Premier League Picks Of The Week 34

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 34

The 34th week of the Premier League action saw:
158 shots - most by Bournemouth = 21
19 goals - most by Bournemouth = 4
155 fouls - most by Burnley = 17
28 bookings - most by Hull & Middlesbrough = 4
2 red cards - Oumar Niasse for Hull & Gaston Ramirez for Middlesbrough
1 penalty - 0 scored (Arnautovic for Stoke)

What a game! It took Everton nearly 70 minutes to register their first attempt and did not manage to get a single shot on target in the goalless draw at West Ham. Not much to write about there as you can gather. Their Red Scouse neighbours didn't do any better, failing and falling miserably 1:2 at home against a reborn Crystal Palace (click here for my full LFC match report). A lot of negatives for both sides of Liverpool... United meanwhile are sneaking and creeping their way closer and closer to their bitter rivals in the top four after their comfortable 2-0 win at Burnley, just three points behind Liverpool in third with two games in hand, and two behind City in fourth, who they play next in one of their games in hand!

What a team! As mentioned above, Crystal Palace made it six wins out of eight league games after seeing Christian Benteke's double haunt and down his former side Liverpool 2-1. The win at Anfield sees Big Sam's side onto 38 points, seven clear of danger, whilst Jürgen Klopp is left scratching his head. Apart from Philippe Coutinho's fine free-kick halfway through the first half, there was not much to cheer for the Reds, looking worn and torn, labouring 72% possession but not creating much. Palace have now won on their last three league trips to Anfield - the first team to do so since Chelsea in October 2005. Again, click here for my full LFC match report.

What a man! Gastón Ramírez should be very ashamed! The Middlesbrough midfielder got booked twice within 20 minutes, once for diving and another for a reckless tackle on Marc Pugh. Two stupid actions that cost his side, who were already 2-0 down early on at Bournemouth, making an already difficult game in their battle for survival close to impossible. Reckless and hopeless, Boro got thrashed 4-0 and are stuck in 19th, nine points from safety with five games remaining. Cherries meanwhile, will be very happy to have ended their four-match winless run with a win and three points that shoot them four places up the table to 12th, seven points safe from the drop. Surely Eddie Howe and his men are well set for their third season in the Premier League.

What a goal! How crucial will Marko Arnautović's penalty miss be? Just 60 seconds after he blasted the spot kick high for Stoke, Tom Carroll doubled Swansea's lead with a deflected strike from long range after Fernando Llorente had headed the home side ahead early on. The Liberty Stadium erupted in joyous celebrations and deservedly so after their first victory since March gave the Swans a boost in the relegation battle, keeping them 18th in the table, just two points behind Hull and safety. At the top meanwhile, Chelsea enjoyed a convincing home win over Southampton, with Eden Hazard and Diego Costa impressing as always, both on the scoreboard in the 4-2 win that puts the Blues seven points ahead of Spurs at the top, having played one game more due to the FA Cup ties.

What the hell?! Talking about the Tigers, they had a nightmare start against Watford at the KCOM Stadium, seeing Oumar Niasse sent off harshly for his challenge on M'Baye Niang in the 25th minute. Marco Silva's men also saw a decent penalty shout denied by referee Bobby Madley, but came back courageously and stunningly in the second half. Lazar Marković netted the rebound after his header came back off the bar, before Sam Clucas doubled the score and sealed the deal with a breathtaking smacker from 25 yards out. Hull have now won 19 out of a possible 21 points at home under Silva, defying all the refereeing howlers and odds against them in the relegation battle, staying two points above the drop zone.

My Predictions - Actual Results
(Forgot to make some predictions, which then we're automatically set to 1:0)
Arsenal P:P Sunderland*
Bournemouth 1:0 Middlesbrough - 4:0
Hull City 1:0 Watford - 2:0
Swansea 1:0 Stoke - 2:0
West Ham 1:0 Everton - 0:0
Burnley 1:0 Man United - 0:2
Liverpool 1:0 Crystal Palace - 1:2 or click here for my LFC match report
Chelsea 2:1 Southampton - 4:2
Leicester P:P Tottenham*
Man City P:P West Brom*
*Postponed due to FA Cup Semi Finals

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

All pictures and stats taken from the BBC match reports.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 29

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 29

The 29th week of the Premier League saw:

