Foxes Remain On Course As Saints Stun Reds

As the crucial run-in grows nearer, gameweek 31 in the Premier League saw an exciting weekend with some interesting results at both ends of the table. Seven sides hit the net two or more times while just six managed to claim a shut-out.

Saturday's early game saw Everton host title challenging Arsenal at Goodison Park with the Gunners knowing anything but a win would derail their title hopes. Their pursuit of success gained an early boost as Danny Welbeck fired them into the lead after just seven minutes. A debut strike from Alex Iwobi saw him double the lead on 42 minutes and it proved to be enough to wrap up a 2-0 win.

In the first of four 3pm games, Chelsea and West Ham United faced off in a London derby at Stamford Bridge with a spot in the top four awaiting the Hammers with a win. They got off the mark after 17 minutes as Manuel Lanzini struck a stunning opener. Cesc Fabregas levelled just before half-time before Andy Carroll restored the Hammers' lead with his first touch off the bench in the 61st minute. The Blues salvaged a draw in the 89th minute as Fabregas slotted in from the penalty spot for 2-2.

Table topping Leicester City travelled to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park with the chance to move eight points clear at the top should they win. The game proved to be a tight one with just a single goal settling the contest as Riyad Mahrez continued his stunning season for the Foxes with a 34th minute strike to secure a 1-0 win.

Watford hosted Stoke City at Vicarage Road looking to close on the top half while the Potters are still in the hunt for the top four. The visitors struck an early opener as Jon Walters fired them ahead on 18 minutes before Josélu doubled the lead in the 51st minute. Troy Deeney pulled one back for the Hornets on 86 minutes to set up a frantic finale but the Potters managed to hold on for a 2-1 win.

West Bromwich Albion hosted relegation battlers Norwich City at The Hawthorns with the Canaries knowing that a rare win would move them out of the bottom three. The sides remained locked after a goalless first half before a strike from Robbie Brady just five minutes after the restart put the visitors in control. The Baggies battled to try and draw level but fell short as the Canaries moved three points clear of the drop zone.

Saturday's evening game saw Swansea City hosting bottom side Aston Villa with the Swans looking to edge towards safety with a win which in turn would leave the Villans closer to the drop. A close first half saw the visitors dominate but not in terms of the score and they were made to rue missed opportunities as Federico Fernandez fired the hosts ahead within five minutes of the restart. The 50th minute effort proved to be enough to secure a 1-0 win that left the visitors adrift at the bottom.

Super Sunday Derby Day began with the fierce North East face-off  between Newcastle United and Sunderland with both desperate for a win which would see either move out of the bottom three. Sunderland struck first with a goal just seconds before the half-time break courtesy of Jermaine Defoe and they looked to be on the way to a seventh win in a row against the Magpies as the game entered the final ten minutes. However, Newcastle drew level in style with just seven minutes remaining as Aleksandar Mitrovic headed in to salvage a potentially vital 1-1 draw.

The first of the non-televised games saw Southampton host fellow top four hopefuls Liverpool at St Mary's Stadium with both looking to close the gap to the Champions League places. Liverpool raced into a 2-0 lead inside 22 minutes as Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge struck in a five minute period. The Saints hit back on 64 minutes through Sadio Mané before mounting a superb comeback with two goals in three minutes to secure a 3-2 win as Graziano Pellé struck on 83 minutes before Mané struck his second to wrap up a famous win. 

The second part of the Super Sunday special saw Manchester City host fierce City rivals Manchester United with City needing a win to stay in the title hunt while for United, a win would put them within touching distance of their hosts. The game proved to be a close one overall win just a single goal settling the contest as Marcus Rashford sealed a 1-0 win for United with a strike in the 16th minute.

The final game of the weekend saw title challengers Tottenham Hotspur host Bournemouth with Spurs looking to cut the gap at the top to five points. A perfect start for the hosts saw Harry Kane strike inside the first minute before doubling the lead in the 16th minute. The points were wrapped up by the 52nd minute as Christian Eriksen struck for 3-0.

