ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP ROUND UP WEEK 21
Chelsea 2 v 0 Hull City
Diego Costa scored on his return to the Chelsea team as they beat Hull City to move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The Spanish striker missed last weekend’s 3-0 win over champions Leicester, citing a back injury after a disagreement with a fitness coach, amid reports of Chinese Super League interest, but the Blues star striker returned against struggling Hull and had an early impact, sending an effort from 20 yards fizzing just wide after only 10 seconds, he got the opening goal when he converted a Victor Moses low cross from eight yards out in the seventh minute of first-half injury time, the long stoppage was a result of a head injury to Hull midfielder Ryan Mason, who has suffered a fractured skull, he was taken to hospital after being carried off on a stretcher wearing an oxygen mask following a clash of heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, I know Ryan well from his time with Spurs and I wish him well for a speedy recovery. Gary Cahill sealed the win when he headed home a Cesc Fabregas free-kick.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsaUjcVldZ0
Arsenal 2 v 1 Burnley
Arsenal maintained their title challenge, by snatching the points in a frenetic last few minutes.
In a game that belied Burnley’s atrocious away form, Burnley frustrated the Gunners, but their stubborn resistance was finally broken
with a fine header from Shkodran Mustafi, then in the third minute of injury time Francis Coquelin fouled Ashley Barnes and Andre Gray converted from the spot to level the scores, much to Arsene Wengers disgust, who was then sent to the stands for his protests. With the game heading for a draw, Ben Mee was penalised for a challenge on Laurent Koscielny in the Burnley area, and Sanchez deceived Clarets keeper Tom Heaton with a cheeky penalty.
Arsenal’s fifth consecutive league victory at home lifts them above Liverpool and Tottenham, who both dropped points on Saturday, but they remain eight points behind leaders Chelsea, the result also means Burnley’s dismal away record this season continues, with Sean Dyche’s side having collected only one point from a possible 30 on the road.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obx-n0KYuyw
Liverpool 2 v 3 Swansea City
Swansea set a few records with this unimaginable win at Anfield, it is the first win for new manager Paul Clement, a first ever win for the Swans
at Liverpool and it lifts Swansea off the bottom of the league table, for Liverpool a dismal performance that has left their title hopes in tatters, Roberto Firmino had struck twice to draw the hosts level after Fernando Llorente’s two goals in four minutes after the break, and then up stepped ex Spurs player Gylfi Sigurdsson to score from close range with 16 minutes left, to seal the unexpected victory.
All Swansea fans enjoy this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zctjks2JjPs
Man City 2 v 2 Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester City played some lovely football and Spurs were at times outplayed and were well below their best, but a mixture of awful finishing by City
and a dogged stubborn performance from Spurs meant that the spoils were shared, with Mauricio Pochettino being the far happier of the managers to get a point from the game. Spurs went two nil down after two uncharacteristic errors from Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris, French international Lloris headed an attempted clearance straight at Leroy Sane four minutes after half-time to allow the City attacker a simple finish, then he dropped Raheem Sterling’s routine cross straight at Kevin De Bruyne’s feet five minutes later, Spurs responded swiftly through Dele Alli’s header before they were the beneficiaries of a decision that left Guardiola raging and paved the way for the visitors to scramble a point.
Referee Andre Marriner ignored Kyle Walker’s push on Sterling as he raced into the area, one of the clearest penalties you will ever see and seconds later Son swept a low finish past City keeper Claudio Bravo, City pressed for a winner but were frustrated once more when Brazilian teenager Gabriel Jesus, on for his debut as a substitute for Sterling, saw an effort ruled out for offside.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKydzWW0C3Y
West Brom 2 v 0 Sunderland
Sunderland dropped to the bottom of the Premier League with this 2-0 defeat to West Brom at the Hawthorns, Darren Fletcher put West Brom ahead with a volley on the half-hour mark and six minutes later Chris Brunt lashed home from 20 yards to double the home side’s lead.
Sunderland, struggled to create clear opportunities against the typically solid and efficient West Brom side.
Their fourth defeat in five league games leaves them on 15 points, three points from safety.