235 shots - most by West Ham & Chelsea = 20 each
28 goals - most by Everton = 4
204 fouls - most by Stoke = 16
34 bookings - most by Stoke = 6
2 reds cards - Phil Bardsley for Stoke & Tom Huddlestone for Hull
3 penalties - 3 scored (Walters for Stoke, Alli for Tottenham & Milner for Liverpool)

What a game! The pulsating draw at the Etihad gets my vote, not just because I'm a Liverpool fan. I could hardly keep up with all the action reporting for ByTheMinute on the game, it could have been 5-5. Click here to read my full LFC ByTheMin match coverage. It was end-to-end stuff, with plenty of power and pace, controversial decisions, chances, sitters, misses, beauties, screamers, howlers, etc. Referee Michael Oliver didn't make many friends. Record-breaker James Milner's penalty was cancelled out by none other than Sergio Agüero. City boss Pep Guardiola was the happiest, Reds manager Jürgen Klopp less so. Click here to read my full LFC match report. The result keeps both teams in third and fourth place, giving Tottenham some breathing space in second and seeing United climbing closer up to fifth.

What a team & man! Leicester recorded their first away win since April, beating West Ham 2-3 at the Olympic Stadium. It was brilliant to hear the fans singing "we're winning away" chants and see Jamie Vardy on the scoreboard, only his second away goal of the season. Keeper Kasper Schmeichel had the game of his life with spectacular show-stopping saves. His dad must be very proud. It was a great game by an awesome team with a legendary keeper. Craig Shakespeare must be glad to have the real Tigers back, whilst everyone else is left scratching their heads wondering what he has done to them? Or what ex-boss Claudio Ranieri was doing wrong?!

What a man! Romelu Lukaku is another record-breaker after making all the wrong headlines for rejecting a new contract at Everton. The Belgian striker made up for it with a welcome hat-trick as the Toffees thrashed 4-0 Hull City at Goodison Park. The win keeps Ronald Koeman's side in seventh place, but creeping up level on points with Arsenal.

What a goal! There were so many shockers this week! From shocking defence at set pieces by Arsenal that cost them dearly at West Brom, to Swansea's Alfie Mawson's own goal that handed Bournemouth the lead in the crucial relegation battle. The top flop goes to the Boro keeper though, Victor Valdes with an absolute mock-up handing the ball over to Antonio Valencia who pressed and capitalised on the slip easily to make it 1-4 to United. It's a cruel cruel cruel world out there! 

What the hell?! ARGH! I was so annoyed by all the diving and whining! It totally spoilt the Stoke-Chelsea game! But Arsenal annoyed me even more! It was one of the worst performances I have seen by the Gunners. Manager Arsène Wenger indicated he knows his future, rumour has it he already has another one- or two-year deal... Really?!?!?! The Frenchman has most certainly lost the team by the looks, the fans may be split, but, really?!?!?! A new deal before the end to one of his worst seasons... Hm... Fff...

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

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

All pictures and stats taken from the BBC match reports

Premier League Picks Of The Week 28

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 28

The 28th week of the Premier League saw:

123 shots - most by Bournemouth = 22
14 goals - most by Bournemouth & Everton = 3 each
121 fouls - most by Bournemouth = 20
21 bookings - most by Bournemouth = 4
0 red cards
2 penalties - 0 scored (both missed by Bournemouth! See below for more details.)

What a game! Bournemouth went from flop to top, missing two penalties but still able to turn the game around and fight out a 3-2 win against West Ham in an action-packed encounter at Dean Court. The crucial three points moved the Cherries six points clear of the relegation zone after their first win of 2017, much to manager Eddie Howe's relief.

What a team! Man City dropped more points against Stoke in a frustrating goalless draw, the first time the Sky Blues failed to score at the Etihad Stadium under Pep Guardiola in all competitions (19 games). Meanwhile Everton recorded their fifth consecutive home win, a comfortable and confident 3-0 against West Brom, keeping them in the chase for a European space.

What a man! Like his team, Joshua King went from flop to top, missing a penalty but making up for it with a match-winning hat-trick to complete a thrilling comeback. The treble takes the Norwegian forward's total to seven goals in the last five top-flight games, becoming the first Bournemouth player to hit double figures in a top-flight campaign (11). Super sub Oumar Niasse scored two goals to secure a crucial win for Hull City in the relegation battle against fellow strugglers Swansea. The Tigers remain in the bottom three, one point from safety, three points behind the Swans in 16th.

