw with England last week but was powerless to prevent his club Blackpool going down 3-0 to the west London side.
On the continent, there were also goals aplenty for African players, Lille's Senegalese international striker Moussa Sow notably adding to his tally as the top French league scorer with his 20th goal of the season.
ENGLAND
DIDIER DROGBA (Chelsea)
The Ivory Coast striker scored for the first time in 11 matches to earn his side a 1-1 draw at Stoke. Drogba equalised for Chelsea with a diving header from Nicolas Anelka's cross in the 33rd minute, but the Blues were forced to settle for a frustrating draw that all but ended their title challenge.
YAYA TOURE (Man City)
The Ivory Coast midfielder bagged the final goal in Manchester City's emphatic 5-0 victory over Sunderland at Eastlands. Toure seized on Lee Cattermole's woeful back pass and clipped a cool finish into the net. It was Toure's first Premier League goal since January and he also provided the pass that allowed Adam Johnson to open the scoring.
DICKSON ETUHU (Fulham)
The Nigeria midfielder claimed his first Premier League goal since August as Fulham cruised to a 3-0 win against Blackpool at Craven Cottage. Etuhu was on hand to steer in the third goal from Brede Hangleland's miscued shot in the 72nd minute.
RICHARD KINGSON (Blackpool)
The Ghana goalkeeper ended a memorable week on a low note as his club were crushed at Fulham. Just four days earlier Kingson had helped Ghana to a 1-1 draw with England in a friendly at Wembley, but he could do nothing to stop Blackpool continuing their slump towards the relegation zone.
CHRISTOPHER SAMBA (Blackburn)
The Congo defender gave a rock solid performance to frustrate Arsenal in a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium. Samba was at his imperious best as he denied the likes of Robin van Persie and helped Rovers to their first clean sheet in four matches. It could be a valuable result as Rovers are now two points above the relegation zone.
DEMBA BA (West Ham)
The Senegal striker ended up on the losing side as Manchester United won 4-2 at Upton Park, but he almost played a key role in swinging the game West Ham's way. Ba was fouled twice by United defender Nemanja Vidic and the Serbian could have been sent off on both occasions. The first looked a clear red card as Vidic was the last man when he tugged back Ba. Instead, he was booked and then escaped another yellow card after chopping down Ba moments later.
FRANCE
PAPE DIAKHATE (Lyon)
The sending off of Senegalese defender Pape Diakhate on 90 minutes proved another blow for former seven-time champions Lyon's title ambitions as it opened the floodgates which allowed struggling Nice grab a 2-2 draw.
Diakhate got his first yellow card for a tackle on Danijel Ljuboja only for the Serbian striker to miss that penalty but the Senegalese player's second just before the whistle allowed Nice's Gabon striker Eric Mouloungui net a penalty with Argentine defender Renato Civelli levelling three minutes later.
BROWN IDEYE, RYAD BOUDEBOUZ (Sochaux)
Nigerian striker Brown Ideye scored a last-gasp winner which gave Sochaux a 2-1 win over Brest. The 22-year-old found the net one minute into extra time after Franco-Algerian teammate Ryad Boudebouz opened from a penalty after seven minutes.
MOUSSA SOW, AURELIEN CHEDJOU (Lille)
Senegalese international striker Moussa Sow added to his tally as the top French league scorer with his 20th goal of the season. Sow, 25, netted the third goal in Lille's 3-1 win over Caen. Cameroon defender Chedjou turned striker as the 25-year-old opened for the league leader's Lille after 30 minutes.
YOUSSEF EL ARABI (Caen)
Moroccan international El Arabi grabbed a goal back for Caen five minutes from time but it was too little to late as the Normandy side, three points above the drop zone, fell 3-1 to their third heavy defeat of the season to Lille.
BENJAMIN MOUKANDJO BILE (Monaco)
Cameroon striker Moukandjo Bile was on target for Monaco opening after 29 minutes in their 2-0 win over tailenders Arles-Avignon, but the Riveria outfit nevertheless remain in the drop zone.
