Premier League Review
Matchday 35
Saturday 20/04/19
Manchester City 1 Spurs 0
Juan Foyth, who played on the right of a Spurs back five in this game, won your Spurs man of the match vote. Something I omitted from the match report was the first sighting this season (in the first team squad) of Vincent Janssen, whose last appearance in the first team was in August 2017 as an added time substitute when we lost to Chelsea at Wembley. Vincent didn't get off the bench this time. See the full spursometer here.
Bournemouth 0 Fulham 1
Relegated Fulham got their first away win of the season; their second consecutive win, and another clean sheet. The win came courtesy of a penalty scored by Mitrovic, who had been fouled. Both goalkeepers were called into action several times with Rico saving well from both Fraser and Wilson, but Fulham had also put Boruc and his defence under pressure at times.
Huddersfield 1 Watford 2
Watford were of course missing the suspended Troy Deeney and played Deulofeu behind Gray up front. Deulofeu scored the first of his two goals after only 5 minutes, after Watford took advantage of a Huddersfield error and Deulofeu scored off the inside of the post.
Deulofeu's second goal came after 81 minutes. Lossl saved from Doucoure, but the ball ran to Deulofeu who made no mistake. Huddersfield got a consolation goal scored by Grant in added time.
Huddersfield's fans retain their enthusiastic passion for their club.
West Ham 2 Leicester 2
The "Hammers" were showing off their new claret and blue pitch surround at The London Stadium. Antonio caressed the surround after he put the home side into a 37th minute when he headed home Noble's cross.
Leicester equalised in the 67th minute when Vardy stabbed home Chilwell's cross. West Ham thought they had the game won when substitute Lucas Perez pounced upon Obiang's shot which rebounded off the post, but Harvey Barnes seized upon Tielemans' pass to score his first club goal to make the final score 2-2.
West Ham have their "Cup Final" at new White Hart Lane on Saturday!
Wolves 0 Brighton 0
Brighton got a precious point, but they still haven't scored in their last six games. Wolves had a lot of the ball, but they weren't hitting the target. The closest they came in the first half was when Jota hit the top of the bar with a first half shot.
For Brighton, Kayal, who had replaced the injured Propper early in the game, also came close when he hit a shot from 25 yards which passed a foot over the bar. Jota again came close when his header rebounded back into play off the inside of the Brighton post. Ryan saved a Dendoncker header from 8 yards out, and Brighton had their point.
Newcastle 3 Southampton 1
A hat-trick by Ayoze Perez gave Newcastle the win and certain safety, whilst Southampton remain at risk of relegation, still only five points clear of Cardiff. Perez's first goal came after 27 minutes from the right side of the area as he directed a right footed shot just inside the far post. His second came four minutes later when he met Rondon's cross and scored again with his right foot.
Ki Sung-Yong hit the inside of the post early in the second half for Newcastle and is still looking for his first club goal. Lemina got one back for the "Saints" after 59 minutes to give their fans hope. Perez's third goal came after 86 minutes when Ritchie dived to meet a Southampton clearance and Perez got the final headed touch.
Southampton will be hopeful of gathering sufficient points from their remaining games which include home matches against Bournemouth and Huddersfield.
Sunday 21/04/19
Everton 4 Manchester United 0
Everton made the better start and De Gea was required to make a good save from Richarlison ten minutes into the game. Two minutes later Richarlison did score after a long throw by Digne was headed on by Calvert-Lewin and hooked in by the Brazilian.
Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a glorious goal with his right foot from 25 yards in the 28th minute hitting the net inside De Gea's right post. Gueye had fed the ex-Spurs man the ball, and the goal followed United's first corner of a game where the only effort they had on goal had been a Rashford shot over the bar from an excellent Pogba ball.
Richarlison had to be replaced early in the second half by Walcott, but the "Toffees" had a third goal after 55 minutes following a corner on the left at the Gwladys Street End. De Gea could only punch the ball out as far as Digne 20 yards out. The United goalkeeper was then possibly unsighted as Digne immediately hit a low shot inside the keeper's right post. United have been shell-shocked this week, what with their Champions League exit in Barcelona, but they looked tepid and lack-lustre here.
Walcott made it 4-0 after 63 minutes. Sigurdsson slipped him the ball from the left flank and the United defence was in tatters as Walcott was able to beat De Gea with his right footed shot. De Gea had been left totally exposed by his inept defence.
With 20 minutes to go, Martial who had been denied a penalty, had a great chance from inside the area but put his shot the wrong side of the post.