What a goal! Man of the match and moment Romelu Lukaku produced a fine turn and pass to set up Morgan Schneiderlin for his first Premier League goal in 511 days to double the lead against West Brom before sealing the win for Everton heading in Ross Barkley's cross to make it 3-0 at Goodison Park. That takes the striker's league total to 19 goals so far this season, making him top scorer, level with Harry Kane.

What the hell?! Liverpool didn't create a single chance in the opening half an hour and it looked like yet another shocking defeat when Burnley took the lead early on at Anfield thanks to Ashley Barnes, who had a smashing game, in more than one way. Georginio Wijnaldum and Emre Can denied the Clarets the league double over the Reds, making it 2:1, the Merseysiders recording their first "ugly" win as boss Jürgen Klopp put it. Click here for my full LFC match report.

Click here for my full ByTheMin coverage of the game.

My Predictions - Actual Results
Man City 1:0 Stoke - 0:0
Bournemouth 1:2 West Ham - 3:2
Crystal Palace P:P Tottenham*
Everton 2:1 West Brom - 3:0
Hull City 1:0 Swansea - 2:1
Middlesbrough P:P Sunderland*
Arsenal P:P Leicester*
Southampton P:P Man United*
Liverpool 2:1 Burnley - 2:1 or click here for my LFC match report
Chelsea P:P Watford*
*P = postponed due to FA Cup ties

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

All pictures and stats taken from BBC match reports.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 25

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 25

The 25th week of the Premier League action saw:

217 shots - most by Man United = 22
21 goals - most by Southampton = 4
229 fouls - most by Southampton = 15
40 bookings - most by Tottenham = 5
1 red card - Clucas for Hull City
1 penalty - 1 scored (Sanchez for Arsenal)

What a game! Man of the match Sadio Mané's double helped Liverpool to their much missed winning selves to beat Tottenham 2-0 at Anfield. The Senegal forward's return served the Reds their first win of the year, injecting much missed energy, speed and determination. Mauricio Pochettino's men don't like the top six as form shows (recording just 1 win in the last 17 games), whilst Jürgen Klopp can be a very relieved man. Click here to read my full LFC match report.

What a team! Everton extended their unbeaten run to eight games whilst Middlesbrough are still looking for their first win of the year as the teams shared a goalless draw at the Riverside, both their keepers Joel Robles and Víctor Valdés starring with some eye-catching saves for their sides respectively. Burnley proved strong home form with a resilient draw against Chelsea who missed the chance of going 12 points clear at the top. Man City moved up to second after their hard-fought win at Bournemouth.

What a man! Anthony Martial marked his return for Manchester United with an assist and a goal, securing a nice 2-0 home win for the Red Devils against Watford, taking them up to fifth briefly before Liverpool's 2-0 win against Tottenham. United are on their longest unbeaten run in the top-flight since March 2013 under Sir Alex Ferguson, pushing them up, just one point adrift of the top four.

What a goal! Alexis Sánchez's handball goal opener on 34 minutes and last-minute penalty and sending off conceded by Sam Clucas handed a lucky 2-0 win to the Gunners against Hull City. Referee Mark Clattenburg had to apologise to Tigers' boss Marco Silva for costing them the game, Arsène Wenger conceding it was an undeserved win. Gareth McAuley's last-minute equaliser earned West Brom a dramatic draw at West Ham after Manuel Lanzini's late goal looked to have won it for the hosts. Cruel and crucial both alike.

What the hell?! Big Sam's woes at Palace continue, not much better for David Moyes at Sunderland - thrashed 0-4 by Saints after winning 0-4 at Palace?! Who would want to swap with them?! Leicester are slipping closer and closer to them in the relegation zone after yet another defeat, 2-0 at Swansea, their fifth consecutive top flight defeat (a record run of reigning champions since Chelsea in 1956). Woes, woes and more woes...

