Premier League Picks Of The Week 37

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 37

The 37th week of the Premier League action saw:

19 goals - most by Arsenal = 5

241 shots - most by Man United & Arsenal = 16 each

76 on target - most by Watford & Arsenal = 8 each

110 corners - most by Bournemouth = 11

205 fouls - most by Stoke = 18

43 yellow cards - most by Stoke = 5

1 red card - Yoshida for Southampton 

0 penalties

What a game! The scenes at the Hawthorns! Jake Livermore netted the injury time winner for West Brom against his former side Tottenham, scruffy scramble over the line, but they won’t care! The win took them off the bottom and fighting on to the last week - depending on other results, especially games in hand, see below. Caretaker boss Darren Moore stayed very quiet and controlled on the sideline, they may still go down, but still, what a job he has done! 10 points from 5 games (in contrast to Alan Pardew's 8 points from 18 games)! Wow! Swansea’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth added to the Albion’s party. And after the Saints conceded a late late late late equaliser at Everton, you never know... Huddersfield earned a hard-fought and deserved point at Manchester City, whose title celebrations were long overdue, party for both sides. The crucial relegation crunch battle was the game in hand between Southampton and Swansea... See below.

What a team! Brighton secured their place in the Premier League for another season by beating Manchester United on Friday night. Thanks to goalline technology, Pascal Groß’ header that was cleared by Marcos Rojo but counted as it had just crossed the line, just, a centimetre or two. Chris Hughton’s men deserved the win, their first in eight games, outplaying a tired and forceless looking United, even José Mourinho conceded defeat in attitude as well as the match. It is the first time the Red Devils have ever lost away to three newly promoted clubs in a league season.

Leicester continued their poor end to the season as well, West Ham ending up comfortable 0-2 winners, guaranteeing their safety. So too Newcastle with their third straight defeat in the league, losing 2-1 at Watford, the Londoners ending their own run of seven league matches without a win and ensuring their own PL survival.

What a man! A speedy recovery and all the best to Sir Alex Ferguson and his loved ones, football rivalry aside, you do not wish such unwell on anyone. And if there is an undisputed football icon and legend no one can touch or even get close to, Fergie is the one and only.

Arsène Wenger got a nice Emirates farewell, Arsenal thrashing Burnley 5-0, giving their old boss a fine ending to his reign just as it started 7,876 days before, victorious. It’s the Frenchman’s 475th win in 826 Premier League games, 415th victory in 606 home games in all competitions, thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s brace and Alexandre Lacazette, Sead Kolašinac and Alex Iwobi adding to the class and party. Merci Wenger.

What a goal! Xherdan Shaqiri’s free kick was a cracker to give Stoke the lead against Palace in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff, curling the ball off the wall and into the top right corner. But it was not to be, James McArthur and Patrick van Aanholt capitalising on gaps and slips in defence to turn the game around in the second half, condemning Paul Lambert’s men to relegation and ending their 10-year stint in the top league. It started so loud and bouncy but ended all silent and in tears at the bet365 Stadium. Such a shame. Roy Hodgson meanwhile can be very proud how his side have secured their safety and may finish on a club-record high.

Olivier Giroud’s header was enough for Chelsea to beat dominant but points-dropping Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. The Blues remain fifth but the game in hand keeping them in the fight for the top four. The Reds meanwhile, after knocking Manchester City out of the Champions League 5-1 on aggregate, keep dropping points with draws against West Brom and Stoke and this defeat, it would be disappointing for them to fall further down, so nothing else than a win is expected in the final week. Click here for my full match report.

What the hell?! The games in hand played midweek more or less decided the relegation battle and European spots, Southampton celebrating a huge win in Wales thanks to Manolo Gabbiadini’s strike, condemning West Brom down and out despite their strong form under their caretaker boss mentioned and lauded above and leaving Swansea on the brink thanks to goal difference. 
Huddersfield celebrated their safety like title winners after fighting out a point at Chelsea despite the Blues’ dominance. Leicester beat Arsenal for the first time in the Premier League since 1994, serving Wenger yet another away defeat in his penultimate game in charge of the Gunners, making it seven consecutive top-flight away defeats for the first time since 1966. 

League champions Manchester City broke more records by beating Brighton 3-1, scoring most goals in a single PL campaign = 105 and taking Pep Guardiola’s men to a record 97 points, the Spaniard eyeing and expecting his side to complete the century. 

Harry Kane sealed the win and Champions League spot with his 29th PL goal for Tottenham against Newcastle at Wembley, the London side overtaking Liverpool to third. 