Stoke City 1 v 1 Man United
Wayne Rooney became Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer with a sensational stoppage-time free-kick that rescued a point at Stoke.
Substitute Rooney curled in from the left-hand corner of the penalty box for his 250th United goal, one more than Sir Bobby Charlton.
Stoke looked set for a third straight Premier League win, clinging to a lead given to them when Juan Mata poked Erik Pieters’ cross into his own net,
but Rooney had different ideas and salvaged a point.
Click here for Rooney’s record-breaking goal – and what a goal it was !! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U2ptaHR_HQ
Middlesbrough 1 v 3 West Ham United
Andy Carroll was in sparking form and scored twice to make it back-to-back victories for West Ham in the Premier League, despite Middlesbrough dominating for long spells at the Riverside, the Hammers took the lead inside 10 minutes when Carroll lost his marker to head in a Manuel Lanzini corner, the hosts hit back with a well-worked move that ended with Cristhian Stuani tapping in a Calum Chambers low cross, Carroll pounced again after Victor Valdes tipped away Michail Antonio’s low effort to give West Ham the lead at the break and the Hammers added to their lead on the break late on through Jonathan Calleri.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzgGj75j8bY
Bournemouth 2 v 2 Watford
Bournemouth’s disastrous run of without a win in the last seven games continued and they had to twice come from behind to grab a point, Watford had taken the lead midway through the first half when Christian Kabasele headed in from a corner, Joshua King levelled soon after the interval from Adam Smith’s cross, before Troy Deeney exploited more lax defending to restore Watford’s lead, but Afobe grabbed a late equaliser when he ran onto Andrew Surman’s through ball and finished low into the bottom corner.
Crystal Palace 0 v 1 Everton
Crystal Palace remain without a Premier League victory under ex England manager Sam Allardyce as Seamus Coleman’s late strike secured all three points for Everton at Selhurst Park, Romelu Lukaku also hit the post for Everton and Hennessy saved well from Kevin Mirallas and Ramiro Funes Mori, while the closest Palace came to scoring was from Christian Benteke’s header off the bar in the first half.
Palace are now winless in five league matches under Allardyce, while victory for resurgent Everton means they have collected 13 points from the last 15 available to move to within five points of sixth-placed Manchester United.
Southampton 3 v 0 Leicester City
The Champions once again were well beaten away from home, they have not won a game away from home this season, a long way from their successes of last season. I am not that surprised by their performances this season, after the most incredible season in Premier League history, it was never going to be possible for this group of players to maintain the intensity, the physical and mental pressures that being champions affords you, it was a feat that might never be repeated again and I for one was delighted to see their achievements last season, but that is all in the past and Leicester now have 23 points less than they did last year and are only five points off a relegation place, I hope that they can hold it together and not get sucked into the lower echelons of the league, to see these champions fighting against relegation a season after being crowned as champions is not what these players deserve.
Leicester City were outclassed by Southampton at St Mary’s, the Saints who were defeated in each of their last four league games, dominated from the first whistle and deservedly went ahead through James Ward-Prowse’s first goal in 22 games, Ward-Prowse’s free-kick helped set up the second for Jay Rodriguez, before Dusan Tadic’s late penalty set the seal on a one-sided victory.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQqfUDU_ufk
It is the FA Cup Fourth Round this weekend and I have just filmed an interview for the BBC.
Click here for the interview – https://myshare.app.box.com/s/xfuy7zdoqdn1kunyuadw8ywgbo96fgq1
In my predictions I got four correct results, as my school teacher used to say ‘Could do better’
My week 22 predictions :-
Arsenal 3 v 1 Watford
Bournemouth 2 v 1 Crystal Palace
Burnley 2 v 1 Leicester
Middlesbrough 2 v 1 West Brom
Sunderland 1 v 3 Tottenham
Swansea 2 v 1 Southampton
Liverpool 2 v 1 Chelsea
West Ham 1 v 2 Man City
Man United 3 v 1 Hull
Stoke 2 v 1 Everton
Have a good week
Gary
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