Manchester City or Liverpool…who you got? There is really only one thing left to be decided, who will win the Premier League title. It has been a two horse race the entire season and we are down to one weekend and it remains a two horse race. Manchester City has control of their destiny….Liverpool needs them to stumble. They don’t need them to lose, but they need them to draw. It has been a pretty impressive display by the front runners. Both have not lost in months in league. Manchester City with 14 straight wins. Liverpool with 16 games since their last loss. The difference…Liverpool has had 4 draws in their last 16. That has cost them 8 valuable points and allowed Manchester City to slowly creep back into the race. It has been a 1 point difference for the past 6-8 weeks. Every weekend there was immense pressure on both clubs, and every week they both found ways to win. So it comes down to the last day of the season.

Manchester City vs. Brighton. Liverpool vs. Wolves.

All 10 games on Sunday start at 9:00 CST so no teams will know the outcomes and every team will need to fight to the finish. It should be interesting. Manchester City is a heavy favorite over Brighton, but Liverpool has had a charmed season….is there one more surprise ending left in their year. Could the soccer gods somehow give Liverpool a chance.

The Top 4 Finish has also been decided, well basically decided. After last weeks results, both the #3 and #4 spots are looking locked into place.

Chelsea beat Watford 3-0, Tottenham lost to Bournemouth on a late goal, Arsenal tied Brighton 1-1, and Manchester United tied Huddersfield 1-1. It was quite a disappointing end to the season for Manchester United who were officially eliminated form Top 4. Arsenal are hanging on by a mathematical thread. If they win by 4 goals and Tottenham loses by 4 goals, they could end up tied. That is pretty astronomical odds. Let’s go ahead and say it, Arsenal is eliminated as well. So what’s left….If Chelsea wins, they finish 3rd. If they lose and Tottenham wins or draws, Tottenham finish 3rd. Not much drama, but the pride of third is on the line.

Relegation Zone

The three teams being relegated has been decided. Going back down to the Championship level in 2019/2020 will be Cardiff City, Huddersfield and Fulham. That means three teams from the Championship level get to replace them. Here is the current standings.

Norwich City and Sheffield United finished 1/2 and are officially promoted. There is a 4 team playoff for the final team. Drama. Norwich has been in the Premier League recently, but it has been awhile for Sheffield United, 2006/200, for one of the historic clubs in English soccer. There now will be a 4 team playoff for the final spot between: Leeds United, Aston Villa, West Bromich Albion and Derby County.

Match Week 38 Preview

Game of the Week: Manchester City vs. Brighton. Liverpool vs. Wolves. It all comes down to these two teams.

Get ready for an exciting finish to the season.

UEFA Champions League

Mayabe the most exciting Semi-Finals in UEFA history this past week. I am not trying to be bold or dramatic….it really might have been the best semi-finals ever. Here is the set up.

Barcelona won the first leg against Liverpool 3-0. For Liverpool to advance they would need to beat Barcelona by 4 goals while playing against the historic Barcelona football club. Unthinkable. An impossible task. Barcelona advances to the final, right. Well, we mentioned earlier, the magical season for Liverpool. Let’s take a look at the highlights.

But as we said, a magical year for Liverpool. An amazing second half. Down 3-1 on aggregate and needing 3 goals in the second. An then a substitute gets 2 in two minutes….and then there is a corner….and then the corner taker acts like he is changing spots….and then Barcelona relaxes…and then its the old double cross, the corner kick is taken and Origi scored the 4th goal. Oh my! How did that happen! No way! But it did and we were treated to one of the most amazing comebacks in Champions League semi-final history.

Whew. Can’t match that with the second semi-final Ajax vs. Tottenham, right. Well maybe. Here is the set up. Ajax wins game 1 by a score of 1-0 at Tottenham. Heading into Game 2, Tottenham would need to overcome the deficit and secure 2 goals. Ajax comes out of the gate strong and really controls the first half, scoring 2 goals and taking an aggregate 3-0 lead. For Tottenham, they now would need to score 3 second half goals, all away goals, and that would give them a win, but three second half goals, on the road, after being shut out in the first two games so far. No way, right. Lets check out the highlights.