Solskjaer's honeymoon period is at an end, and United have now lost 5 consecutive away games for the first time since 1981. With a Manchester Derby to come against a rampant City side, United's chances of Champions League football are surely ebbing away.
Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 3
Spurs might have lost at City, but it was still a very good Easter for us after the Man Utd defeat and this away win by Crystal Palace! The great weekend for Spurs was completed when Chelsea failed to beat Burnley.
Christian Benteke has only made 8 league starts for Palace this season, and he had not scored a goal since April 28th last year. (That was a penalty) Benteke was fouled out on the right and Milivojevic swung in a free kick which Benteke headed home with ease in the 17th minute.
Ozil equalised for Arsenal within two minutes of the second half, receiving from Lacazette before scoring from the left of goal. Zaha was more or less gifted the ball by Mustafi and Palace were 2-1 up after 61 minutes, despite the fact that the home side were dominating possession.
Palace went 3-1 up through McArthur's close range header after a corner and a first header by Scott Dann. Aubameyang got a goal back with a good solo effort as he ran into the Palace area from the right, taking an inadvertent wall pass from a Palace defender before firing home.
Palace held on, despite Arsenal pressure, and the win gives them Premier League safety, while Arsenal remained below Spurs. Palace have won more points away from home than at Selhurst Park, and had a couple of great away scalps too, including this game and a win away to Manchester City.
Cardiff 0 Liverpool 2
Liverpool returned to the top of the league - at least until Wednesday - but Cardiff made it difficult for them with a spirited performance. Of course Neil Warnock was upset at the penalty won by Mo Salah, but Morrison did have his arms around the striker and made the referee's decision easy.
Mendez-Laing, who had had such a good game at Brighton during the week, gave Alexander-Arnold a hard time, beating him for pace several times. Hoilett had a good chance blocked after one cross. Firmino missed an easy chance after being put through by Mane, and should have given Liverpool the lead, but he scooped his shot over the bar. Mane met a cross by Alexander-Arnold but poked that over. Etheridge saved from Salah after a lovely turn inside the box.
Alisson pushed over Niasse's effort following a Cardiff corner. Wijnaldum gave Liverpool a 57th minute lead when he met Alexander-Arnold's corner and rifled home a right footed shot. Henderson had a good chance but fired over from 12 yards. Morrison headed wide from a corner when it seemed easier to score.
Liverpool's win was secured when Salah fell with Morrison giving him close attention, but the fact he had his arms around him convinced referee Martin Atkinson. James Milner who had had to replace Fabinho, made no mistake from the spot. Etheridge subsequently made a very good one-handed save from Salah.
Monday 22/04/19
Chelsea 2 Burnley 2
Most people (me included) had this down as a home banker, but Chelsea's failure to win finished off Spurs' great Easter weekend, surely our greatest weekend after losing a game. Burnley not only upset punters, but also the Chelsea bench as Maurizio Sarri's frustration eventually showed and he was sent off by referee Kevin Friend.
Ben Mee hooked an early shot by Higuain off the Burnley line before the Lancashire side gave the home side a nasty 8th minute shock. Hendrick latched onto a poor defensive header following a corner and volleyed the ball home from the edge of the area.
That goal was the signal for a mad start in which three further goals were scored in the first 24 minutes. Firstly Kante scored with his left foot after Hazard's pass. Higuain gave Chelsea the lead in the 14th minute, turning skilfully inside the area and taking a clever flicked pass from Azpilicueta as the Argentinean loanee advanced and hit a right footed shot into the roof of the net.
Burnley's equaliser followed a free kick, which was headed across the Chelsea defender by Mee, touched on by Wood and finished off with glee by Ashley Barnes.
Burnley were keen to "manage" the game thereafter. Goalkeeper Tom Heaton took a first half booking for time wasting. The injured Kante was replaced by Kovacic at half-time. Chelsea had already lost Hudson-Odoi with what could be a season-ending ankle injury.
Burnley were accused by Chelsea of "anti-football" in a second half where the only highlights were a shot wide by Emerson and a save by Heaton from Azpilicueta. Tempers flared in the closing stages with Kovacic booked and his manager sent off for leaving his technical area one too many times. Apparently, the arguments continued in the tunnel at full time, but Chelsea had to settle for fourth place while Burnley had the point which ensures their third successive Premier League season.
Tuesday 23/04/19
Spurs 1 Brighton 0
Danny Rose and Christian Eriksen shared your man of the match vote for this game. See the full spursometer here.
Vincent Janssen made his first appearance for Spurs since August 2017, but did you know that Juan Foyth's previous appearances (13) for Spurs this season had all been starts and that this was his first appearance coming off the bench?
