Premier League Review Matchday 29
Saturday 2nd March, 2019
Spurs 1 Arsenal 1
Moussa Sissoko edged out Hugo Lloris for your man of the match vote. It is the sixth time Moussa has won that accolade from Spurs Odyssey voters this season. Referee Anthony Taylor got a mark of only 3.7 out of 10, with voters primarily dissatisfied at the perceived number of fouls not given in Spurs' favour.
Here is what referee Keith Hackett (who refereed Spurs 1981 FA Cup Final win) had to say in The Telegraph today about three key decisions in the game:-
1. Kane penalty decision - Correct - quoting the law which says Though in an offside position when the free kick was taken, Kane did not commit an offside offence because he had not interfered with play by the time Skodran Mustafi fouled him.
2. Vertonghen encroaching area - Incorrect, stating that referees are too often failing to apply the encroaching law as strictly as they should.
3. Rose's lunge on Leno - Incorrect. Mr Hackett's view was that Danny was lucky not to be sent off.
See the spursometer in full.
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
City went top but were held to a narrow win by Bournemouth. City dominated first half possession and had 9 corners but could not find the net. De Bruyne did not make it to the end of the half, having to hobble off injured when no other player had been involved. De Bruyne’s replacement had been Mahrez and he scored from a quite narrow angle on the right in the 55th minute.
Boruc managed to punch clear the ball only just inside his area when Sterling threatened to score, but Mahrez skied his shot. Aguero’s right footed shot from the edge of the area dipped onto the bar. Boruc saved well from Mahrez’s powerful header from beyond the back post following a City corner.
Brighton 1 Huddersfield 0
The “Seagulls” were looking for their first league win of the year against the bottom side, who had just won their first game since November in midweek. Jahanbakhsh went close for Brighton late in the first half, hitting the bar with a dipping shot, and Matty Ryan had to dive to his left to save from Bacuna’s shot from outside the Brighton area. Bacuna made a great sliding block to prevent Glenn Murray scoring for the home side in the second half. Murray is still looking for his 100th league goal for the club, and last scored a league goal on 4th December from the penalty spot.
Lossl saved well from Andone, but Andone did score the deciding goal after 79 minutes with a close-range header. The goal followed a free kick on the left and Knockaert’s final ball. There was still work for Ryan to do, as he tipped over Mounie’s effort immediately after the Brighton goal. Brighton were denied two late penalty shouts by referee Mike Dean
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Burnley had been able to beat Spurs last week, but not their lower half rivals Crystal Palace. Palace took a 16th minute lead when Schlupp returned a Zaha cross back into the centre of the goalmouth where Bardsley could not help but put the ball into his own net. Batshuayi made it 2-0 early in the second half with a sharp right footed goal after Wan-Bissaka’s cross.
Zaha made it 3-0 in the 7th minute, bamboozling the Burnley defence with turns to his right and left before planting a shot home with his left foot from 12 yards. Burnley got nothing more than a consolation goal in the closing stages when Barnes headed in Westwood’s cross from the left. Hennessy made a late save to his left from Peter Crouch’s shot across his goal.
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Lukaku had an early shot well saved by Angus Gunn in the Southampton goal, reaching low with his left hand. Gunn then saw a dipping Pereira shot late, but pushed it over, before making a third save from Lukaku at short range following a United corner.
Southampton had been denied a penalty before Valery gave them a 26th minute lead with a spectacular right footer from 25 yards beating De Gea in his top left corner. The “Saints” had another penalty claim just before the break too when Young had hold of Bertrand.
Pereira equalised for United at The Stretford End in the 53rd minute. This was another great goal – a right footed curler – and was Pereira’s first Premier League goal. Lukaku made it 2-1 six minutes later and Pereira had the assist. Lukaku’s shot was a right footed effort across the keeper. James Ward-Prowse made it 2-2 with a superbly taken free kick from 22 yards after 75 minutes.
Lukaku scored an 88th minute winner after Shaw and Fred had exchanged passes outside the area. It was a well-placed shot just inside Gunn’s left post. United had a late penalty when Armstrong clattered Rashford, but for once Pogba failed with his spot kick, seeing his shot saved by Gunn’s legs.
Southampton had given United a good game and will offer strong opposition to Spurs next Saturday at St Mary’s. United are just three points behind Spurs now but face a visit to Arsenal next Sunday.
