Premier League Notes - Week 7

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 7

The seventh week of the 2019-2020 Premier League season saw:

29 goals - most by Leicester = 5

257 shots - most by Chelsea = 23

86 on target - most by Chelsea = 9

100 corners - most by Leicester = 9

191 fouls - most by Man United = 18

35 bookings - most by Burnley and Man United = 4 each

2 red cards - Aurier for Tottenham, Hayden for Newcastle 

2 penalties - 2 scored (Jorginho for Chelsea and Milivojevic for Crystal Palace)

#SHULIV

Somehow Georginio Wijnaldum's shot squeezed through (70'), Manchester United loanee keeper Dean Henderson won’t like to remember this one. It was enough to give the dominant but frustrated Reds their first win at Bramall Lane, on an off-day for the league leaders. It's Jürgen Klopp's side's seventh win out of seven this season (equalled only in 1990-91), 16th consecutive league win (only Manchester City have done better with 18 between August and December 2017), keeping them at the top of the table, EIGHT points clear before the Citizens kicked off their game at Goodison Park later on that Saturday afternoon.

#AVLBUR 

It was not to be for the home side, ahead twice, given away twice, the draw keeping them in 18th. The double comeback for the visitors sees them remain mid-table.

#BOUWHU 

Scruffy goals, allowed and disallowed = two goals and a point each.

#CHEBHA 

Not impressive but easy win for the Blues, first home victory under Frank Lampard.

#CRYNOR 

Palace’s 100th clean sheet in Premier League history, the win lifting them up into the top half. Roy Hodgson is working wonders.

#TOTSOU 

Hugo Lloris made up for his howler that led to the equaliser with some crucial saves. Danny Ings had inexplicably taken the ball off the French keeper inside the six-yard area and netted the leveler (39'). But none other than Harry Kane made sure the home side bagged the three points (43') despite being down to ten men after just over half an hour, taking them up to sixth.

#WOLWAT

First win for Nuno Espírito Santo’s men, finally, lifting them up out of the relegation zone to 13th, whilst the Hornets remain at the bottom and winless.

#EVEMCI

Competitive and entertaining encounter with a disappointing end. The keepers made the difference, Ederson top, Jordan Pickford flop = 1-3.

#LEINEW

It was absolutely hammering it down, goals and rain at the King Power stadium on Sunday. Both bosses are smashing all sorts of records, one top, the other flop. No discrediting the Foxes, who remain third, but 5-0, it was just embarrassing to watch the ten-man Magpies side fall to pieces as they did, to one of Steve Bruce's worst defeats as a boss, smashing them down to 19th!

#MUNARS

Neither side deserved to win! It was sloppy, wasteful, dirty, slippery, sliding footy. Downhill from the past classic and epic encounters the broadcasters kept replaying in the buildup to the clash. It completed United's worst start to a season in 30 years, which was the last time they failed to reach double figures in points after seven matches. That season (1989-90) the Red Devils finished 13th. They're now tenth, the Gunners fourth, Unai Emery's men surely mourning the missed opportunity to finally record a win at Old Trafford for the first time since September 2006. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with the equaliser (58') is the first Arsenal player to score seven or more goals in the first seven Premier League games of a season since Dennis Bergkamp in 1997-98. No player has scored more Premier League goals than the Frenchman since he made his debut for Arsenal. 56 games. 39 goals. Génial.

My Predictions - Actual Results
Sheff Utd 1:2 Liverpool - 0:1

Aston Villa 1:1 Burnley - 2:2

Bournemouth 1:3 West Ham - 2:2

Chelsea 3:0 Brighton - 2:0

Crystal Palace 2:0 Norwich - 2:0

Tottenham 3:0 Southampton - 2:1

Wolves 1:1 Watford - 2:0

Everton 2:3 Man City - 1:3

Leicester 1:0 Newcastle - 5:0

Man Utd 2:2 Arsenal - 1:1

Click here for last week’s Premier League Notes.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, ByTheMin Twitter and RMC Sport coverage.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 31

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 31

The 31st week of the Premier League action saw:

31 goals - most by West Ham = 4

249 shots - most by Tottenham = 26*

78 on target - most by Tottenham = 10*

93 corners - most by Liverpool = 10

208 fouls - most by Everton = 17

33 bookings - most by Watford = 5*

1 red card - Maguire for Leicester

4 penalties - 3 scored (King for Bournemouth, Noble for West Ham, Milner for Liverpool)

What a game! There were not many games this weekend thanks to the FA Cup ties, only three matches on Saturday, but plenty of action and goals, very late goals and awesome comebacks! Huddersfield scored three at West Ham! But still ended up on the losing end yet again as the Hammers hit four, three of them in the last 15 minutes, and turned everything and everyone on their heads at the London Stadium. The Terriers looked like they would climb off the bottom of the Premier League for the first time since December when Karlan Grant's brace (30', 65') had put the visitors 1-3 ahead, adding to Juninho Bacuna's headed equaliser (17') in reply to captain Mark Noble's opener from the spot (pen 15'). But after Angelo Ogbonna's header made it 2-3 with 15 minutes to go, half-time substitute Javier Hernández made all the difference with two goals in seven minutes to make it 4-2 (84', 90'+1'). His boss Manuel Pellegrini showed how decisive changes and experience can be, whilst the Yorkshire club which the Chilean upset remain rock bottom and are still looking for their first win on the road since November. Counterpart Jan Siewert was understandably distraught and angry. Gutted. 

What a team! Chelsea are falling to bits! No discrediting Everton and Jordan Pickford’s strong performance with some solid stops and keeping a clean sheet. But after dominating the first half at Goodison Park, the Blues were well beaten thanks to Richarlison's header off a corner (49') and Gylfi Sigurðsson netting the rebound of his own soft penalty take (72'). As a result, Chelsea failed to capitalise on their game in hand and remain in sixth, one point behind Manchester United in fifth, three behind Arsenal in fourth. Blues boss Maurizio Sarri was chewing his fag end as always, saying his side "have reached their mental limit". Looking at the usual lack of patience at the club, the Italian must be sweating through his hotter than hot seat (although I have said that before, so, am surprised he lasted this long)! Much in contrast to that, Marco Silva was finally able to smile, seeing his side record their first home win in nine weeks after four defeats in the last six home games. Finally.

What a man! It was a roller coaster ride at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon! I covered all the action on Twitter for ByTheMinLFC. It was so easy in the first half for Liverpool, Sadio Mané with the opener, a nice side-footer set up by Roberto Firmino, his 20th in all competitions, 11th in 11 games (26'). But then, after the break, the normally strong duo of super keeper Alisson and stubborn third-skipper Virgil van Dijk messed up and mixed up the ball between each other and handed Ryan Babel the equaliser for still managerless Fulham (74'). But sub and vice-captain James Milner had the last laugh, scoring the winning goal from the spot after the other keeper Sergio Rico had a nightmare of his own, dropping Mohamed Salah's curling shot and fouling Mané in the aftermath, conceding the penalty (81'). The great Egyptian did everything else, but just couldn't hit the back of the net. The Reds still went to the top of the table for the international break, to Jürgen Klopp's relief, the German looking tense watching his league leaders topple the relegation-doomed London side. Too tense. Just two points separating the top two, Manchester City with a game in hand.

What a goal! Matt Ritchie’s last-breath equaliser for Newcastle against his former side Bournemouth handed Rafael Benítez’s men a crucial point. It was a a spectacular take, super volley, into the top corner, no chance for anyone to stop, cover or recover, to make it 2-2 four minutes into stoppage time! Salomón Rondón had put the visitors ahead at Dean Court with a lovely free-kick deep into injury time as well (45'+5). Joshua King turned the game on its head and completed the comeback for the Cherries with his brace (pen 48', 81'). Or so we thought. Benítez was not happy with the officials decisions, especially with the spot kick, but the Spaniard was left more than consoled with a point thanks to the last-second smacker. "The job is not done" he said after the match. His side are sitting in 13th, on 35 points, seven points clear from the drop zone, two behind Everton in 12th. Not done, but more than alright.