Oh my again. The second half was pretty intense. A great first goal. A crazy second goal…how did the GK not collect that ball…and how did Luca Moura dance around all those defenders to get odff the shot. And then the drama….shots, saves, deflections, cross bars, side posts, all of it!! And then 5 minutes into extra time with just seconds left before a final whistle, and Ajax is holding on….but then a moment of magic. A lofted ball, a volley touch, a beautiful weighted pass from Deli Ali and then the man of the match, Moura, fires in a hat trick winner. Tottenham advance. Tears were flowing everywhere. Announcers were crying, the Coach was crying, everyone. Tottenham have never advanced to this position….ever. It will be their first Champions League final in Club history. This may have been one their greatest victories in club history and certainly in the last 15-20 years. They have great history in FA Cup and League Cup competitions and some early UEFA Cups, but in the last 30 years have not won much. They had become synonymous with late losses, soft play, and unrealized expectations and even recently I would hear the phrase, “very Spursy” for their expected poor play. But…maybe that is changed forever…this was the most UN Spursy thing to do. Come back when all is lost and there is no hope and the easy path would be to just lose and move on. Great Character was shown by Tottenham. Wow!! Back to back 3 goal comebacks in the Semi-Finals.

Last, I have repeated a lot on this site that the Premier League is the greatest soccer league in the world. We now have another source of proof. For the first time in UEFA history, one League will have all four teams in the two major UEFA Championships.

UEFA Champions League: Tottenham vs. Liverpool June 1 at 2:00 CST

UEFA Europa League: Chelsea vs. Arsenal May 29 2:00 CST

Get your popcorn ready!!!

Manchester City or Liverpool…who you got? In an interesting twist, the two teams are off cycle on their games played. Liverpool is one game ahead of Manchester City. So for the past 3-4 weeks, the two teams have bounced back and forth in the standings. Liverpool takes a 2 point lead, but then Manchester City wins their next game and takes a 1 point lead. Only 3-4 games left and I think the first team that blinks loses. A draw or a loss and the Title hopes are gone. This past week Manchester City eeked out a 1- win over Tottenham but then Liverpool took down Cardiff City on Sunday to resume the lead. This likely goes down to the final day of the league on May 12th. The game that might decide the title…the Manchester Derby coming up next week on Wednesday. The emotion of the day may push United to keep City out of the winning column. It should be an interesting game especially after United looked awful in a weekend loss to Everton. They need a redemption game! Liverpool will be cheering hard for United!!

The Top 4 Race is equally as dramatic, with big swings week to week as well. Let’s look at the big moves this week.

Manchester United with a humiliating 4-0 loss to Everton to keep them in 6th place. The remaining three clubs had a win, but then each lost a game so the Top 4 remains in flux. Two of these 4 will make Champions League and two will be hugely disappointed.

Lets take a closer look at the top game of the week, Manchester City v. Tottenham. An early Man City goal and then a string a big saves. And then…a bit of controversy. Hand ball….no hand ball. It is a tough call, but could be the difference in the title race. I can tell you Liverpool fans across the world think the call was blown. The announcers all felt hand ball. But no call and Man City hangs on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gnDsgcBRL8

Race for the Title & Champions League Top 4

Win-Loss-Tie

1- Liverpool   27-1-7 88 Points. 33 Games

2- Manchester City 28-4-2. 86 Points. 34 Games

3- Tottenham  22-11-1   67 Points.  34 games.

4-Arsenal  20-8-6   66 Points. 34 Games

5-Chelsea   20-8-6  66 Points.   34 Games

6-Manchester United     19-8-7   64 Points. 34 games

3 points separate places 3-4-5-6. Crazy! Everton, Watford, Leicester City and Wolverhampton round out the Top 10.

