Weekend Football Review

Some fun results!

Premier League MW 22

Brighton 1 vs. 1 Crystal Palace

This was a close game as expected and it was a draw as well whch was the most likely outcome. Gallagher gave Palace the lead in the 69th minute but Andersen scored an own goal in the 87th minute to give Brighton a point. Palace seem to always drop points in the final few minutes of a game. Brighton remain 9th in the table with two games in hand while Palace move into 11th with one game in hand. 

Norwich 2 vs. 1 Everton

Keane scored an own goal in the 16th minute to give Norwich the lead. Idah then made it two for Norwich two minutes later. Richarlison got one back for Everton in the 60th minute but Norwich held on for a massive win. Norwich move up to 18th with one game in hand and a point form survival. Everton drop down to 16th and sacked Rafa Benitez on Sunday as they look for a new manager now. 

Wolverhampton 3 vs. 1 Southampton

Jimenez scored a penalty in the 37th minute to give Wolves the lead. Coady made it two in the 59th minute. Ward-Prowse scored a brilliant free kick in the 84th minute but Traore scored in the 91st minute to seal the deal for Wolves. Wolves score three goals in a game which is a rarity as they remain 8th in the table with 2 games in hand. They sit a point behind Man United now. Southampton drop down to 12th with one game in hand. 

Newcastle 1 vs. 1 Watford

Saint-Maximin scored in the 49th minute to give Newcastle the lead but Pedro scored in the 87th minute to equalise for Watford. Newcastle sit 19th in the table with two games in hand and two points from safety. Watford remain 17th in the table with three games in hand and a point above the relegation zone. 

Aston Villa 2 vs. 2 Man United

Fernandes scored in the 6th minute to give Man United the lead. Fernandes then scored again in the 67th minute to double United’s lead. It looked like United would cruise to a surprise win but on came Phillipe Coutinho. Ramsey got one back a from Coutinho assist in the 77th minute. Coutinho then equalised for Villa in the 81st minute. A good comeback from Villa sees them move up to 13th in the table. United remain 7th but now within touching distance of Wolves and Brighton, who also have two games in hand. 

West Ham 2 vs. 3 Leeds

Harrison scored in the 10th minute to give Leeds the lead. Bowen equalised for West Ham in the 33rd minute but Harrison restored the lead for Leeds in the 37th minute. Fornals equalised for West Ham in the 52nd minute but Harrison completed his hattrick and won three points for Leeds in the 60th minute. West Ham remain 4th in the table 2 points above Arsenal who have two games in hand. Leeds move up to 15th with the win and have two games in hand. 

Liverpool 3 vs. 0 Brentford

Fabinho, Ox, and Minamino, scored over the course of the game to get a comfortable win against Brentford. Liverpool move into 2nd, 2 points above Chelsea and 11 points behind City with a game in hand. Brentford drop down to 14th with the loss. 

Copa Del Rey Round of 16

Real Betis beat Sevilla to progess to the next round while Valencia beat Atletico Baleares. 

Serie A MW 22

Lazio beat Salernitana 0-3, Juventus beat Udinese 2-0, Roma beat Cagliari 1-0, and Atalanta drew with Inter 0-0. Inter remain 2 points above Milan but both them and Napoli play on Monday and can make up ground on Inter. Atalanta remains 4th while Juventus and Roma remain 5th and 6th. Lazio sit 7th in the table. The title race continues to go through twist and turns in Italy while Mourinho finally ends a winless run of three games. 

Bundesliga MW 19

Dortmund beat Freiburg 5-1, Bayern beat Koln 0-4, Union Berlin beat Hoffenheim 2-1, Wolfsburg drew with Hertha Berlin 0-0, Leipzig beat Stuttgart 0-2, Leverkusen beat Monchengladbach 1-2, Frankfurt drew with Augsburg 1-1. Bayern remain 6 points clear at the top of the table with Dortmund, Leverkusen, and Hoffenheim making up the top four. Leipzig sit 7th, while Monchengladbach sit 12th. Bayern will probably win the league but at the moment there is still some sort of title race going on in Germany. 

Ligue 1 MW 21

PSG beat Brest 2-0, Monaco beat Clermont 4-0, Lyon beat Troyes 0-1, while Lille drew with Marseille 1-1. PSG go 11 points clear at the top of the table while Nice, Marseille, and Rennes make up the top four. Monaco move up to 5th in the table a point behind Rennes. Lille sit 10th in the table while Lyon are 11th. The title is a foregone conclusion at this point but Monaco are looking good at the moment. The likes of Lille and Lyon continue to struggle.