What the hell?! In the only other game played over the FA Cup weekend, last man Harry Maguire was sent off after just four minutes at Turf Moor, a straight red for felling down goal-bound Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson. How daft can you be?! Ten-man Leicester still fought on and ended up 1-2 winners against a stubborn Burnley side. Foxes captain Wes Morgan’s 90th minute header handed new boss Brendan Rodgers his second consecutive win, the Northern Irishman full of praise for his side. Sean Dyche on the other hand, is watching his side continue to struggle, tumbling through their fourth successive defeat and falling down to 17th, just two points away from the drop zone. Only Fulham (68) have conceded more goals than the Clarets (59). Worrying.

My Predictions - Actual Results 

Bournemouth 1:1 Newcastle - 2:2

Burnley 2:2 Leicester - 1:2

West Ham 1:0 Huddersfield - 4:3

Fulham 1:3 Liverpool - 1:2

Everton 1:2 Chelsea - 2:0

(Brighton 0:1 Cardiff - 0:2 - see week 34)*

(Man United 0:2 Man City)*week 35

(Tottenham 2:0 Crystal Palace - see week 33)*

(Watford 1:1 Southampton)*week 35

(Wolves 3:1 Arsenal)*week 35

*(Postponed due to the FA Cup ties. All stats added to this week = week 31 after the fixtures have been played.)

Click here for the previous week’s Premier League Picks.

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

Premier League Picks Of The Week 30

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 30

The 30th week of Premier League action saw:

33 goals - most by Liverpool = 4

237 shots - most by Liverpool = 23

81 on target - most by Man City = 9

103 corners - most by Chelsea = 13

220 fouls - most by Brighton and Man United = 18 each

38 bookings - most by Brighton = 5

0 red cards

3 penalties - 2 scored (Milivojević for Crystal Palace, Aubameyang for Arsenal)

What a game! It was a super comeback by Newcastle against Everton, their best, winning a Premier League game from two goals down for the first time since October 2003 against Fulham under Sir Bobby Robson. Rafael Benítez's men were 0-2 down and showed no sign of any threat at half-time, however, the Magpies took the Toffees apart after the break. Ayoze Pérez was the controversial hero with a brace (81’, 84’) plus an assist (Rondón 65’), for a perfect second-half comeback, including a Jordan Pickford flop. More to the England keeper's disastrous performance below.

It was a Super Sunday indeed, three games, plenty of goals, including two braces at Anfield, later than late equaliser at Stamford Bridge and end of a run at the Emirates. More to the first two below. The Gunners shot down and ended the Red Devils' unbeaten run in the league under caretaker Ole Gunnar Solskjær, thanks to Granit Xhaka's swerving shot making David de Gea look like a fool (12') and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converting a super-soft penalty (69'). The visitors had hit the woodwork a couple of times before the break and didn't go down easily, so it was a sweet win for Unai Emery's men, their ninth home win in a row, which takes them above United and back up to fourth, just one point behind Tottenham in third.

What a team! Liverpool kept the title race going thrashing Burnley 4-2 at Anfield, but not without controversies and tensions. Roberto Firmino (19’, 67’) and Sadio Mané (29’, 90’+3’) with a brace each made up for Ashley Westwood’s controversial opener (6’), where Alisson looked like being fouled before the corner went into the back of the net. The Red keeper was booked for his objections against the decision, double argh! Sub Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson pulled one back late on (90’+1’), but the home side sealed and bagged the three points despite all ups and downs. Manchester City had kept the pressure on with a win the day before, more to the questionable calls at the Etihad against Watford below.

Fulham join Huddersfield in deep trouble after a flopping defeat at Leicester. West Ham have to be careful not to join the two clubs in the drop zone after yet another disappointing result at Cardiff! Consistently inconsistent! More below.

What a man! The double-century for Harry Kane was set up by Dele Alli (26’), but was all for nothing thanks to the super goal by Southampton mentioned below. The Spurs star looked offside anyways. More to the usual useless refereeing below, as always. 

Jamie Vardy’s 100th and 101st banked Brendan Rodgers his first win as Leicester boss against Fulham. The managerless London side look doomed and down with Huddersfield.