Relegation Zone

There is now 1 team within 3 points of the 18th position and fighting to stay up, Brighton. Cardiff City is in the last relegation spot but still has a chance to leap frog Brighton (34 points) and Southampton (36 points). Two teams are now officially relegated and will return to the Championship league next year. The new bottom three:

18. Cardiff City 31 Points. Still have a chance but need to make up 3 points on the 17th spot.

19. Fulham 23 Points. RELEGATED

20.  Huddersfield 14 Points. RELEGATED

Cardiff City will need a small miracle, at minimum 2 wins but probably a team above them to just fall apart.

Match Week 35/36 Preview

Game of the Week. #2 Manchester City v #6 Manchester United. A big Manchester Derby and might determine the Title winner. This is the last big hurdle for Manchester City.. A big game for both clubs. United is looking for redemption after a disappointing game this weekend. Manchester City is looking to close out the season and take the title.

Get ready for an exciting finish to the season. 3-4 games to go. Every game is huge!!!!

The games are coming fast and furious and with Champions League and FA Cup in between, let’s try to catch up on the weekend results from the Premier League. The Title Race is still very much up for grabs. Liverpool and Manchester City both refuse to lose and with their number of games played being different, the top team keeps flipping back and forth the past few weeks. Liverpool wins and takes over first. Manchester City wins and takes back first. The pressure is pretty intense., First team to blink and take a loss, likely loses the Premier League title. No pressure….easy peasy!

The Top 4 Race is equally as dramatic, with big swings week to week as well. Let’as look at the big moves this week.

Manchester United with a huge loss against Wolves to drop them into the 6th spot. Tottenahm and Chelsea with big wins to push them up into the 3rd/4th spots. And then Arsenal, just a week ago in the drivers seat with a huge loss against Everton to drop them into 5th. 5 games to go and still undecided. Two of these 4 will make Champions League and two will be hugely disappointed.

Let’s recap the winners from Week 33 in the race for the Title and Top 4 position.

Manchester City 2-0 over Cardiff City.

Liverpool with a 3-1 win over Southampton.

Manchester United 2-1 loss to Watford.

Arsenal 1-0 loss to Everton.

Chelsea 2-0 over West Ham United.

Tottenham over Crystal Palace 2-0.

Lets take a closer look at the top game of the week, Chelsea v. West Ham United. A brace fornEden hazard. The first a pretty epic goal for the season. The ball control is world class.

The second shows off his elegant first touch and scoring ability.

Race for the Title & Champions League Top 4

Win-Loss-Tie 1- Liverpool   25-1-7 82 Points. 33 Games

2- Manchester City 26-4-2. 80 Points. 32 Games

3-Chelsea   20-6-7  66 Points.   33 Games

4- Tottenham  21-10-1   64 Points.  32 games.

5-Arsenal  19-7-6   63 Points. 32 Games

5-Manchester United     18-7-7   61 Points. 32 games

Wolves, Watford, Leicester City and Everton round out the Top 10.

Relegation Zone

There are now no teams within 3 points of the 18th position and fighting to stay up.  Southampton and Burnley sit just outside the 18th spot at 33 points and are well clear of the relegation zone. Two teams are now officially relegated and will return to the Championship league next year. The new bottom three:

18. Cardiff City 28 Points. Still have a chance but need to make up 6 points on the 17th spot.

19. Fulham 17 Points. RELEGATED

20.  Huddersfield 14 Points. RELEGATED

Cardiff City will need a small miracle, at minimum 2 wins but probably 3 and a team above them to just fall apart.

Match Week 34 Preview

Game of the Week. #1 Liverpool vs. #3 Chelsea. A big game for both clubs. The momentum of a win could carry Liverpool to a title or Chelsea to a Top 4 finish. Major implications. A very difficult game for Chelsae at Liverpool, but anytine you have Eden Hazard…you have a chance. If he is feeling it then watch out!

Get ready for an exciting finish to the season. 5-6 games to go. Every game is huge!!!!