Manchester United meanwhile secured their second place with a less impressive goalless draw at West Ham, Mourinho not happy being second-best of course and with the drop in points and belief, much in contrast to David Moyes, who’s more than content with the run of and point for his side. 

That just about finishes off a mad week of footy, all the ups and downs and in-betweens, literally!

My Predictions - Actual Results

Brighton 1:1 Man United - 1:0

Stoke City 1:2 Crystal Palace - 1:2

Bournemouth 2:1 Swansea - 1:0

Leicester 1:1 West Ham - 0:2

Watford 2:2 Newcastle - 2:1

West Brom 1:2 Tottenham - 1:0

Everton 1:1 Southampton - 1:1

Man City 4:0 Huddersfield - 0:0

Arsenal 3:1 Burnley - 5:0

Chelsea 3:1 Liverpool - 1:0 or my match report

Games in hand (see week 31 & *week 35*) saw 10 goals (*2*), 132 shots (*25*), 56 on target (*7*), 49 corners (*9*), 95 fouls (*17*), 16 yellow cards (*1*) & 1 red card (Mavropanos for Arsenal):

Swansea 0:0 Southampton - 0:1

*Chelsea 3:1 Huddersfield - 1:1*

Leicester 1:1 Arsenal - 3:1

Man City 5:1 Brighton - 3:1

Tottenham 1:1 Newcastle - 1:0

West Ham 2:2 Man United - 0:0

All stats not added to this week.

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks.

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

Premier League Picks Of The Week 31

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 31

The 31st week of the Premier League action saw:

13 goals - most by Liverpool = 5
94 shots - most by Crystal Palace = 18
43 on target - most by Liverpool = 10
33 corners - most by Everton = 9
72 fouls - most by Stoke City = 13
11 yellow cards - most by Huddersfield = 3
1 red card - Charlie Adam for Everton
1 penalty- 1 scored (Milivojevic for Crystal Palace)

What a game! There were only four Premier League games on this weekend thanks to the FA Cup quarter finals. But there were still plenty of goals and controversies, as detailed below:

What a team! Crystal Palace are escaping the relegation battle, climbing out of the drop zone after their 0-2 win at Huddersfield thanks to former Hammer James Tomkins' opener from close range and Luka Milivojević's spot kick. Their first win in eight games took Roy Hodgson's men up to 16th thanks to the other sides' FA Cup commitments as mentioned above, whilst David Wagner sees his Terriers stay in 15th but just three points above the relegation zone after drawing a blank in eight of their last 11 league games. Man of the match Wilfried Zaha made a big difference and must have been so glad to be back for the Eagles - especially under these lovely, snowy, windy conditions! In the nine games without the winger, the London side failed to claim even a single point!

What a man! Liverpool's star and once again man of the match Mohamed Salah underlined his quality with a quadruple seeing the Reds thrash Watford 5-0 at Anfield without much effort. The Egyptian danced and pranced through, in, around and all over Javi Gracia's men, into the record books and to the top of the league scoreboard with 28 goals, and 36 in 41 games in all competitions. Roberto Firmino's remarkable back footer has to be mentioned as well! And Loris Karius kept another clean sheet. I am sure Jürgen Klopp could not have been happier - despite the weather! The Kop kept echoing and bouncing throughout. The Reds have averaged 2.2 goals per game under their German boss, their highest ratio at home in the Premier League under any manager. Just awesome. The win took the Scousers up to third and opened a seven-point gap over Chelsea in fifth. Geht doch!

What a goal! Bournemouth's Junior Stanislas' late free-kick winner condemned West Brom to their seventh consecutive league defeat, keeping them stuck rock bottom 10 points from safety with seven games to go. Jay Rodriguez hooked in Salomón Rondón's header to give the visitors the lead shortly after the break at Dean Court. But with under 15 minutes to go, man of the match Jordon Ibe bounced the equaliser past keeper Ben Foster and broke the Baggies down before the Cherries went on to win and break the visitors' hearts. Alan Pardew is surely in a dead-end job as I've been blogging nearly every week, his side having lost 24 points from leading positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other team. Eddie Howe meanwhile, is a much happier man, having watched his team pick up 16 points from losing positions in the league, more than any other side, and moving up to 10th with this win.

What the hell?! Stoke's Charlie Adam's red card was super harsh, especially under the difficult weather conditions and certainly helped Everton to their win. His team mate Xherdan Shaqiri wasn't happy and confused the French commentators with his protests, making them think he was sent off. The snow and the lines made the game unforgettable that's for sure! And despite the sad attempt by the Potters to make it even harder for their opponents by not clearing the snow out of the keeper's box like theirs, the Toffees ended on top thanks to Cenk Tosun's brace (69' & 84'), the win keeping Big Sam's men comfy on 40 points in ninth. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's leveller (77') was spoilt by his injury and ended up being to no avail, Paul Lambert's men having recorded just one win in their last 12 Premier League games, keeping them stuck in 19th, three points away from safety.