 

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Weekend Football Preview

Big weekend of league football!

Premier League MW 22

Brighton vs. Crystal Palace

Brighton sit 9th with 2 games in hand as they take on Palace who sit 12th who have one game in hand. Both teams have only won two of their last five games and have had similar seasons. Two good attacking teams but both inconsistent. An interesting game to kick off the weekend. The reverse fixture was a 1-1 draw.

Norwich vs. Everton

Bottom of the table Norwich take on Everton looking to break this losing streak they are on. Everton sit 15th in the table with three games in hand and they have only one win in their last five games. A massive game for both teams as they both desperately need a win. Everton won the reverse fixture 2-0. 

Wolverhampton vs. Southampton

Wolves sit 8th with 2 games in hand as they take on Southampton who sit 11th with 1 game in hand. Both are in good form but Southampton have been inconsistent. Wolves are very solid defensively but have to improve in front of goal. This should be a close game. Wolves won the reverse fixture 0-1. 

Newcastle vs. Watford

A big game at the bottom of the table. 2 point separate the two teams and a loss for either would be a big result. If Newcastle lose then the gap to safety might broaden while if Watford lose they get dropped right into the relegation race. A massive game. The reverse fixture was a 1-1 draw.

Aston Villa vs. Man United

14th placed Villa have lost their last two and have 2 games in hand as they take on 7th placed United who also have 2 games in hadn and lost their last game in the league. Villa were knocked out of the FA Cup by United on Monday and will look to take revenge. Coutinho, and Digne have come into the team and will be available to Gerrard. United have their own turmoil behind the scenes and will not want to lose ground on the top four. Villa won the reverse fixture 0-1 under Dean Smith and will be looking to do the double. 

West Ham vs. Leeds

West Ham jumped into 4th having played their game in hand and now take on 16th placed Leeds who are in poor form recently. Leeds managed to win their last Premier League game but have still not been their best this season. West Ham should win this game. West Ham won the reverse fixture 1-2.

Liverpool vs. Brentford

Liverpool have dropped points in their last three and stuttered to a draw against Arsenal midweek as they take on Brentford who sit 13th and have been inconsistent this season. Brentford lost to Southampton 4-1 midweek. Liverpool look blunt in attack without Salah but they should have enough to beat Brentford at Anfield. Brentford have nothing to lose and they could pull something off. The reverse fixture was a 3-3 draw. 

Tottenham vs. Arsenal

The big North London Derby which finally has some stakes this season as 6th placed Spurs with three games in hand takes on 5th placed Arsenal who have one game in hand. Tottenham are unbeaten under Conte but were extremely poor against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. Arsenal lost to Man City but did well to get a draw with 10 men. Arsenal won the reverse fixture 3-1. This is a big game for both teams. 

Copa Del Rey Round of 16

Sevilla play Real Betis while Valencia travel to Atletico Baleares. The rest of the teams play their games midweek. 

Serie A MW 22

Lazio travel to Salernitana, Juventus take on Udinese, Roma take on Cagliari, Atalanta take on Inter, Milan travel to Spezia, and Napoli travel to Bologna. Inter sit a point clear of Milan at the top of the table. Napoli and Atalanta make up the top four while Juventus sit 5th and are playing catchup. Roma are looking to win a game while Lazio sit 8th. The race in Italy is very interesting and the race for top four is equally nail biting. 

Bundesliga MW 19

Dortmund take on Freiburg, Bayern travel to Koln, Hoffenheim take on Union Berlin, Wolfsburg welcome Hertha Berlin, Leipzig travel to Stuttgart, Leverkusen travel to Monchengladbach, and Frankfurt take on Augsburg. Bayern sit 6 points clear at the top of the table with Dortmund, Hoffenheim and Freiburg making up the top four. Leverkusen sit 5th, Frankfurt sit 8th, Leipzig sit 9th, and Monchengladbach sit 12th. Bayern stumbled last week so the other teams will be hoping they stumble again. The rest need to win their games. 

Ligue 1 MW 21

PSG take on Brest, Monaco take on Clermont, Lyon travel to Troyes, while Lille travel to Marseille. PSG sit 11 points clear at the top of the table and the rest are just in for the ride. 

Weekend Football Review

Some upsets in the FA Cup!