Watford 1 Southampton 1
Shane Long who went 9 full months without scoring recently scored in consecutive games, and has now scored three goals in four games. Tonight he took the Premier League record (held by our own Ledley King) for the fastest ever goal when he closed down Craig Cathcart, after Watford had kicked off, robbing him of the ball before chipping it over Ben Foster in just 7 seconds.
Watford's chances of holding the seventh place they regained with this draw are 50-50. That is their goals for and against tally, and they have 50 points. The game was bookended by goals as the home side had to wait till the 90th minute for their equaliser. The goal followed a period of pressure upon the Southampton defence during which Gunn had made one good save, before Femenia crossed from the right. The ball rebounded to Gray off Janmaat and Gray hit a left foot shot high into the net at the near post.
Southampton moved 6 points clear of Cardiff, and should be safe now.
Wednesday 24/04/19
Wolves 3 Arsenal 1
This was another fantastic result for Spurs, as Arsenal were left four points behind In fifth place after this second consecutive defeat. Two wins now in our last three games will ensure a fourth consecutive season of Champions League football for Spurs.
Wolves had decent chances through Moutinho and Jimenez before Jonny was fouled by Monreal and Neves scored from the free kick from 22 yards in the 28th minute. Doherty made it 2-0 in the 37th minute with a header after a cross from the left by Jonny. Wolves had had two corners following another Neves free kick being deflected. Jota made it 3-0 before half time, latching onto a poor pass before advancing and scoring with a left foot shot across Leno.
Arsenal got a goal back through Sokratis, heading home a corner ten minjutes from the end, but Wolves had another win over a top six side and are back in seventh place which could be enough for a place in Europe. That would be Thursday night football, which hopefully will feature Arsenal again!
Manchester United 0 Manchester City 2
This game certainly started with no quarter being given and a different performance from United who had played so poorly at Goodison Park on Sunday. There was an exciting passage of play after 17 minutes when a rocket shot by Bernardo Silva was parried by De Gea. Then United broke forward with Lingard sending a ball forward for Rashford who was beaten to the ball by the advancing Ederson.
Rashford hit a dipping shot from 25 yards after 22 minutes which did not dip enough. City had a typical short passing move inside the United half ending with a Sterling shot held by De Gea, but that was as close as they came to scoring before the break.
City took the lead in the 53rd minute when Bernardo Silva hit a shot just inside De Gea's left post. Sane, who had replaced the injured fernandinho, made it 2-0 after 65 minutes. Sterling passed from a central position and this time De Gea was beaten inside his right post, when you would normally see him save.
City's win took them back to the top of the league with three games remaining. United are 6 points behind third placed Tottenham and three points behind Chelsea who they play next, on Sunday.
It was certainly a great Easter week for Spurs!
Fixtures/Results 20-24.04.19
Saturday
Man City 1-0 Spurs
B'mouth 0-1 Fulham
Hds'field 1-2 Watford
West Ham 2-2 Leicester
Wolves 0-0 Brighton
Newcastle 3-1 S'hampton
Sunday
Everton 4-0 Man Utd
Arsenal 2-3 Crystal Palace
Cardiff 0-2 Liverpool
Monday
Chelsea 2-2 Burnley
Tuesday
Spurs 1-0 Brighton
Watford 1-1 S'hampton
Wednesday
Wolves 3-1 Arsenal
Man Utd 0-2 Man City
Premier League Table
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Man City 35 29 2 4 89-22 67 89
2. Liverpool 35 27 7 1 79-20 59 88
3. Spurs 35 23 1 11 65-35 30 70
4. Chelsea 35 20 7 8 59-38 21 67
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5. Arsenal 35 20 6 9 69-46 23 66
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6. Man Utd 35 19 7 9 63-49 14 64
7. Wolves 35 14 9 12 44-43 1 51
8. Watford 35 14 8 13 50-50 0 50
9. Everton 35 14 7 14 50-44 6 49
10. Leicester 35 14 6 15 48-47 1 48
11. West Ham 35 12 7 16 44-54 -10 43
12. C. Palace 35 12 6 17 43-48 -5 42
13. Newcastle 35 11 8 16 35-44 -9 41
14. B'mouth 35 12 5 18 49-62 -13 41
15. Burnley 35 11 7 17 44-62 -18 40
16. S'hampton 35 9 10 16 41-57 -16 37
17. Brighton 35 9 7 19 32-54 -22 34
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18. Cardiff 35 9 4 22 30-65 -35 31
19. Fulham 35 6 5 24 33-76 -43 23 R
20. H'dsfield 35 3 5 27 20-69 -49 14 R
