Friday 15 April 2016

Foxes Stay Clear While Reds Defeat Potters

After a break in writing due to technical issues, gameweek 33 saw some really close results and while eight sides hit two goals or more, six sides sealed a shut-out.

The weekend began with the early kick-off at Upton Park as West Ham United hosted Arsenal in a London derby between two sides in the mix for a top four spot. The Gunners made a superb start with Mesut Ozil opening the scoring on 17 minutes ahead of the lead being doubled on 35 minutes by Alexis Sanchez. The Hammers staged a stunning comeback as Andy Carroll struck twice either side of the half-time break to level at 2-2 before sealing his hat-trick for 3-2 just seven minutes after the restart.Arsenal salvaged a draw through as Laurent Koscielny fired in a 70th minute equaliser for 3-3. The result leaves the Gunners all but out of the title race while the Hammers remain fimly in the top four chase.

Rock bottom Aston Villa hosted Bournemouth at Villa Park knowing that a defeat coupled with a positive result for Norwich would see the Villans relegated for the first time in the League's history. A tight first half saw the Cherries break the deadlock late on through Steve Cook for 1-0. The lead was doubled midway through the second half as Josh King made it 2-0 on 74 minutes but Villa remained in the game and forced a frantic finale after Jordan Ayew's 85th minute strike. However, it proved to be sheer consolation as they slipped to yet another defeat.


Crystal Palace hosted Norwich City at Selhurst Park with both sides still not safe from the clutches of the drop zone.  The game proved to be tight one as just one goal was enough to claim all three points and with Villa needing the Canaries to lose in order to stave off relegation, they got their wish. The Eagles claimed the narrow win in the second half as Jason Puncheon opened his scoring account for the season in the 68th minute.

Southampton looked to stay in the hunt for Europe as they hosted a Newcastle United side at St Mary's looking to avoid relegation.. The Saints started superbly as Shane Long fired them ahead inside four minutes before Graziano Pelle doubled the lead in the 37th minute. Victor Wanyama wrapped up the win for the hosts just ten minutes after half-time for 3-0 but Newcastle did have the last say on the score as Andros Townsend made it 3-1 in the 66th minute.


Swansea City looked to edge closer to safety as they hosted Chelsea at the Liberty Stadium with the Blues hoping to boost their chances of a Europa spot. However, the hosts came out on top in a close game that was settled by just a single goal. Gylfi Sigurdsson sealed the three points for the Swans with the crucial strike in the 25th minute.

Watford hosted Everton at Vicarage Road with both sides looking to move closer to the top half with safety all but sealed for both sides. The game looked to be going into half-time with the sides goalless but a frantic double saw James McCarthy put the Toffees ahead before Jose Holebas levelled in added time for 1-1. The late first half flurry proved to be the last say on the score at the sides shared the points.



Manchester City looked to keep up their slim title hopes as they hosted West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad Stadium. The Baggies staged an early upset as Stephane Sessegnon fired them 1-0 ahead inside six minutes but the lead was soon cancelled out as Sergio Aguero converted from the penalty spot on 19 minutes. The points were sealed for the hosts just after the hour mark as Samir Nasri slotted in for 2-1 in the 66th minute.

Sunday's action began at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland hosted league leaders Leicester City hoping to cut the gap to Norwich in the bottom four. The sides played out not only a goalless first half but even first hour before Jamie Vardy fired the Foxes ahead on 67 minutes. The hosts came close to levelling but were condemned to a 2-0 defeat late on as Vardy struck for a second time.


Liverpool hoped to keep up their top four hopes as they hosted a Stoke City side at Anfield who had the same ambition in sitting just above the Reds ahead of the game. The hosts struck an early lead as Alberto Moreno fires in a superb opener in the eighth minute but the Potters drew level on 22 minutes with a strike from Bojan Krkic. Daniel Sturridge regained the lead for the Reds on 32 minutes before a superb brace from substitute Divock Origi in the 50th and 65th minutes wrapped up a comfortable 4-1 victory.

The final game of the weekend saw title hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur host European hopefuls Manchester United at White Hart Lane. The game was delayed by traffic congestion but in a close first hour, the sides remained level before a superb seven minute blitz by the hopes wrapped up a comfortable win. Dele All started the spree in the 70th minute before Toby Alderweireld's 74th minute effort was followed by Erik Lamela's 77th minute strike to seal a 3-0 triumph.


An addition to this post sees two further games as West Ham United hosted Manchester United on Wednesday night in the FA Cup sixth round replay. The sides battled in a goalless first half before United took the lead on 54 minutes via a clever strike from Marcus Rashford before Marouane Fellaini doubled the lead on 67 minutes. West Ham pulled one back through James Tomkins on 79 minutes but it proved to be just a consolation in a 2-1 defeat meaning the final cup game at Upton Park was sadly a defeat for the Hammers.

The Premier League also resumed on Wednesday night as Crystal Palace hosted Everton at Selhurst Park but the game turned out to have all the hallmarks of two mid-table sides as they shared the points in a 0-0 draw, the only notable piece of action saw James McCarthy dismissed in the 51st minute after two bookings.

Saturday 9 April 2016

Foxes Extend Gap After Reds Hold Spurs

A problem computer wise this week means the review is just image based with next weeks going back to the normal routine.






Monday 21 March 2016

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.

Sunday 20 March 2016

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.

Thursday 17 March 2016

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.

Wednesday 16 March 2016

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.

Sunday 13 March 2016

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.