And it was Eden Hazard of course, who else, to spare Chelsea from yet another miserable defeat against Wolves. His 92nd minute equaliser was like scripted, fitting to the top player he is, curled in to the bottom corner to nullify Raul Jiménez’s opener on the counter (56’). It was the only shot on target for the Blues. Cruel. More to Manchester City's hat-trick-man below. 

What a goal! Brighton’s and Southampton’s second goals were both unstoppable crackers into the top corner, no chance for either keeper. The prior was Anthony Knockaert’s winner at Crystal Palace (74’), whilst the latter was James Ward-Prowse’s incredible free-kick that shocked Tottenham (81’) after Yan Valery’s equaliser (76’). The prior was especially outraging for Roy Hodgson after the Brighton winger got booked with just 28 seconds on the clock, lucky it wasn’t red! Glenn Murray’s 100th was double-sweet/sour after that (depending which side you're on)! 
The first Manchester City goal looked offside: The defender made contact with the ball, yes, but when the cross was made, Raheem Sterling was offside. The long debate between the linesman and ref was double-annoying. The Watford bus was broken after that. Sterling doubled the lead, Sergio Agüero looking offside in that buildup. The hat-trick was no doubt though, the former Red running through the Hornets defence, to make it three goals in 13 minutes (46’, 50’, 59’), 3-1 to the Citizens, keeping them at the helm. For now

What the hell?! Everton keeper Pickford should have been sent off. He was the last man, didn’t go for the ball and took the man out, in this case Rondón, in a goalscoring opportunity. Penalty was given, but the England stopper was lucky to stay on the pitch. Matt Ritchie's poor take of the spot kick was an easy stop, the more aggrieving and annoying it was for the home side. And was Newcastle’s late winning goal offside? Marco Silva was not happy but cannot ignore his side's inconsistencies and lack of oomph. Just poor all round. The Portuguese cannot deny that his side did not deserve more and had lucky calls of their own. He is not alone with his frustrations about the officials, I rant on about them every week! Week in week out there are too many errors. In any other profession, one would expect consequences if someone would make so many bad calls! Penalties, suspensions, sackings... I am not gonna repeat all the bad calls I mentioned above... And there were more! Cardiff’s second goal was just as questionable as City’s opener. As well as Burnley’s first. Etc. Etc. So. Many. Calls. JUST WRONG! AGAIN! ARGH! BOO! WTF?!

My Predictions - Actual Results 

Crystal Palace 2:1 Brighton - 1:2

Cardiff 2:0 West Ham - 2:0

Huddersfield 1:0 Bournemouth - 0:2

Leicester 2:1 Fulham - 3:1

Newcastle 2:1 Everton - 3:2

Southampton 1:2 Tottenham - 2:1

Man City 2:0 Watford - 3:1

Liverpool 3:0 Burnley - 4:2

Chelsea 3:1 Wolves - 1:1

Arsenal 3:2 Man United - 2:0

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, MOTD, Sky Sports app, Twitter and RMC Sports live coverage.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 20

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 20

The 20th week of the Premier League action saw:

27 goals - most by Liverpool = 5

220 shots - most by Burnley = 17

87 on target - most by Liverpool = 10

100 corners - most by Leicester = 10

224 fouls - most by Watford = 17

32 bookings - most by West Ham = 4

2 red cards - Højbjerg for Southampton, Bailly for Man United

4 penalties - 2 scored (Salah and Firmino for Liverpool)

What a game! Having scored eleven goals in the last two games, and after watching Harry Kane give Tottenham the lead with a 25-yard screamer (22’), everyone must have had that “here-we-go-again” feeling, expecting another thrashing. But hell no, Wolves did not let that happen. After being totally dominated and outplayed in the first half, Nuno Espírito Santo turned the table on Spurs, bringing on Hélder Costa (59’) and João Moutinho (68’) after the break. Willy Boly equalised for the visitors with a powerful header (72’) and Raúl Jiménez poked the Wanderers ahead beating Hugo Lloris totally unmarked in the box (83’). Sub Costa put the icing on the Christmas cake with a nice run and clinical low finish to make it 1-3 at Wembley (87’). Mauricio Pochettino’s men did not record a single shot in the second half, after bashing in ten chances before the interval. The result sees the London side’s title hopes dented, falling back down to third, nine and two points behind Liverpool and Manchester City respectively. More to the top two’s wins below. Wolves meanwhile, are in dreamland, up to seventh.