FA Cup 3rd Round

Swindon 1 vs. 4 Man City

Silva and Jesus scored in the 1st half to give City a comfortable lead. Gundogan added a 3rd in the 59th minute via free kick. McKirdy got one back for Swindon in the 78th minute but Palmer made it four in the 82nd minute to seal the win for City. City progress to the next round while Swindon are knocked out. 

Burnley 1 vs. 2 Huddersfield

Rodriguez scored for Burnley in the 28th minute but Koroma equalised in the 78th minute for Huddersfield. Pearson then scored the winner for the away team in the 86th minute to seal a big win. Burnley are knocked out and can now focus on survival while Huddersfield progress to the next round. 

Millwall 1 vs. 2 Crystal Palace

Afobe scored in the 17th minute to give Millwall the lead. Olise equalied for Palace in the 46th minute and Mateta gave the Eagles a lead in the 58th minute. Palace managed to see out the rest of the game for a win. Palace progress to the next round while Millwall are dumped out. 

Newcastle 0 vs. 1 Cambridge United

The richest club in the world Newcastle were dumped out by Cambridge United as Ironside scored the winner for the away team in the 56th minute. Newacastle tried hard but could not find the goals. Newcastle can now focus on survival while Cambridge United’s FA Cup journey continues. 

West Brom 1 vs. 2 Brighton

Robinson scored in the 47th minute to give West Brom the lead. Kipre was sent off for the home team in the 69th minute and Brighton mounted a comeback in the final 10 minutes. Moder equalised for the Seagulls in the 81st minute and Maupay won the game in the 98th minute to seal the win in extra time. Brighton progress while West Brom are sent packing.

Leicester 4 vs. 1 Watford

Tielemans scored for Leicester in the 7th minute via a penalty. Maddison made it two for Leicester in the 25th minute. Pedro got one back for Watford in the 27th minute but goals from Albrighton and Barnes in the 2nd half made Leicester comfortable winners. The holders progress to the next round while Watford can now focus on the league.

Port Vale 1 vs. 4 Brentford

Forss scored in the 26th minute to give Brentford the lead. Mbeumo got a second in the 65th minute. Harratt got one back for Port Vale in the 69th minute but Mbeumo added two more goals to complete the win for Brentford and get a hattrick. Brentford move along while Port Vale are knocked out. 

Hull City 2 vs. 3 Everton

Smith scored in the 1st minute to give Hull City the lead. Gray equalised for Everton in the 21st minute and Gomes gave Everton the lead in the 31st minute. Longman equalised for Hull in the 71st minute and the game was sent into extra time. Townsend scored a screamer in the 99th minute to seal the win for Everton. Everton progress to the next round while Hull are knocked out.

Swansea 2 vs. 3 Southampton

Redmond scored in the 8th minute to give Southampton the lead. Valery was sent off for the Saints in the 29th minute. Piroe equalised for Swansea in the 77th minute to send the game to extra time. Bednarek scored an own goal in th 94th minute to give Swansea the lead but Elyounoussi equalised for the Saints a minute later. Long then scored the winner in the 102nd minute. Swansea fought hard but are knocked out while Southampton progress.

Charlton 0 vs. 1 Norwich

Rashica scored in the 79th minute to give Norwich the win as their fans got something to celebrate about. Norwich progress to the next round while Charlton are knocked out.

Wolverhampton 3 vs. 0 Sheffield 

Podence scored in the 14th minute to give Wolves the lead and Semedo added a 2nd in the 72nd minute. Podence then sealed the win in the 80th minute to continue a good season for the Wolves. Sheffield United are knocked out.

West Ham 2 vs. 0 Leeds

West Ham’s brilliant season continued as goals from Lanzini and Bowen saw them through against Leeds who’s poor season continues to go on. Leeds can now focus on survival while West Ham are still in three competitions this season.

Tottenham 3 vs. 1 Morecambe

O’Connor scored in the 33rd minute to give Morecambe a surprise lead. The Shrimps tried to hold on for the win but Winks equalised for Spurs in the 74th minute. Lucas grabbed the winner in the 85th minute, and Harry Kane got a third in the 88th minute. Tottenham go through to the next round while Morecambe are knocked out.

Liverpool 4 vs. 1 Shrewsbury

Udoh gave Shrewsbury a surprise lead at Anfield in the 27th minute but Liverpool were always going to come back. Gordon equalised for Liverpool in the 34th minute, while Fabinho gave them the lead in the 44th minute via a penalty. Firmino added a 3rd in the 78th minute while Fabinho got a 2nd in the 93rd minute. Comfortable win overall but Liverpool were given a scare.