Europa League Last 16 Second Leg Review

After excitement in the first legs, the Europa League continued with the second legs of the last 16 on Thursday night with the majority of the eight ties in close contention.

Bayer Leverkusen hosted Villarreal looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg but the Germans were unable to do so in a tight 90 minutes which saw the sides draw 0-0 on the night and ensure that the La Liga side advanced into the last eight with a 2-0 success on aggregate.

Lazio hosted Sparta Prague with the sides level at 1-1 after a close first leg but such equality was soon forgotten within 12 minutes of the second leg as Sparta raced into a 2-0 lead which put them 3-1 ahead on aggregate. Dockal opened the scoring in the tenth minute before Krejci doubled the lead two minutes later and the Italians' hopes were all but over by half-time as Julis made it 3-0 on 44 minutes. The lead held until the end as the Czechs reached the last eight with a 4-1 aggregate success.


The all La Liga tie saw Valencia host Athletic Bilbao hoping to overturn a narrow one goal deficit from the first leg and they took just 13 minutes to level the tie as Lorenzo fired the hosts ahead on the night. Santos doubled the lead on 37 minutes to give the hosts a 2-1 lead overall but despite leading long into the second half, they were denied a place in the next round by a 75th minute strike from Aduriz. His effort wasn't enough to prevent a defeat on the night but the away goal secured a spot in the last eight after a 2-2 aggregate.

Manchester United hosted Premier League rivals Liverpool hoping to overturn the Reds' 2-0 advantage from the first leg at Anfield as the sides met at Old Trafford. The hosts struck the first piece in their puzzle as Anthony Martial converted a 32nd minute penalty to cut the gap to 2-1 overall. However, Liverpool restored the two goal lead on aggregate right on the stroke of half-time as Philippe Coutinho levelled the game at 1-1 thereby making it 3-1 overall. The score remained level for the entirety of the second half as Liverpool celebrated dumping their fierce rivals out of the competition.

Anderlecht hosted Shakthar Donetsk with a huge task ahead of them after suffering a 3-1 defeat in the first leg. The sides were evenly matched in this game with the score remaining goalless deep into the final ten minutes. Both sides suffered a blow with the dismissal of Kucher for the visitors on 84 minutes before the hosts lost Kara Mbodji just a couple of minutes later. The visitors secured a win in added time as Eduardo struck to confirm a 4-1 aggregate win.

Sevilla looked to edge a step closer to retaining their title as they hosted FC Basel, the sides drew the opening leg 0-0 but there would be no draw this time around as Rami fired the hosts ahead in the 35th minute. A rapid brace for Gameiro just before half-time made it 3-0 and his strikes proved to be the nail in the hopes of the Swiss as Sevilla sealed a 3-0 aggregate success.

Sporting Braga hosted Fenerbache looking to overturn a narrow 1-0 deficit from the first leg and they took just 11 minutes of the second leg to make their mark as Hassan put them 1-0 up and levelled the tie overall. The visitors levelled the game in the 45th minute as Potuk struck before they suffered a blow on 66 minutes with the dismissal of Topal.

The hosts took control of the tie with two goals in five minutes as Josué converted a 69th minute penalty before Stojiljkovic made it 3-0 on the night in the 74th minute. Silva wrapped up the win and the tie as a whole with a fourth goal on 83 minutes before the Turks collapsed late on with goalscorer Potuk and Sen dismissed as they suffered a 4-2 exit on aggregate.

The final tie of the night saw Tottenham facing the huge task of overturning a 3-0 deficit from the first leg against Borussia Dortmund. Their mission became even harder inside the first half an hour as Pierre Aubameyang put the Germans ahead and extended the overall lead to 4-0. The tie was over as a contest as Aubameyang struck his second and the Germans fifth overall in the 70th minute before Tottenham had the last say with a strike from Son Heung-Min on 73 minutes to make it 2-1 on the night but only a consolation overall in a 5-1 aggregate defeat.

Champions League Last 16 Second Legs Part Two

After the first four places were sealed last week, the Champions League Last 16 second legs continued with eight sides vying for the final four spots in the quarter finals.