What a team! League leaders Liverpool took Arsenal apart, thrashing them 5-1 at Anfield in the evening kick-off on Saturday. The Gunners started strong, taking an early lead thanks to Ainsley Maitland-Niles (11’), his first goal for the club. It was the first time Jürgen Klopp’s men had fallen behind in a Premier League game at Anfield in 2018. But the Reds hit back hard and quick, Roberto Firmino with two goals in two minutes, one easy tap-in (14'), the other a great individual run and finish (16'). Sadio Mané extended the home side’s lead off Andrew Robertson’s long cross (32’), before Mohamed Salah made it 4-1 from the spot in the final seconds of the first half (45’+2’). The great Egyptian handed the ball to the awesome Brazilian after Liverpool won a softer than soft penalty following Sead Kolašinac’s push on Dejan Lovren (65’). Firmino made no mistake, netted the penalty to bag himself his first career hat-trick and his side a very convincing 5-1 win. Records keep tumbling, oppositions crumbling, hoping and waiting for the Reds to slip up and fall at some point. But so far, so awesome, 20 games unbeaten, seven points clear at the top. But what a difference a month makes: LFC are 16 goals and nine points better off than the Citizens (since week 15 = the last five games). Next on the list is another big test: Manchester City at the Etihad. 

Pep Guardiola’s men returned to winning ways against a clumsy ten-man Southampton with a 1-3 victory at St Mary’s. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg had equalised for hosts (37’) after David Silva’s early opener (10’). But then the Saints crumbled to bits with an own goal (Ward-Prowse 45’) and Sergio Agüero’s header (45’+3') putting the visitors in command before the interval. Højbjerg’s lunging tackle on Fernandinho added more misery on to the hosts, having only just returned from suspension, the goal scorer was sent packing, his side dropping to 17th, whilst the Sky Blues climbed back up to second, seven points behind the league leaders.

What a man! Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has conceded 15 goals in the Premier League in December, as many as he had in August, September, October and November of this season combined. It’s been a funny couple of weeks for the Toffees, from 2-6 home thrash against Tottenham (week 18), to 1-5 winners at Burnley (week 19), to this week’s frustrating 1-0 defeat at Brighton. Marco Silva and Christ Hughton will have contrasting New Year’s celebrations and resolutions, their sides in sour 10th and sweet 13th respectively.

Manchester United made it 12 goals and three wins in their first three games under caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Paul Pogba starring and dancing with his brace (5’, 33’) making it 4-1 against Bournemouth. The win takes the Red Devils just three points behind the Gunners in fifth. Much better and brighter times at Old Trafford, but surely, bigger tests are still ahead. More to the side and game below.

What a goal(keeper)! There were a couple of crucial late goals at the bottom of the table. Both Aleksandar Mitrović and Víctor Camarasa scored stoppage time winners for Fulham and Cardiff City against Huddersfield and Leicester respectively. It was the Bluebirds’ first away win of the season thanks to a curling stunner. The more shocking it was for the Foxes after their wins against Chelsea and City in their previous two matches, and watching James Maddison denied from the spot by star keeper and man of the match Neil Etheridge. The Cottagers were double-relieved after watching Aboubakar Kamara miss his spot kick, following feisty discussions with usual taker Mitroviç, just minutes before his team mate’s winner. David Wagner will be glad to see the back of 2018, his Tigers just recording five league wins, 24 defeats! They remain bottom after their seventh successive defeat, equalling their 1955 club record.

Another crucial win in the relegation zone was recorded by Burnley. Manager Sean Dyche made some crucial changes, keeper Tom Heaton starring in place of Joe Hart, and youngster Dwight McNeil starting and doubling the Clarets’ lead against West Ham (34’), after Chris Wood’s opener put the hosts in charge (15’). The win keeps Burnley in 18th, but puts them level on points with Southampton in 17th.