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

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks

Pictures and stats taken from the BBC match reports 

Premier League Picks Of The Week 24

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 24

The 24th week of the Premier League saw:

268 shots - most by Liverpool = 22
34 goals - most by Everton = 6!
211 fouls - most by West Ham = 15
39 bookings - most by Watford = 5
1 red card - Hendrick for Burnley
2 penalties - 2 scored (Kane for Spurs & Barnes for Burnley)

What a game! NINE GOALS! Yes, there were nine goals in one game, which saw Everton beat Bournemouth 6-3 at Goodison Park, leaving the visitors still winless in 2017 and reporters and fans struggling to keep track and count. Crystal Palace were shocked by Sunderland, conceding three goals in six minutes, ending up being thrashed 0-4 at Selhurst Park, all goals falling in the first half, stunning their former boss Big Sam, much to David Moyes' relief.

What a team! It's all about form! For the first time since 1954, Liverpool haven't won in the opening five league games of the calendar year after losing 2-0 at Hull, having only recorded one win in ten games in all competitions (5L, 4D). Bitter rivals United on the other hand are unbeaten in the last 15 after a comfortable 0-3 win at Leicester, their longest unbeaten run since 2013, their last title winning year, when they went 18 games without losing. But too many draws still sees them dropping too many points to keep up with the top.

What a man! Romelu Lukaku was unstoppable at Goodison Park! The way the Belgian striker created and converted was like an art exhibition on football and how to beat your opponent! Jermain Defoe and Gabriel Jesus also bossed their shows for Sunderland and City respectively, with a couple of goals each. It was a good day to be a striker, goals galore!

What a goal! As mentioned, plenty of goals were scored this weekend, most by Everton. Local rivals Liverpool recorded most shots, but all in vain, see above, manager Jürgen Klopp left really angry. No discrediting Hull though! Great work rate, well earned and deserved win and a great debut goal for Alfred N'Diaye, unforgettable for the youngster!

What the hell?! After their impressive win against champions Leicester last week, Burnley's strong home form was like a distant memory or dream watching them this week. They were unrecognisable losing 2-1 down to ten men at Watford. Their miserable away form has not seen them win on the road since May last year! Schizophrenic or what?!

My Predictions - Actual Results
Chelsea 2:1 Arsenal - 3:1
Crystal Palace 0:0 Sunderland - 0:4
Everton 2:1 Bournemouth - 6:3
Hull City 2:1 Liverpool - 2:0
Southampton 0:0 West Ham - 1:3
Watford 0:1 Burnley - 2:1
West Brom 0:1 Stoke City - 1:0
Tottenham 3:1 Middlesbrough - 1:0
Man City 4:1 Swansea - 2:1
Leicester 1:1 Man United - 0:3

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks 

Pictures and stats taken from the BBC match reports 

Saints Outclass Reds To Reach Cup Final

Sports - Football - EFL Cup - LFC 0:1 SFC

Southampton reached their first final in 38 years beating Liverpool 1-0 in the EFL Cup semi final second leg at Anfield, 2-0 on aggregate, confidently, convincingly and deservedly so over the two legs.

Jürgen Klopp's side did not come out all guns blazing as expected being 1-0 down from the first leg.

The Saints, without key defender Virgil van Dijk due to injury, looked solid at the back and threatening on counters, the scorer of the first-leg goal Nathan Redmond breaking and bossing from the left.

Dusan Tadic came closest in the first half, spurning a chance at point blank, Loris Karius blocking and holding on gratefully.

The under-fire German keeper also denied skipper Steven Davis, who fired another good chance high and over.

The Reds missed Sadio Mané, youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold the only one pressuring, covering and creating anything on the right flank for the home side.

Not much changed after the interval, the home side enjoying more possession, pushing and pressing, but not creating much threat.

The closest Liverpool came was when Fraser Forster punched away Emre Can's attempt, to watch it bounce over him, sending him scrambling back to stop it from crossing the line.

It was a good recovery from what could have ended up very embarrassing for the English stopper.

Apart from that, the evening grew more and more frustrating for the hosts, Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana wasting chances and giving away the ball again and again.

Klopp left the changes late, bringing on Divock Origi the Kop were chanting for, replacing Can with just over ten minutes to go.

And why Georginio Wijnaldum came on for Philippe Coutinho with only a couple of minutes remaining and not earlier, only the German manager knows.

Anfield was just as furious as their boss, watching Southampton wasting time and a handball appeal against substitute Shane Long denied by referee Ben Atkinson.