My Predictions - Actual Results
Bournemouth 1:1 West Brom - 2:1
Huddersfield 2:1 Crystal Palace - 0:2
Stoke City 2:1 Everton - 1:2
Liverpool 3:0 Watford - 5:0

Games postponed due to FA Cup quarter finals:
Burnley v Chelsea
Leicester v Arsenal
Man City v Brighton
Swansea v Southampton
Tottenham v Newcastle
West Ham v Man United

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.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 28

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 28

The 28th week of the Premier League action saw:

29 goals - most by Liverpool & Brighton = 4 each
233 shots - most by Liverpool = 21
92 on target - most by Liverpool = 12
98 corners - most by Leicester & Tottenham = 13 each
205 fouls - most by Brighton = 17
24 yellow cards - most by Newcastle = 4
0 red cards
2 penalties - 1 scored (Murray for Brighton)

What a game! A late comeback by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium broke Newcastle's hearts after they started so brill! Dwight Gayle's double had given the visitors a two-goal cushion at the break. But Adam Smith's smacker off the crossbar and Dan Gosling's side-footed last-minute equaliser nicked a point for the Cherries, leaving them in 11th after Watford's win later on against Everton, whilst the Magpies dropped to 15th.
And what a crucial win it was for Brighton in the relegation battle, thrashing the sorry Swans 4-1. Star man Glenn Murray scored twice, Anthony Knockaert and Jürgen Locadia added to the Welsh side's misery later on after they saw Tammy Abraham's effort deflected in by Lewis Dunk for his fourth own goal of the season - the only shot on target for the visitors! The result takes Chris Hughton's side up to 12th whilst Carlos Carvalhal's men dropped to 18th.

What a team! West Brom's misery continued as Huddersfield held off their fightback to win 1-2 at The Hawthorns. The Terriers took the lead shortly after the break thanks to Rajiv van la Parra and it was doubled by Steve Mounié with under an hour gone. Craig Dawson headed one back for the home side minutes later, and went close from another set-piece in the dying moments. But the visitors recorded their second consecutive win, taking David Wagner's side three points safe from the drop zone in 14th. Alan Pardew on the other hand, has only seen one win in his 14 games as Albion boss, keeping his side rock bottom, seven points from safety. Surely they can't escape from that far down with ten games to go!

What a man! Liverpool's front trio were at it again as they thrashed West Ham 4-1 at Anfield on Saturday afternoon to bring the Reds' goal total to 103 in all competitions this season. Simply the best (well, behind City). Click here for my LFC match report with all the facts, stats and details.
Manchester United had sub Jesse Lingard to thank for their three points on Sunday, his header downing Chelsea after Romelu Lukaku had levelled out Willian's opener. It wasn't a clash of the top titans, more like a bash of the flop divers! But it was enough for the Red Devils to keep them second, their bitter red Merseyside rivals two points behind them, the two sides' meeting in a couple of weeks is going to be interesting.

What a goal! Stoke stopper Jack Butland went from zero to hero within seconds. After gloving in the equaliser for Leicester, a blooper-and-a-half own goal to level Xherdan Shaqiri's opener, the keeper made some great saves moments later denying Riyad Mahrez and Harry Maguire off the rebound against the post. It stayed 1-1 and a point each, leaving the Potters in the bottom three whilst the Foxes moved up to eighth.
Substitute Manolo Gabbiadini's 90th-minute equaliser at Burnley dragged the Saints out of the relegation zone, keeping the Clarets' 2018 winless run going. Troy Deeney showed how it's done, whacking Watford ahead from the middle of the box, enough to beat a poor Everton side in the late kickoff on Saturday. Crucial goals all round in and around the relegation zone.

