Dire Goalless Draw Not Helped By Ref

Sports - Football - Premier League- LIV 0:0 STK

It ended goalless between Liverpool and Stoke City in the lunchtime kickoff on Saturday, the Potters squeezing out a point and keeping their manager Paul Lambert’s unbeaten record at Anfield intact, a Premier League record of five games without defeat (5 = 2W 3D).

The home side did dominate as expected, star man Mohamed Salah missed a sitter early on and put a free kick wide.

With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out injured for the rest of the season, young defender Trent Alexander-Arnold played in a more attacking position, stumbling and wasting a great chance in the box.

Danny Ings, in place of a not-yet-fit Sadio Mané up front, saw his goal disallowed, flagged offside, so close.

Stubborn and very physical, the visitors had a couple of chances as well, nothing to worry Loris Karius too much though.

The second half continued dragging and frustrating for Jürgen Klopp and his men.

There was a handball appeal against man of the match defender Erik Pieters late on, who certainly gave his all, Georginio Wijnaldum was furious with the officials.

Virgil van Dijk was booked seconds later, Ryan Shawcross threatened with a chance but missed, it was end to end stuff in the final minutes.

James Milner was not happy with the referee either, nothing given after he was felled down, unlike when he had challenged to win the ball earlier on.

Six minutes were added on for all the injuries, Wijnaldum headed high, everyone in white surrounding Salah.

The great Egyptian looked tired, producing seven shots, none on target, the most he has had without scoring in a single game for Liverpool in all competitions. 

Roberto Firmino saw his penalty appeal in the final seconds ignored, Pieters getting away with it again, hugs all round as replays showed.

The Reds will be rightly disappointed to not have gotten more out of the match they bossed throughout, but the final edge was missing.

It was the first time in nine games the Reds failed to score at home in the league, since drawing 0-0 against West Brom in December, netting 27 in the eight games between the two goalless draws.

Klopp and co will be glad not to have more names added to the injury list after a very physical game with a lot of clashes and ouches, Jordan Henderson going down at the end of the first half but continued after treatment.

Next is the second and decisive leg of the Champions League semi-final in Rome on Wednesday before a trip to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League at the weekend with Chelsea looking to break into the top four.

Stoke meanwhile are three points from safety with two games left to play in the league (against Crystal Palace next weekend and at Swansea on the final day).

HT Stats: LIV 0-0 STK

Possession: 66%-34%

Shots: 7-1

On target: 1-0

Corners: 0-2

Fouls: 2-10

Yellow cards: 0-2

FT Stats: LIV 0-0 STK

Possession: 72%-28%

Shots: 19-5

On target: 2-1

Corners: 9-2

Fouls: 7-14

Yellow cards: 1-2

Liverpool Team: 1 Karius; 17 Klavan, 4 van Dijk (booked 88’), 12 Gomez; 18 Moreno, 5 Wijnaldum, 14 Henderson (c), 66 Alexander-Arnold (2 Clyne 65’); 28 Ings (7 Milner 65’), 9 Firmino, 11 Salah. 3-4-3 on Sky & PL apps, good old 4-3-3 on BBC & SFR with 18 & 66 completing the back line whilst 12 is in the middle... Bit of both in the end, sometimes back 5!!!

Subs not used: 6 Lovren, 22 Mignolet, 26 Robertson, 29 Solanke, 58 Woodburn.

Stoke City Team: 1 Butland; 3 Pieters, 15 Martins Indi (32 Sobhi Ahmed 52’), 17 Shawcross (c), 6 Zouma; 2 Bauer, 27 Ndiaye, 4 Allen, 22 Shaqiri; 25 Crouch (booked 36’) (24 Fletcher 65’), 18 Diouf (booked 42’). 4-4-2

Subs not used: 7 Ireland, 16 Adam, 20 Cameron, 29 Haugaard, 40 Campbell.