So the end of the season is nearing. Every game now is huge and impacts the Title Race, the Race for the Top 4 and the Relegation Zone. There are a bunch of story lines developing. Chelsea had the chance to seize a Top 4 spot over the last 3 weeks. All winnable games and 9 points would have placed them in a great spot. A Win-Loss-Draw and only 4 points secured leaves them in 6th but only a point behind. Tottenham was almost a lock 5 weeks ago, with clear separation to 4-5-6th places. They have not won in 5 weeks and had back to back 2-1 losses. They have slipped to 4th and are in bad form right now. Manchester United surged from 7th to 4th over the past 6 weeks and were in a great spot….so what did they do today….they lose 2-1 to the Wolverhampton Wolves and now are at risk of missing Top 4. Arsenal was clinging to 6th last month but has been the best of the teams fighting for 3rd, back to back wins have moved them past Tottenham into 3rd. They are in form and playing well. Can they hold that form for 6 more weeks.

Let’s recap the winners from Week 32 in the race for the Title and Top 4 position.

Manchester City 2-0 over Fulham.

Liverpool with a huge 2-1 win over Tottenham.

Manchester United 2-1 over Watford.

Arsenal 2-0 victory over Newcastle.

Chelsea 2-1 over Cardiff City.

Lets take a closer look at the top game of the week, Liverpool v. Tottenham.

Race for the Title & Champions League Top 4

Win-Loss-Tie 

1- Liverpool   24-1-7 79 Points. 32 Games

2- Manchester City 25-4-2. 77 Points. 31 Games

3-Arsenal  19-6-6   63 Points. 31 Games

4- Tottenham  20-10-1   61 Points. No wins their last 5 games! 31 games.

5-Manchester United     18-7-7   61 Points. 32 games

6-Chelsea   18-6-7  60 Points.   31 Games

Wolves, Watford, Leicester City and Everton round out the Top 10.

Relegation Zone

There are now no teams within 3 points of the 18th position and fighting to stay up.  Southampton, Brighton and Burnley sit just outside the 18th spot at 33 points and are well clear of the relegation zone. Two teams are now officially relegated and will return to the Championship league next year. The new bottom three:

18. Cardiff City 8-19-4. 28 Points. Still have a chance but need to make up 6 points on the 17th spot.

19. Fulham 4-24-5. 17 Points. RELEGATED

20.  Huddersfield 3-24-5. 14 Points. RELEGATED

Cardiff City will need a small miracle, at minimum 2 wins but probably 3 and a team above them to just fall apart.

Match Week 33 Preview

Game of the Week. #10 Everton vs. #3 Arsenal. A big game for Arsenal. Major implications. Can Arsenal keep their form and lock down the #3 spot. A loss really tightens up the race for Top 4.

Get ready for an exciting finish to the season. 5-6 games to go. Every game is huge!!!!

So, before we jump into Premier League a few quick Champions League updates. We are halfway thru the Round of 16 and 4 teams have advanced to the Quarter Finals. And a few surprises to report. With the Top 16 teams in Europe remaining, you have some really high quality teams. Generally, the quality shows thru and the top teams advance. But sometimes, sometimes fate just shines down on you a bit. The ball bounces your way, the errant pass falls at your feet, the gift from the gods drops into your lap….and you take it. That is a good description of the Manchester United vs. PSG match. You can sometimes have one piece of good luck in a match, maybe two, but three…oh my. Check out these highlights. The Hand Ball call to end the game was pretty amazing. It is a controversial rule that really needs a better definition. Seems it should be pretty obvious you are trying to block, handle or deflect the ball and not just an arbitrary striking against your body. Especially from a close distance. Pretty impossible to play soccer with your arms at your side. Attempting to play the ball with a hand or arm is the idea…..you be the judge in the replay…looks like a really fortunate call for Manchester and the call that moves them into the Final 8. A gift from the soccer gods for sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnu4LP1Z1mg&feature=onebox