Wolves 2 Cardiff 0
The Wolves manager made five changes after Wolves’ surprise midweek defeat at Huddersfield. Nuno was rewarded with a winning performance. John Ruddy in goal was one of those changes and he had a nervous moment as he struggled to prevent Gunnarsson’s effort getting past him.
Jota gave Wolves the lead after 16 minutes, scoring at the end of a good triangular passing move featuring the scorer, Gibbs-White and Jimenez. Jimenez made it 2-0 just two minutes later as the Cardiff defence opened up for him entering the area from the left, before he offered Jota a shot, with Jota returning the ball to the scorer.
Dendoncker somehow failed to score a third goal, hitting the post, then firing over the rebound, following a corner on the right. Bamba was stretchered off before the end of the first half, injuring himself in a lunging challenge upon Traore who was breaking clear in the Cardiff half. Ryan Bennett got away with the second of two bookable offences, much to the distress of Neil Warnock, as you would imagine.
There was less significant action in the second half but after 63 minutes Vinagre nearly scored after breaking clear and exchanging passes with Jimenez, before bringing a good left handed save from Etheridge. The Cardiff keeper made an even better save from Jimenez at close range, somehow reaching low and pushing the ball around his right post.
West Ham 2 Newcastle 0
Former captain and club veteran of 20 years’ service Billy Bonds was given an emotional pre-match tribute when the East Stand of the London Stadium was named after him. Bonds had made no less than 800 appearances for the club including 13 as substitute.
Bonds witnessed a home win, with modern-day starlet Declan Rice heading home from a corner in the seventh minute. The former long-serving captain, and one-time manager saw the current club captain Mark Noble score from the penalty spot after 42 minutes. The penalty had been awarded after Hernandez had been caught by his heels after a West Ham free kick.
The closest Newcastle came to scoring was in the second half when Perez hit a shot wide across the goalmouth, and later on Rondon hit Fabianski’s right post with a free kick from 20 yards out.
Sunday 3rd March, 2019
Watford 2 Leicester 1
Sky had arranged this lunchtime game well before this week's appointment of Brendan Rodgers as the Leicester manager, but of course he became the focus of the pre-match hype. Rodgers chose to play a back three, utilising Ben Chilwell and Ricardo Pereira as wing-backs.
Watford made the better start and Schmeichel was called upon to make a good close range save from Mariappa following a free kick on the right. From a second free kick, this time from the left, taken by Deulofeu, Troy Deeney got a head to the ball to score over Schmeichel's arms, inside five minutes.
Mariappa was booked for preventing a Vardy break, and following the free kick Vardy had an accidental collision with Ben Foster. Both players needed treatment but were able to continue.
Deulofeu tested Schmeichel with a right footed shot as he came in from the left after 31 minutes. In the second half, after a Watford throw on the left, Doucoure hit a powerful shot from 22 yards, which Schmeichel pushed away to his left.
Ben Foster in the Watford goal was having very few touches, and he didn't touch the ball when an Ndidi intended cross bounced back into play off the top of his crossbar. Chilwell's return was cleared, but moments later Vardy seized upon Tielemans' forward ball and beat the keeper with his quickly taken and well-placed shot (75 minutes).
Leicester were looking favourites to snatch a winner late in the game and Wes Morgan just failed to get a goal bound touch on a Maddison ball from the left. However, Watford had the last laugh in the second minute of added time after a poor Schmeichel clearance was quickly returned and Deeney set up substitute Andre Gray for a dramatic winner in front of The Rookery End Stand.
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
There was another new manager on show at Craven Cottage with former Spur Scott Parker in charge as caretaker for Fulham against another of his old clubs.
The game was quite open with decent exchanges at either end. Arrizabalaga had been selected after only one match out and fumbled a McDonald cross after a quarter of an hour, but Babel was unable to regain his balance in time to take advantage. Higuain opened the scoring on the 20-minute mark with a lethal finish to Azpilicueta's cross.
After 26 minutes a Sessegnon cross took a looping deflection and Mitrovic hit a cracking shot which was well saved by Arrizabalaga. From the corner, Calum Chambers was granted space at the back of the area and fired home the equaliser (27 minutes). It didn't take long for Chelsea to regain the lead. Hazard passed inside from the left and Jorginho placed a shot to the left of goalkeeper Sergio Rico. (31 minutes). It was Jorginho's first Chelsea goal since a penalty on Day One of the season. Higuain had a chance soon after that but fired over.
