Paddy's review: 2021
My review from the weekends Premier League games. First up was the clash between Burnley and Arsenal. Arsenal started the match with a well taken goal by Aubameyang and should have been 3 goals up before Burnley scored in the 39th minute through a badly placed pass which came off Chris woods hip and ended up in the net. In the second half Arsenal should been awarded a penalty after a deliberate handball by Erik Pieters. It’s crazy how many penalties have not been given this season for handball, referees need to be more consistent going forward. After this Arsenal took control and missed a lot of chances but were unable to score the winner as Burnley defended for their lives and gained another point towards safety and Sean Dyche has done a great job with Burnley over the last few years.
The second match on Saturday was the clash between Sheffield United and Southampton. Ward-Prowse put the saints one goal up in the 32nd minute and Che Adams goal in the second half for Southampton to go 2 up was unbelievable and will be a contender for goal of the season. This was a big win for Southampton after recent defeats and gives them a bit of comfort between themselves and the bottom three. I feel this was a missed opportunity for Sheffield United as they squandered chance after chance when they were one goal down. Unfortunately The Blades are slowly running out of games.
The third match on Saturday was Aston Villa and Wolves. This was a good match as both teams had chances to win especially Wolves in the second half. Aston Villa are finding it hard to win matches without Grealish as they missed his creativity and running at the opposition’s defence. Wolves don’t look to have any motivation to climb the table and are happy just to finish midtable and a special mention to Connor Coady who has been brillant for Wolves this season. Sometimes a no score match is boring but this game was really entertaining.
The late match on Saturday was Brighton and Leicester. Brighton started the match and went 1 nil up after 10 minutes when Lallana scored and should have been 2 goals up by half time. They gave Leicester a chance to get back into the match in the second half as Iheanacho scored in the 62nd minute to equalise and was excellent for Leicester and has a vital role to play in the squad going forward. Leicester scored a late goal by Daniel Amartey to keep up their chances of finishing in the top four this season. Brendan Rogers is doing a great job with The Foxes. Unfortunately Brighton can’t seem to hang onto a lead and will have a big battle on their hands to stay in the Premier League this season.
The first match on Sunday was West Brom and Newcastle. Newcastle were well organised and defended very well as West Brom found it hard to break Newcastle down. A draw suited Newcastle because it’s a point closer for them to survive in the Premiership this season and will do well to stay up because they haven’t won many games this season. A draw doesn’t do anything for West Brom because they need to win games and I think that The Baggies are running out of games to survive in the Premier League this season.
The second match on Sunday was Liverpool and Fulham. A brillant away win for Fulham as Liverpool yet again collapse at home. I thought Andersen at the back was outstanding in this match for Fulham especially with some of the blocks and tackles he made in the second half. Scott Parker has done an unbelievable job with Fulham as everybody were tipping Fulham to be relegated after only a few games and have really improved since with a lot of impressive performances. I think Fulham will stay up this season because they are in great form and playing with confidence. I know all the plaudits from this game will go to Fulham but Liverpool were poor and they were very lethargic and were taking too many touches before passing or crossing it. The drop off from Liverpool this season has been unbelievable and I think the players at Liverpool are missing the crowd because Anfield has been a fortress over the last few years. The lack of crowds can affect the mindset of a footballer and maybe the last few years might be catching up on the Liverpool players because they have picked nearly the same team for every game over the last three years. I think that Liverpool will bounce back with the quality of players in their squad and have one of the best mangers in Europe with Juergen Klopp. Liverpool’s best chance of Champions League football next season is resting on winning the Champions League.
The third match on Sunday was the eagerly awaited clash of Manchester City and Manchester United. Manchester United got off to a perfect start when awarded a penalty after 35 seconds it was a poor tackle by Gabriel Jesus. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandez dispatched the ball beyond the keeper to go1 goal up. Manchester United grew in confidence as the game went on and defended well and kept possession at vital times with the influence of Bruno Fernandes. Manchester United went from strength to strength in the second half as they went 2 nil up with a well deserved goal by Luke Shaw who has been Manchester United’s best player over the last few months. It was a great performance by Manchester United and also frustrating that they haven’t performed like this over the last few weeks. Manchester City were on the back foot after conceding an early goal and found it hard to find their rhythm in the game. Most of the chances that Manchester City got in the first half were from long range and in the second half they got inpatient and frustrated because of not been able to break Manchester United down. Manchester City shouldn’t be too disappointed because they are still 11 points clear of the chasing pack.
http://backpagefootball.com/arsenal-to-make-late-surge-as-baggies-battle-to-avoid-the-drop/127464/