What the hell?! Dele Alli's diving was so annoying to watch on Sunday! Even more annoying was that he didn't get cautioned for his theatrics! Crystal Palace did well to frustrate the hell out of Tottenham, until Harry Kane headed in the winner in the final minute of normal time, his 35th goal in 36 matches. Double argh! The result leaves Palace in 17th, level on points with Swansea in 18th, whilst Tottenham moved up to 4th, two points ahead of Chelsea in 5th.
After being well and truly thrashed by the league leaders Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final last Sunday, Arsenal didn't expect much in their postponed league meeting on Thursday night... And rightly so, they were once again totally outclassed and -played by the Citizens and well beaten 0-3 at the Emirates, their joint-heaviest home Premier League defeat, having lost by three-goal margins to Coventry (1993), Middlesbrough (2001) and Chelsea (twice in 2009). The Gunners started quicker and more on the ball than in the cup thrash, but Pep Guardiola's men were just too good in their 100th match under the Spaniard, recording his 69th win thanks to Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Leroy Sané and their clinical play and finishes, all in a sublime first half. To add to the home side's misery Ederson saved their second-half spot-kick denying Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and any kind of comeback for the hosts. Arsène Wenger meanwhile, well, I'm lost for words how the Frenchman is still in his job!!! The stadium was half-empty and it such a big clash, that is a big statement by the fans!!! It must be the end! Putain!!!

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

Click here for my previous Premier League Picks.

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

Premier League Picks Of The Week 27

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 27

The 27th week of the Premier League action saw:

27 goals - most by Man City = 5
238 shots - most by Chelsea = 20
84 on target - most by Man City = 11
107 corners - most by Tottenham & Man United = 10 each
210 fouls - most by Crystal Palace & Man United = 15 each
25 yellow cards - most by Leicester & Bournemouth = 3 each
0 red cards
3 penalties - 2 scored (Milivojevic for Crystal Palace, has converted more penalties than any other player in the Premier League this season = 5, van La Parra for Huddersfield)

What a game! It was a Super Duper Sunday: Huddersfield bagged their first points of 2018 thrashing Bournemouth 4-1, Alex Pritchard with his first goal for the club, Steve Mounié with a brace, denied a hat-trick by Rajiv van La Parra from the spot in the final seconds of the match. The win pulled the Tigers out of the relegation zone and dropped Newcastle right into it before their clash against Manchester United. Note: Before. The Magpies showed everyone how it's done, the goalkeeping by debutant loanee Martin Dúbravka and defending was out of this world, making Matt Ritchie's goal enough to beat Manchester United. José Mourinho doesn't like St James' Park, D3 L4, nor the current boss there after his 6th defeat in all competitions against the Spaniard (only Pep Guardiola has beaten him more times = 9)! Rafa Benítez was fuming in the first half, decision after decision going against the home side, but got it all back in the second half, their first home win since October taking his side up to 13th! Muchas gracias! And last but definitely not least, Liverpool finished off the triple Super Sunday at Southampton, cruising to a 0-2 win at St Mary's thanks to Roberto Firmino and non-other than Mohamed Salah, taking them up to third, two points behind Man United in second. Click here for my LFC match notes. Vielen Dank!

What a team! Tottenham overpowered Arsenal on Saturday in the lunchtime kickoff, Harry Kane heading in the winner a few minutes after the break. It could have been two or three more if it weren't for Petr Čech, who made a couple of quick, full-stretch, top-class saves. It ended 1-0 at Wembley, no real competition, disappointing arch rival derby, Spurs having just lost one of their last eight Premier League games against the Gunners, W3 D4. Kane's total is 32 goals in all competitions, four more than any other player in Europe's big five leagues and is only the second player to score in four consecutive home Premier League appearances against Arsenal, after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink between 1997 and 2001. Arsène Wenger made a double-change to attack and press Mauricio Pochettino's side more in the second half, but it was too little too late, which summarises the Frenchman's profile at the club. Just one shot on target recorded in the whole match, that is just not good enough if you want to compete against the top teams.

What a man! Five goals and three points went to Manchester City against Leicester, Jamie Vardy with the only reply, Kevin De Bruyne starring for the league leaders with three assists, Sergio Agüero with a hat-trick, sorry, four goals, taking him to 14 goals in the last seven home games and 197 in total for the club. Lost track? The Citizens beat the Foxes 5-1, taking them top of the second-half goals table ahead of Liverpool, it was just a nightmare for Kasper Schmeichel! Claude Puel was made to regret his change of formation after the interval (it was 1-1 at halftime). Guardiola has no such regret nor worry whatsoever, his side 16 points clear at the top.
It was a welcome win for David Moyes after goals by Javier Hernández and Marko Arnautović were enough for West Ham to beat Watford and take them to 30 points, five above the drop zone, one behind Bournemouth in 10th, ending their run of four games without a win which had already unsettled some Hammers fans. It was Javi Gracia's first league defeat, keeping the Hornets' away form worrying.

