ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND UP WEEK 19
No real surprises in week 19 of the Premier League, Chelsea have now won thirteen games in a row, equalling the Premier League record of consecutive victories, whilst all the other top six teams all won their games, apart from Man City who lost at Liverpool. Spurs got their second 4-1 away victory in three days, with Deli Alli scoring two on both occasions.
Hull 2 v 2 Everton
Liverpool 1 v 0 Man City
Swansea 0 v 3 Bournemouth
Southampton 1 v 2 West Brom
Man United 2 v 1 Middlesbrough
Leicester 1 v 0 West Ham
Chelsea 4 v 2 Stoke
Burnley 4 v 1 Sunderland
Arsenal 2 v 0 Crystal Palace
Watford 1 v 4 Spurs
In my predictions, I got six correct results and one correct score.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND UP WEEK 20
West Ham 0 v 2 Man United
Manchester United victory at West Ham was helped by referee Mike Dean, whose shocking sending off of Sofiane Feghouli forced the Hammers to play for 75 minutes with 10 men and then allowed the Reds second goal to stand, despite three players being in offside positions!! Antonio Valencia was guilty of an astonishing miss for the visitors before Juan Mata scored from 10 yards after a clever pass by fellow substitute Marcus Rashford, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one of three players offside when he doubled the lead. It was Jose Mourinho’s side’s sixth straight Premier League win and their seventh in all competitions.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1Rm1NPzDeE
Middlesbrough 0 v 0 Leicester
The bore draw of the week came at the riverside, where neither Middlesbrough or Leicester improved their chances of pulling away from the relegation zone. In a game bereft of clear-cut chances, there were just four efforts on target throughout the whole 90 minutes.
Middlesbrough wanted a penalty when Robert Huth brought down Adama Traore and Boro’s Gaston Ramirez lashed the best opportunity wide from six yards. Leicester are still without a Premier League away win this season compared to 11 in last term’s title-winning campaign.
West Brom 3 v 1 Hull City
My friend Tony Pulis’s side demolished Hull, who completely lost the plot after half time, Hull had taken the lead through Robert Snodgrass
Hull managed 11 shots by the interval but as half-time neared, the home side began to probe and they levelled when the unmarked Chris Brunt headed in a corner after the restart. Hull’s defence was found to be wanting when Gareth McAuley powered a header in. Referee Mark Clattenburg awarding the goal through use of goalline technology, and James Morrison extinguished any Hull hopes of a first league point away from home since September when he turned in from 10 yards. West Brom, are now eighth on 29 points.
Click here for the goals and interesting commentary ! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQy0fIwpFDI
Everton 3 v 0 Southampton
Everton boss Ronald Koeman enjoyed a win over former club Southampton thanks to goals from Enner Valencia, Leighton Baines and Romelu Lukaku. Valencia scored his first goal for the club, driving in a shot from close range after Lukaku’s header had been saved. Valencia was also involved in the second goal as he won a penalty when he was fouled by Maya Yoshida. Baines stepped up to score calmly from the spot before Lukaku latched on to a Tom Davies pass and smashed a shot into the top corner.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWPaiWbtRXE
Sunderland 2 v 2 Liverpool
Ex Spurs player and good friend of mine Jermain Defoe scored two penalties as Sunderland twice came from behind to earn a point against second-placed Liverpool. The Reds took a deserved lead when Daniel Sturridge flicked in a header after Dejan Lovren’s mishit shot. Sunderland equalised six minutes later as Defoe scored from the spot following Ragnar Klavan’s trip on Didier Ndong, before Sadio Mane put the visitors back ahead with a close-range finish. However, Mane then handled in his own 18-yard box and Defoe converted the penalty to snatch an unlikely but most welcome point.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S3oRhOvj5Y
Man City 2 v 1 Burnley
Ten-man Manchester City moved up to third as they withstood a spirited Burnley fightback in front of a relieved Etihad Stadium. Fernandinho was dismissed towards the end of an even first half for a two-footed challenge on Johan Gudmundsson, but City improved after the break as Gael Clichy squeezed home a shot before Sergio Aguero, on as a substitute, fired home from a tight angle.