Nottingham 1 vs. 0 Arsenal

Arsenal were knocked out by Nottingham Forest with Lewis Grabban scoring the winner in the 83rd minute. Arsenal still have the Carabao Cup semi-final to play but apart from that their only goal will be top four. Nottingham Forest progress to the next round.

Man United 1 vs. 0 Aston Villa

McTominay scored in the 8th minute and that was enough for United. The Red Devils didn’t play well and Villa had two goals ruled out by VAR but no goals means that they were knocked out and United go through. 

La Liga MW 20

Real Sociedad beat Celta Vigo 1-0, Barcelona drew with Granada 1-1, Real Madrid beat Valencia 4-1, Sevilla beat Getafe 1-0, and Villarreal drew with Atletico 2-2. Real Madrid have a game in hand and sit five points clear at the top of the table. Sevilla, Betis, and Atletico make up the top four. Real Sociedad are level on points with Atletico in 5th while Barcelona are 6th but only a point behind Atletico. Villarreal sit 8th in the table while Valencia are 10th. Real Madrid continue to have the advantage while others stumble.

Serie A MW 21

Milan beat Venezia 0-3, Atalanta beat Udinese 2-6, Napoli beat Sampdoria 1-0, Juventus beat Roma 3-4, and Inter beat Lazio 2-1. The Juventus Roma game was insane as Roma had a 3-1 lead going into the 70th minute but somehow lost the game by the 90th minute. Inter remain in the lead with a game in hand as they sit a point clear of Milan. Napoli, and Atalanta make up the top four. Juventus sit 5th, while Roma are 6th now 6 points behind Juventus. Lazio sit 8th. Pressure piling on Mourinho at the moment especially after another collapse. Milan and Inter still lead the league with consistent results.

Bundesliga MW 18

Monchengladbach beat Bayern 1-2, Leipzig beat Mainz 4-1, Leverkusen drew with Union Berlin 2-2, Dormtund beat Frankfurt 2-3, and Bochum beat Wolfsburg 1-0. Bayern remain 6 points clear at the top of the table while Dortmund, Hoffenheim, and Freiburg make up the top four. Leverkusen sit 5th in the table, while Frankfurt, and Leipzig sit 8th and 9th repsectively. Monchengladbach sit 12th in the table. Bayern go through a rare stumble but it will be interesting to see whether they bounce back or if it’s a lingering problem. All the rest can do is try and get results. 

Ligue 1 MW 20

Marseille beat Bordeaux 0-1, Monaco drew with Nantes 0-0, and Lyon drew with PSG 0-0. PSG remain top of the table by 11 points with Nice, Marseille, and Rennes making up the top four. Monaco sit 7th while Lille and Lyon sit 10th and 11th respectively. PSG are looking likely to win it but it’s more by default rather than actually playing top quality football. 

Weekend Football Preview

FA Cup is back!

FA Cup 3rd Round

Swindon vs. Man City

Man City travel to Swindon who sit 5th in League Two. City have a heavy load of Covid cases to deal with but can’t get the games postponed because the FA Cup doesn’t allow it. City should win this game regardless but Swindon will feel they have a chance if they face a weaker Man City team.

Burnley vs. Huddersfield

Burnley welcome Huddersfield to Turf Moor with the Terriers sitting 6th in the Championship. Huddersfield have had a good season so far and this should be an interesting game. Levi Colwill should play this game as well and so it’s one to watch for Chelsea fans. 

Millwall vs. Crystal Palace

Millwall sit 11th in the Championship as they welcome fellow London club Palace for a London Derby. Palace have been playing well this season but London Derby’s are great and in the FA Cup anything can happen. 

Newcastle vs. Cambridge United

Newcastle are fighting for survival in the Premier League and have just bought Trippier as the first signing of the Saudi Era. Cambridge visit them for this round with them sitting 16th in League One. Newcastle should win this game. 

West Brom vs. Brighton

West Brom are playing well and sit 4th in the Championship as they take on Brighton who sit 9th in the Premier League. This should be a fun and interesting game with both teams in form, either team can go through. 

Leicester vs. Watford

The FA Cup holders Leicester begin their journey with a visit by Watford who sit 17th in the Premier League. Leicester have been inconsistent this season and Watford will want to bring some hope to their fans amid a poor run of form. Watford have a good chance for an upset but Leicester are favourites. 

Port Vale vs. Brentford

Port Vale sit 6th in League Two as they welcome Brentford who are doing well in the Premier League this season. Brentford will be favourites for this game while Port Vale have nothing to lose. 