What the hell?! This was the ninth time this season that Crystal Palace have been drawing 0-0 at half-time and failed to win on each and every one of those occasions... And their late flourish was too little too late against Chelsea, not a single shot on target in the whole game is just not good enough. It ended up being an easy win for the Blues against the team that beat City not even a week ago (week 18), thanks to N'Golo Kanté's strike (51'), keeping them in fourth but increasing the gap to Arsenal in fifth to five points.

As mentioned above, the Red Devils are on a winning run, kicking and clicking much better since José Mourinwho’s departure. But they had the officials to thank in this win against Southampton as well, seeing a goal disallowed, high kick in the box overlooked, and their lines bent in build-up to one of their goals. (This Tweet got it bang on.) It’s still early days post-Miserinho. The spirit and force has returned, yes, indeed. The question is, however, how long will it last? And where the hell was it beforehand?! The same players that were so dire and depressing to watch a couple of weeks ago?! Now dancing and prancing and banging them in... Something is still very wrong there in my eyes...

My Predictions - Actual Results 

Brighton 1:1 Everton - 1:0

Fulham 1:1 Huddersfield - 1:0

Leicester 2:0 Cardiff - 0:1

Tottenham 3:1 Wolves - 1:3

Watford 1:2 Newcastle - 1:1

Liverpool 3:1 Arsenal - 5:1

Crystal Palace 1:1 Chelsea - 0:1

Burnley 1:3 West Ham - 2:0

Southampton 0:3 Man City - 1:3

Man United 3:1 Bournemouth - 1:4

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks.

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

Goodison Park Enjoys Goalless Derby

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

Liverpool have taken their unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions against Everton - W8 D9 - their longest ever run without defeat against their Merseyside rivals after a goalless draw at Goodison Park in the lunchtime kickoff on Saturday.

Click here for my full ByTheMinute match coverage.

Jürgen Klopp made five changes for the Reds with their eyes on the Champions League second-leg clash against Manchester City next week.

Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were the most notable absentees, the prior due to injury, the latter dropped onto the bench.

Big Sam made just one change for the Toffees from the side that lost 3-1 to Manchester City last weekend, Tom Davies replacing Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The visitors dominated throughout, hardly giving the home side any time on the ball, but pace was noticeably missing on both sides.

Toffee keeper Jordan Pickford denied Dominic Solanke point blank after just over quarter of an hour gone.

On the other side of the pitch, Loris Karius punched Yannick Bolasie's magnificent curl full-stretch out for a corner halfway through the first half.

After half an hour, man of the match James Milner took a chance from the left, what a take and stop it was, Pickford with another strong save.

As much as Liverpool had the ball, it got more and more frustrating watching kick-about after kick-about, nothing coming from it.

Sadio Mané put a chance high from outside the box just before the break and Virgil van Dijk missed a couple of chances as well,

Bolasie, skipper Phil Jagielka and Seamus Coleman were all guilty of being reckless with their tackling and wasting the rare chances the Toffees got, but the referee kept the book in his pocket.

Wayne Rooney wasn't happy coming off with just under an hour gone, Idrissa Gueye replacing him, but the home side actually improved afterwards and got more into the game.

Coleman and Danny Ings clashed, but referee Michael Oliver just had a word with both captains Jagielka and Jordan Henderson respectively, no cards, no nothing.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced Milner with just over 20 minutes to go and tried to replicate his Wednesday Champions League cracker from outside the box, but it wasn't quite the same, going out high for a goal kick.

Cenk Tosun, Theo Walcott and substitute Calvert-Lewin wasted chances from close range late on, Liverpool's defensive changes going for the draw.

It ended goalless, Everton finishing on a high after Liverpool rode the show - plenty of chances missed, wasted and went begging, frustrating to watch.

The second half saw no shots on target by either side and it was only the second Merseyside derby in PL history without a single booking, first since their opening clash in December 1992.

The home side will definitely have been happier with the point, the visitors' heads lost in Europe.

