Thanks to Burnley and their annoying habit of winning, the “top six” have once again become the “big six”. Much as we would love to include Sean Dyche’s team in this category we hope that Burnley fans will understand why this is currently an impossibility.
So to the matches this weekend and in the early game, Antonio Conte welcomes Rafa Benitez to Stamford Bridge. (more…)
Well that was fun! Our educated guesses, (which is what they have become since we retired from the predicting game), weren’t a million miles out. They were a few hundred thousand miles out but hey, who’s measuring?
Having suggested that City would return to their free-scoring ways they free-scored a whole TWO goals and it took them 96 minutes to manage that!
We also thought that Chelsea would take a stroll with Swansea as the almost-innocent bystanders. A 1-0 win for the home team is hardly suggestive of a stroll. (more…)
A good night was had by the Manchester United fan’s favourite boo-boys. Both Ashley Young, (man-of-the-match), and Jesse Lingard scored excellent goals in the 2-4 win at Watford.
Young grabbed himself a brace which included a controlled shot from just outside the area and a perfectly executed free-kick which gave Hilarious Gomes in the Watford goal no chance whatsoever. In fact, so good was it, that when a second opportunity from an almost identical position came along, Young could not resist attempting to do a “Leigh Griffiths” and score again. As is nearly always the case in these instances though, he actually hit it tamely into the wall. (more…)
This is the second part of the article we began yesterday by asking which player, over the last twenty five years of the Premier League, has been the best/most influential signing for the top six clubs.
We have already covered Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool so today it is the turn of the other three.
Remember, our one stipulation is that the player in question must have been signed by the club and not have come up through the ranks, which rules out obvious candidates like Paul Scholes or Harry Kane, for example. (more…)
If you could pick one player from the last twenty five years to represent your team in the present day, who would it be?
Here we make a few suggestions by picking one favourite from each of the top six teams, see if you agree and, if not, then let us know in the comments who you would pick.
The only condition we make is that the player in question must have been bought, not brought up through the ranks, so there will be no Steven Gerrard or John Terry, for example. (more…)
Manchester United lie second in the Premier League, but eight points off Manchester City who, at present, are running away with it.
City, even with a couple of injuries to senior players don’t appear to have anybody who could be said to be letting the side down and Eliaquim Managala and Fabian Delph, when called upon, have performed admirably. The same cannot be said about some of the other teams.
United, for example, persisted with Henrikh Mkhitaryan for about two games more than they should have done. He “went missing” as José Mourinho would say, in a couple of games before being dropped and was guilty of losing possession almost every time he had it! (more…)
As we write this, the top six includes Arsenal, something which may not be the case by the time the final whistle is blown at Turf Moor tomorrow.
Whilst no realistically-minded football follower would expect Burnley to finish the season above Arsenal, the possibility cannot be discounted.
But, for the purpose of this exercise, we have to assume that Arsenal will regain their spot among the elite. (more…)
This week sees four of the top six playing on Saturday with the other two getting under way the following day. We have to admit, whilst not being lovers of the monopolising of the top six places by these teams, interest is better maintained when they play over two days and Sunday is certainly more interesting.
In the “what-used-to-be-normal” kick-off time of 3:00pm on Saturday are the following two games:
Manchester United 
v Brighton & Hove Albion 
There should be a backlash from United in this one following their dismal second half performance in Switzerland. They need to remember that a game of football consists of two halves and it is just as important to turn out for the second as it is for the first! (more…)
Wednesday night went off with a bit of a whimper in the Champion’s League. Over in Azerbaijan, Chelsea did what was expected of them by comfortably beating Qarabag by four goals to nil.
This stroll in the park meant that Antonio Conte could spend the overnight flight home plotting Liverpool’s downfall in the weekend’s “big” game.
This exercise probably only required about five minutes as the tactics are relatively straightforward. Providing you can stop Liverpool scoring at your end, they will likely allow you to score some at their end!
So he had a good sleep for the rest of the flight dreaming, no doubt, of reaching the Champion’s League final and beating Juventus to collect the trophy. Dream on, Antonio! (more…)
Another good night was had in Europe on Tuesday by the majority of the English clubs. Manchester City clawed their way to a 1-0 victory over Feyenoord which confirms their winning of the group, Tottenham continued to display their new found maturity, particularly in European competition, by winning in Dortmund and Liverpool, well, they continue to be just Liverpool!
The plucky little scousers managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory having suffered a second-half collapse similar to that of AC Milan in the Ataturk Stadium back in 2005.
So Tottenham have won their group if they can take a point from their final game and Liverpool will guarantee qualification with a point from their final game. (more…)
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 