Hull City vs. Everton

Hull City sit 19th in the Championship as they take on Everton who are also struggling in the Premier League. This is a good chance for Benitez to get a win and get some momentum but Hull will have nothing to lose in this game. 

Swansea vs. Southampton

Swansea sit 17th in the Championship and are struggling as they take on Southampton who are inconsistent this season but doing well. Southampton should win this game and progress to the next round but Swansea have nothing to lose. 

Charlton vs. Norwich

Charlton sit 13th in League One as they take on Norwich who sit bottom of the Premier League. Norwich are struggling at the moment and need some sort of positive result to end the poor momentum. This could be that result but Charlton can give it their all in this game.

Wolverhampton vs. Sheffield

Sheffield United sit 13th in the Championship as they travel to play Wolves who are doing well in the Premier League this season. Wolves should win this game it’s just a matter of can they score the goals in 90 minutes. 

West Ham vs. Leeds

An all Premier League game as West Ham take on Leeds. West Ham have fallen off pace recently but are still doing well as Leeds ended a poor run last weekend. West Ham will be favourites but Leeds will go into this game fighting as usual. 

Tottenham vs. Morecambe

Tottenham welcome Morecambe who are 19th in League One. The FA Cup is Spurs only realistic chance of a trophy this season so this is a big game for them. Given their performance against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup they need to turn up and show their fans that they are fighting. Morecambe can give it their all. 

Liverpool vs. Shrewsbury

Liverpool have also apparently had Covid cases and were able to postpone their game against Arsenal but they won’t be able to weasel out of this game. They should have enough talent to beat Shrewsbury who sit 14th in League One. 

Nottingham vs. Arsenal

Nottingham Forest sit 9th in the Championship as they welcome Arsenal who are in good form recently but lost to City in their last game. This should be an interesting tie given that Forest are at home but Arsenal will be favourites for sure. This is Arsenal’s only realistic chance for success this season other than the Carabao Cup.

Man United vs. Aston Villa

United are embroiled in turmoil at the moment with rumours about player mutinies and squad disharmony along with the poor football on the pitch. Rangnick seems to have no control at the moment and the players have no respect. Villa have Gerrard back in the dugout and have played well overall but haven’t found a result against the bigger teams. This might be the game for Gerrard and co and it would be a brilliant result, I think Villa could cause an upset here.

La Liga MW 20

Real Sociedad take on Celta Vigo, Barcelona travel to Granada, Real Madrid take on Valencia, Sevilla welcome Getafe, and Atletico travel to Villarreal. Real Madrid did not start 2022 with a win so they will want to bounce back this weekend while the rest are playing catch up. The title race is open with almost all the teams behind Real Madrid having a game in hand as well. The problem is that no team bar Real Madrid has been consistent in Spain. Some interesting fixtures for sure this weekend. 

Serie A MW 21

Milan travel to Venezia, Atalanta travel to Udinese, Napoli take on Sampdoria, Roma play Juventus, and Inter welcome Lazio. Another good chance this weekend for Milan to move back into the top spot. Inter and Atalanta were not involved during the week so if their games go ahead they will be raring to go. Roma lost to Milan during the week and face another tough test against Juventus with both teams not playing particularly well. Another interesting weekend of Italian football.

Bundesliga MW 18

The Bundesliga is back this weekend following their winter break. Bayern welcome Monchengladbach, Leipzig entertain Mainz, Leverkusen take on Union Berlin, Dortmund travel to Frankfurt, and Wolfsburg travel to Bochum. Bayern sit 9 points clear of Dortmund with Freiburg, and Leverkusen making up the top four. Frankfurt sit 6th in the table, and Leipzig sit 10th in the table. Bayern have already probably won the league at this stage because usually they steamroll teams in the 2nd half of the season. All the other teams can do is try and finish in the top four and hope that Bayern stumble at some point.

Ligue 1 MW 20

Marseille travel to Bordeaux, Monaco travel to Nantes, and Lyon play PSG. PSG sit 13 points clear at the top of the table with Nice, Marseille, and Rennes making up the top four. Monaco sit 6th, Lille sit 8th, and Lyon sit 13th. Similar to the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 is a foregone conclusion and all the other teams are trying to do is finish in the European places. 

Midweek Football Review

Liverpool get their game postponed but Serie A is back!

Carabao Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg

The first leg was postponed because Liverpool had a few Corona cases and got their way. Other teams are forced to play with academy players while Liverpool are allowed to get their games postponed. 