Tuesday night saw Atletico Madrid host PSV Eindhoven in a tie which saw the sides enter the second leg on level terms after a goalless 90 minutes in Eindhoven. The sides remained unable to break each other down in this leg with the tie going the full distance. The extra time period saw chances but no goals leading to a penalty shoot-out which saw the first goals of the tie with Atletico securing and 8-7 win overall.

Manchester City looked to reach the last eight for the first time as they hosted Dynamo Kiev with the visitors looking to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg. However unlike the first leg, the sides were more evenly matched as they drew 0-0 thereby ensuring City went through to the next round safely with a 3-1 aggregate win.

Wednesday night saw Barcelona continue their title defence with the visit of Arsenal who needed to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg to join Manchester City in the next stage. However, Arsenal's task received an early blow as Neymar fired the hosts 1-0 ahead inside 18 minutes to make it 3-0 overall. Mohamed Elneny equalised on the night in the 51st minute to make it 3-1 overall but the Catalans looked safe when Luis Suarez volleyed in on 66 minutes to stretch the overall lead to 4-1. Barcelona completed a 3-1 win on the night with Lionel Messi hitting an 88th minute effort which wrapped up a huge 5-1 aggregate success.

Bayern Munich and Juventus went into their second leg meeting locked at 2-2 on aggregate and the final tie in the review proved to be the most exciting with six goals across the night. Juventus made a perfect start with Paul Pogba making it 1-0 after just five minutes before Juan Cuadrado doubled the lead on 27 minutes to put the Italians 4-2 ahead overall. Bayern left it late to fight back with Robert Lewandowski cutting the gap on 72 minutes before Thomas Muller forced extra time with a last-gaps strike to make it 2-2 on the night and 4-4 overall.

Thiago Alcantara put the hosts ahead in the 108 minute before the win and the tie were sealed ten minutes from the end as Kingsley Coman made it 4-2 on the night and wrapped up a 6-4 aggregate triumph.

Foxes Five Clear While Gunners Cup Run Ends

A unique first in terms of reviews as gameweek 30 in the Premier League is coupled with the FA Cup fifth round replay and sixth round schedule.

First up is the FA cup fifth round from the previous week as Hull City and holders Arsenal met at the KC Stadium with the Tigers keen to finally gain revenge for their defeat in the 2014 final to the Gunners.

A close knit first half looked to be ending goalless between the sides but a 41st minute effort from Olivier Giroud gave the Gunners the lead and ended the equality for 1-0. Theo Walcott doubled the lead as he made it 2-0 on 68 minutes before a six minute double from Giroud saw him strike on 71 minutes before completing his hat-trick in the 77th minute to wrap up a 4-0 success.

The sixth round began on Friday night with a London derby between Championship side Reading and top flight side Crystal Palace. The sides seemed to be evenly matched in a goalless first half and the tight defences remained shut long into the second half before a late show from the visitors. Reading went down to ten men with five minutes remaining as Jake Cooper was sent off and the resulting penalty saw Yohan Cabaye make it 1-0. The win was sealed for the Eagles in added time as Fraizer Campbell completed the 2-0 success.

Saturday's action came from Goodison Park as Everton hosted Chelsea, the two sides met in the 2009 final with the Blues coming out on top and a trip to Wembley was just one win away for either side. The game was a close one in the first hour or so with the sides locked at 0-0, the Toffees managed to strike an opening as former Blues striker Romelu Lukaku made it 1-0 on 77 minutes He struck again in rapid fashion just five minutes later to double the hosts' lead before Chelsea's hopes all but ended with the 84th minute dismissal of Diego Costa for an altercation with Gareth Barry and three minutes later Barry was also dismissed for a second booking. 

Sunday saw the final two ties of the round which began with holders Arsenal hosting Watford in a London derby at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners went into the game knowing just two more wins would seal a third title in a row. However, such success would see them needing to come from behind after Odion Ighalo put the Hornets in front in the 50th minute.

