Premier League Picks Of The Week 22

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 22

The 22nd week of the Premier League action saw:

20 goals - most by Man City = 3

252 shots - most by Man City = 24

77 on target - most by Tottenham = 11

118 corners - most by Man City = 12

186 fouls - most by Everton = 17

28 bookings - most by Everton = 5

2 red cards - Valery for Southampton, Boly for Wolves

3 penalties - 3 scored (Ward-Prowse for Southampton, Salah for Liverpool, Jesus for Man City)

What a game! There was no real cracker this weekend, there were not many goals, action nor controversies, few and far between... Tottenham had loads of chances against Manchester United on Sunday, but blew them all, so did Leicester against Southampton on Saturday, more to both clashes below. 
Man City had it too easy on Monday night after Wolves had Willy Boly sent off after just 19 minutes. It was just one-way traffic after that at the Etihad, the visitors failing to land a single shot on target in a Premier League game for the first time since May 2012 against Everton. Man of the match Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring after just ten minutes, sliding in Leroy Sané's fine pass, and doubled the Citizens' lead from the spot at the end of the first half (39'), making it seven goals in the last three games for the Brazilian. It was just damage limitation after that for Nuno Espírito Santo's men. Skipper Conor Coady could only deflect Kevin De Bruyne's wicked cross into the back of his own net to add to the travelling fans' misery and make it 3-0 and three points to the champions (78'). With this win, Pep Guardiola's side kept up with Liverpool, maintaining the four-point gap to the Reds at the top. Wolves meanwhile, drop down to eleventh, one point behind Everton in tenth.

What a team! As mentioned above, Liverpool stayed top, winning even if and when they were not impressing at Brighton, thanks to Mohamed Salah's penalty (50'). Of the last 10 Premier League penalties taken by left-footed players, six have failed to score - the other four have all been scored by the great Egyptian. The Reds dominated throughout the match with over 70% possession at the Amex Stadium, manager Jürgen Klopp insisting his side deserved the win and mean the real deal this season. The German has more than a point: Only four sides in English top-flight history have ever had more than the 57 points Liverpool have accumulated at this stage of the season (if league tables are adjusted to three points for a win). And only Chelsea's 2004-05 side have leaked fewer goals (8) than the Reds' 10 after 22 games. Boom..

What a man! Ben Foster starred for Watford and David de Gea for Manchester United, gloving, punching, blocking and kicking away chance after chance at Crystal Palace and Tottenham respectively, keeping their sides ahead to bag the three points in the end. It was ridiculous at Wembley on Sunday, the home side seeing 21 shots, 11 on target, but none of them going in thanks to the Spanish keeper's string of saves. It could have been a very different afternoon and result otherwise. To add to the home side's misery, star striker Harry Kane got injured and looks like he's going to be out for weeks. With yet another win, Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær has equalled Sir Matt Busby's all-time record of winning his first five league games in charge of Manchester United. They still remain in sixth, but are now level on points with Arsenal in fifth after their shocking defeat in the early kick-off on Saturday. The Gunners failed miserably at West Ham, but Hammer youngster Declan Rice will never forget that winner two days before his 20th birthday, banging the ball in being in the right place at the right time inside the box (48')!

What a goal! There were not many goals on Saturday, but plenty of own goals! Burnley beat Fulham without recording a single shot on target, Sean Dyche couldn’t believe his luck! A stunning André Schürrle volley had seen the visitors take the lead early on (2') before defenders Joe Bryan (20') and Denis Odoi (23') both diverted the ball into their own net, two goals in three minutes turning the game on its head. The Cottagers are the first side to score at least two own goals in the first half of a Premier League match since Everton did so against Southampton back in April 2014. Craig Cathcart also scored an own goal (38') for Watford at Palace in the clash mentioned above, but made up for it equalising in the second half (67'), before Tom Cleverly's stunning volley won it later on (74'). 

Shane Long’s first goal in nine months earned Southampton a hard-fought win at Leicester despite playing the second half with only ten men. Ralph Hasenhüttl continues his wonders.
Willian's curler (57') spared Chelsea any blushes/dropped points against Newcastle, the disappointing (but not surprising) result seeing the Magpies drop into the bottom three.

What the hell?! Huddersfield were frustrated as well in their goalless draw at Cardiff. The visitors thought they got a penalty after Bluebird Joe Bennett brought down Terrier Florent Hadergjonaj with 14 minutes to go, for assistant referee Stuart Burt to intervene and change referee Lee Mason's mind, saying it was vice versa, the latter fouled the prior. If this was a clash at the top of the table, all hell would have broken loose!!! The officials have to give more explanations, to the players and the watching public, please!!! It was very unclear and confusing watching the situation and decision unravel. The news of David Wagner's departure on Monday night was no real surprise, the side rock bottom, eight points from safety, after nine successive defeats, but it's such a shame after what the German-American had achieved at the club in the four years he was manager.

Leicester boss Claude Puel’s post-match reaction following the boos all round at the King Power Stadium after his side's defeat against Southampton mentioned above was gob-smacking! It's not his business (the boos, the pressure, the results)?! It's not his concern?! What is then?! I think the Frenchman is walking on very slippery and super-thin ice there, the Foxes dropping down to eighth.