Serie A MW 20

Inter’s game was postponed, Lazio drew with Empoli 3-3, Atalanta’s game with Torino was postponed, Milan beat Roma 3-1, and Juventus drew with Napoli 1-1. Inter remain a point clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, while Milan, Napoli, and Atalanta make up the top four. Juventus sit 5th, while Roma sit 7th and Lazio sit 8th. Milan make up ground but Inter have the game in hand. 

Midweek Football Preview

Carabao Cup semi-finals!

Carabao Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg

Arsenal vs. Liverpool

Arsenal take on Liverpool in one of the two semi-final’s of this seasons Carabao Cup. Arsenal beat Sunderland 5-1 in the last round and have since won one and lost one while Liverpool beat Leicester on penalties and have since lost one and drawn one. Neither team is in great form going into this game but both teams have played top teams during the weekend. The Carabao Cup and the FA Cup are Arsenal’s two real chances of winning a trophy this season while Klopp has never won a domestic cup since joining the club several seasons ago. Mane and Salah will be missing for Liverpool which is a blow to them because they have little attacking depth. Arsenal have been playing well and they could cause Liverpool problems. It is a two legged tie so it will be interesting to see what happens in this 1st leg. 

Serie A MW 20

Inter travel to Bologna, Lazio take on Empoli, Atalanta take on Torino, Milan play a big game against Roma, and Juventus play a big game against Napoli. Serie A returns after the winter break Inter lead the league by four points, with Milan, Napoli, and Atalanta making up the top four. Juventus sit 5th four points behind Atalanta while Roma sit 6th in the table. Lazio sit 8th. It’s a good week for Inter, Lazio, and Atalanta to cut or create gaps with the likes of Milan, Roma, Juventus, and Napoli who all play each other. Going to be very interesting to see which team capitalises on the other. 

Midweek Football Review

Carabao not taken lightly.

Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals

Arsenal 5 vs. 1 Sunderland

Nketiah scored in the 17th minute to give Arsenal the lead. Pepe made it two in the 27th minute, but Broadhead got one back for Sunderland in the 31st minute. Nketiah scored two more in the 2nd half to complete his hattrick and Patino added the fifth off the bench to take Arsenal into the semi-finals. A good win for Arsenal in what was an expected result.

Liverpool 3 (5) vs. (4) 3 Leicester

Liverpool heavily rotated their lineup to take on Leicester who fielded a pretty strong XI. Vardy scored two in the first 15 minutes to give Leicester a 0-2 lead, but Ox got one back for Liverpool in the 19th minute. Maddison made it three for Leicester in the 33rd minute as it looked like Leicester had a good lead. Klopp called on the bench in the 2nd half as Jota scored in the 68th minute to make it 2-3. Leicester were so close to getting the win but Minamino scored in the 95th minute to take the game to penalties. Liverpool won the game on penalties and move along to the semi-finals. Leicester bow out as they bottle another game.

Tottenham 2 vs. 1 West Ham

Bergwijn scored for Tottenham in the 29th minute to give Spurs the lead but Bowen equalised for West Ham in the 32nd minute. Moura restored Spurs lead in the 34th and Conte and co held on to that lead for the rest of the game. Tottenham move onto the semi-finals while West Ham are knocked out. 

La Liga (Games in hand)

Villarreal beat Alaves 5-2, Sevilla drew with Barcelona 1-1, Granada beat Atletico 2-1, and Real Madrid beat Bilbao 1-2. Real Madrid sit 8 points clear at the top of the table, while Sevilla sit 2nd followed by Betis and Vallecano. Atletico drop down to 5th in the table and have lost 4 games in a row now for the first time under Simeone. Barcelona remain 7th in the table. Real Madrid have played a game more than anyone else but are firmly in control of the title race at the moment.

Serie A MW 19

Juventus beat Cagliari 2-0, Atalanta drew with Genoa 0-0, Lazio beat Venezia 1-3, Roma drew with Sampdoria 1-1, Inter beat Torino 1-0, Milan beat Empoli 2-4, and Spezia beat Napoli 0-1. Inter sit 4 points clear of Milan who move up to 2nd in the table. Napoli are now 3 points behind Milan while Atalanta make up the top four. Juventus move up to 5th in the table while Roma drop down to 6th in the table. Lazio sit 8th in the table. Inter in control for now but not by a big margin as Milan bounce back in this round. Napoli did well to regain control but a shock loss to Spezia will not be welcome. An interesting race all around.

