Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Month
Ok, it has been a long time since my last blog again, so here is a summary of all the action, stats and facts of the month of April/last five match weeks in the Premier League: Manchester United started the month at the helm, five points ahead of their City rivals. Wolves were at the bottom, six points behind Wigan, Blackburn and QPR. Bolton had come through a difficult phase strong and on top, outside the relegation zone in 16th but only one point seperating them from the doomed bunch. The month of April panned out to be one of the most twisted, unpredictable, action-packed and decisive months in my Premier League memory, building up to May, the big grand finale in the battle for the title and survival:
Top facts of the month of April:
- 137 goals scored = average of 2.74 goals per game.
- 17 different score lines on the board, top 6 of which were 1-1 (6 times), 0:0 (5 times), 1-0 (5 times), 4-0 (5 times), 2-0 (4 times) and 3-0 (4 times).
- There have only been three games without any bookings, Manchester City 4-0 West Brom, Tottenham 2-0 Blackburn and Liverpool 0-1 Fulham.
Top games:
- Wigan 1-0 Manchester United: United deservedly lost at Wigan after the home side were unjustly disallowed a goal, a header by Victor Moses for an apparent push on goalkeeper David De Gea by Gary Caldwell. The Latics were given a controversial corner which their winning goal came from. A wonderful goal, Maloney collecting the set-piece before curling the ball into the back of the net. Jonny Evans should have been given a second yellow for a dangerous tackle on Maloney. On the other hand, United should have had a penalty for an obvious handball by Maynor Figueroa but as Sir Alex Ferguson said himself, these things even themselves out, they certainly did for Wigan on this occasion! Two points dropped meant the gap at the top was reduced from eight to five points with five games to go.
- Arsenal 1-2 Wigan: After beating the league leaders and defending champions the previous week, Wigan were on a high. Arsenal had comfortably beaten Wolves 3-0 in their own back yard, so must have felt comfortable coming back home. The Wolves stunned the Gunners within the first eight minutes with two early goals by Franco Di Santo and Jordi Gomez and pulled off a famous win at the Emirates. Thomas Vermaelen pulled one back with a powerful header but Wigan held through to pull five points clear of the relegation zone.
- Manchester United 4-4 Everton: Old Trafford was stunned to silence after seeing eight goals and plenty more chances pass their eyes. Is this the one where United let the title slip away? Everton started strong and took the lead thanks to Nikica Jelavic's looping header over De Gea. Non-other than Wayne Rooney equalised for United to spare his side from half-time blushes with Ferguson. At 3-1 and even 4-2 it looked all over and three points in the pocket for the home side, but two late goals in the last seven minutes thanks to Jelavic and Steven Pienaar snatched the points and their share of the spoils for the Toffees. City moved within three points of the league leaders, breathing up their necks before the big derby clash the following week.
- Chelsea 6-1 QPR: The result was of no doubt for the Blues after going 4-0 ahead within 25 minutes. QPR were well and truely blown away at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea needed a boost after the last couple of disappointing results with draws at Arsenal and Fulham and a home defeat against Newcastle. What was of most significance, was the name dominating the score board: Fernando Torres. Finally out of his shell, he claimed the match ball with an impressive hat-trick. Will this finally kick-off his Chelsea career or is it too little, too late? With the Champions League finals coming up, the Spaniard still has time and enough chances to impress the big boss and convince him he was worth the wait (and money).
- Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United: With only three points between the two, this derby was explosive even before the buildup with all hopes on the blue side and all nerves and tension on the red side of Manchester. Everyone was waiting for the big bang, the decider. It didn't quite come that way. United were kept under City's spell for most of the match, Vincent Kompany grabbing the crucial winner on the stroke of half-time. Another goal never looked like coming, the last couple of minutes were the most tense as United tried to break late, but failed. City held through and are now level on points but eight goals ahead of United at the top of the table with two games to go. Who would dare and predict the next turn on the way to the Premier League title?
Top teams: After the summaries above, I will let the stats speak for themselves in this category:
- Top form: Manchester City (LWWWW = 12/15 points), Newcastle (WWWLW = 12/15), West Brom (WLWWD = 10/15), Fulham (WDWLW = 10/15) and Wigan (LWWLW = 9/15); Everton (DWDWD = 9/15) are the only side who are unbeaten in the last 5 games.
- Top scorers: Everton (15 goals scored), Manchester City (13), Manchester United (10), Chelsea/Wigan/Newcastle (9).
- Top defence: Manchester City (2 goals conceded), Arsenal (3), Newcastle/Tottenham/West Brom (4), Chelsea/Wigan/Liverpool (5).
Top players: Stats speak for themselves here again:
- Top scorers: Everton's Jelavic (6 goals), Newcastle's Papiss Cisse (6), his double sank the Swans, the French striker scoring even when he's falling! Man City's Sergio Aguero (5), United's Rooney (4) and Liverpool's Luis Suarez (4).