SOULEYMANE CAMARA (Montpellier)
Senegalese striker Camara's 75-minute goal gave sixth-placed Montpellier a 1-0 win at Toulouse to keep their bid for a Europa League spot alive.
GERMANY
HANS SARPEI (Schalke 04)
The Ghana defender played in the Bundesliga clash at St Pauli which was abandoned a minute before time with Schalke leading 2-0 after the assistant referee was struck in the back by a cup of beer thrown by a fan. The result is likely to stand and hosts St Pauli are set to be heavily fined when the German Football Federation (DFB) announce their ruling on the game.
PAPISS DEMBA CISSE (Freiburg)
The Senegal striker scored after just a minute of Freiburg's 1-1 draw with Mainz 05 to go joint top of the Bundesliga goal-scoring table alongside Bayern Munich's Germany star Mario Gomez. The 25-year-old did not end on the winning side after Tunisia striker Sami Allagui equalised with a second-half header.
DIDIER YA KONAN (Hanover 96)
The Ivory Coast striker made his 23rd league appearance of the season, but failed to add to his 12 goals and was powerless to prevent his side losing 4-1 to Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund.
ITALY
KEVIN-PRINCE BOATENG (AC Milan)
Since returning from injury the Ghana midfielder has quickly re-established himself in the Milan first team. He began playing in an advanced role in the crucial 3-0 derby victory over champions Inter Milan that maintained the rossoneri's three-point lead at the top. He tried to push forward and get in behind the Inter defence without much success. But in the second period the Ghana man played a more controlled role helping Milan exploit their numerical advantage by controlling the ball in midfield. He did nothing spectacular but was part of the collective success.
SAMUEL ETO'O (Inter Milan)
This was not a game to remember for the Cameroon captain who was no more than a peripheral figure throughout. Inter stuggled to create chances despite enjoying superiority in terms of possession and territory in the first half. After the break they were quickly reduced to 10-men and Eto'o's involvement decreased even further. He did miss one glorious chance from three yards out, poking wide of the post when it looked easier to score, but he had anyway been adjudged offside. In the second half he caused one moment of panic when his nifty footwork almost created a chance in the box but Milan's Thiago Silva threw himself in front of the Cameroon star to snuff out the danger.
HASSAN YEBDA (Napoli)
The Algeria midfielder has gradually established himself as a permanent fixture in the Napoli team but he was far from dominant during the wild 4-3 victory over Lazio that kept the southerners in the title hunt. Yebda was tidy and committed but rarely appeared to contribute anything creative to a team that lacked spark until the hour mark when the game burst into life.
MEHDI BENATIA (Udinese)
Having earnt many plaudits over the previous few weeks, Benatia was not at his best as Udinese's title hopes went up in smoke with a 2-0 defeat at Lecce. He was regularly troubled by David Di Michele, rarely looking comfortable.
DJAMEL MESBAH (Lecce)
The Algeria midfielder worked hard up and down the flank both defensively and in going forward as his team secured a shock 2-0 success against Udinese. He has been one of the main bright sparks in a difficult season for the Serie A strugglers.
SPAIN
FREDERIC KANOUTE (Sevilla)
The veteran Mali striker converted a penalty as Sevilla defeated Real Zaragoza 3-1 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium to move up to fifth in the Spanish first division table. Kanoute, 33, weighed in with his ninth league goal of the season on 56 minutes after Martin Caceres had been felled in the area.
PIERRE WEBO (Real Mallorca)
Cameroon striker Webo had a mixed evening in a 2-1 loss at Deportivo La Coruna. He opened the scoring on 26 minutes with a header but then lost his cool in the final minute of the match and was red-carded for a foul on Ruben Perez.
SEYDOU KEITA (Barcelona)
Injuries and suspensions saw Mali midfielder Keita start for Barcelona as the champions won 1-0 at Villarreal to move eight points clear at the top of the table. Keita, 31, was replaced by Argentine ace Lionel Messi on 52 minutes as Barcelona pushed for a goal and it duly arrived on 67 minutes through Gerard Pique.