Rico made a good save from Hazard's shot after Barkley had passed inside after 40 minutes. Higuain had another sharply taken shot from a cross by Azpilicueta in first half added time, and Rico was down very well to save to his left.
Chelsea had the better of the opening phase of the second half with a Willian shot hitting the side netting and a cross by him punched out by Sergio Rico. However, with Sessegnon switched to the right flank, Fulham at least seemed to have a sense of belief, and Cairney's shot required a decent save by Arrizabalaga midway through the half. The keeper was required to make another good save from Bryan's shot after 71 minutes.
The best chances were falling to Fulham, and three minutes before the end Ayite hooked a pass to Mitrovic, whose header required another decent save by the recalled Chelsea keeper. In added time, Sessegnon put the ball in the net after Vietto's touch, but he was marginally offside.
This was surely as good a performance as Fulham have given all season, and despite still being 10 points away from safety, Scott Parker does seem to have instilled some confidence into the side.
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
This match concluded what had been something of a "Derby" weekend. Everton haven't won such a game since October 2010. This was the 200th league meeting between the two clubs and the 100th at Goodison Park.
The game had all the intensity you could expect, with an atmosphere to match. Salah had a good shot held by Pickford after a typical piece of jinking play just inside the area following a throw. That throw had come from Everton clearing Henderson's excellent pass to Salah. Salah had another great chance after 27 minutes. This time the long pass came from Fabinho. Salah ran towards the right side of the area, but Pickford was well positioned to hold his shot.
Alisson was required to make a save from Calvert-Lewin's header following a 51st minute corner, before at the other end Pickford held Alexander-Arnold's free kick low near his left post. Matip put Salah through and Keane defended well to deny the striker a goal.
Firmino had replaced Origi and after 64 minutes crossed from the right for Mane to head back across the goal. The ball was cleared. Richarlison had been an Everton substitution for Walcott. Milner had been another Liverpool sub (for Wijnaldum) and he won a corner from which Robertson returned the ball into the area, Van Dijk headed across, but the Everton defence just about prevented Fabinho getting his shot on goal.
Richarlison got away down the right flank and crossed hard and low with Sigurdsson so nearly getting the killer touch as the ball crossed the goal area.
The game finished goalless which means these two teams are only separated this season by that freakish Origi winner at Anfield in December. Liverpool remain below Man City at the end of the weekend and have only won two of their last six league games.
Fixtures/Results 02-03.03.19
Saturday
Spurs 1-1 Arsenal
B'mouth 0-1 Man City
Brighton 1-0 Hds'field
Burnley 1-3 C. Palace
Man Utd 3-2 S'hampton
Wolves 2-0 Cardiff
West Ham 2-0 Newcastle
Sunday
Watford 2-1 Leicester
Fulham 1-2 Chelsea
Everton 0-0 Liverpool
Premier League Table
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Man City 29 23 2 4 76-20 56 71
2. Liverpool 29 21 7 1 64-15 49 70
3. Spurs 29 20 1 8 56-30 26 61
4. Man Utd 29 17 7 5 58-38 20 58
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5. Arsenal 29 17 6 6 61-39 22 57
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6. Chelsea 28 17 5 6 49-30 19 56
7. Wolves 29 12 7 10 37-35 2 43
8. Watford 29 12 7 10 41-41 0 43
9. West Ham 29 11 6 12 37-41 -4 39
10. Everton 29 10 7 12 39-39 0 37
11. Leicester 29 10 5 14 35-41 -6 35
12. B'mouth 29 10 4 15 39-54 -15 34
13. C. Palace 29 9 6 14 35-39 -4 33
14. Newcastle 29 8 7 14 26-36 -10 31
15. Brighton 28 8 6 14 30-41 -11 30
16. Burnley 29 8 6 15 32-53 -21 30
17. S'hampton 29 6 9 14 32-49 -17 27
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18. Cardiff 29 7 4 18 25-57 -32 25
19. Fulham 29 4 5 20 27-65 -38 17
20. H'dsfield 29 3 5 21 15-51 -36 14