Two points dropped for the Reds, keeping them in third, one point behind the Red Devils in second before their evening kick-off against local rivals City.

HT Stats: EVE 0-0 LIV
Possession: 34%-66%
Shots: 3-7
On target: 1-3
Corners: 2-2
Fouls: 7-2

FT Stats: EVE 0-0 LIV
Possession: 38%-62%
Shots: 6-10
On target: 1-3
Corners: 3-2
Fouls: 12-7

Everton Team: 1 Pickford; 3 Baines, 4 Keane, 6 Jagielka (c), 23 Coleman; 2 Schneiderlin, 10 Rooney (17 Gueye 57'); 7 Bolasie (29 Calvert-Lewin 61'), 26 Davies (54 Baningme 79'), 11 Walcott; 14 Tosun. 4-2-3-1
Subs not used: 15 Martina, 19 Niasse, 25 Funes Mori, 33 Joel.

Liverpool Team: 1 Karius; 17 Klavan, 4 van Dijk, 6 Lovren, 2 Clyne; 6 Milner (21 Oxlade-Chamberlain 68'), 14 Henderson (c), 5 Wijnaldum; 19 Mané (9 Firmino 74'), 29 Solanke, 28 Ings (66 Alexander-Arnold 89'). 4-3-3
Subs not used: 22 Mignolet, 63 Masterson, 48 Jones, 64 Camacho.

Referee: Michael Oliver
Man of the match: James Milner
Ground: Goodison Park
Attendance: 39,220

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 SFR coverage.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 29

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 29

The 29th week of the Premier League action saw:

24 goals - most by Swansea = 4

233 shots - most by Leicester = 22

82 on target - most by Burnley & Swansea = 8 each

118 corners - most Southampton = 15

189 fouls - most by West Ham = 14

23 yellow cards - most by West Ham, Brighton, Arsenal & Man United = 3 each

1 red card - Ashley Williams for Everton

2 penalties - 2 scored (Joshua King for Bournemouth, Jordan Ayew for Swansea)

What a match! Liverpool outplayed and outshone Newcastle with a top-class convincing 2-0 home win in the Saturday evening kick-off, and that could have easily been more, the front trio starring and shining once again. Click here for my full LFC match report.

Super Sunday started with super shambles by Arsenal, well beaten by Brighton for the first time since 1982, 2-1 thanks to Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray of course, recording the Londoners' fourth successive defeat for the first time since 2002, their eighth defeat in 2018 and 11th league game without a clean sheet, their longest run since 2002. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did pull one back and the referee did his best to help the Gunners with some ridiculous calls and decisions, more to that below. No discrediting the Seagulls and their spirit and fight, but Arsène Wenger has lost it, it = this game, his team, his fans and all his marbles if he doesn't do everyone a favour and go!!! 

The other Super Sunday match could not have been more one-sided, Manchester City riding and bossing it, Chelsea parking and watching, the miss-match ending 1-0, Bernardo Silva with the winner, taking the Citizens 18 points clear at the top for the day. The Blues failed to register a single shot in the first half of a league game for the first time since 2003-04 and got nothing on target for the whole 90 minutes for the first time this season. Have they forgotten their job? PLAY FOOTBALL!!!

What a team! West Ham were taken to bits by Swansea, 4-1 thanks to Ki Sung-yueng, Mike van der Hoorn, Andy King and Jordan Ayew, sealing Carlos Carvahal's fourth win in six Premier League games. Loved this BBC video about his metaphors in interviews, lol! It could have been eight or nine goals for the Welsh side, who have surprised everyone how they have ripped and gripped themselves up and away from the bottom of the table. I'm sure David Moyes doesn't feel so comfortable any more. 13th and 14th respectively, only three points from the drop zone, the Swans on their way up, whilst the Hammers are caught in the downward spiral.
Southampton slipped down to 17th after their goalless draw against relegation rivals Stoke City, making it a new Premier League club record of eight consecutive home matches without a win. And Watford heaped more misery on bottom-side West Brom, Troy Deeney's goal enough to slump Alan Pardew's club to their fifth successive league defeat, eight points from safety.