On the receiving end of Etuhu's goal show was Ghana's Richard Kingston, who had helped his country to a 1-1 draw with England last week but was powerless to prevent his club Blackpool going down 3-0 to the west London side.On the continent, there were also goals aplenty for African players, Lille's Senegalese international striker Moussa Sow notably adding to his tally as the top French league scorer with his 20th goal of the season.
ENGLAND
DIDIER DROGBA (Chelsea)
The Ivory Coast striker scored for the first time in 11 matches to earn his side a 1-1 draw at Stoke. Drogba equalised for Chelsea with a diving header from Nicolas Anelka's cross in the 33rd minute, but the Blues were forced to settle for a frustrating draw that all but ended their title challenge.
YAYA TOURE (Man City)
The Ivory Coast midfielder bagged the final goal in Manchester City's emphatic 5-0 victory over Sunderland at Eastlands. Toure seized on Lee Cattermole's woeful back pass and clipped a cool finish into the net. It was Toure's first Premier League goal since January and he also provided the pass that allowed Adam Johnson to open the scoring.
DICKSON ETUHU (Fulham)
The Nigeria midfielder claimed his first Premier League goal since August as Fulham cruised to a 3-0 win against Blackpool at Craven Cottage. Etuhu was on hand to steer in the third goal from Brede Hangleland's miscued shot in the 72nd minute.
RICHARD KINGSON (Blackpool)
The Ghana goalkeeper ended a memorable week on a low note as his club were crushed at Fulham. Just four days earlier Kingson had helped Ghana to a 1-1 draw with England in a friendly at Wembley, but he could do nothing to stop Blackpool continuing their slump towards the relegation zone.
CHRISTOPHER SAMBA (Blackburn)
The Congo defender gave a rock solid performance to frustrate Arsenal in a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium. Samba was at his imperious best as he denied the likes of Robin van Persie and helped Rovers to their first clean sheet in four matches. It could be a valuable result as Rovers are now two points above the relegation zone.
DEMBA BA (West Ham)
The Senegal striker ended up on the losing side as Manchester United won 4-2 at Upton Park, but he almost played a key role in swinging the game West Ham's way. Ba was fouled twice by United defender Nemanja Vidic and the Serbian could have been sent off on both occasions. The first looked a clear red card as Vidic was the last man when he tugged back Ba. Instead, he was booked and then escaped another yellow card after chopping down Ba moments later.
FRANCE
PAPE DIAKHATE (Lyon)
The sending off of Senegalese defender Pape Diakhate on 90 minutes proved another blow for former seven-time champions Lyon's title ambitions as it opened the floodgates which allowed struggling Nice grab a 2-2 draw.
Diakhate got his first yellow card for a tackle on Danijel Ljuboja only for the Serbian striker to miss that penalty but the Senegalese player's second just before the whistle allowed Nice's Gabon striker Eric Mouloungui net a penalty with Argentine defender Renato Civelli levelling three minutes later.
BROWN IDEYE, RYAD BOUDEBOUZ (Sochaux)
Nigerian striker Brown Ideye scored a last-gasp winner which gave Sochaux a 2-1 win over Brest. The 22-year-old found the net one minute into extra time after Franco-Algerian teammate Ryad Boudebouz opened from a penalty after seven minutes.
MOUSSA SOW, AURELIEN CHEDJOU (Lille)
Senegalese international striker Moussa Sow added to his tally as the top French league scorer with his 20th goal of the season. Sow, 25, netted the third goal in Lille's 3-1 win over Caen. Cameroon defender Chedjou turned striker as the 25-year-old opened for the league leader's Lille after 30 minutes.
YOUSSEF EL ARABI (Caen)
Moroccan international El Arabi grabbed a goal back for Caen five minutes from time but it was too little to late as the Normandy side, three points above the drop zone, fell 3-1 to their third heavy defeat of the season to Lille.
BENJAMIN MOUKANDJO BILE (Monaco)
Cameroon striker Moukandjo Bile was on target for Monaco opening after 29 minutes in their 2-0 win over tailenders Arles-Avignon, but the Riveria outfit nevertheless remain in the drop zone.