And we can’t talk about Champions League without mentioning Real Madrid. The greatest club in the world. Winners of the last 3 Champions League titles and 4 of the last 5. Real Madrid crashed out on the Round of 16 and by crash we mean they were humbled by Ajax. Coming into the second leg, Real had a 2-1 win and was in a good spot. Ajax took them down 4-1 and won on aggregate 5-2. And it all happened in Madrid….fans were stunned! Amazing result and a bit shocking really. Real hit the woodwork twice and Ajax punished them on the counter attack several times. A second half goal narrowed the aggregate to 1, but Ajax closed the door on a stunning free kick. Wow! Ajax, an historical European super club has not delivered many big results in the past 30 years. They won three straight European Cups in the early 70’s and dominated world football with their quality and style of play. In the 90’s they made back to back finals winning a 4th title. And then they kind of fell off the world stage. Is this a sign they are back? What a result! go Ajax! You think Real Madrid misses Christiano Ronaldo?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vHTdz04OBo&feature=onebox

Now, on to the Premier League. Week 29 in the books, and it marks the first time since early in the season when Liverpool has not been #1. This is very interesting. A tough draw for Liverpool against Everton, 0-0, cost them 2 critical points and now they are looking up at Manchester City. How will they respond?

The race to finish 3-4 is also heating up. A key match between Arsenal and Tottenham ended in a 1-1 draw and allowed Manchester United and Chelsea to close the gap. The 4 teams are separated by only 5 points and Chelsea has a game in hand (has played one less game) so they can close the gap even further. Chelsea might be in a good spot if they can manage to win their next two, jumping them up to 3rd or 4th. A big game this weekend against 7th place Wolves is critical for their Top 4 hopes.

Let’s recap the winners from Week 29.

Manchester City 1-0 over Bournemouth

Watford takes down Leicester City 2-1.

Manchester United 3-2 over Southampton.

Crystal Palace 3-1 over Burnely.

Chelsea 2-1 over Fulham.

Brighton 1-0 over Huddersfield.

Wolverhampton 2-0 over Cardiff City.

West Ham 2-0 win against Newcastle.

Race for the Title & Champions League Top 4

Win-Loss-Tie 

1- Manchester City 23-4-2. 71 Points.

2- Liverpool   21-1-7 70 Points.

3- Tottenham  20-8-1   61 Points. No wins their last 3 games!

4-Manchester United     17-5-7   58 Points.

5-Arsenal  17-6-6   57 Points.

6-Chelsea   17-6-5  56 Points. Have only played 28, a game behind , so a win puts them 4th.

Wolves, Watford, West Ham United and Everton round out the Top 10.

Relegation Zone

There are now only 2 teams within 3 points of the 18th position and fighting to stay up.  Southampton (27), sit just outside the 18th spot and are hanging on to the Premier League. The new bottom three:

18. Cardiff City 7-18-4. 25 Points

19. Fulham 4-20-5. 17 Points.

20.  Huddersfield 3-21-5. 14 Points.

Unless something changes quickly, Huddersfield is toast! Fulham is about to be toast, but that 18th and last spot, man, that will be interesting.

Match Week 30 Preview

Game of the Week. #4 Manchester United vs. #5 Arsenal. A really big game for both clubs. Major implications. The loser drops back in the race for Top 4 and might not be able to recover. A draw really helps Chelsea and Tottenham. It should be a good one. Manchester United have used up a lot of mojo getting to this spot, feels like maybe its time for them to come back to earth. Everything has gone their way lately….can that continue?

Get ready for an exciting finish to the season. 9 games to go.

Week 27/28 is almost in the books, just one game that was postponed will need to be played to finish off Week 27 and have everyone complete thru Week 28. We are back to midweek games so things are moving a bit quicker again. 10 Games left and things are getting pretty exciting at all levels of the premier League.