Adlene Guedioura doubled the lead for the visitors on 63 minutes to leave the Gunners defence of the title hanging by a thread. Arsenal's comeback came late on as Danny Welbeck made it 2-1 on 88 minutes to set up a tense finale but to no avail as the Hornets became the first side to beat the Gunners in the competition since 2013.

Manchester United played host to West Ham United at Old Trafford in the final action of the round with both hoping to secure a win that would see a welcome return to Wembley for either side.  Alike the majority of the other games, the first hour or so was a tight encounter but the Hammers ensured there was at least one goal in the game in style as Dmitri Payet's dazzling free-kick made it 1-0.

However, the hosts did well to get back on level terms despite leaving it late as Anthony Martial made it 1-1 on 83 minutes with the effort proving to be enough to force a replay. The Premier League action saw just five games with all of the top three in action across the weekend.

Saturday's early game came from Carrow Road as strugglers Norwich City hosted title chasing Manchester City. The pre-match build-up saw an easy Manchester City win expected as the likely outcome but it result was far from such hopes as the sides played out a 0-0 draw which left the Canaries happier with a point that a City side who missed the chance to close the gap at the top.

The first of just two 3pm games saw Bournemouth host Swansea at the Vitality Stadium with both sides knowing a win would surely confirm safety from relegation worries. Max Gradel opened the scoring for the Cherries on 37 minutes only to see his effort rapidly cancelled out by an equaliser from Modou Barrow within two minutes.

Josh King regained the lead for the hosts on 50 minutes but again the Swans drew level with Gylfi Sigurdsson levelling on 62 minutes but the odd goal in five went to the hosts who secured a 3-2 win on 78 minutes with a strike from Steve Cook.

Stoke City hosted fellow Europa League chasers Southampton at the Britannia Stadium with both knowing a win would put them in a good position to challenge the top four. Graziano Pellé put the Saints ahead early on with an 11th minute strike before adding a second goal on the half hour mark for 2-0. Marko Arnautovic pulled one back for the Potters on 52 minutes for 2-1 but it proved to be only a consolation despite the late dismissal of Sadio Mané for the visitors.

Relegation threatened Aston Villa knew a win was a must as they hosted title challengers Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon. The visitors secured a 2-0 with a brace from Harry Kane within three minutes of the second half with Kane's strikes enough to move Spurs clear in second spot and leave Villa nine points from safety.

The final game of the weekend saw table toppers Leicester City host struggling Newcastle United with the Foxes having the chance to go five points clear and for the Magpies, a win would see them rise out of the bottom three.

Despite the vast difference in their league positions, the goal was settled by just a single goal but it was a stunning strike as Shinji Okazaki's overhead kick on 28 minutes proved to be enough to secure the win for the Foxes.

Europa League Last 16 First Legs Review

The draw for the last 16 of the Europa League saw a unique first as fierce rivals Liverpool and Manchester United were paired in Europe while Tottenham's pairing with favourites Borussia Dortmund meant the chance of two English sides in the last eight was a small one.

Thursday's action began with the tie between Dortmund and Tottenham and for the English side, it was a night to forget as they were outplayed in a 3-0 defeat that left them needing a miracle at White Hart Lane in the second leg. Pierre Aubameyang opened the scoring for the Germans on the half hour mark before a second half brace from Marco Reus in the 61st and 70th minutes wrapped up the three goal success.

FC Basel hosted defending champions Sevilla looking to start an end the Spaniard's stunning run in the tournament over the last few seasons. However, the sides were evenly matched across both halves of the game with the score remaining at 0-0 at the end of the 90 minutes. The only blot on the visitors evening came late on as Steven N'Zonzi was sent off in the 87th minute.

Fenerbache played host to Sporting Braga with both sides looking to place a mark in a tie between two sides who boasted rich European experience between them. The game itself proved to be a close one as the Turks sealed a narrow 1-0 win with a Topal strike in the 82nd minute.