Ligue 1 MW 19

Marseille drew with Reims 1-1, PSG drew with Lorient 1-1, Lille beat Bordeaux 2-3, Lyon drew with Metz 1-1, and Monaco beat Rennes 2-1. PSG remain 13 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 with Nice, Marseille and Rennes make up the top four. Monaco move up to 6th in the table, while Lille sit 8th in the table. Lyon sit 13th in the table. PSG are on their way to another title and Messi has just scored 1 goal in Ligue 1. Not the most entertaining of leagues in Europe. 

Midweek Football Preview

Carabao Cup returns!

Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals

Arsenal vs. Sunderland

Arsenal sit 4th in the Premier League and beat Leeds in the last round of the Carabao Cup. They have since won 6, and lost three of their games. Sunderland beat QPR on penalties in the last round and have since won 4, drawn 3, and lost 5 of their games. Sunderland currently sit 3rd in League One. Based on current form Arsenal should win this game especially since they are at home. 

Liverpool vs. Leicester

Liverpool beat Preston in the last round 0-2. Liverpool have since won 9, and drawn 2 of their games, and sit 2nd in the Premier League. Leicester beat Brighton on penalties in the last round and have since won 3, drawn 3, and lost 4 as they sit 9th in the table. Brendan Rodgers returns to Anfield once again and Leicester are the FA Cup holders. Based on current form Liverpool should win this game but Leicester always stand a chance. 

Tottenham vs. West Ham

Tottenham beat Burnley 0-1 in the last round and have since won 4, drawn 2 and lost 2 of their games as they sit 7th in the Premier League. West Ham beat Man City on penalties in the last round and have since won 4, drawn 3, and lost 4. It’s a London Derby and both teams are in similar form going into this game. Tottenham are on an upward trajectory though while West Ham seem to be going through poor form. Either team can win.

La Liga (Games in hand)

Villarreal take on Alaves, and Sevilla take on Barcelona midweek as these teams play their games in hand. It’s a good chance for Sevilla to cut the gap to Real Madrid while Barcelona can cut the gap to the top four. 

Serie A MW 19

Juventus take on Cagliari, Atalanta travel to Genoa, Lazio travel to Venezia, Roma take on Sampdoria, Inter take on Torino, Milan take on Empoli, and Napoli take on Spezia. We approach the halfway point of the season in Italy and all these teams play games where they should win. This is a stumbling block of a weekend and it will be interesting to see which teams avoid the hurdles and which trip up.

Ligue 1 MW 19

Marseille take on Reims, PSG travel to Lorient, Lille travel to Bordeaux, Lyon take on Metz, and Monaco take on Rennes. PSG sit 13 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 and this should be another chance for these teams to increase the lead. If PSG stumble then the other teams need to win to cut the gap. 

Weekend Football Review

City extend their lead….

Premier League MW 18

Aston Villa Postponed Burnley

This game was postponed due to a Covid outbreak in the Villa camp.

Leeds 1 vs. 4 Arsenal

Martinelli scored two in the first half while Saka got a 3rd as Arsenal gained a comfortable lead over Leeds. Raphinha scored a penalty in the 75th minute but Smith Rowe sealed the win for Arsenal in the 84th minute. Leeds who’s bench was made up entirely of U23 players remain 16th with 3 successive losses and with other teams having games in hand. Arsenal remain 4th in the table with 3 successive wins and 6 points behind Chelsea. The teams below them have games in hand though. 

Newcastle 0 vs. 4 Man City

Dias and Cancelo scored in the 1st half while Mahrez and Sterling scored in the 2nd half to seal a routine win for City away at Newcastle. Newcastle remain 19th with three successive losses and are the only team in the bottom five who have played all 18 games till now. The gaps could increase for the Magpies. City remain top of the table but open a 3 point gap on Liverpool and a 6 point gap on Chelsea as they continue to get the points. 

Tottenham 2 vs. 2 Liverpool

This was a great game to end the weekend as Liverpool visited Conte’s Spurs who were in action after two weeks of Covid absence. It was all Spurs from the get go as they caused havoc on the Liverpool backline on the counter attack. Kane opened the scoring in the 13th minute to score his 2nd Premier League goal of the season and give Spurs the lead. Tottenham should have scored 3-4 more goals but they just couldn’t finish with Kane and Son both misfiring. Jota scored the equaliser in the 35th minute for Liverpool. Robertson then gave Liverpool the lead in the 2nd half in the 69th minute as it looked like Tottenham had missed their chance in this game. Son though equalised for Spurs in the 74th minute. Robertson was then sent off for Liverpool in the 77th minute. Spurs should have won this game by a big margin because they had so many good chances but Liverpool can thank the gods that they managed a point. Spurs remain 7th in the table 6 points behind Arsenal and with 3 games in hand. Liverpool remain 2nd 3 points ahead of Chelsea but now 3 points behind City. 