Replays showed it was a close call, the ball coming off the top of the arm/shoulder, a 50/50 call, the officials staying consistent as in not giving much.

It was too little, too late for the Reds, and when Origi went down in the box challenged by Jack Stephens in injury time, it just looked desperate.

The corner that followed taken by James Milner was dire and led up to another Southampton counter, started by substitute Josh Sims with a great run and pass, finished off nicely by Long.

This win means Saints manager Claude Puel is unbeaten in six against Liverpool (W3, D3), whilst it's Klopp's first semi-final defeat in seven as a manager.

The result drags down Liverpool's form so far this year, the only win coming against League Two side Plymouth Argyle in their FA Cup third round replay, losing three and drawing three of the seven games played so far this year.

Southampton will be going to the final at Wembley on the 26th February to meet either Manchester United or Hull City, having not conceded a single goal in the competition.

They are looking to win their second major trophy since beating the Red Devils in the 1976 FA Cup final. History in the making?

Southampton Goal: Long 90:44min.

Liverpool Team: 1 Karius; 7 Milner, 6 Lovren, 32 Matip, 66 Alexander-Arnold; 20 Lallana, 14 Henderson (c), 23 Can (27 Origi 78'); 10 Coutinho (5 Wijnaldum 87'), 15 Sturridge, 11 Firmino. 4-3-3
Subs not used: 17 Klavan, 18 Moreno, 21 Lucas, 22 Mignolet, 58 Woodburn.

Southampton Team: 1 Forster; 21 Bertrand, 3 Yoshida, 24 Stephens, 2 Soares; 8 Davis, 14 Romeu, 16 Ward-Prowse (23 Hojbjerg 59'); 11 Tadic, 9 Rodriguez (7 Long 45'), 22 Redmond (39 Sims 81'). 4-3-3
Subs not used: 4 Clasie, 15 Martina, 38 McQueen, 41 Lewis.

Match Stats: HT & FT Liverpool-Southampton
Possession: 72%-28% & 73%-27%
Attempts: 4-5 & 13-7
On target: 2-1 & 3-2
Corners: 1-2 & 8-4
Fouls: 5-2 & 8-2
Bookings: 0-0 & 0-0

Referee: Ben Atkinson
Man of the match: Oriel Romeu
Ground: Anfield
Attendance: 52,238

Pictures and stats taken from BBC match report and Sky Sports live coverage.

Click here for my previous LFC match report.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 15

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 15

The 15th week of the Premier League action saw:

262 shots - most by Arsenal = 21
36 goals - most by Leicester = 4
232 fouls - most by Man United = 19
42 bookings - most by Crystal Palace, Southampton & West Brom = 4 each
0 red cards
4 penalties - 4 scored (Sigurdsson for Swansea, Benteke for Crystal Palace, Snodgrass for Hull City & Adam for Stoke)

Find out what made Claudio Ranieri happy and who he welcomed back...

What José Mourinho and Man United needs and preferences were...

And where Pep Guardiola's looking...

What a game! Leicester's stunning 4-2 victory against Manchester City gets my vote! It ended the Foxes' winless run of five games, finally showing some resemblance of last season's champions. Claudio Ranieri's men were very much helped by Sky Blues' chaotic defending, Pep Guardiola is right feeling the need to look inside... His side looked battered and bruised in and especially after this encounter!

What a team! Arsenal were temporary table toppers on goal difference after their comfortable 3-1 win against Stoke at the Emirates on Saturday, making them unbeaten in 14 Premier League games. The Gunners are in great form after smashing five against the Hammers and four against Basel and look to keep the competition going at the top. And they will need to keep it up as Chelsea extended their winning streak to nine games running, taking them top again, three points ahead, after their 1-0 win against West Brom on Sunday.

What a man! Jamie Vardy finally ended his ten-game run without a Premier League goal with a hat-trick! Welcome back, with a triple-bang! Theo Walcott has earned a shoutout as well after netting his 100th club goal for Arsenal. Meanwhile, Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be gutted after netting his first Premier League goal, and winning goal for Manchester United against Tottenham, becoming the first Armenian to score in the Premier League, just to see the joy turn to pain when he had to be taken off injured.