I think we can now say the battle for the Premier League crown is a two horse race; Liverpool vs. Manchester City. Only 1 point separates the two teams and there are 10 games to play. It is wide open. Manchester City has come into form and looks like they are ready to pounce on any mis-steps by Liverpool. Liverpool was feeling a bit of pressure in recent week, having given up a pretty good lead, but then they demolished Watford, a Top 10 team, 5-0. They seem like they are ready to hold on. It is going to be fun to watch the weekly ebb and flow of points. To bad they don’t play each other anymore, but still plenty of tough opponents for both along the last 10.

As well, the race for the Top 4 and qualification for Champions League is going to be a real battle. Tottenham have have faltered and lost the past two weeks. There are now 4 teams within 5 points of 3rd and 4th. Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea. Two will make Top 4 and Champions League and two will be very disappointed. The game of the Week 28 was Tottenham vs. Chelsea and it gave us a few great moments.

I would like to say Chelsea had the most amazing moment of the game, but in reality it was Tottenham…but for all the wrong reasons. I think the OG will go down as one of the All Time Top 10. Really incredible how it went down. A goal kick…a header into space…a defender tracking the ball back towards his goal, but never looking up at his Goal Keeper…and then in a moment he will never live down, Kevin Trippier passes the ball back to the GK. But he is not there, he has come out to play the ball. The pass slides past the GK, almost in slow motion as it heads for the net. Stunned silence from Tottenham, pure joy from Chelsea. Pedro had a nice goal and Higuain almost hits the net so a well deserved 2-0 win for Chelsea.

The other massive game from Week 27 was Manchester United vs. Liverpool. As sometimes happens in big games, a 0-0 draw, but still a few nice moments. A goal called off for offsides always gets fans going. Check it out. Injuries, offsides and almost goals were the theme of the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPNSON9hDcc

The first Trophy of the year was passed out as well last weekend, The League Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea. The game had very few shots, no goals, but did NOT lack for drama. OT and then a PK shoot out won by Man City. But the real story was how Chelsea having been embarrassed by Manchester City just two weeks ago, 6-0, outplayed and probably deserved to win in regulation. As well, the story is something I have never seen in all my years watching soccer. A player refused to be substituted, Chelsea GK, Kepa. The drama and craziness during a 5-minute span was gut wrenching. He wouldn’t leave. The coach went berserk. He had gone down twice with injury concerns, and the coach wanted him replaced. Kepa just would not leave, claiming he was good to go. A sub was on the touch line ready to come in….just crazy. The coach, Sarri, was hot! Check it out. I don’t know the language, but it doesn’t matter! You get the idea! Never seen it, might not ever see it again, what the heck Kepa…what were you thinking!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cg5fIRaxSM&t=28s

No draws this week. that doesn’t happen very often. Winners over the past week include:

Manchester City 1-0 over West Ham.

Liverpool crushes Watford 5-0.

Manchester United 3-1 over Crystal Palace.

Arsenal 5-1 whooping of Bournemouth.

Southampton 2-0 over Fulham.

Newcastle 2-0 over Burnley.

Leicester City 2-1 over Brighton.

Everton 3-0 win over Cardiff City.

Huddersfield with a big win over Wolverhampton 1-0.

Race for the Title & Champions League Top 4

Win-Loss-Tie 

1- Liverpool   21-1-6 69 Points.

2- Manchester City 22-4-2. 68 Points.

3- Tottenham  20-8-0   60 Points. Back to Back losses…ouch!

4-Arsenal  17-6-5   56 Points.

5-Manchester United     16-5-7   555 Points.

6-Chelsea   16-6-5  53 Points. Have only played 27, a game behind , so a win puts them 4th or 5th.

Wolves, Watford, Everton and West Ham United round out the Top 10.

Relegation Zone

There are now only 3 teams within 3 points of the 18th position and fighting to stay up.  Brighton (27), Southampton (27), sit just outside the 18th spot and are hanging on to the Premier League. The new bottom three:

18. Cardiff City 7-17-4. 25 Points

19. Fulham 4-19-5. 17 Points.

20.  Huddersfield 3-20-5. 14 Points.

Unless something changes quickly, Huddersfield is toast! Fulham is about to be toast, but that 18th and last spot, man, that will be interesting.