- Hat-tricks: Suarez for Liverpool at Newcastle, fine comeback away after their defeat at West Brom, and Torres for Chelsea against QPR as mentioned above.
Top goals: I could reel down the list of Cisse, Aguero, Suarez and Torres again, but here are a couple of picks outside the usual: A brilliant distant winner strike by Mikel Arteta for Arsenal against City, an elegant right-footer from outside the box! Was this the final nail hit into Man City's coffin ending their title challenge? The previous four weeks, there had been a ten point swing, City from two points ahead at the top, found themselves in second, eight points behind United with six games remaining! Stats and red card(s) spoke for themselves! But as mentioned above, more swings were and are still up and coming. Smashing opening strike by Chris Herd, his first goal for Villa, a delicious hit that beat Alexander Doni, who replaced suspended Pepe Reina, who missed his first game since 2007!
Top news: Chelsea have made it into the Champions League final beating Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate and against all odds. And Bayern Munich welcome then Blues to their home ground for the final, after they were surprising winners on penalties against Jose Mourinho's La Liga leaders Real Madrid. The Germans will be the odds-on favourites, but Chelsea have broken big odds before and I don't think anyone would dare to wave them off in this one before the final whistle!
Flop facts:
- 140 bookings made = average of 2.8 yellow cards per game.
- 7 red cards shown = average of 0.14 sendings off per game or one player sent off every 7.13 games or 1.2 players sent off every week.
- Game with most bookings, Blackburn 2-3 Liverpool with 9 bookings and one red card, the visitors recording five of the yellows and their replacement goalkeeper Doni sent off, the most cautions by any team in one game.
Flop games:
- Sunderland 0:0 Tottenham: This was dire to watch. The visitors could have moved up to third place and automatic Champions League qualification, but Redknapp's men failed to press and impress anything or anyone at the Stadium of Light and let Sunderland get away with an easy point. Tottenham dominated possession but failed to break down the stubborn Black Cats who were happy to stand back and play deep, counter-attacking football, not nice to the eye but good for their scoreboard adding one more point to their home record.
- Liverpool 1:1 Aston Villa: It was a breathtaking strike by Herd, as mentioned above, and it deservedly grabbed a point for Villa at Anfield. But it was one of those games, miss after miss after miss again, all too familiar to the Reds. this season. They had a penalty shout denied, but it was Suarez, say no more. Dirk Kuyt cleared the cross bar from two yards out! HOW?!?!?! We will never know... Corner cleared, only as far as Steven Gerrard from the edge of the box, Daniel Agger hit the bar, but then Suarez finally got in with nine minutes left on the clock, it was agonising to watch! I have never seen a goal taking such an ordeal to create and SCORE. Then Andy Carroll headed one straight into Shay Given's gloves. Another late chance was somehow scrambled clear. All in all, the home side had three penalty shouts + 21 chances + 11 corners + ball over the line? = still only one goal, one point at home, two points dropped for Liverpool, AGAIN! ARGH!
- Tottenham 1:2 Norwich: Struggling Spurs faced a fighting Norwich at home and the Canaries didn't give Tottenham a moment's peace and got on with the game. Redknapp's side looked clumsy, confused, lazy: Jermain Defoe broke clear and scored his 16th of the season in 20 appearances, a tidy goal after untidy Ledley King had given Grant Holt a pull on the shirt from behind in the opposite box, but the penalty appeal was conveniently ignored by the referee, which left Norwich furious. Norwich were on the ref's case again after Emmanuel Adebayor brought down Aaron Wilbraham in the box and nothing was given again. But Elliott Bennett scored his first for Norwich and put his side ahead again with a beautiful, precise right-foot hit from 20 yards out on the edge of the box, leaving Spurs nowhere and Norwich rewarded for their fight with two goals and three points.
- QPR 1:0 Tottenham: Adel Taarabt was hero and villain in a match which saw Tottenham struggle to create any form of pressure, dominance or chances yet again. The Moroccan midfielder curled a finely controlled free-kick over the Spurs wall and into the bottom corner to take the lead for Mark Hughes's men against his former side and complete a strong comeback from their defeat at West Brom the previous weekend. With just over ten minutes to go, Taarabt received a second yellow for kicking the ball away, setting up a tense finale with the home side battling to grab at least a goal for one point. But they failed to create and achieve anything once again, an all-too familiar theme and tune lately for Redknapp.
- Liverpool 0-1 West Brom: With over 60% possession, over 20 chances and home advantage, you can guess who won this game: yes, the visitors, giving manager Hodgson a win to enjoy against his former side. With 15 minutes to go, Peter Odemwingie was able to run clear and put the ball past Reina after Glen Johnson lost the ball to Youssouf Mulumbu. It was quite unbelievable, against the run of play, chances and dominance, but then again, looking back at Liverpool's season, it has been nothing unusual, more all-too familiar, at the ground that used to be a fortress. The previous nine draws and two defeats at Anfield made this match seem like a refrain, a chorus to an all-too familiar song which has been set on replay this season.
