Premier League Picks Of The Week 37

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 37

The 37th week of the Premier League action saw:

19 goals - most by Arsenal = 5

241 shots - most by Man United & Arsenal = 16 each

76 on target - most by Watford & Arsenal = 8 each

110 corners - most by Bournemouth = 11

205 fouls - most by Stoke = 18

43 yellow cards - most by Stoke = 5

1 red card - Yoshida for Southampton 

0 penalties

What a game! The scenes at the Hawthorns! Jake Livermore netted the injury time winner for West Brom against his former side Tottenham, scruffy scramble over the line, but they won’t care! The win took them off the bottom and fighting on to the last week - depending on other results, especially games in hand, see below. Caretaker boss Darren Moore stayed very quiet and controlled on the sideline, they may still go down, but still, what a job he has done! 10 points from 5 games (in contrast to Alan Pardew's 8 points from 18 games)! Wow! Swansea’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth added to the Albion’s party. And after the Saints conceded a late late late late equaliser at Everton, you never know... Huddersfield earned a hard-fought and deserved point at Manchester City, whose title celebrations were long overdue, party for both sides. The crucial relegation crunch battle was the game in hand between Southampton and Swansea... See below.

What a team! Brighton secured their place in the Premier League for another season by beating Manchester United on Friday night. Thanks to goalline technology, Pascal Groß’ header that was cleared by Marcos Rojo but counted as it had just crossed the line, just, a centimetre or two. Chris Hughton’s men deserved the win, their first in eight games, outplaying a tired and forceless looking United, even José Mourinho conceded defeat in attitude as well as the match. It is the first time the Red Devils have ever lost away to three newly promoted clubs in a league season.

Leicester continued their poor end to the season as well, West Ham ending up comfortable 0-2 winners, guaranteeing their safety. So too Newcastle with their third straight defeat in the league, losing 2-1 at Watford, the Londoners ending their own run of seven league matches without a win and ensuring their own PL survival.

What a man! A speedy recovery and all the best to Sir Alex Ferguson and his loved ones, football rivalry aside, you do not wish such unwell on anyone. And if there is an undisputed football icon and legend no one can touch or even get close to, Fergie is the one and only.

Arsène Wenger got a nice Emirates farewell, Arsenal thrashing Burnley 5-0, giving their old boss a fine ending to his reign just as it started 7,876 days before, victorious. It’s the Frenchman’s 475th win in 826 Premier League games, 415th victory in 606 home games in all competitions, thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s brace and Alexandre Lacazette, Sead Kolašinac and Alex Iwobi adding to the class and party. Merci Wenger.

What a goal! Xherdan Shaqiri’s free kick was a cracker to give Stoke the lead against Palace in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff, curling the ball off the wall and into the top right corner. But it was not to be, James McArthur and Patrick van Aanholt capitalising on gaps and slips in defence to turn the game around in the second half, condemning Paul Lambert’s men to relegation and ending their 10-year stint in the top league. It started so loud and bouncy but ended all silent and in tears at the bet365 Stadium. Such a shame. Roy Hodgson meanwhile can be very proud how his side have secured their safety and may finish on a club-record high.

Olivier Giroud’s header was enough for Chelsea to beat dominant but points-dropping Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. The Blues remain fifth but the game in hand keeping them in the fight for the top four. The Reds meanwhile, after knocking Manchester City out of the Champions League 5-1 on aggregate, keep dropping points with draws against West Brom and Stoke and this defeat, it would be disappointing for them to fall further down, so nothing else than a win is expected in the final week. Click here for my full match report.

What the hell?! The games in hand played midweek more or less decided the relegation battle and European spots, Southampton celebrating a huge win in Wales thanks to Manolo Gabbiadini’s strike, condemning West Brom down and out despite their strong form under their caretaker boss mentioned and lauded above and leaving Swansea on the brink thanks to goal difference. 
Huddersfield celebrated their safety like title winners after fighting out a point at Chelsea despite the Blues’ dominance. Leicester beat Arsenal for the first time in the Premier League since 1994, serving Wenger yet another away defeat in his penultimate game in charge of the Gunners, making it seven consecutive top-flight away defeats for the first time since 1966. 

League champions Manchester City broke more records by beating Brighton 3-1, scoring most goals in a single PL campaign = 105 and taking Pep Guardiola’s men to a record 97 points, the Spaniard eyeing and expecting his side to complete the century. 

Harry Kane sealed the win and Champions League spot with his 29th PL goal for Tottenham against Newcastle at Wembley, the London side overtaking Liverpool to third. 

Manchester United meanwhile secured their second place with a less impressive goalless draw at West Ham, Mourinho not happy being second-best of course and with the drop in points and belief, much in contrast to David Moyes, who’s more than content with the run of and point for his side. 

That just about finishes off a mad week of footy, all the ups and downs and in-betweens, literally!

My Predictions - Actual Results

Brighton 1:1 Man United - 1:0

Stoke City 1:2 Crystal Palace - 1:2

Bournemouth 2:1 Swansea - 1:0

Leicester 1:1 West Ham - 0:2

Watford 2:2 Newcastle - 2:1

West Brom 1:2 Tottenham - 1:0

Everton 1:1 Southampton - 1:1

Man City 4:0 Huddersfield - 0:0

Arsenal 3:1 Burnley - 5:0

Chelsea 3:1 Liverpool - 1:0 or my match report

Games in hand (see week 31 & *week 35*) saw 10 goals (*2*), 132 shots (*25*), 56 on target (*7*), 49 corners (*9*), 95 fouls (*17*), 16 yellow cards (*1*) & 1 red card (Mavropanos for Arsenal):

Swansea 0:0 Southampton - 0:1

*Chelsea 3:1 Huddersfield - 1:1*

Leicester 1:1 Arsenal - 3:1

Man City 5:1 Brighton - 3:1

Tottenham 1:1 Newcastle - 1:0

West Ham 2:2 Man United - 0:0

All stats not added to this week.

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks.

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