Another tie between two experience sides saw Shakthar Donetsk welcome Anderlecht with both sides keen to move a step closer to the last eight. Shakthar raced into a 2-0 lead inside 25 minutes via strikes from Taison and Kucher on 21 and 24 minutes. Acheampong responded for the visitors to make it 2-1 on 68 minutes but any chance of a comeback was all but ended on 79 minutes as Eduardo sealed a 3-1 win.

In the first of two battles between domestic rivals, Atletico Bilbao hosted fellow La Liga side Valencia. The hosts had won both of the league meetings between the sides this season and they completed a trilogy of successes with a narrow 1-0 win. The crucial strike came in the 20th minute as Raul Garcia struck to leave the Catalans needing to score in the second leg after failing to claim a potentially vital away goal.

The first ever European meeting between Liverpool and Manchester United took place at Anfield as the Reds looked to gain revenge for the league double they suffered at the hands of their rivals. The Reds opened the scoring inside 25 minutes with Daniel Sturridge converting superbly from the penalty spot on 20 minutes. United's recent form has seen them struggle to not only score but register a number of shots on target in a game and this time around was no different as a second goal for the hosts on 73 minutes from Roberto Firmino was enough to confirm a comfortable 2-0 victory.

Sparta Prague hosted Lazio in a tie between two sides who eased into the last 16 but in the tie proved to be closely matched as they drew 1-1. The hosts took an early lead through Frydek in the 13th minute before a 38th minute leveller from Parolo secured a potentially vital away goal for the Italians in an otherwise tight encounter.

The final tie of the night saw Villarreal host Bayer Leverkusen with the sides meeting at this stage for the second time after the 2010/11 meeting which saw the Spaniards come out on top. The prospect of  repeat was boosted early on as Bakambu opened the scoring inside four minutes. He doubled the lead for the hosts with his second goal on 56 minutes and the misery for the visitors was completed late on with the dismissal of Jedvaj in added time to couple the 2-0 defeat.

Champions League Last 16 Second Legs Part One

The elongated last 16 round of the Champions League saw the first four spots in the last eight confirmed in midweek with the remaining spots to be filled in the second part of the round next week.

Tuesday night saw Real Madrid continue their charge to an 11th title as they hosted AS Roma, the La Liga side went into the second leg with a 2-0 lead from the opening game. The sides played out a goalless first half before the hosts kicked into gear with two goals in the space of four minutes after the hour mark. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring on 64 minutes before James Rodriguez wrapped up a 2-0 win on 68 minutes to complete a 4-0 rout on aggregate.

The night's other tie saw Wolfsburg host KAA Gent with the Germans holding a 3-2 advantage from the first leg leaving the Belgians with a big task to overcome three away goals. However, such a task was made harder by the fact that the game remained at 0-0 long into the second half. The hosts confirmed their place in the last eight with a 74th minute winner from André Schurrle to complete a 4-2 aggregate success.

Wednesday night began with Zenit St Petersburg hosting Benfica looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Portugal. The sides played out a goalless first half with the equality continuing past the hour mark until the Russians levelled the tie at 1-1 with a 69th minute opener from Hulk. Gaitan levelled for 1-1 on the night and put the visitors 2-1 ahead overall with five minutes to go before Conceicao wrapped up a 2-1 win and 3-1 aggregate success in added time.

Chelsea played host to perennial Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg and become the first English side to reach the last eight. The visitors extended their aggregate lead to 3-1 inside 16 minutes as Rabiot put them ahead on the night. Chelsea responded on 27 minutes through Diego Costa but were unable to level the tie before Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed a 2-1 win and 4-2 success on aggregate in the 67th minute.

Foxes Safe on Top While Reds Late Show Denies Palace

After finally catching up with my results from previous weeks, along came gameweek 29 in the Premier League as the season began to journey towards the final straight. An exciting weekend saw seven sides score two or more while just four claimed a shut-out.

The weekend began with possibly the most important North London derby in the league's existence as Tottenham Hotspur hosted fellow title challengers Arsenal at White Hart Lane.  The Gunners opened the scoring with six minutes left of the first half as Aaron Ramsey struck before a triple blow for the visitors in a seven minute period. Francis Coquelin was sent off on 55 minutes before goal from Toby Alderweireld and Harry Kane on 60 and 62 minutes put Spurs 2-1 ahead. However, the points would be shared after Alexis Sanchez sealed a 2-2 draw with a 78th minute leveller.

