Premier League Review
Matchday 36
Friday 26/04/19
Liverpool 5 Huddersfield 0
The rout started after only 15 seconds. The ball was gifted by Stankovic to Salah, and his pass was converted by Keita with a well placed low shot. Huddersfield showed some spirit but it wasn't long before Liverpool made it 2-0. Van Dijk came forward and passed to Robertson on the left whose cross was headed in by Mane. (23 minutes). In first half added time, Alexander-Arnold sent a ball forward to Salah, who lifted it over Lossl to make it 3-0.
Sturridge (in for the injured Firmino) had a "goal" chalked off for offside and Salah hit the side netting with a powerful shot from 20 yards, but it was 4-0 after 66 minutes when Mane headed in again, this time from a Henderson cross.
There was a massive roar for the return of Liverpool substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain, making his first appearance since being injured in last year's Champions League semi-final against Roma. The former Arsenal man nearly scored too when put through by Salah. Mane hit the post with a header from Shaqiri's cross. The scoring was completed by Salah in the 83rd minute from another cross by Robertson.
Liverpool had the Premier League lead again, and had to wait for City's result on Sunday.
Saturday 27/04/19
Spurs 0 West Ham 1
Despite this defeat, incredibly this has been another good weekend for Spurs who are the only team out of the four chasing a top four spot to have won any of their last three games. That was the game against Brighton and the only win in the last 12 games played by these teams!
It all means that Spurs now need one win in their last two games (let's do that at Bournemouth) to guarantee Champions League football next season.
Danny Rose was deemed the best of a bad bunch, and the least said about performances the better. See the full spursometer here.
Crystal Palace 0 Everton 0
Everton had put four past Man United last week, and Palace put three past Arsenal, but neither could score in this game. Highlights were threadbare, but Everton were the closest team to scoring. For Palace a Meyer shot hit the side netting in the first half and for Everton, Bernard's shot was pushed onto the post by Guaita in the second. The Palace keeper then saved well from Cenk Tosun's cheeky back heel before an intended cross by Digne hit the back post.
Fulham 1 Cardiff 0
Relegated Fulham had a third successive win. Whilst not yet confirmed, a Cardiff survival is looking more and more unlikely. Fulham had to wait till the 79th minute for their winner, scored by Babel with a fantastic right footed shot from over 20 yards.
Rico made a couple of good late saves from Ward, and Hoilett hit the bar. Rico also had to save a low Bennett header, and one in added time by Morrison, before another save from both Ward and Morrison. Cardiff had fought hard, but these teams will probably be playing each other again next season in the Championship.
Southampton 3 Bournemouth 3
Southampton's Premier League status was confirmed with this point and with Brighton favourites to stay up it looks as if there will be six south coast derbies again next season. That also means three long trips south for this particular fan. (I live in Chesterfield)
Shane Long opened the scoring, but not as quickly as his record-breaking seven seconds last week! This one came after 12 minutes following Redmond's pass from the left and a low deflected shot. This was the first time Long had scored in three consecutive Premier League games.
Bournemouth had been under the cosh, but equalised after 20 minutes, breaking out from their own area, scoring through Gosling. Long had one shot saved by Boruc, then hit the post with his follow-up. Bournemouth took the lead after 32 minutes, following a corner, and a shot by Brooks, which was helped on by Wilson and saved, before the striker followed-up his own touch.
Ward-Prowse made it 2-2 after 55 minutes with a low left footed shot from the edge of the area, and Southampton took a 67th minute lead through Targett, who headed home Valery's deep cross from beyond the back post. This was the 1000th Premier League goal of the season.
Wilson scored a second goal from close range after Fraser's ball, to make it 3-3. Wilson might have had a hat-trick but Gunn saved his shot.
Hopefully Bournemouth will leak a goal or two next week without scoring against Spurs!
Watford 1 Wolves 2
Wolves avenged their FA Cup semi-final defeat, and regained the initiative in the race to be "best of the rest" this season. Jimenez had an early effort cleared off the line by Capoue. The Mexican striker did have a goal after 41 minutes, heading home Jota's cross, after determined work outside the Watford area by Neves.
Watford equalised four minutes into the second half through Gray, but Jota scored the winner in the 77th minute converting a long cross from the right.