Flop teams:
- Flop form: Wolves (LLDLD = 2/15 points), Blackburn (LLLWL = 3/15), Sunderland (DLDDD = 4/15), Norwich (DWLLL = 4/15) and Swansea (LLWDD = 5/15). Bolton would be bottom in the form league (LLDLL = 1/15) but won their game in hand against Aston Villa!
- Flop scorers: Aston Villa (2 goals scored excluding their game in hand against Bolton), Sunderland (2), Bolton (4 excluding their game in hand against Aston Villa), Blackburn (4), Norwich/West Brom/Stoke/Wolves/QPR (5).
- Flop defence: Norwich (14 goals conceded), Bolton (12 excluding game in hand), Blackburn (11), Wolves (11), Swansea (10).
Flop players: Sent off: Anthony Modeste (Blackburn), Mario Balotelli (City), Shaun Derry (QPR), Doni (Liverpool heartbreak ahead of FA Cup final), Sebastien Bassong (Wolves), Taarabt (QPR as mentioned above, from hero to zero within minutes), Craig Gardner (Sunderland); City's Yaya Toure has been booked the most (3). Balotelli got away with a dangerous leg-break tackle at the Emirates (after handball, diving, whining, etc.). Brilliant Ben Foster double save for WB who ended up winning 3-0 against 10-men Blackburn after Modeste's stupid, pointless late s.o.!
Flop goals: We have seen four own goals this month, but it is the mis-decisions that hurt most! United beat QPR comfortably thanks to referee's double present (offside + penalty), QPR were robbed! Top saves by Wigan's Ali Al Habsi frustrated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He was unlucky then though when Branislav Ivanovic's offside goal was given! Refs have been usless again this month! These decisions cost team points and for some it could end up in relegation! Wigan's equaliser through super-sub Mohamed Diame got their hopes up for points against Chelsea, but then they lost the game on a last-minute counter-attack, Torres seeing his volley come off the post for Juan Mata to net it. It looked offside again?! Unlucky drama for Wigan! Wigan were robbed! It hurts to see these decisions cost teams dearly whilst any technological help and advances are kept being postponed season by season!
Flop news: Roy Hodgson has been confirmed as new England manager, ending all speculation around Harry Redknapp, I am sure the latter will be a relieved man as much as the prior is proud! I still expect the worst come Euro 2012, it's England we're on about! All my life it has been an impossible job for any man and after seeing how he fared at Liverpool, I don't think Hodgson has what it takes. No one has! Good luck Hodgson!
My predictions - Useless as always! - Actual results:
Week 32:
Swansea 1:2 Newcastle - 0:2
Sunderland 1:2 Tottenham - 0:0
Liverpool 2:2 Aston Villa - 1:1
Norwich 1:1 Everton - 2:2
West Brom 1:0 Blackburn - 3:0
Arsenal 1:0 Man City - 1:0
Week 33:
Everton 1:0 Sunderland - 4:0
Newcastle 2:0 Bolton - 2:0
Tottenham 4:0 Norwich - 1:2
Aston Villa 1:1 Stoke - 1:1
Blackburn 0:0 Liverpool - 2:3
Man City 3:0 West Brom - 4:0
Wigan 0:4 Man United - 1:0
Week 34:
Norwich 0:1 Man City - 1:6
Sunderland 3:0 Wolves - 0:0
Swansea 0:0 Blackburn - 3:0
Man United 2:0 Aston Villa - 4:0
Liverpool 2:0 Fulham - 0:1*
Chelsea 2:1 Newcastle - 0:2"
Bolton 2:1 Tottenham - 1:4"
*postponed to 1st May
"postponed to 2nd May
Week 35:
Arsenal 2:1 Chelsea - 0:0
Aston Villa 2:1 Sunderland - 0:0
Blackburn 2:1 Norwich - 2:0
Newcastle 2:1 Stoke - 3:0
Man United 2:1 Everton - 4:4
Liverpool 2:1 West Brom - 0:1
Wolves 2:1 Man City - 0:2
Wolves are relegated
Week 36:
Sunderland 2:0 Bolton - 2:2
West Brom 2:1 Aston Villa - 0:0
Wigan 1:2 Newcastle - 4:0
Norwich 2:2 Liverpool - 0:3
Tottenham 3:1 Blackburn - 2:0
Man City 0:0 Man United - 1:0
So, when non-other than veteran skipper Steven Gerrard slipped and gave away the ball to Demba Ba, the striker made no mistake and beat Red keeper Simon Mignolet one-on-one, cool as you want, seconds before the break, it was just what Mourinho ordered, taking the lead against the run of play.
With seconds to go, Chelsea took advantage of another giveaway, this time by Daniel Sturridge, non-other than former Red Fernando Torres and Willian breaking forward, the latter slotting in the prior's return-ball comfortably from close range, to double the score and hammer the nail into the Ref coffin.