The first of six 3pm games saw Chelsea host Stoke City at Stamford Bridge with the Blues looking move into the top half of the table for the first time since the first third of the season. Their hopes were boosted just before half time as Bertrand Traore continued his scoring streak with the opener on 39 minutes. However, Stoke salvaged a point late in the second half as Mama Biram Diouf fired in an 85th minute leveller for 1-1.

Everton hosted West Ham United at Goodison Park with the Toffees keen to move into the top half while the Hammers still had their hopes of reaching the top four. The Blues got off to a great start as Aaron Lennon opened the scoring on 13 minutes but suffered a blow on 34 minutes with the dismissal of Kevin Mirallas. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Everton doubled their lead through Romelu Lukaku on 56 minutes before a superb Hammers double in the space of three minutes made it 2-2.

Michail Antonio continued his scoring streak in the 78th minute before an equaliser from Diafra Sakho on 81 minutes. The comeback was completed late on as Dmitri Payet sealed a 3-2 win for the Hammers in added time.

Manchester City looked to bounce back from their midweek defeat at Anfield as they hosted bottom side Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium. A tight first half saw the sides remain level at 0-0 but Villa were soon in big trouble as City fired in a quartet of goals in an 18 minute period. Yaya Toure got them off the mark three minutes after the restart before a ten minute brace from Sergio Aguero made it 3-0. The rout was completed on 66 minutes as Raheem Sterling made it 4-0.

Relegation battlers Newcastle United hosted Bournemouth with the Cherries knowing that a win at St James' Park would put them close to safety from the drop zone. An early boost for the visitors came on 28 minutes as Steven Taylor hit into his own net for 1-0. The Magpies did well to keep the deficit to a single goal but were unable to draw level before a second for the Cherries came on 70 minutes through Joshua King. Ayoze Perez cut the gap to 2-1 on 80 minutes before the win was sealed for the visitors in added time through Charlie Daniels for 3-1.

Southampton hosted Sunderland at St Mary's Stadium looking to close on the European places while the visitors were keen to move out of the drop zone. The game proved to be a tight one despite the sides differing league positions before a double boost came for the visitors with the dismissal of Jose Fonte on 79 minutes followed by Jermain Defoe's 85th minute opener. However,the ten man Saints did well to claim a point with Virgil Van Dijk salvaging a 1-1 draw in added time.

In a battle at the bottom end of the table, Swansea City hosted fellow strugglers Norwich City with the Swans knowing that a win would open up a huge gap between them and the bottom four. The win they craved came via a single goal as Gylfi Sigurdsson sealed a 1-0 win with a strike in the 61st minute.

Saturday's evening game saw Watford hosting table toppers Leicester City with the Foxes having the chance to open up a five point lead at the top. The game was settled by a single goal in the second half as Riyad Mahrez sealed a 1-0 win that leaves the Foxes in a superb position at the top of the league.

Super Sunday began with Crystal Palace's hosting of Liverpool with the Eagles hoping to extend their hoodoo over the Reds with the 2014's title dent the most famous in recent seasons.

The sides played out a tight and goalless first half before Joe Ledley put the Eagles ahead within three minutes of the restart. The Reds suffered a further blow with the dismissal of James Milner on 62 minutes but they battled back into the game with ten men as Roberto Firmino levelled on 72 minutes. The game was settled deep into added time with the Reds earning penalty which substitute Christian Benteke tucked away to claim a 2-1 win.

The final game of the weekend saw West Bromwich Albion host Manchester United with the Baggies looking to close on the top half and the Red Devils hoping to keep in the top four battle. United suffered a blow midway through the first half with Juan Mata being dismissed on 26 minutes before the Baggies took advantage of the extra man on 66 minutes. The winning goal came from Salomon Rondon who piled more pressure on the United manager Louis Van Gaal with the 1-0 win.