What a goal! Jeff Hendrick's stunning half-volley into the top corner from 25 yards helped Burnley end their run of three Premier League defeats as they beat Bournemouth 3-2 at Turf Moor. George Boyd's slam into the bottom corner off Andre Gray's back-heel to make it 3-1 was top-quality, too. Unlike against Liverpool last week, the Cherries did too little too late and could not perform the perfect comeback this time.

What the hell?! David Moyes blamed the penalty given against Jason Denayer's handball that opened the scoring for the Swans for his sides downfall and thought it was controversial. The former Everton and United boss obviously didn't see what happened at the KCOM stadium. No contact was made by Palace's Scott Dann in the box, Hull's Robert Snodgrass apologised after the match for the dive and embarrassed he should be, even his manager Alan Pardew said. Ridiculous once again that refs still cannot use video replays!!! The poor defending didn't help any of the sides, neither the Black Cats nor the Tigers or the Eagles.

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

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

Pictures taken from the BBC Match Reports.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 11

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 11

The 11th week of the Premier League action saw:

234 shots - most by Liverpool = 28

36 goals - most by Liverpool = 6!!!

239 fouls - most by Sunderland & Tottenham = 17

37 bookings - most by Southampton = 5

1 red card - Pienaar for Sunderland

4 penalties - 4 scored (Benteke Palace, Kane for Spurs, Defoe for Sunderland & Austin for Saints)

What a game! It was goals and action galore at Turf Moor! And it was all topped and finished off by Burnley's last-minute winner! Wow, smashing home form for the Clarets! And finally, Sunderland were rewarded for the hard work and recorded their first win of the season at Dean Court. The more remarkable it was made by the fact that the Black Cats were reduced to ten men for the majority of the game/second half! And strugglers Hull City have recorded their first win since the 20th August and the first three points under Mike Phelan a, who will also be mightily relieved going into the international break.

What a team! Liverpool have gone top of the Premier League for the first time since May 2014 and will be more than happy with that going into the international break. Jürgen Klopp's men absolutely thrashed and took Watford apart, it ended 6-1, it could have been double that! Sadio Mané was the man and made it five in five with his superb goal. It was the fifth time the Reds have scored four goals or more in the league, making them top scorers and overachievers at the moment. Einfach geil! :-D

What a man! Eden Hazard is a changed man for Chelsea scoring in the fourth consecutive Premier League game for the Blues. The Blues are hot and close on Liverpool's heels just one point behind in second. Confidence was high after the 4-0 thrashing of Man United, Everton did not get a word/kick/shout in edgeways. Antonio Conte's 3-4-3 formation was spot on and is flourishing. Put all of that together and you get the result, a comfortable and confident 5-0 win.

What a goal! Yes, you read right, Paul Pogba AND Zlatan Ibrahimov were on the scoreboard for Man United! And the prior's was superb! The result ended a run of four Premier League games without a win for the Red Devils. Whether or not it is a coincidence that they recorded that win with their controversial manager José Mourinho in the stands serving his suspension is interesting and intriguing either way.

What the hell?! Such a shame to see Leicester crumbling away like everyone predicted and Claudio Ranieri scratching his head wondering how the hell... The defending champions have suffered yet another defeat, thanks to Danny Drinkwater's error that led to the second goal to make it 1-2 to West Brom. It's the Foxes first home defeat since September 2015, and unbeaten run of 20 games (13 wins, 7 draws). End of an era.

My Predictions - Actual Results
Bournemouth 2:0 Sunderland - 1:2
Burnley 1:2 Crystal Palace - 3:2
Man City 3:1 Middlesbrough - 1:1
West Ham 1:1 Stoke - 1:1
Chelsea 1:0 Everton - 5:0
Arsenal 1:1 Tottenham - 1:1
Hull City 0:1 Southampton - 2:1
Liverpool 4:0 Watford - 6:1 - click here for my match report
Swansea 1:1 Man United - 1:3
Leicester 2:1 West Brom - 1:2

Click here to read last week's Premier League Picks

All pictures taken from the BBC match reports 

Premier League Picks Of The Week 8

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 8

The 8th week of Premier League action saw:

256 shots - most by Southampton = 34!

27 goals - most by Bournemouth = 6!

200 fouls - most by Man United = 20

30 bookings - most by Middlesbrough = 5

2 red cards - Xhaka for Arsenal and Creswell for West Ham - both harsh!

