Premier League Picks Of The Week 22

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 22

The 22nd week of the Premier League action saw:

261 shots - most by Manchester United = 25
30 goals - most by Swansea & West Ham = 3 each
214 fouls - most by Watford = 16
31 bookings - most by Stoke & Spurs = 4
1 red card - Xhaka for Arsenal
3 penalties - 3 scored (Tadic for Saints, Gray for Burnley & Sánchez for Arsenal)

Thoughts and love to the Hull City player Ryan Mason and his loved ones and all the best for his recovery. 🙏🏻

Bournemouth were 23rd in League Two at Obama inauguration in 2008! 😱

Pep loving his post-match interviewer once again... 🙈

What a game! Swansea shocked Liverpool with their first league win at Anfield. Jürgen Klopp's men looked all over the place in the first half, came back in the second half, but could not finish it off and the Welsh side capitalised on the Reds' weakness. Paul Clement looks like he is making the crucial difference in the relegation battle. Meanwhile, Arsenal left it very very late against Burnley to stay in the title race with a hint of a shout. Red cards, penalties, goals, no goals, offsides, not offsides, plenty of controversy once again! More to that below...

What a team! Dire stats left, right and centre: Leicester are the joint-worst defending champions with just 21 points from 22 games (equalling Ipswich's 1962-63 record). Victory remains scarce also for both Bournemouth (just 1 in 7) and Watford (winless in last 7 in the Premier League). Affected and downed most by their crumbling defence or as David Moyes branded conceding goals as a "disease", Liverpool are still looking for their first league win of the year (D2, L1), Middlesbrough remain winless in 5 and Sunderland are back to bottom after their fourth defeat in 5 league games. Meanwhile, Chelsea must be laughing at the top of the table with a seven-point cushion, after a less-than-impressive win but most importantly 3 points gained against Hull.

What a man! Wayne Rooney finally broke legend Sir Bobby Charlton's club record scoring his 250th goal for Manchester United. He bcame the Red Devil's top scorer with a 94th minute free-kick cracker, to make it 1-1 and grab a point at Stoke. It could have been worse for United. Fernando Llorente's double for Swansea downed Liverpool and Andy Carroll's double for West Ham meant two wins in a row for the Hammers with a man on fire. On the other end of the spectrum sits Arsenal's Granit Xhaka after his 5th dismissal in the league since the beginning of last season, more than any other player in Europe's top five divisions. What were you thinking?! 👊🏻💩🙈💩👎🏻

What a goal! Roberto Firmino's leveller for Liverpool was a nice one but all for nothing in the very frustrating end. There were plenty controversial decisions, penalties given, not given, offside given, not given, as mentioned above. Everton's winner should have been disallowed not for Jeff Schlupp's injury antiques, but for offside. Hull should have had a penalty and a free kick in the build up to Chelsea's goals...

What the hell?!?!?! ... And Pep wasn't happy either! The ex Barca boss went mad for a penalty not given for Kyle Walker's push on Raheem Sterling, just because his player didn't go down. Seconds later, Son Heung-min equalised to make it 2-2 after City had beaten Hugo Lloris twice to make it 2-0 thanks to the keeper's howlers. He is not the only one who is unhappy with the referee, Andre Marriner in this case. As listed and repeated above, Arsenal, Hull, Crystal Palace,.... The list goes on and on about decisions that should have gone the other way but the refs didn't or couldn't do anything. Everyone is just left wondering and cursing, replays show who/what/where/how/why - why can it still not be used?!?!?! Pathetic! Annoying! Costly! ⚽️💩🙈💩⚽️

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

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

Pictures taken from the BBC match reports.

Spurs hold Liverpool to a goalless draw

Sports - Football - Premier League - Liverpool 0:0 Tottenham

Liverpool remain unbeaten at home this season after their goalless draw againt Tottenham which takes their unbeaten run at Anfiel to 15 games. However, the Reds will be more frustrated with the result, yet another home draw, 8 out of 12 home games for the Reds ending up with just one point.

INTRUDER! Here's the star of the show - the Anfield cat, who made a purr-fect run into the Spurs penalty area in the 12th minute halting the game for three minutes.

 It was a big improvement though compared to the 4-2 thrashing Liverpool got the last time these two sides met, plus two men seeing red on the night (Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel). Tottenham were also the last side to get three points at Anfield, winning 2-0 in May last year.

But Liverpool looked the stronger and more likely to score, more comfortable with the ball and enjoying much more possession. Chances were hard to come by for both sides though, in the first half especially.

The later the game went on, the more pressure and chances were created. Gareth Bale drew the most frustrated picture when he got booked for pushing Daniel Agger after he went down on the defender's challenge. Replays showed there was no contact, but Bale got all fired up. He put a couple of chances high and wide after that, his temper most probably not helping.

Apart from Bale's waste, it was all Liverpool, but Tottenhams' back line stayed rock-solid. Michael Dawson, Kyle Walker and Scott Parker put their bodies on the line when it mattered, blocking and holding the Reds back. The only save of note Brad Friedel had to make was a smacker though, a fine hit by Martin Kelly the goalkeeper punched behind for a corner.

Tottenham's nr 8 Parker got a boot in his face for his effort. It took Luis Suarez less than 5 minutes after his return from a 9-game suspension to find himself in controversy and the referee's book yet again, replays showing how wreckless the kick out was by the Uruguayan.

Skrtel was also added to that book after he led with his studs on Bale. The Slovakian defender did get the ball, but it was a very dangerous challenge. Both Red player should be very glad they were not added to the referee's red list!

Liverpool seemed the hungrier but missed and spurned too much, it seemed one of those nights. Then, when Bale broke clear into the Liverpool box, it looked like Spurs were going to nick the three points. The Welsh international looked to put the ball through Pepe Reina's legs but the Spaniard blocked it well and solid. Bale kept on fighting for the ball to see it deflect and eventually cleared. What a let-off that was for the home side!

The last 5-10 minutes seemed like a crazy game of ping pong, backwards, forwrd, give-aways, deflections, Liverpool dominant and more on the attack but just as unable to break through and take advantage as their opponants.

Spurs deserved the point for their gritty defending, showing backbone eventhough they were missing their manager and a couple of players.
Liverpool will not be as happy with the result, but as they know from past encounters with the London side, or should know, it could have been so much worse! (+ The Reds are still seven points better off than they were at this stage last season!)

Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Agger, Skrtel (booked 76), Kelly; Adam, Spearing, Gerrard; Bellamy (Downing 73), Carroll, Kuyt (Suarez 66 (booked 70)).
Subs not used: Doni, Aurelio, Henderson, Coates, Downing, Carragher.

Tottenham: Friedel; Assou-Ekotto, King, Dawson, Walker; Parker (booked 39), Livermore; Bale (booked 54), Modric, Kranjcar (Rose 87); Adebayor (Saha 71).
Subs not used: Cudicini, Nelsen, Khumalo, Luongo, Lancaster.

1st & 2nd half stats:
Liverpool-Tottenham
Attempts: 2-3 & 7-4
On target: 1-2 & 3-1
Offsides: 1-0 & 0-0
Free kicks: 6-1 & 5-8
Corners: 2-3 & 6-1

Sky Stats:
Liverpool-Tottenham
Possession: 52.3%-47.7% HT, 52%-48% FT
Pass Success Rate: 85%-89.93% HT, 83%-80.51% FT
Action Areas:
Liverpool 6%-48%-46% Tottenham 80.min,
24%-52%-24% FT

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
Man of the match: Scott Parker