A quick turn around this week. Barely did we get through the weekend and we have to reset ourselves for Tuesday and Wednesday games. I will be looking at those games in tomorrow’s article. For now, lets take a look back at the last 48 hours and see what we can take from these results.
First off lets get the Villa and Sunderland game over and done with. It finished 0-0 and although I did predict a draw I was hopeful we would have some goals or excitement. With two teams currently struggling it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise, but both would hope for better over the next week.
Another two struggling sides were a little better. Tony Pulis took his Palace side to Carrow Road for his first game in charge against Norwich and suffered a 1-0 defeat thanks to a strike from Hooper after 30 minutes. Again you can tell just how much these teams are struggling when you look at the stats, only thirteen shots on target including the goal and six off target combined means these teams at the bottom are not only struggling for goals, but the confidence to convert the initial chances.
West Ham showed exactly how to do it with their 3-0 home win over Fulham. I really thought it would be Fulham who would get the better of this game, partly because of the talent on hand to them and partly because I think we all knew if his side was were to be handled the way they were handled on Saturday then he wouldn’t be the Manager for too much longer. Sunday morning came with the news that indeed the two had parted ways. Compare West Hams 21 total shots both on and off target to the five Fulham had, all off target and you see something is rotten at the Cottage.
Arsenal went to Cardiff and the ex Cardiff man Aaron Ramsey scored a brace to secure the Gunners unrelenting charge for silverware. In between the Ramsey strikes was a goal for Flamini as Arsene Wengers side moved seven points clear at the Premier League summit.
Another team having a good Saturday was Everton who hammered their opponents, a struggling Stoke side 4-0. Delofeu, Coleman, Oviedo and Lukaku all getting on the score sheet as Roberto Martinez’s men continue to keep tabs with the top four sides. In fact Saturday evening they would be in fourth behind Chelsea and Liverpool.
Newcastle were only a place behind Everton after they picked up another three points, this time at the expense of a visiting West Brom side. An initial goal from Gouffran put Newcastle a goal up at half time before Chris Brunt leveled less than ten minutes after the restart. The parity lasted only four minutes though when a fantastic shot from Sissoko restored the lead and secured the points.
Five of the top four challengers were in action on Sunday and the early game came at White Hart Lane where Andre Villas Boas would hope to do a little better against this Manchester opposition than the previous week. United had the better of the opening exchanges before a mistake from Phil Jones resulted in a free kick just outside the area. With little room to get the ball up, over and back down the wall, Kyle Walker blasted the kick low and under the wall as they jumped. DeGea had no chance and Spurs were a goal up. Fifteen minutes later though and it was Walkers mis-kick which resulted in the equalizing goal from Rooney.
Half time arrived with United having the better of the play but still level. Second half started much the same way until a fantastic strike ten minutes in from Sandro left the whole stadium in awe. If any goal deserved to be a winner it was this, but as ever Tottenham were their own worst enemies. Welbeck was brought down in the area and a penalty was awarded. I am not sure how much contact the United striker felt but certainly he was going away from goal and that was probably the best move. Rooney stepped up to convert and draw ever closer to that Manchester United scoring record of Bobby Charlton, 249 goals in 758 appearances. Rooney currently has 207 after only 420 appearances and at 28 if he stays fit and at United, then next season we may be looking at a record broken.
Liverpool were up next against Hull City and talk before the game was of the owners plans to change the sides name to ‘Hull Tigers’ to help with the marketing of the club. Sunday morning papers carried the Chairmans words back to the fans, who he describes as the ‘militant minority’ in response to their ‘City til we die’ slogan. His response was ‘they can die as soon as they want’. With that in focus on the build up you might have expected Liverpool to tear the shy attacking Hull City/Tigers side.
Even when Jake Livermore scored after twenty minutes it was not expected that they would win. When Steven Gerrard scored from a free kick seven minutes later it was normal service resuming. With twenty minutes left Hull City retook the lead through Meyler who struck from 15 yards out. A Liverpool then did get on the score sheet in the final minutes but unfortunately for Brendon Rodgers it was Skrtel heading into his own net. That gave Steve Bruce a fantastic win but unfortunately for the boys all the talk after the match was of the action off the field rather than on it.
The last two matches involved the other two title contenders, Chelsea and Manchester City. Both at home and both had just seen Liverpool fall to a defeat while Spurs and United did neither of them a favor with a tied game.
After ten minutes it looked fantastic for Manchester City for not only had they gone 1-0 up though a Negredo goal but also Chelsea had conceded an early goal also. At half time Chelsea were 1-0 down while City, who would go second, 1-0 up.
Ten minutes into the second half Gary Cahill scored the equalizer for Chelsea meanwhile in Manchester Nasri was about to score City’s second. The 1-0 deficit at half time became 2-1 with just under half an hour left to go when John Terry scored with a header. Now to be fair to Southampton, their first choice keeper had to leave between the equalizing goal and the Terry go ahead goal.
Just over ten minutes left and Sami Nasri scored his second to finish off City’s great day with a 3-0 win while down the road in London Demba Ba made certain of the points late on with a strike in the dying minutes. 3-1 Chelsea who now sit second in the table four points behind Arsenal and City two points back from them in third.