6 penalties - 2 saved, 4 scored

Danny Murphy did not get it quite right, but still an interesting read ahead of LFC v MUFC

The clash ended up disappointingly goalless, but looking back at some memorable moments will definitely keep you more entertained!

Despite all mind games and point gained apparently, Mourinwho?

What a game! Saturday had everything in it! In contrast to Super Sunday/Red Monday, it did not disappoint! All games had chances, goals, controversies and heroics left, right and centre! Although, Southampton top the list of chances with 34 shots, which is a record this season so far! They will be disappointed they beat Burnley only 3-1! But all games were smashing and MOTD was epic on Saturday. And the top scorers of the day came first in the highlights show...

What a team! Bournemouth absolutely smothered Hull City, it could have been even worse than 6-1! Eddie Howe's men made it three home wins in a row with that thrash, taking them up to ninth, whilst the Tigers' defensive woes continue, dragging Mike Phelan's side down to 16th the week after he was finally made permanent. Not a good start.
Liverpool could not often say this in the past, but they were disappointed to leave Anfield with just a point against bitter rivals Man United thanks to a great couple of saves by David de Gea. It just shows how much progress they have made under Jürgen Klopp and the more promising the future looks for the Reds.

What a man! Maarten Stekelenburg deserves the knighthood as far as Everton are concerned (or whatever the Dutch equivalent is)! Stopping two spot kicks and making crucial and breathtaking saves during the match, the keeper denied Man City three crucial points in the title race and made Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Agüero look amateur. The Dutch stopper did not help neither's men confidence with penalties, much to team mate Phil Jagielka's relief after he conceded both spot kicks. Legendary performance!

What a goal! Romelu Lukaku's opener for the Toffees against Pep Guardiola's side was a great finish to a counter, some poor defending helped along the way. Mesut Özil's magnificent volley into the roof of the net gets my vote too, completing a lovely team goal off a deliciously chipped cross by Alexis Sanchez to make it 3-1 to the Gunners against Swansea.

What the hell?! How the hell Granit Xhaka and Aaron Creswell can be sent off when Antonio Barragan stayed on the pitch for Middlesbrough?! Already on a yellow, the defender kept bullying and fouling the opposition without any further consequences, much to Watford's dismay, but Isaac Success and co stayed and ended on top, bagging the three points. The inconsistencies of the officials are gob-smacking! And if the FA let managers like José Mourinho get away with the pre-match comments and then the gestures the Portuguese made on the sideline during the match, how can they expect less pressure and more respect for the referees?! Ridiculous!

My Predictions - Actual Results
Chelsea 2:1 Leicester - 3:0
Arsenal 1:1 Swansea - 3:2
Bournemouth 3:1 Hull City - 6:1
Man City 3:1 Everton - 1:1
Stoke 1:1 Sunderland - 2:0
West Brom 2:2 Tottenham - 1:1
Crystal Palace 3:2 West Ham - 0:1
Middlesbrough 1:1 Watford - 0:1
Southampton 1:0 Burnley - 3:1
Liverpool 1:1 Man United - 0:0

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks

All pictures takes from the BBC match reports 

Liverpool put five past sorry Hull

Sports - Football - Premier League - LCF 5:1 HCFC

Liverpool thrashed Hull City 5-1 in a dominant display at Anfield that confirmed their strong run and great home form, scoring nine goals in two home league games so far.

Man of the match Adam Lallana opened the scoring on 17 minutes with a fine low shot that snook its way past the Tigers defence and keeper David Marshall.

With just under half an hour gone, James Milner doubled the score from the spot after Ahmed Elmohamady saw red for handling the ball in the box.

Sadio Mané added a third six minutes later to Anfield's delight, with a nice individual goal, fooling everyone he passed.

Substitute David Meyler did pull one back for the visitors after the break, but Philippe Coutinho's breathtaking right-footed cut and long-range smash into the top corner and another Milner penalty sealed the deal and the three points for the home side.

Since Jürgen Klopp took over on 8 October 2015, Liverpool have scored 71 goals, more than any other team over this period. They are now fourth in the Premier League table, second top scorers behind Manchester City with 16 goals in 6 games, 11 in the past 3.