La Liga MW 18

Villarreal beat Real Sociedad 1-3, Barcelona beat Elche 3-2, Sevilla beat Atletico 2-1, and Real Madrid drew with Cadiz 0-0. Real Madrid maintain a 6 point gap at the top of the table as Sevilla, Real Betis, and Rayo Vallecano make up the top four. Atletico sit 5th followed by Real Sociedad and Barcelona. Atletico at the moment are not having the best of time having lost three successive games under Simeone for the first time in 10 years. The rest are continuing to gain points while Barcelona also managed to win this weekend as well. Real Madrid still have a good advantage. 

Serie A MW 18

Lazio beat Genoa 3-1, Inter beat Salernitana 0-5, Atalanta lost to Roma 1-4, Juventus beat Bologna 0-2, and Napoli beat Milan 0-1. Inter increase their lead at the top to four points with Napoli, Milan and Atalanta making up the top four. Roma get to within 6 points of the top four, while Juventus sit 7th and and Lazio sit 8th. Milan slip up but Napoli get back to winning ways while Inter remain consistent. Roma also get a big win as Mourinho looks to gain momentum. The race in Italy is as exciting as ever. 

Bundesliga MW 17

Bayern beat Wolfsburg 4-0, Hoffenheim drew with Monchengladbach 1-1, Arminia beat Leipzig 0-2, Hertha Berlin beat Dortmund 3-2, and Freiburg beat Leverkusen 2-1. Bayern’s lead at the top increases to 9 points with Dortmund, Freiburg, and Leverkusen making up the top four. Leipzig sit 10th in the table. Bayern are running away with it and no one has any reply to them as usual. 

Weekend Football Preview

Barebones as Omicron takes over…

Premier League MW 18

Aston Villa vs. Burnley

10th placed Villa take on 18th placed Burnley as this game is one of the few that goes ahead this weekend. Villa are doing well under Gerrard and have gained momentum only having lost to City and Liverpool. Burnley did not play at the weekend and have 2 games in hand going into this game. Burnley have been tough to beat recently though so there is a chance for them to pull away from the other relegation contenders. An interesting game for sure.

Leeds vs. Arsenal

16th placed Leeds have lost their last two games and are going through an injury crisis as they take on Arsenal who have broken into the 4th place position. Leeds have a game in hand and would like to build a gap on the teams below them but Arsenal clearly are the team in better form. Arsenal will want to keep the momentum going and this game should see goals for sure.

Newcastle vs. Man City

19th placed Newcastle lost to Liverpool during the week and now they welcome Man City which is not great either. City sit top of the league having thrashed Leeds 7-0 and this should be another easy win for them.

Tottenham vs. Liverpool

Tottenham sit 7th in the table with three games in hand having missed games due to Covid in either their camp or the opposition camp. This game seems like it will go ahead as they take on Liverpool who have been grinding out wins. With three weeks rest and time to work in the training ground hopefully Conte can cause Liverpool some damage and Liverpool will be tired for sure. An interesting game to watch. 

La Liga MW 18

Real Sociedad take on Villarreal, Barcelona take on Elche, Sevilla take on Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid take on Cadiz, and Valencia travel to Levante. Real Madrid sit 8 points clear in La Liga and the gap could grow with Sevilla playing Atletico. Barcelona are just looking to start winning games as they fall away from the top four while the rest are playing catch up. For sure an interesting season in Spain but Real Madrid are looking like the consistent favourites.

Serie A MW 18

Lazio take on Genoa, Inter travel to Salernitana, Atalanta take on Roma, Juventus travel to Bologna, and Milan take on Napoli. Inter lead the table by a point and the gap could grow with Milan playing Napoli. Napoli have fallen away recently and are looking to bounce back while Roma are looking to cut the gap to the top but face a tough trip to Atalanta. Juventus are just looking to gain some momentum. An interesting weekend.

Bundesliga MW 17

Bayern take on Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim take on Monchengladbach, Leipzig take on Arminia, Dortmund travel to Hertha Berlin, and Leverkusen travel to Freiburg. Bayern are in control at the moment and people will hope they can drop points so the other teams can catch up. If that doesn’t happen though there is no one to stop Bayern.