Premier League Picks Of The Week 27

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 27

The 27th week of the Premier League action saw:

255 shots - most by Swansea = 23
36 goals - most by Southampton = 4
223 fouls - most by Middlesbrough = 20
31 bookings - most by Bournemouth = 5
1 red card - Surman for Bournemouth
3 penalties - 2 scored (Gray for Burnley, King for Bournemouth)

What a game! This week Match Of The Day was action-packed! Every game had it in it, goals, tops, flops, controversies, and more goals. My vote goes to the relegation battle between Swansea and Burnley at the Liberty Stadium. It was a great comeback by the Welsh side after some horrendous refereeing gave the Clarets a step back into the game, Anthony Taylor awarding a spot kick Andre Gray netted to make it 1:1 after the ball had clearly come off the arm of his own team mate Sam Vokes. Sean Dyche was not happy with man of the match Fernando Llorente's late winner seeing a foul in the buildup, but did not say much about the penalty incident. Selective memory? Another entertaining encounter was the seven-goal thriller between Watford and Southampton, showing off the best and worst of football, the Saints ending up on top at Vicarage Road bouncing back from their EFL Cup final defeat against Manchester United.

What a team! Chelsea remain unstoppable ten points clear at the top after beating West Ham 1-2 at the London Stadium, continuing their march to the title. I would like to see the mileage manager Antonio Conte covers non-stop on the move, jump, gestures and go on the sideline. Mental. Meanwhile Big Sam is doing his thing, Crystal Palace creeping and crawling out of the relegation zone after recording their second consecutive win, leaving the Hawthorns worthy 0-2 winners.

What a man! All the usual suspects starred and scored again this week, Harry Kane and Dele Alli for Spurs, Romelu Lukaku for Everton, Sergio Agüero for Manchester City, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa for Chelsea... But my hero vote of the week goes to a stopper, Artur Boruc. The Polish keeper kept 10-man Bournemouth in the game at Old Trafford and earned his side a point against Manchester United, saving his fourth out of last seven penalties. The Red Devils were lucky to still have eleven men on the pitch after Zlatan Ibrahimović had elbowed Tyrone Mings in clear frustration about the defender's boot catching his head earlier on. There was one red card, Andrew Surman, who pushed the famous Swedish striker to the ground. How the other two stayed on the pitch in perspective to this, is beyond me!

What a goal! Both Palace goals get my vote, as crucial as they were in the relegation battle, they were top quality to watch! Wilfried Zaha's cracking strike to open the score in the second half was only the second attempt on target in the match, his fifth of the season. Andros Townsend doubled the score six minutes from time, picking up the ball on the left side of his own box and just keeping on going and going and going, past centre back Gareth McAuley and striking the ball low past keeper Ben Foster. Wow.

What the hell?! Well, I will not start about the refereeing standards again, I think I've picked on them enough above, from missed to mixed, it was all just very messed up. Where is the video ref when you need him, ey, FA?!?!?! Apart from all that farce, one certain Frenchman looked very old and resigned at Anfield and I have one question to him: Monsieur Arsène Wenger, pourquoi, warum, why the hell did you leave Alexis Sánchez on the bench?!?!?! In the most crucial game in the battle for the top four against Liverpool (the title race being science fiction for both sides), you leave out your top scorer... ?!?!?!?! The Gunners' boss has well and truly and literally lost it!

My Predictions - Actual Results
Man United 4:1 Bournemouth - 1:1
Leicester 2:0 Hull City - 3:1
Stoke City 1:0 Middlesbrough - 2:0
Swansea 2:1 Burnley - 3:2
Watford 1:1 Southampton - 3:4
West Brom 2:1 Crystal Palace - 0:2
Liverpool 2:2 Arsenal - 3:1
Tottenham 2:0 Everton - 3:2
Sunderland 0:2 Man City - 0:2
West Ham 1:3 Chelsea - 1:2

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

All pictures and stats taken from BBC match reports and MOTD.