Referee: Andre Marriner

Man of the match: Erik Pieters

Ground: Anfield

Attendance: 53,255

Click here for my previous LFC match report.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the Sky Sports and BBC match reports, Twitter, Sky Sports and Premier League apps and SFR coverage.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 24

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 24

The 24th week of the Premier League action saw:

25 goals - most by Chelsea & Arsenal = 4 each
233 shots - most by Man City & Liverpool = 21 each
90 on target - most by Arsenal & Chelsea = 10 each
99 corners - most by Man City = 18
194 fouls - most by Stoke City = 18
26 yellow cards - most by Brighton, Burnley, Man United, West Ham & Tottenham = 3 each
0 red cards
2 penalties - 2 scored (Agüero for Man City, Vardy for Leicester)

What a game! Arsenal proved like Liverpool did last week, it's all about the team, not the player, life goes on without them. With Alexis Sánchez omitted and Manchester United bound, the Gunners hit four goals in the opening 22 minutes, absolutely stunning and thrashing Crystal Palace 4-1 at the Emirates. A free Nacho Monreal headed in the opener (6') and provided the next two, Alex Iwobi doubling the lead (10') and Laurent Koscielny tapping in the third (13'). Alexandre Lacazette made it four with a beautiful team goal and finish (22') to complete an abysmal start for Roy Hodgson's side. Luka Milivojević did pull one back late on with a nice turn and shot, denying Petr Čech his 200th clean sheet, keeping the stopper stuck on 199. It was Palace's only defeat in the last 12 league games against the Gunners. Arsène Wenger couldn't have been happier with his team's blistering display, but they won't have it that easy every week!

What a team! Manchester City recovered from their first league defeat of the season against Liverpool with a dominant 3-1 win against Newcastle at the Etihad, Sergio Agüero starring with a hat-trick, his 11th for Pep Guardiola's side. Jacob Murphy did cause a little scare when he made it 2-1 with his first goal for the club in his 19th appearance. Rafael Benítez praised his side's reaction and effort, but after only six goals in the last eight games, the Magpies are 15th in the table, just one point away from 18th-placed Southampton. With the takeover talks halted and off the table, the chances of adding to the squad are close to none. At the top of the table meanwhile, City's lead remains 12 points, which takes me to this interesting stat I read, which irritated me at the same time... City aren't Newcastle and United are nowhere near Fergie's greats, I dare say!!!
Here are my match notes of a very frustrating display and rare defeat for Liverpool, suffering against stubborn Swansea, losing 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium on Monday night, ending the Reds' unbeaten run after 18 games. It was such a disappointment after their breathtaking performance against the league leaders last week, but somewhat expected as the Reds like to let it slip against the lower sides, especially the Welsh side as past results show: Their German boss Jürgen Klopp seems to dislike the Swans, having lost three Premier League games against them, more than against any other opponent in the competition.

What a man! New Stoke City manager Paul Lambert started his reign with a win, his side beating Huddersfield 2-0 thanks to Joe Allen (53') and Mame Biram Diouf (69'), taking them out of the relegation zone, a step in the right direction. The new boss enjoyed and celebrated both goals full-heartedly and made sure all players stayed back to thank the fans for their support. The Terriers meanwhile are winless in the last six league games, having lost three in a row, David Wagner accepting their dire form and position and conceding they have to do more to get out of it, just one point separating them from the drop zone.
Leicester's Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez impressed with startling displays, the prior's penalty and the latter's smooth goal were enough to beat Watford, Marco Silva's side continuing their slump with just one win in the last 11 league matches. The dire run saw the Portuguese sacked on Sunday, the board blaming Everton's approach in November for it! Harsh!!! They quickly appointed a new boss later that day, Spaniard Javi Gracia, the 10th manager to work under the Pozzo family at Vicarage Road since 2012! Something tells me the 18-month contract won't be seen through at this rate! 7 of the bottom 12 have sacked their managers this season and I've got the feeling it's not gonna stay at that...
Both David Moyes and Sam Allardyce drew more frustrated figures this week, not happy men, both West Ham and Everton dropping two points drawing 1-1 against Bournemouth and West Brom respectively, home games they should have or were expected to win. None of the sides will be happy with dropping points. Again. But for the Hammers it continued their unbeaten run in the league (DWDWD), whilst the blue Merseysiders have been sliding a bit longer without a win (DDLLLD). It could have been worse for the Toffees if it would not have been for super-sub's Oumar Niasse's equaliser just 56 seconds after coming on. More to that game below. And the Hammers had Javier Hernández to thank for the point equalising 65 seconds after falling behind, their manager crying out for the former United man to stay. It was Eddie Howe's 100th league game in charge, the third youngest English manager to achieve this, at the age of 40 years and 52 days, the draw extending the Cherries' unbeaten run to five games (DWDWD).