What a goal! A great strike, low drive by Ki Sung-yeung won it for Swansea against Burnley, they are on a roll! The Welsh side moved up to 15th with this win, their third home win in a row in the league, taking them two points clear of the drop zone. Despite sitting in seventh, Burnley have been finding life much more difficult in 2018 with no wins in the last nine games in all competitions and longest winless run in the league with 10 games (D5 L5).
The rest of the goals on Saturday were just bad defending more than good quality shots. No marking whatsoever! West Brom wouldn't care how they come, if only they could hit the back of the net! The Baggies lost to a poor Chelsea side 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Monday night thanks to Eden Hazard's double and Victor Moses. Alan Pardew's men had chances as the Blues were a mess once again, but just couldn't get it on target. Poorer than poor, I'm afraid at this rate they will definitely go down. I would also be very surprised to still see Antonio Conte at the Chelsea helm for much longer, his side playing nowhere near the quality of last season's champions! This result cannot and will not cover nor hide that!

What the hell?! How crucial will Mathew Ryan's penalty save be for Brighton at Stoke City?! It was an unbelievable stop denying Charlie Adam and sparing a point for the home side after Xherdan Shaqiri's strike had cancelled out José Izquierdo's opener. The penalty was softer than soft, the players' dispute of who should take it didn't help I'm sure, Jesé not a happy man and rightly so. Keeper Ryan made the crucial save, Lewis Dunk and Anthony Knockaert tackling and clearing the ball off the line respectively in the dying seconds afterwards. Paul Lambert was understandably gutted after the second-half comeback, his side remaining in the drop zone, whilst Chris Hughton felt justice was done. It was a crazy finish to an otherwise below-par game, that's why I always say and preach NEVER leave a game early!!!
It all happened in the second half at Goodison Park as well, loads of chances for both sides, four goals, Everton ending up on top 3-1 against Crystal Palace, Sam Allardyce a much happier man, especially after last week's thumping they got. It was the first time in the Premier League two former England managers played against each other since late Bobby Robson's Newcaste faced Kevin Keegan's Man City in 2004.

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

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.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 22

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 22

The 22nd week of the Premier League action saw:

29 goals - most by Leicester & Man City = 3 each
269 shots - most by Bournemouth = 26
89 on target - most by Bournemouth = 8
118 corners - most by Bournemouth = 12
202 fouls - most by Brighton = 13
28 yellow cards - most by West Ham, Stoke & Arsenal = 3 each
0 red cards
0 penalties

What a game! I got out of breath watching Brighton against Bournemouth on New Year's Monday lunch time, neither side holding back, end-to-end stuff, brilliant to watch, 41 shots attempted between the two, the most in a single Premier League match so far this season. It ended 2-2 at the Falmer Stadium, a couple of beautiful team goals by the home side, Anthony Knockaert converting José Izquierdo's unselfish pass nicely and Glenn Murray with a smashing shot, Steve Cook heading in the equaliser in-between, lots of close chances for both sides and a scruffy second leveller by Callum Wilson to finish it off for the visitors. Great entertainment, the sides finishing 12th and 13th respectively.
Wednesday night's London derby was a thriller-and-a-half too at the Emirates, it all happened in the second half. Arsenal and Chelsea shared out 33 chances between each other, but it was Héctor Bellerin's injury-time strike that decided the result, a 2-2 draw, a point each. Gunners boss Arsène Wenger was not happy with the Blues' penalty that got them back into the match, Eden Hazard with the spot-kick a couple of minutes after Jack Wilshere had given his side the lead with a stunning high-fired strike. Antonio Conte's men must have thought they had nicked the perfect comeback when Marcos Alonso netted Davide Zappacosta's low cross to make it 1-2 in the 84th minute. But Bellerin spoilt that show with a superb half-volley to grab a point for the home side. Zappacosta saw a shot bang off the crossbar in the dying seconds, but it stayed 2-2. Breathtaking end.

What a team! 38 seconds into the game, Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock unmarked. After the fastest goal in the Premier League this season, Watford had no chance at Manchester City! Marco Silva's side have lost four out of the last five, whilst Pep Guardiola's men made it 20 wins out of 22 league games, 15 points clear at at the top. End of the crises after last week's dip.
At the other end of the table, West Brom are now 20 games without a win as Andy Carroll's double, his first two goals of the season, including the last-minute winner completed a dramatic turnaround for West Ham. Hammers boss David Moyes went mad celebrating the escape out of the drop zone. Baggies manager Alan Pardew was heart-broken by another late defeat, blaming his side's tired minds after only two days rest compared to the opposition's week off. That does not excuse their long miserable run though, which sees them drop down to 19th, level on points with bottom side Swansea.