What a man! Everton's Jordan Pickford definitely put his name on the England team sheet making some sublime saves at Burnley with Gareth Southgate watching in the stands in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff. If it weren't for him it would have ended a total thrash. 2-1 was the result, Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood turning the game around for the Clarets in the second half after Turkish forward Cenk Tosun had given the Toffees the lead after 20 minutes. It was a competitive match, both teams creating chances and making the keepers work, Ashley Williams' late sending off for reckless swinging around with his elbow on Barnes adding to the visitors' misery, no protest. Whatever Sean Dyche said at the break in his 250th game for the club (W98 D73 L79 with this result), it worked, completing the double in the league against Big Sam's side. It was the first win for Burnley in 2018, their first comeback after going behind in 61 Premier League games under Dyche (D12 L48), and the first time they won both league games against Everton in a season since 1959-60, when they won the title!

What a goal! Tottenham's star men Dele Alli and Harry Kane set up Son Heung-min in the first and the second half respectively, beautiful crosses, exemplary conversions, making it 2-0 and giving Huddersfield no chance of a comeback at Wembley. 

And it had to be Riyad Mahrez nicking the last-minute equaliser for Leicester against Bournemouth (90'+7!!!), curling a free kick around the wall and in to make it 1-1 after the Cherries were ahead thanks to Joshua King's first-half penalty. It's never over till that annoying one bloke whistles!

That unstoppable injury-time Nemanja Matić smacker of a strike, his first goal for Manchester United, shattered Crystal Palace, mentally and physically at Selhurst Park on Monday night keeping them in the drop zone. Roy Hodgson's men had worked so hard and shocked everyone when Andros Townsend gave them lead in the first half and Patrick van Aanholt doubled the score straight after the interval. It was the first time Palace had ever taken the lead over United in the PL, they were in control. But whatever José Mourinho said at the break, it had its effects. The Red Devils finally turned up, played and broke the home side eventually, Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku evening out the scoreline and wounds. But once again David de Gea was the main man for United, keeping them in the game with crucial stops and avoiding a total thrash, until the last-minute winner. The visitors had two shots on goal in the first half, fewest any away team has had at Selhurst Park this season, bad, and 15 in the second half, the most, mad. The Eagles have never beaten United in 18 attempts and it was the first time United's Portuguese boss has won after being two goals behind in the PL. But if the Mancs play like this against their bitter rivals Liverpool next weekend they will get battered!!!

What the hell?! No, that wasn't a penalty at Wembley, just because Son tumbled to the ground doesn't mean he was fouled! The South Korean scored a great brace as mentioned above, but should have been booked for his diving antiques!!! FFS!

Talking about spot kicks, don't they have to be taken from the spot?! It was just stupid how the ref didn't spot that at the King Power Stadium! King got the penalty spot-on to give Bournemouth the lead, but Leicester will be glad they evened it out as mentioned above, a goal and point each in the end.

All the best wishes go to Hammer Winston Reid who was stretchered off at Swansea after landing awkwardly on his leg and taking a knock to his head on landing, I hope he will be okay. Same with Brighton's Ezequiel Schelotto after being taken out by Arsenal's Sead Kolašinac, who was lucky to escape any punishment for his reckless actions! Something serious like this makes me even more annoyed about the divers and whiners making a scene of nothing!!! Appreciate what you've got and make the most of it instead of looking for any excuse to fall!!! And referees, please, please, please be more consistent with your punishments! It is just too ridiculous what too many players get away with, fouling and diving!!!

My Predictions - Actual Results

Burnley 1:1 Everton - 2:1

Leicester 1:1 Bournemouth - 1:1

Southampton 1:1 Stoke City - 0:0

Swansea 1:1 West Ham - 4:1

Tottenham 4:0 Huddersfield - 2:0

Watford 2:1 West Brom - 1:0

Liverpool 3:1 Newcastle - 2:0 or my LFC match report 

Brighton 1:1 Arsenal - 2:1

Man City 3:1 Chelsea - 1:0

Crystal Palace 0:0 Man United - 2:3

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

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