My Predictions - Actual Results 

West Ham 3:3 Arsenal - 1:0

Brighton 1:3 Liverpool - 0:1

Burnley 2:1 Fulham - 2:1

Cardiff 1:0 Huddersfield - 0:0

Crystal Palace 1:1 Watford - 1:2

Leicester 2:0 Southampton - 1:2

Chelsea 2:0 Newcastle - 2:1

Everton 2:1 Bournemouth - 2:0

Tottenham 3:1 Man United - 0:1

Man City 3:1 Wolves - 3:0

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports and Sky Sports coverage.

LFC Crash Out Of FA Cup 2-3 Against WBA

Sports - Football - FA Cup - LFC 2:3 WBA

Liverpool crashed out of the FA Cup falling 2-3 against West Brom and ending their 19-game unbeaten run at Anfield with the video assistant referee (VAR) at the centre of the attention in the late kick-off Saturday evening. 

It was a frantic first half, Roberto Firmino chipping in the opener for the Reds from close range after just five minutes, before Jay Rodriguez thumped in the equaliser just 71 seconds later.

Four minutes after that, the visitors were ahead thanks to Rodriguez again, the former Burnley forward slotting home and Albion 1-2 up, Liverpool just watching. What is defending again?

With just under twenty minutes gone, Gareth Barry thought he had made it 1-3 off Craig Dawson's through-ball, only to be disallowed eventually for offside confirmed by the VAR Andre Marriner. Close call.

Halfway through the first half, Mohamed Salah was brought down in the box by Jake Livermore, referee Craig Pawson ignored the appeal, for the VAR to cancel his decision. Another close call but correct.

It was the first time a referee had referred to the new technology to make a final decision correcting the official's first call, it took over four minutes, Barry was booked in the process for his protests.

And after all that, Firmino missed the spot kick, his right-footed shot hitting the cross-bar.

Alan Pardew was forced to make two changes before the break due to injury, losing Kieran Gibbs and Hal Robson-Kanu, replacing them with Ahmed Hegazi and Matt Phillips respectively.

But the changes did not deplete the Baggies' game, quite the opposite, they stayed on top, confusing and destroying any kind of organisation and threat by the home side.

The VAR was called for a third time before the break, Rodriguez in an offside position when Dawson's cross-shot went in off Joel Matip, but was deemed not to be interfering with play, the own goal stood, 1-3.

It was a weird back-heel clearance attempt by the Red defender, keeper Simon Mignolet not exactly strengthening his case of his position in the team with an oblivious display, his defensive colleagues not much better though.

Liverpool conceded three goals in consecutive home games for the first time since January 2007, West Brom the first away team to score three first half goals at Anfield since Real Madrid in October 2014.

Jürgen Klopp looked surprisingly calm.

The second half was less frantic, more settled, Liverpool dominating with chances and possession, but West Brom never out of control.

The visitors' stopper Ben Foster kept strong, denying substitutes James Milner and Danny Ings and defender Virgil van Dijk late on.

The stats show who was doing their job: Mignolet 0-6 Foster in saves made.

Salah did pull one back for the home side with just over ten minutes to go, becoming only the fourth LFC player this Millenium to hit 25 goals after Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and Luis Suárez. Even in Daniel Sturridge's best season, he only scored 24. And it's only January.

That's the only positive-ish stat of the match, even Klopp conceded the Reds were just not good enough and West Brom deserved to win, not blaming the referee nor VAR as other managers would have loved to place the blame, that's for sure.

How quick the form has crumbled to bits for the German's side, after the ultimate high of beating the league leaders Manchester City, to losing against the bottom side Swansea and then this, another chance of silverware out of the window.

Next, the Reds travel to Huddersfield on Tuesday, who will dare to predict the result? How good or how bad can it get for the board to make changes? To buy? To invest more? What is consistency?!

If you want more, you have to do more!!!

Liverpool Goals: Firmino 5' & Salah 78'.

West Brom Goals: Rodriguez 7' & 11' & Matip OG 45'+2'.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 18 Moreno, 4 van Dijk, 32 Matip, 66 Alexander-Arnold; 5 Wijnaldum, 23 Can (booked 61') (7 Milner 65'), 21 Oxlade-Chamberlain (28 Ings 65'); 19 Mané (14 Henderson 65'), 9 Firmino, 11 Salah. 4-3-3
Subs not used: 6 Lovren, 12 Gomez, 29 Solanke, 52 Ward.

West Brom Team: 1 Foster; 3 Gibbs (26 Hegazi 37' (booked 85')), 6 Evans, 25 Dawson (booked 83'), 2 Nyom; 11 Brunt, 20 Krychowiak, 18 Barry (booked 26') (5 Yacob 71'), 8 Livermore; 19 Rodriguez, 4 Robson-Kanu (10 Phillips 39'). 4-4-2
Subs not used: 9 Rondón, 13 Myhill, 14 McClean, 17 Burke.

HT Stats: LFC 1-3 WBA
Possession: 65%-35%
Shots: 12-5
On target: 3-2
Corners: 2-1
Fouls: 2-4
Yellow cards: 0-1

FT Stats: LFC 2-3 WBA
Possession: 69%-31%
Shots: 23-8
On target: 8-3
Corners: 6-2
Fouls: 5-9
Yellow cards: 1-3

Referee: Craig Pawson
Man of the match: Jay Rodriguez
Ground: Anfield
Attendance: 53,342

Click here for my previous LFC match report.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match report, Sky Sports app, Twitter and beIN sport live match coverage.