What a man! Mark Hughes saved some of his players in the thrash against Chelsea on Saturday, to then go on and lose at home against Newcastle a couple of days later, thanks to Ayose Pérez's goal, and their keeper Karl Darlow with some spectacular saves. How much longer will he be Stoke manager as they are sliding down further and further with their worst run in over three decades?! And this result could have been even worse if Ciaran Clark wouldn't have missed a sitter from a couple of yards out... (And as I am editing and publishing this belatedly, my question was answered and the inevitable happened, Hughes sacked after Potters got kicked out of the FA Cup third round at League Two side Coventry City.)
And Crystal Palace are in form with only one loss in the last 11 after they made a great comeback at St Mary's beating Southampton 1-2. Shane Long's first goal in 11 months was not enough as James McArthur and Luka Milivojević replied to turn the game around with a gutsy response and performance. Saints slip down to 17th after nine games without a win whilst Palace are booming. Is Mauricio Pellegrino the right man for the Saints? Roy Hodgson certainly is for Palace! Wow!

What a goal! It was a great right-footed take by Riyad Mahrez to give Leicester the lead against Huddersfield, some sloppy defending beforehand helped though, too. Islam Slimani doubled the lead for the Foxes with his first goal for the club. And Marc Albrighton made it three goals and three points for Claude Puel's men.
Liverpool's Sadio Mané broke the deadlock at Burnley with a smacker from the edge of the box, left-footer on the turn, after a very frustrating hour of football in the pouring rain. There was some late drama with two goals in the last few minutes, but the German boss Jürgen Klopp ended up all smiles. Click here for my full match report.
Antony Martial's opener for Manchester United at Everton was also a great individual unstoppable hit from the edge of the box. Jesse Lingard doubled the Red Devils' lead with a similar smacker into the right top corner of the net. Two great goals, three points for José Mourinho's side, leaving Big Sam loud and fuming, his side not even recording a shot on target, his record against the Red Devils remaining miserable with only one win in the last 22 meetings.

What the hell?! The linesman at Swansea must have his eyes and/or football knowledge tested. Spurs took the lead thanks to Fernando Llorente - who was clearly offside. The visitors had another chance, headed high - with a group of Mauricio Pochettino's men offside! But no flag was in sight. It didn't get any better after the break. Dele Alli, who doubled Tottenham's lead and sealed the three points late on, should have been booked for diving. Davinson Sánchez should have been sent off for a second bookable offence. Referee Bobby Madley and his colleagues had a stinker!!! What a nice welcome to the Premier League it was for new Swans boss Carlos Carvahal in his first home game in charge!!! The pouring rain certainly fit the mood in Wales!!!

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

Tottenham 2:1 West Ham - 1:1 postponed from week 21, Son Heung-min and Pedro Obiang with two stunning long-range strikes. 31-3 shots, 8-1 on target, 7-1 corners, 10-6 fouls, 0-2 yellow cards, Spurs will have been left wondering how the hell they did not get more out of that game!!!

Click here for my previous Picks Of The Week.

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

Premier League Picks Of The Week 18

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 18

The 18th week of the Premier League action saw:

29 goals - most by Huddersfield, Man City & Liverpool = 4 each
263 shots - most by Chelsea = 24
93 on target - most by Man City = 11
104 corners - most by West Ham = 9
234 fouls - most by Tottenham = 20
40 bookings - most by Brighton & Tottenham = 4 each
3 red cards - Ndidi for Leicester, Deeney for Watford, Hogg for Huddersfield
6 penalties - 3 scored (Mooy for Huddersfield, Noble for West Ham, Rooney for Everton)

What a game! Huddersfield ended their goalless and winless away run in style thrashing Watford 1-4 at Vicarage Road, the first top-flight meeting between the two. It was the Terriers' first away win and goal since 12th August when they started the Premier League campaign with a convincing 0-3 win at Crystal Palace. Elias Kachunga scored his first Premier League goal, Aaron Mooy doubled the lead from close range. The Hornets' poor discipline showed again, captain Troy Deeney shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle with just over half an hour gone, the third successive game and fourth time this season Marco Silva's men were reduced to ten men. Laurent Depoitre made it three after the break smashing the ball in after José Holebas slipped. Huddersfield skipper and former Hornet Jonathan Hogg was then sent off, second yellow, and Abdoulaye Doucouré pulled a goal back for Watford with a superb half-volley from 25 yards out. But Mooy made it two for him and four for the visitors, sealing the win from the spot, taking David Wagner's side up to 11th on 21 points, one point behind Watford in 10th. Sehr gut!