What a goal! Chelsea stunned Brighton with two splendid goals in the opening six minutes at the Falmer Stadium. Eden Hazard opened the scoring with a neat finish from inside the box (3') and Willian doubled the score after some beautiful team and one-touch play in the buildup (6'). The Seagulls did fight back, Ezequiel Schelotto was denied a penalty after being brought down by keeper Willy Caballero who kept out former Citizen Tomer Hemed before Davy Pröpper headed against the post. Hazard sealed the win eventually (77') and Victor Moses added to the total late on to make it 0-4 and three points for the Blues (89'), their first league win in 2018. But as manager Antonio Conte pointed out, his side are unbeaten in 12 games now. Brighton boss Chris Hughton was right, the scoreline was harsh, but the visitors did make it very difficult.
In the only Super Sunday match Davinson Sánchez's awesome own goal put Southampton ahead at St Mary's, sliding and turning in Ryan Bertrand's low cross, before non-other than Harry Kane levelled the score for Tottenham, easy 99th Premier League goal for the England striker. Despite continuing their longest winless streak in nearly two decades, Saints will be happy with the point, the fans were great, Mauricio Pellegrino grateful but realistic (loved his electric chair metaphor about his position), whilst Spurs will be gutted to have dropped two points in the race for the top four.

What the hell?! All the best wishes went to Toffee James McCarthy of course after manager Big Sam confirmed his very nasty injury, a double-fracture! Albion Salomón Rondón was in tears after waving frantically for the referee to stop play and get the medical assistance. No one likes to see anything like that... #goosebumps
Manchester United extended their unbeaten run to eight games in the league, Anthony Martial's second-half strike enough to beat Burnley. But the Red Devils didn't give their fans much to cheer and watch, keeper David de Gea mainly to thank with his 14th clean sheet, more than any other in Europe's big five leagues this season. Sean Dyche's side fought hard, but were condemned to their fourth defeat on the trot for the first time since May 2015. The manager was understandably gutted as they were the only side making a real game out of it, no matter how José Mourinho tried to put it, having a clear dig at them after the match, complimenting the referee. Yep, you read right. The Portuguese was all positive, especially about the officials, of course, looking at the scoreline, but nothing else. Pf.

My Predictions - Actual Results
Brighton 1:1 Chelsea - 0:4
Arsenal 1:1 Crystal Palace - 4:1
Burnley 1:2 Man United - 0:1
Everton 2:1 West Brom - 1:1
Leicester 3:0 Watford - 2:0
Stoke City 2:2 Huddersfield - 2:0
West Ham 3:2 Bournemouth - 1:1
Man City 4:1 Newcastle - 3:1
Southampton 1:3 Tottenham - 1:1
Swansea 1:5 Liverpool - 1:0 or my match report

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, MOTD, Twitter and SFR coverage.

Week 31: Premier League Tops & Flops

Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Weekend

WOW!

Southampton continued their strong run against Chelsea whilst Tottenham underlined their Champions League potential and qualification with a fine win at Swansea. Ok, with his team selection Blues interim boss Rafael Benitez did show his priority lies in adding another European trophy to his CV rather than staying in the top four of the league. Andre Villas-Boas will appreciate Rafa's preference as his side sit in third, two points clear of their London rivals. But no disregarding Mauricio Pochettino's work. Nigel Adkins' replacement has done a brilliant job in getting the Saints, an already very promising side, to excell themselves and reach their full potential. So far so good.  