Ben Mee smashed home via the underside of the bar shortly after but Burnley could not force an equaliser despite a Andre Gray missing a golden opportinity late on.
Click here for the highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixhLTBOn94I
Stoke City 2 v 0 Watford
Another ex Spurs player and friend Peter Crouch, scored his second goal in two games as Stoke ended a five-game winless run in the Premier League with victory over Watford to move above the visitors in the table. Defender Ryan Shawcross opened the scoring for the Potters with a smart left-footed half-volley from Charlie Adam’s corner seconds before half-time. Peter Crouch prodded in a second after Watford defender Sebastian Prodl bizarrely opted to leave a low Adam cross in the area. Watford have now won only once in their past eight league games.
Crystal Palace 1 v 2 Swansea
New Swansea boss Paul Clement watched his side gain a dramatic win against Crystal Palace to move off the bottom of the Premier League table.
Alfie Mawson headed Swansea ahead from Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick, before Wilfried Zaha volleyed an equaliser, but substitute Angel Rangel collected Leroy Fer’s pass to net a late winner, the result means Palace have only picked up one point in the three games since Sam Allardyce replaced Alan Pardew as manager in December.
Bournemouth 3 v 3 Arsenal
Bournemouth will be kicking themselves after leading 3-0 against the Gunners and allowing Arsenal a dramatic comeback as they rescued a point in injury time. The Gunners looked destined for a third away league defeat in a row before a late rally that began with a diving Alexis Sanchez header and gathered momentum when a stunning Lucas Perez left-footed volley reduced the gap to a single goal. Bournemouth went down to 10 men when Simon Francis was sent off for a challenge on Aaron Ramsey and Arsenal capitalised as Olivier Giroud headed a 92nd-minute equaliser.
The home side had overwhelmed the Gunners early on and taken the lead when Charlie Daniels cut inside Hector Bellerin and stroked a shot past on-rushing keeper Petr Cech. Callum Wilson scored a penalty to extend Bournemouth’s lead and Ryan Fraser sent a shot through Cech’s legs for the Cherries’ third before the hour mark. A thoroughly entertaining game of football for the fans to enjoy.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khri3fqsPUo
The best goal of the Christmas period and probably of the season was scored by Oliver Giroud for Arsenal against Crystal Palace, it was an amazing goal, click here to see ‘Giroud’s Scorpian kick goal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z7Xyi-Cvtw
Tottenham 2 v 0 Chelsea
I was at White Hart Lane to see a fantastic game of football and to see Spurs halt Chelsea’s progress and stop their attempt to gain Premier League history with a 14th win in a row. Chelsea were outplayed, out fought and out manoeuvred by a Spurs side on top form. Spurs moved up to third place as headers from Dele Alli either side of half-time made the difference to leave Chelsea five points ahead of Liverpool in second place.
Alli rose to meet Christian Eriksen’s cross in first-half stoppage time and the same pair combined to put the game out of Chelsea’s reach in the 54th minute. Eden Hazard had Chelsea’s two best chances in each half but Spurs closed out the victory in comfort to put north London rivals Arsenal out of the top four and leave themselves seven points off the top after their fifth successive league win.
Chelsea fans look away – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uARkfoDYQ9k
In my predictions I was pretty consistent over the holidays with another six correct results and one correct score.
My week 21 predictions :-
Tottenham 3 v 1 West Brom
Burnley 2 v 1 Southampton
Hull 2 v 1 Bournemouth
Sunderland 2 v 1 Stoke
Swansea 1 v 2 Arsenal
Watford 2 v 1 Middlesbrough
West Ham 2 v 1 Crystal Palace
Leicester 1 v 2 Chelsea
Everton 1 v 2 Man City
Man United 2 v 1 Liverpool
Have a great 2017
Gary
Gary Mabbutt MBE
eLan Ambassador