What a team! Newcastle have lost eight of their last nine Premier League games (D1, L8) after Arsenal's Mesut Özil's brilliant volley was enough to beat the Magpies at the Emirates, their longest winless run in the league since May 2015 (10). Their fourth straight defeat saw Rafael Benítez's men drop into the relegation zone and the Spanish boss crying out for "something in January". It is sad when there is more happening off the pitch than on the pitch. Gunners boss Arsène Wenger meanwhile has Özil to thank, the German's moment of magic was the only thing that brightened up a dull afternoon in London.
At the other end of the table, Manchester City outclassed Tottenham, beating the London side 4-1 at the Etihad, recording their 16th successive Premier League victory, topping and bossing the table eleven points ahead of local rivals Manchester United. The Red Devils won 1-2 at West Brom on Sunday to avoid the gap getting even bigger. It was not the most convincing win though... ZzZ

What a man! Man of the match Kevin De Bruyne bossed the show at the Etihad, scoring City's second, winning the (missed) penalty and making six key passes. In contrast to the top Belgian, Dele Alli was nowhere to be seen for Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino's men lucky to end the game with eleven men after some reckless challnges. Spurs are now without a win in 10 away games against the "big six" (4D, 6L).
Man of the match at the Vitality Stadium was Mohamed Salah,becoming the first Liverpool player to score at least 20 league and cup goals in a single season since Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge in 2013-14, and the first to score 20 goals before Christmas since the great legend Ian Rush in 1986-7. The extraordinary Egyptian touched the ball 48 times with an 80% pass success rate, scored a fine individual goal and put in four crosses in Liverpool's 0-4 win at Bournemouth, keeping the Reds unbeaten in the last 12 matches in all competitions. Click here for my full match report.
And last but not least, Wayne Rooney has made it ten goals in his last nine Premier League games for Everton, missing one but netting the other spot kick to seal the comeback and 3-1 win against bottom side Swansea on Monday Night Football. The Toffees are continuing their revival under Big Sam, having now won four of their past five games, which has taken them up to ninth in the table. What crises?!

What a goal! Crystal Palace hadn't scored in their last ten league games on the road before downing Leicester 0-3 in convincing fashion at the King Power Stadium Saturday lunch time. I certainly didn't predict that! Their last away goals were on their 1-2 win at Anfield under Big Sam in April, the longest such goalless away run by any top-flight side since 1949-50. Under fire Christian Benteke certainly made up for his penalty screw-up last weekend, scoring the opener and setting up man of the match Wilfried Zaha to double the lead with a lovely stepover move and shot. Birthday boy Wilfred Ndidi's second yellow for simulation hit the Foxes and threw away any chance of a comeback, Bakary Sako making it three goals and three points for the visitors in the final seconds of the game. Roy Hodgson has worked wonders, his side unbeaten in the last seven league games (3W, 4D), with three consecutive away clean sheets for the first time in the league, rising up from the bottom dumps to 14th. Claude Puel's men remain eighth in the table, nowhere near as impressive as in the midweek thrashing of his former club Southampton.

What the hell?! There were plenty of penalties this week (some mentioned above)! Glenn Murray missed from the spot for Brighton, the goalless draw against fifth-placed Burnley taking his side's winless run to seven matches, the last win was their 1-0 victory at Swansea on 4th November, keeping the south-coast club in 13th. Stoke boss Mark Hughes wasn't happy with referee Graham Scott after he pointed to the spot for West Ham's Manuel Lanzini's dramatic tumble. Hammers boss David Moyes blamed fatigue. Either way, the game ended 0-3 to the visitors at the Bet365 Stadium after kick-off was delayed for an hour due to a power outage. This defeat means the Potters have now lost five out of their last six and conceded the most goals in the Premier League, leaving just one point and one place above the relegation zone. All that can't come from refereeing decisions, the "Hughes out" shouts getting louder and louder...
Romelu Lukaku and José Mourinho have issues! The United forward opened the scoring against his former side West Brom, celebrations muted again like last time, his boss showing no reaction whatsoever, sitting stone cold frozen in the dugout. Your team just scored ffs! It is well known that the Portuguese has been flirting with PSG, mark my words, I've got the feeling his days in Manchester are counted! He doesn't seem to like or enjoy it there much! Depressing!

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

Click here for my previous Premier League Picks.

