Premier League Picks Of The Week 34

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 34

The 34th week of the Premier League action saw:

29 goals - most by Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Liverpool & Man City = 3 each

236 shots - most by Liverpool = 20

80 on target - most by Crystal Palace = 8

108 corners - most by West Ham = 10

230 fouls - most by Stoke = 21

39 yellow cards - most by Southampton = 5

0 red cards 

1 penalty - Gündogan for Man City

What a game! Unlike last week, this weekend kicked of with a cracker at St Mary’s. Southampton could not have asked for a better start after going two goals up thanks to Dušan Tadić (21’) and Jan Bednarek (60’), Chelsea just chasing shadows, the home side in total control. However, a crazy eight minutes in the last quarter saw three goals, substitute Olivier Giroud with a brace (70’ & 78’) and Eden Hazard (75’) completing a perfect comeback for the Blues, stunning and silencing the Saints. What a turnaround. And more goal-fests were on their way, see below.

Crystal Palace and Brighton enjoyed a love-hate relationship with set pieces in their clash at Selhurst Park - seeing four goals netted in the opening quarter!!! And that was not all, see below.

What a team! Burnley are moving closer to Europa League qualification recording their fifth consecutive win with two goals in three minutes in the opening nine minutes by former Fox Chris Wood (6’) and Kevin Long (9’), Jamie Vardy (72’) pulling one back eventually but Leicester were nowhere, wasteful, too little too late, just like last week, a record eighth time the Yorkshire man has scored and lost this season. Man of the match Nick Pope did a brilliant job keeping and frustrating the hell out of the 2016 champions.

Manchester City ended Spurs’ 14-match unbeaten run beating the Londoners confidently 1-3 at Wembley in the late late kick-off on Saturday, bouncing back from their Champions League exit against Liverpool and leaving them on the brink of winning the Premier League. See below who served them the title on Sunday.

What a man! Mohamed Salah (69’) headed in his 30th league goal, 40th of the season in all competitions, after Sadio Mané (7’) netted his 10th and 17th respectively and Roberto Firmino (90’) finished the game off with his 15th and 25th respectively, to make it Liverpool 3-0 against Bournemouth at Anfield. That takes the front trio’s total to 55 goals in the league, 82 all round, the Reds moving up to third overtaking Tottenham after their defeat against Man City. And that’s the eighth clean sheet in the last 12 games, five conceded, 29 scored by Jürgen Klopp's men, the only unbeaten team at home left in all four divisions. Mind-blowing! 

West Brom caretaker boss Darren Moore absolutely dwarfed Manchester United manager José Mourinho, not just in statue but with the teams’ contrasting performances as well. Watching the match, you would have never have guessed it was at Old Trafford, the bottom side dominated play and didn’t let the Red Devils into the game, Jay Rodriguez (73’) heading in the winner that handed Manchester City the title for the third time in seven years. I’m sure Sir Alex Ferguson was wondering who/what/why he was watching and seeing, whilst Pep Guardiola’s golfing afternoon most certainly turned so much sweeter, becoming the first Spaniard to win the English title. And with five games to spare they equalled the English top-flight record of United (1907-08 & 2000-01) and Everton (1984-85) of being crowned the earliest champions! Congratulations to the Citizens, definitely simply the best this season! 

What a goal! Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha’s second was a lovely finish, raising and heading the ball in acrobatically, to make it 3-1 after just 24 minutes against Brighton. José Izquierdo made it five goals in under 35 minutes with a sublime curl into the bottom corner to make it 3-2. Game on!!! The scoreline stayed that way though after the all-guns-blazing firing start taking Roy Hodgson’s men to only their second win in the last 11 games and six points clear of the drop zone.

Swansea’s Kyle Naughton’s own goal gave Everton the lead against the run of play in Wales (43’), off his face, it was a bit bizarre, the home side thinking they’ve cleared it, the ref’s watch proving differently. Jordan Ayew grabbed a goal and point back for the Swans (71’) but it will still have felt like two points dropped, Toffees boss Big Sam praising Wayne Rooney for his performance, much in contrast to last week’s Merseyside derby tantrum.

Substitute Tom Ince left it later than late to find a last-minute winner against Watford (90’+1’), slotting in Mathias Jørgensen’s fine cut back to record the Tigers’ first win in six. Crucial goals and points all round in the relegation battle, this result taking Huddersfield seven points clear of the bottom three.

And it was all about the subs at West Ham too, Peter Crouch netting for Stoke after Joe Hart spilled Xherdan Shaqiri’s shot (79’) before Andy Carroll grabbed a point back with a fine volley (90’) coming off the bench in his first game since January. It was a late rescue after the home side already saw three goals disallowed, the result leaving the Potters in 19th, the end of their 10-year PL stint edging closer and closer, the Hammers happier in 14th, seven points safe from the drop zone.

What the hell?! Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso was lucky not to see red for his challenge on Saint Shane Long, Mark Hughes was not happy, Antonio Conte saw nothing of course. Yeah, rrrrright.

Newcastle recorded their first home win against Arsenal since 10 December 2005 ending a losing streak of ten games with their 2-1 comeback win at St James’ Park on Sunday thanks to Ayoze Pérez (29’) and Matt Ritchie (68’) after Alexandre Lacazette (14’) had opened the scoring for the visitors. The Gunners continued their miserable away run remaining winless on the road in 2018 - losing five successive away league games for the first time since 1984. Salud to Rafael Benítez, his club should be safe in 10th, 13 points clear of the drop; same old misery for Arsène Wenger, stuck in sixth, Burnley sneaking up on them in seventh. Merde.

My Predictions - Actual Results

Southampton 1:2 Chelsea - 2:3

Burnley 1:1 Leicester - 2:1

Crystal Palace 1:1 Brighton - 3:2

Huddersfield 0:0 Watford - 1:0

Swansea 2:1 Everton - 1:1

Liverpool 4:1 Bournemouth - 3:0

Tottenham 1:1 Man City - 1:3

Newcastle 1:2 Arsenal - 2:1

Man United 2:0 West Brom - 0:1

West Ham 1:1 Stoke City - 1:1

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, Twitter and SFR coverage.