Premier League Picks Of The Week 38

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 38

The 38th and final week of the Premier League action saw:

283 shots - most by Chelsea = 28
37 goals - most by Tottenham = 7
222 fouls - most by Man United = 16
30 bookings - most by Everton & Leicester & Stoke = 4 each
1 red card - Koscielny for Arsenal
1 penalty - 1 scored (Lukaku for Everton)

What a game! The top and drops of the Premier League were already confirmed over the last couple of weeks, so, the only thing left to play for was the Champions League qualification. Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal were in the mix, the London side needing a win and one of the other sides to slip up to be able to clinch a top four spot. It was not to be. Quite the opposite. Despite beating Everton 3-1 at the Emirates, Laurent Koscielny's reckless challenge saw him sent off and suspended, plus injury to defender Gabriel Paulista didn't make the Gunners' chances any better for the FA Cup final either... Merde!

What a team! Chelsea won and celebrated in style, but Tottenham stunned everyone just that bit more thrashing Hull City 1-7! 13 goals in the last two games, 15 in the last three! How did they not win anything this season?! Best goals total scored and conceded, best points total in years, they have missed out big time! Will they be able to top that next season??? In absolute contrast to that, total flops were Everton and Watford, why bother turning up if you don't really play?! Both sides were felled easily and taken apart by Arsenal and Manchester City respectively. Refund the fans!!!

What a man! Departing Chelsea skipper John Terry may have been the most celebrated player of the day (and absolutely lambasted for the substitution antiques on BBC TV and radio coverage), but Spurs striker Harry Kane is definitely the best of the season, three goals against Hull City and seven in the last two outings taking his season total to 29 in just 30 games, including four hat-tricks! The Golden Boot well deserved! The Golden Glove has gone to the champions' keeper Thibaut Courtois with 16 clean sheets.

What a goal! Georginio Wijnaldum's opener for Liverpool relieved everyone at Anfield just before the break after the Reds had made it look oh so difficult against relegated Middlesbrough. Philippe Coutinho added a sweet free kick and Adam Lallana sealed the deal with a pass into goal after a fine team break away, buildup and effort. Aaron Ramsey's high curling beauty into the top corner to make it 3-1 to Arsenal was worth nothing in the end. The question now is, will there be any changes at the realm of the London side???

What the hell?! José Mourinho once again took all the attention - this time by saying nothing, in a non-existent post-match press conference at Old Trafford after his side's 2-0 win against Palace! What a farce! Even Arséne Wenger was up to chat (ish) after his worst season at Arsenal! Isn't it part of their job description?! I mean, how much money the media pump into the game and then to get that kind of response, just avoiding them and blanking them out, that's just blatant ignorance and arrogance?!

My Predictions - Actual Results
Arsenal 2:1 Everton - 3:1
Burnley 1:1 West Ham - 1:2
Chelsea 6:1 Sunderland - 5:1
Hull City 1:4 Tottenham - 1:7
Leicester 2:0 Bournemouth - 1:1
Liverpool 2:1 Middlesbrough - 3:0
Man United 1:0 Crystal Palace - 2:0
Southampton 1:1 Stoke City - 0:1
Swansea 1:0 West Brom - 2:1
Watford 1:2 Man City - 0:5

Games In Hand Played Before The Weekend:
Chelsea 1:1 Watford - 4:3
Arsenal 4:1 Sunderland - 2:0
Man City 3:0 West Brom - 3:1
Southampton 1:2 Man United - 0:0
Leicester 1:1 Tottenham - 1:6

20 goals in only 5 games! Wow! 168 shots, 36 of which fell to the Gunners alone, most in a Premier League game since 2003! Double wow! 99 fouls, 22 bookings (6 to Watford alone, triple wow!), Sebastian Prödl sent off for Watford and 1 penalty saved by United's Sergio Romero denying Saint Manolo Gabbiadini. And someone said the Premier League was boring?!

Click here to read my previous Premier League Picks Of The Week.

Pictures and stats taken from the BBC match reports, Radio Five Live coverage and MOTD.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 7

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 7

The seventh week of the Premier League action saw

227 shots - most by Man United = 24

20 goals - most by Chelsea, Everton and Spurs = 2 each

198 fouls - most by Spurs = 20

32 bookings - most by Bournemouth = 4

0 red cards

2 penalties - 1 scored, 1 saved

What a game! Watford came back from behind twice in a four-goal thriller against Bournemouth at Vicarage Road, after the visitors had hit the woodwork three times in the second half. Captain Troy Deeney's 99th goal for the club had levelled Callum Wilson's headed opener, before substitute Isaac Success secured the point for the home side, levelling out substitute Joshua King's long-range deflected effort with just three minutes between the two goals.

What a team! Chelsea ended their slump of a run after two successive league defeats, beating Hull City in a hard-earned 2-0 win at the KCOM Stadium, thanks to Willian and Diego Costa.
James Milner's late penalty gave Liverpool a hard-fought win at Swansea, making the Reds the most prolific away side this season.
And last but definitely not least, vibrant Spurs impressed most with their thrilling 2-0 victory against City, outplaying Pep Guardiola's side throughout, making an early but clear statement regarding their challenge for the title.

What a man! After another defeat, all eyes and pressure are on Swansea boss Francesco Guidolin and whether he will keep his job past the international break. Despite a spirited performance against high-flying Liverpool, no points were recorded for the Swans, once again, leaving them hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference, having not won in the league since the opening day of the season. The owners did state before the match that the manner of the performances would have as much of a bearing on Guidolin's future as the results, so, there is still some hope for the Swansea boss.

What a goal! Dimitri Payet's wonderful equaliser for West Ham against Middlesbrough not only ended the Hammers' dreadful run of four successive league defeats and gave the Frenchman his first league goal of the season, but also showed an exemplary piece of individual play, beating five players on his way. Substitute Anthony Martial's fine sweep and curled shot which gave United the lead was a skillful effort, too. However, David de Gea's giveaway which led to Joe Allen poking in an equaliser, handed Stoke a point and spoiled the show for the Red Devils at Old Trafford.

What the hell?! Arsenal left it very late at Burnley, indeed, and how Laurent Koscielny's goal counted, I cannot and do not fathom. Theo Walcott had headed the ball towards Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose effort went in off Koscielny's elbow, standing on the goal-line. So, not only was it a handball, but also offside could have been argued to chalk off that goal. Even Mister "I have not seen it" Arsène Wenger looked bemused and admitted the Gunners were lucky to have been given that goal.

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

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks

All images taken from the BBC match reports