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

Premier League Picks Of The Week 15

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 15

The 15th week of the Premier League action saw:

27 goals - most by Liverpool = 5
257 shots - most by Arsenal = 33
91 on target - most by Arsenal = 16
106 corners - most by Arsenal = 12
189 fouls - most by Watford = 16
30 yellow cards - most by Watford = 4
2 red cards - Sanchez for Tottenham, Pogba for United
2 penalties - 2 scored (Hazard for Chelsea, Murray for Brighton)

What a game! Arsenal suffered their first home defeat at the Emirates since January, losing 1-3 against 10-man Manchester United. The Gunners fell two goals behind after 11 minutes and couldn't recover after those errors, no matter what they threw at the Red Devils. The defeat sees Arsène Wenger's men drop out of the Champions League qualification places to fifth. More to the fiery encounter below.
Watford were unlucky just to get a point against Tottenham, referee Martin Atkinson not making (m)any friends at Vicarage Road. Less than a minute after the home side felt Richarlison was fouled, but nothing was given, Son Heung-min levelled the score from the counter. Christian Kabasele had headed the Hornets ahead from a corner and the home side fought hard to stay in the match. Too hard and physical according to some, but the officials ignored all appeals and calls on both sides. Mauricio Pochettino felt it was long overdue for some decisions to go his side's way, avoiding any further word about Davinson Sánchez's red card for an elbow. Spurs have now gone four league matches without a win, unable to deal with Marco Silva's side's fighting spirit.

What a team! Man City are still topping the lot with an eight-point cushion - next weekend's derby is going to be interesting! The odds on an 8-0 win to the league leaders against West Ham were lower than the visitors nicking a 0-1 win at the Etihad, which said it all!!! But the Hammers started so well and worked so hard though and got a surprise lead in the first half thanks to Angelo Ogbonna's header. However, it was no surprise they got knackered and leaked the goals in the end, Nicolás Otamendi (57') and David Silva (83') handing the Citizens their record-equalling 13th PL win in a row in Pep time.
Crystal Palace have moved off the bottom of the table for the first time this season and have been replaced by Swansea after the Welsh side's 2-1 defeat at Stoke. Mark Hughes was a very relieved man seeing his side showing much more "courage and character" as he put it after the Potters recorded their first win since October, first home win since September. The pressure is up and going more and more against Paul Clement. Despite failing to score for the 10th away game in a row for the first time since Manchester City in 1950, the Eagles were happy with the point at West Brom, Alan Pardew full of praise for his side too.
Huddersfield are sliding down the table, Everton making it two wins and six goals in two games and Big Sam very happy after his first match in charge beating the Tigers 2-0 at Goodison Park.

What a man! Man of the match at the Emirates David de Gea made the most saves in a single match in Premier League history = 14, including a breathtaking double-save against Alexandre Lacazette and Alexis Sánchez. 33 attempts made by the home side, 16 on target, but just one goal to show for on the scoreboard. José Mourinho's side produced just 8 shots, 4 on target, but 3 goals meant 3 points. It was a thriller and a very harsh lesson to the London side, despite having the extra man for the last 15ish minutes after Paul Pogba was sent off for a dangerous tackle.
Man of the Match at Stamford Bridge Eden Hazard made a big difference for Chelsea as the Blues came back from a goal down to beat Newcastle 3-1 at Stamford Bridge. The former Premier League Player of the Year levelled the score with an angled strike and sealed the win from the spot after striker Álvaro Morata had given the Blues the lead. This result made it ten wins for Antonio Conte's side in the league, whilst Rafael Benítez's Magpies have seen no wins in the last six and been dragged down to 15th, 5 points from the drop zone.

What a goal! All FIVE Liverpool goals just over-rolled Brighton... Great team play, counter attacking, running, passing, smashing. Mohamed Salah wasn't on the scoreboard for a change but was more than involved. The Egyptian has played part in 15 goals in the first 15 PL games for Liverpool, more than any other player for the club (12 goals, 3 assists). Man of the match Philippe Coutinho's cheeky low free kick that went under the wall made it four and settled any nerves and fears of a comeback like Sevilla in the Champions League. And unlucky Lewis Dunk put the ball into his own net it sealed the deal 1-5 at the Amex Stadium. The Brighton defender is only one away from Martin Škrtel's record for the season (= 4 in 2013/14). The Reds meanwhile have moved into the top four of the Premier League for the first time since August after scoring 15 goals in their past four away games in all competitions. BOOM!

What the hell?! There were lots of questionable refereeing decisions once again, as (some) mentioned above... Penalties... Bookings... Red cards... The inconsistencies are just mad! I could fill books with all the errors (and arguments FOR video reviews and WHY THE HELL they still haven't been introduced)! Bournemouth defender Adam Smith said in the post-match interview referee Jonathan Moss admitted his booking for diving was a mistake instead of a giving a penalty - too little too late as the game against Southampton ended 1-1!!! And as it is Cherry's fifth yellow card of the season he will be suspended for the next game. It's ridiculous that it cannot be retracted. It is rare an official so openly concedes a mistake, so, something should be done!!!
And a little LOL to cheer up and finish things off: I loved Gary Lineker's MOTD running order prank on Twitter, LMAO!

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

Click here for my previous Premier League Picks.

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