Brighton 1 Newcastle 1
Brighton at least scored a goal (they had to wait) and Glenn Murray should have scored a late winner, but at least the "Seagulls" are almost safe, with Cardiff needing two wins to overtake them if Brighton do lose their last two.
Newcastle took the lead after 18 minutes when Dummett crossed, Rondon headed back and Perez fired home. Brighton finally ended their record goal drought when Bruno crossed, Murray met the ball and teed up Gross for a close range finish. 75 minutes had gone and put an end to Brighton's 735 minute drought. In added time, Knockaert crossed and Murray headed over when a winning goal would have guaranteed survival.
Sunday 28/04/19
Leicester 3 Arsenal 0
Arsenal have lost their third consecutive league game and conceded three goals in each of those games. They haven't done that since 1966. They have also lost four of their last five league games, which is as many defeats as they had in the previous 29 games.
The gooners had Maitland-Niles sent off for a second yellow card after 36 minutes, but Leicester had already been dominating the game as they push for a seventh place finish. Good luck to them in their last two games against Chelsea and Man City!
Tielemans headed the "Foxes" into the lead after 59 minutes, meeting Maddison's cross, and Jamie Vardy scored the other two goals. Vardy's first goal after 86 minutes was classic route one, receiving from Schmeichel, lifting the ball over Leno, hitting the crossbar, before heading in the rebound. In added time he converted a low cross by Pereira.
Those three Arsenal defeats have been to the "Eagles", Wolves, and the "Foxes". Next up they face the "Seagulls". Come on Brighton!
Burnley 0 Manchester City 1
Burnley fought and defended hard, and City had goal-line technology to thank for their win when despite Lowton clearing "Kun" Aguero's shot on the line the ball was shown to be 2.951 cm over the line. By coincidence, the "cun" (and I have spelt that right) is an ancient Chinese form of measurement and equals 2.951 cm!
Aguero had a similar effort also cleared off the line by Ben Mee, but that was shown not to be a goal. Aguero is only the second player (after Thierry Henry) to have scored 20 or more goals in five consecutive Premier League seasons. Harry Kane has been denied that status by injury. I just had to mention that Jimmy Greaves achieved this feat in Division One in 8 consecutive seasons and in 11 out of his first 12 seasons in top flight football. Just saying!
City returned to the top by one point.
Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1
This was a must win game for United, who again started well, taking the lead through former Chelsea man Juan Mata in the 11th minute. It was a good goal, with Lukaku playing a delicate ball over the Chelsea defence for Shaw to cut back to Mata.
Chelsea equalised just before half-time and it was thanks to another error by De Gea, who failed to hold Rudiger's long range shot allowing Alonso to follow up and score.
There were few chances in the second half, and the draw leaves Chelsea favourites to join Tottenham in the Champions League. Who knows what is going to happen though on present form?
Fixtures/Results 26-28.04.19
Friday
Liverpool 5-0 Hds'field
Saturday
Spurs 0-1 West Ham
C. Palace 0-0 Everton
Fulham 1-0 Cardiff
S'hampton 3-3 B'mouth
Watford 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 1-1 Newcastle
Sunday
Leicester 3-0 Arsenal
Burnley 0-1 Man City
Man Utd 1-1 Chelsea
Premier League Table
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Man City 36 30 2 4 90-22 68 92
2. Liverpool 36 28 7 1 84-20 64 91
3. Spurs 36 23 1 12 65-36 29 70
4. Chelsea 36 20 8 8 60-39 21 68
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5. Arsenal 36 20 6 10 69-49 20 66
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6. Man Utd 36 19 8 9 64-50 14 65
7. Wolves 36 15 9 12 46-44 2 54
8. Leicester 36 15 6 15 51-47 4 51
9. Everton 36 14 8 14 50-44 6 50
10. Watford 36 14 8 14 51-52 -1 50
11. West Ham 36 13 7 16 45-54 -9 46
12. C. Palace 36 12 7 17 43-48 -5 43
13. Newcastle 36 11 9 16 36-45 -9 42
14. B'mouth 36 12 6 18 52-65 -13 42
15. Burnley 36 11 7 18 44-63 -19 40
16. S'hampton 36 9 11 16 44-60 -16 38
17. Brighton 36 9 8 19 33-55 -22 35
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18. Cardiff 36 9 4 23 30-66 -36 31
19. Fulham 36 7 5 24 34-76 -42 26 R
20. H'dsfield 36 3 5 28 20-74 -54 14 R