SOULEYMANE CAMARA (Montpellier)
Senegalese striker Camara's 75-minute goal gave sixth-placed Montpellier a 1-0 win at Toulouse to keep their bid for a Europa League spot alive.
GERMANY
HANS SARPEI (Schalke 04)
The Ghana defender played in the Bundesliga clash at St Pauli which was abandoned a minute before time with Schalke leading 2-0 after the assistant referee was struck in the back by a cup of beer thrown by a fan. The result is likely to stand and hosts St Pauli are set to be heavily fined when the German Football Federation (DFB) announce their ruling on the game.
PAPISS DEMBA CISSE (Freiburg)
The Senegal striker scored after just a minute of Freiburg's 1-1 draw with Mainz 05 to go joint top of the Bundesliga goal-scoring table alongside Bayern Munich's Germany star Mario Gomez. The 25-year-old did not end on the winning side after Tunisia striker Sami Allagui equalised with a second-half header.
DIDIER YA KONAN (Hanover 96)
The Ivory Coast striker made his 23rd league appearance of the season, but failed to add to his 12 goals and was powerless to prevent his side losing 4-1 to Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund.
ITALY
KEVIN-PRINCE BOATENG (AC Milan)
Since returning from injury the Ghana midfielder has quickly re-established himself in the Milan first team. He began playing in an advanced role in the crucial 3-0 derby victory over champions Inter Milan that maintained the rossoneri's three-point lead at the top. He tried to push forward and get in behind the Inter defence without much success. But in the second period the Ghana man played a more controlled role helping Milan exploit their numerical advantage by controlling the ball in midfield. He did nothing spectacular but was part of the collective success.
SAMUEL ETO'O (Inter Milan)
This was not a game to remember for the Cameroon captain who was no more than a peripheral figure throughout. Inter stuggled to create chances despite enjoying superiority in terms of possession and territory in the first half. After the break they were quickly reduced to 10-men and Eto'o's involvement decreased even further. He did miss one glorious chance from three yards out, poking wide of the post when it looked easier to score, but he had anyway been adjudged offside. In the second half he caused one moment of panic when his nifty footwork almost created a chance in the box but Milan's Thiago Silva threw himself in front of the Cameroon star to snuff out the danger.
HASSAN YEBDA (Napoli)
The Algeria midfielder has gradually established himself as a permanent fixture in the Napoli team but he was far from dominant during the wild 4-3 victory over Lazio that kept the southerners in the title hunt. Yebda was tidy and committed but rarely appeared to contribute anything creative to a team that lacked spark until the hour mark when the game burst into life.
MEHDI BENATIA (Udinese)
Having earnt many plaudits over the previous few weeks, Benatia was not at his best as Udinese's title hopes went up in smoke with a 2-0 defeat at Lecce. He was regularly troubled by David Di Michele, rarely looking comfortable.
DJAMEL MESBAH (Lecce)
The Algeria midfielder worked hard up and down the flank both defensively and in going forward as his team secured a shock 2-0 success against Udinese. He has been one of the main bright sparks in a difficult season for the Serie A strugglers.
SPAIN
FREDERIC KANOUTE (Sevilla)
The veteran Mali striker converted a penalty as Sevilla defeated Real Zaragoza 3-1 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium to move up to fifth in the Spanish first division table. Kanoute, 33, weighed in with his ninth league goal of the season on 56 minutes after Martin Caceres had been felled in the area.
PIERRE WEBO (Real Mallorca)
Cameroon striker Webo had a mixed evening in a 2-1 loss at Deportivo La Coruna. He opened the scoring on 26 minutes with a header but then lost his cool in the final minute of the match and was red-carded for a foul on Ruben Perez.
SEYDOU KEITA (Barcelona)
Injuries and suspensions saw Mali midfielder Keita start for Barcelona as the champions won 1-0 at Villarreal to move eight points clear at the top of the table. Keita, 31, was replaced by Argentine ace Lionel Messi on 52 minutes as Barcelona pushed for a goal and it duly arrived on 67 minutes through Gerard Pique.
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