OMG!

It was a game of two halves at Villa Park. Aston Villa dominated most of the first half and took the lead when Gabriel Agbonlahor's lay-off found Christian Benteke, who fired home gratefully. But Liverpool came back strongly from the restart, Jordan Henderson levelling the score two minutes into the second half with a nicely taken chip past Bradley Guzan. And with half an hour to go, Steven Gerrard netted the winner from the spot after Nathan Baker had clumsily brought down Luis Suarez in the box. The home side had plenty of time and chances to get something out of the game, but after Andreas Weimann's high-blast miss and Gerrard's breathtaking clearance of Benteke's header off the line, it just wasn't Villa's day. Paul Lambert can draw positives from this game but after such a positive start he was still left picking up the pieces in the end. The Scotsman needs to work on the back line especially to avoid his side to drop more goals and points like this in the relegation battle.


TOP!

Manchester United are breaking one record after the other: At Sunderland Sir Alex Ferguson's men recorded their 25th win of the season, after only 30 games, which has never been achieved before in top-flight history. The Red Devils are unbeaten in 18 games, winning 50 out of 54 points, remaining 15 points clear of local rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table with eight games remaining. The big Manchester derby is next on the fixture list, but one feels it will be more pride than any point in the title race to play for. Roberto Mancini's men have been nowhere near the quality and challenge they were last season which brings to mind the question of what will happen over the summer, who will stay and who will go...

FLOP!

Adkins has taken on a job-and-a-half at Reading. They were taken to pieces by Arsenal at the Emirates. The 4-1 thrashing was The Royals' sixth consecutive defeat, that is 18 points dropped, leaving them bottom of the table on goal difference (two goals worse off than Harry Redknapp's QPR) and seven points form safety. Brian McDermott's sacking this late on in the season will make Adkins' job nigh on impossible. The former Saints manager will have to drag and pull the team together and make them fight. Meanwhile, Arsenal remain in fifth, closing the gap to Chelsea in fourth down to two points, keeping them in the race for Champions League qualification.

HERO!

Dimitar Berbatov's double ended up sinking QPR to their second consecutive defeat, leaving them down in 19th, seven points from safety with seven games to go. It was the fourth consecutive Premier League game the Bulgarian scored in for Fulham and takes his tally to six in his last six games. The striker capitalised on two Christian Samba mistakes and a Clint Hill own-goal made it 3-0 to the home side. Adel Taarabt and Loic Remy reduced the deficit to one and got the Rangers' hopes up. Fulham's Steve Sidwell was sent off late on too, but QPR were unable to grab a late goal and Martin Jol's men held on for the win, keeping the Cottagers in tenth, three points clear of West Ham in eleventh and one point behind Swansea in ninth.


ZERO!

All the media attention went to a certain temperamental Italian and his antiques this week, to the relief of some other (usual media favourite) managers (Benitez & Co). Sunderland's sacking of Martin O'Neill hours after their defeat against United and hiring of Paulo Di Canio may seem for some to be a very late and pointless shocker with only seven games remaining. However, the move grabbed all the media attention, distracting and taking pressure of any other internal problems and leaks and if all fails and the Black Cats go down after all, the board can cover their backs and say they tried and did everything they could to keep the side up. Nice cover-up indeed.

My Predictions => Actual Results:
Sunderland 2-1 Man United => 0-1
Arsenal 1-2 Reading => 4-1
Man City 2-1 Newcastle => 4-0
Southampton 1-3 Chelsea => 2-1
Swansea 1-1 Tottenham => 1-2
West Ham 1-1 West Brom => 3-1
Wigan 0-0 Norwich => 1-0
Everton 1-1 Stoke => 1-0
Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool => 1-2
Fulham 2-2 QPR => 3-2