We're all used to the biased and hypocritical coverage of football by several TV and radio commentators, but another nauseating example occurred last weekend as Scotland fell just short of the victory required to keep their hopes of qualification for Euro 2012 alive. The post-match outcry should have made one clear and valid point, which was that the referee was guilty of inconsistency in his major decisions. Jan Rezek did indeed con the referee into giving the Czech Republic a late penalty, but Christophe Berra's feeble attempt to match his opponent's theatrical dive was correctly punished with a yellow card. So, rather than blaming the players on all sides for cheating, we end up with the knee-jerk calls for video technology to be used, just as when Thierry Henry handled the ball in the build up to France's goal that secured their qualification for the last World Cup. Had Rezek's dive taken place against Germany, our press and commentators would have been celebrating it. Had Henry's handball knocked out Argentina rather than Ireland, the same crew would have claimed it was justice being done.

Anybody claiming that neither incident in the Scotland match deserved a penalty would have had my wholehearted backing, but for so many commentators to claim that the Czechs should not have been awarded a penalty, and then go on to say Scotland should have been awarded one was stomach churning but unsurprising. As for the old video technology chestnut, imagine yourself at a game where the action is stopped every time a player falls over in the penalty area, and also think about how many disagreements there are between different pundits watching the same replays dozens of times. Let's stop this ridiculous charade that only seems to become headline news when it denies one of the home nations a positive result.

Let's start the preview of the coming weekend's Premier League action with a side looking to banish memories of a humiliating defeat:

1) Arsenal v Swansea: I think it was Mark Lawrenson who said that if a Premier League club buys Championship players, that's exactly where they will end up, and Swansea are doing their best so far to prove him correct. It was always going to be a huge gamble spending £3.5 million on an admittedly prolific goalscorer at Championship level, and the more games Danny Graham (or any of his teammates for that matter) goes without a goal, the quicker confidence and points will drain away. As in the first half of their defeat at Man.City, I'm sure Swansea will give their all to show exactly what they can do, but I'm sure Arsenal's determination to immediately put their mauling at Old Trafford behind them will ensure that a home win is the outcome here.

2) Everton v Aston Villa: They may have been extremely fortunate, but Everton got off the mark last time out, only to lose one of their star performers to Arsenal on transfer deadline day. It is surely asking too much of David Moyes to conjure up yet another top half finish with such a familiar and threadbare squad, and Villa may be well placed to take advantage on Saturday. They are unbeaten in their last five League visits to Goodison, and despite their acquisitions on deadline day being of modest quality, I think they may be able to take the points home.

3) Man.City v Wigan: Wigan were far from convincing in beating an injury-ravaged QPR side last time out, and on Saturday, they face a team whose heavy win at Tottenham has persuaded even the most hardened of doubters that they are going to put up a tremendous fight for the title. City have scored twelve goals in their three matches so far, and with Wigan having scored just twice in their eleven visits to City's home, there is only one logical outcome here.

4) Stoke v Liverpool: The most eye-catching transfers of the window for me were Stoke's expensive acquisitions of Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios from Spurs, and it will be interesting to see how they are accommodated in the Potters' set-up. A visit from a Liverpool side who have had a tremendously encouraging start should prove a difficult debut for them, but Stoke can take heart from the fact that they haven't lost to Liverpool in the three meetings at the Britannia since their promotion in 2008. In fact, a full strength Liverpool side were defeated 2-0 in this fixture last season, so we can only guess as to the possible outcome this time around, and I would hesitatingly plump for a low scoring draw.

5) Sunderland v Chelsea: A disappointing start to Sunderland's season could be about to get worse if you look at the previous results of this fixture. Chelsea have won their last six visits to the SOL, and scored 22 goals in their last six encounters with Sunderland home and away, so there really shouldn't be anything for them to fear here. Their main issue would seem to be how to accommodate all of their expensive acquisitions, and it is unclear whether Andre Villas-Boas has decided on his favoured line-up yet. Nevertheless, they continue to create enough chances in each match to put most Premier League sides away, and I fancy that is what will happen here.

6) Wolves v Tottenham: Behind Chelsea only on goals scored, Wolves have been a revelation so far, and claims that their lofty position is only due to the quality of opposition they have faced may be doing them a disservice. I'm not convinced that the arrival of Scott Parker will be sufficient to halt a poor start that has seen Spurs left without a point by two heavy defeats to the Manchester sides, and they will be hard pressed to come away from Molineux with any rewards.

7) Bolton v Man.United: For the second home match running, Bolton host one of the Manchester clubs, and having conceded six goals in their last two matches, I fear things may not get easier for them here. Unsurprisingly, Bolton have won just one of their last thirteen home matches against United, and there have been some right old tonkings during that period. With Ashley Young and Wayne Rooney looking to have immediately formed a fruitful partnership, another one of those landslides may be about to occur.

8) Norwich v West Brom: Admittedly, it's a little early to start calling games "must win", but Norwich have spurned two very presentable opportunities to get their first three point haul so far, and a home game against one of the three sides without a point to their name must be seen as an ideal opportunity. The Baggies were a little unlucky to lose their first two matches against Chelsea and Man.United, but failed to reproduce those performances as they fell to a disappointing defeat to Stoke. They do, however, have a decent recent record at Carrow Road to cling to, having won on their last two visits, and with neither side having strengthened their squads as the deadline approached, I wouldn't be surprised to see this one end as a score draw.

9) Fulham v Blackburn: It's quite common for relegation-threatened sides to miss vital penalties throughout the season as nerves overtake skill on many occasions, but for Rovers to miss two in the same game against Everton, only to be beaten by the Toffees' own injury time penalty was an unbelievable kick in the teeth from which they may not recover. Fulham have surprised me so far with their sluggish start featuring just one point and one goal, and it may be the case that the eight European fixtures they have already completed have diverted the players' attention somewhat from their League campaign. So, with both sides out of form and jittery to say the least, this may not be a match that anyone will enjoy, and it is difficult to be confident about my selection of a narrow, low-scoring, ugly home win.

10) QPR v Newcastle: Blimey. They say a week is a long time in politics, but the changes at Loftus Road over the course of a few days recently have been quite astounding. From fans bemoaning extortionate ticket prices, owners unwilling to invest in players and uninterested in anything other than profit, and a Championship squad heading straight back where they came from, the arrival of Tony Fernandes and reinstatement to the board of the Mittal family's representatives have brought substantial season ticket refunds, and an astonishing array of millions of pounds' worth of international signings. One of the most notable of those signings makes this a mouth-watering fixture for Sky to have chosen to televise, as Joey Barton will be making his debut against his old teammates, who, by all accounts, were far from upset to see him go. As for the match itself, it is impossible to predict how well Rangers' new players will perform together for the first time, so it may be wise to go high on the number of cards shown, and just enjoy the fireworks.

Four selections for your accumulators this week. A successful £10 bet on Man.City, Cardiff, Charlton and Cowdenbeath would return £56.74 with Coral.

Good luck!