Hull meanwhile drop two places to 14th, level on seven points with Watford, Leicester and Burnley above them and Bournemouth below them on goal difference while Mike Phelan is still waiting to find out about his permanent destiny.

Liverpool Goals: Lallana 17', Milner pen 30' & pen 71', Mané 36' and Coutinho 52'.

Hull City Goal: Meyler 51'

Liverpool Team: 1 Karius; 7 Milner (booked 19'), 17 Klavan, 32 Matip, 2 Clyne; 5 Wijnaldum, 14 Henderson (c) (23 Can 74'), 20 Lallana (15 Sturridge 69'); 19 Mané, 11 Firmino, 10 Coutinho (16 Grujic 74'). 4-3-3
Subs not used: 18 Moreno, 21 Lucas, 22 Mignolet, 27 Origi.

Hull City Team: 2 Marshall; 3 Robertson, 6 Davies (c), 14 Livermore, 27 Elmohamady (sent off 29'); 20 Diomade (7 Meyler 33'), 25 Mason (booked 37') (22 Henriksen 73'), 11 Llucas, 8 Huddlestone (booked 7') (5 Maguire 45'), 10 Snodgrass; 9 Hernandez. 4-5-1
Subs not used: 15 Maloney, 17 Jakupovic, 18 Mbokani, 19 Keane.

Match Stats: Liverpool-Hull City
Attempts: 32-2
On target: 12-1
Corners: 13-2
Fouls: 8-8
Bookings: 1-2
Red cards: 0-1
Possession: 74%-26%

Referee: Andre Marriner
Man of the match: Adam Lallana
Attendance: 53,109

Images taken from the BBC match report 

Click here for my previous LFC match report

Premier League Picks Of The Week 2

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 2

The second week of Premier League action saw:

253 Shots - most by Liverpool = 26

22 Goals - most by Man City = 4

237 Fouls - most by Watford = 20

34 Bookings - most by Man City & Watford = 4

1 Red Card - 2nd yellow for Arter for Bournemouth

3 Penalties - 3 scored, 0 missed

Paul Merson's rant about Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's team selection and choices

Jeff Stelling promoting Hartlepool to the Premier League and Iain Dowie losing track of the score

David Moyes being blunt about Sunderland's chances

What a game! Burnley's win against Liverpool after their seven-goal thriller-victory against Arsenal last week was impressive but less surprising looking at the Reds' mixed form of last season. Jürgen Klopp's men proved once again possession and stats in general don't mean anything and everything. The Reds have created the most chances in the Premier League so far this season (34), but not converting near enough. From top to flop within days and you don't know which one will turn up next. We will wait and see which one will turn up against Burton Albion in the EFL Cup and then at Tottenham in the next Premier League clash (which I will be covering live on ByTheMinute.co).

What a team! Hull City proved all doubters wrong again after beating Swansea 0-2 at the Liberty Stadium. If caretaker manager Mike Phelan doesn't get the job permanently, then fool them. The relegation favourites could not have wished for a better start to the season, flying high in the top four.

What a goal! Cristhian Stuani's opener for Middlesbrough at Sunderland was a stunner. The Uruguayan opened his account for Boro and the Premier League with an unstoppable long-range smacker against the run of play after 13 minutes at the Stadium of Light. He doubled David Moyes' men's misery just before half time and the home side got a goal back in the second half but were not able to recover. Aitor Karanka's side recorded their first win of the season whilst Moyes' account at the Black Cats is still blank, looking more and more difficult and hopeless.

What a man! Zlatan Ibrahimovic can't do anything wrong at the moment. The 34-year old has scored in both opening games to feed United six point out of six and José Mourinho's ego and big mouth. As if the latter needed that! But it's still early days, LVG won the first two games last season as well and we know what happened next...

What the hell?! Diego Costa got away with it once again!!! Manager Antonio Conte's changes did work the magic and got his side back late on after falling behind at Watford. Second sub Michy Batshuayi pulled a goal with ten minutes left before third sub Cesc Fabregas set up Costa for the winner just before the end. But like last week, Costa got away with it! The 27-year-old should have not been on the field after appearing to dive to try and win a second-half penalty, when he had already been in referee Jon Moss' book. The rules are there for a reason, new and old, so please enforce them!!!

My predictions - Actual results

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

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks

Pictures taken from BBC match reports (top picture montage taken from Bing Search)