Match Week 29 Preview

Game of the Week. #3 Tottenham vs. #4 Arsenal. A really big game for both clubs. A classic North London Derby with major implications. Could
Tottenham really lose three games in a row and be in danger of dropping out of the Top 4. Can Arsenal really break their long spell of mediocrity and earn Top 4 spot. It should be a really good game!

Get ready for an exciting finish to the season. 10 games to go.

The Premier League took the week off and the focus shifted to the largest and most prestigious tournaments in Europe. This time of year the schedule gets a bit crowded, especially for top teams who are still active in multiple events, trying to fit in multiple games….and still stay competitive in the Premier League…quite a task. Let’s start with the oldest and most famous English Tournament, The FA Cup. It really is quite amazing.

The FA Cup

This is the grand daddy of English soccer tournaments.  It was started in 1870 and has run continuous since then.  The winners purse is $2,000,000 pounds.  Yes, that’s 20 times larger than the League Cup, also played with teams in English Soccer, but not quite as prestigious as the FA Cup.  Some serious cash for the winning team. Entry is available to the top 10 divisions of English football.  It is 100’s of teams who can gain entry into the tournament.  In theory, the local pub team in England can enter and win.  Not likely….but just knowing you could win makes this a really cool event with great history!  In 2011, over 700 teams entered the competition.  Crazy!  Due to the size and scope of the tournament, it starts in August each year and the finals are in May.

Here is what they are playing for…plus that cash we mentioned earlier.

We have now completed the 5th Round of the Fa Cup an here is a quick update on the remaining teams. We are down to the Final 8—Quarter Finals. The next games are March 16/17.

Waford vs. Crystal Palace. Two teams from the Premier League.

Swansea City vs. Manchester City. The favorite and top team from the Premier League against the 13th place team from the Championship Division. It’s kind of Like a #1 Seed playing a #8 Seed in the NCAA March Madness. A pretty big favorite in Man City….so let’s all cheer for Swansea!

Wolverhampton vs. Manchester United. Two teams from the Premier League, and since Man U knocked out Chelsea last weekend, we are all cheering for Wolves. Come on Wolves!

Millwall vs. Brighton. Another Premier League team (#14) verse a Championship Division team (ranked #19 in their league) . This would be like a #4 Seed in March Madness taking on a #10 seed. So we all know their is always an upset in March Madness with a lower seed team winning. Millwall is now my Favorite team left in Fa Cup. This would be a huge upset for a team ranked this low to get to the Semi-Finals, the Final Four. Let’s all cheer for the underdog. It’s what the FA Cup is all about.

League Cup Update

The finals are this weekend and the match up features this years most dominating European team, Manchester City versus struggling Chelsea. Manchester City is still alive in 4 huge competitions: League Cup, FA Cup, Champions League and also for the Premier League Title. A quadruple is still possible. Not sure if anyone has ever done the quadruple? I will research that. Their last match up in the Premier League, Manchester City humiliated Chelsea 6-0. And they play again just a few weeks later. Oh my. Any chance Chelsea can make it a game….any chance they can win….that is a big ask, but at least let’s make it a game Chelsea.

UEFA Champions League Update

Take the Top 32 Teams in Europe and put them together in a round robin format for the first round, home and away for the next round, Quarter Finals, and Semi-Finals and then an amazing Finals. It’s a pretty amazing tournament and features some of the most exciting soccer in the world. The best teams, the best players, the best stadiums…it makes for an amazing event. We are now in the Knock Out Round of 16. The first leg has been completed and here are the results.

Roma (Italy) 2 Porto (Portugal) 1

PSG (France) 2 Manchester United (England) 0

Tottenham (England) 3 Borussia Dortmund (Germany) 0

Real Madrid (Spain) 2 Ajax (Netherlands) 1

Lyon (France) 0 Barcelona (Spain) 0

Liverpool (England) 0 Bayern Munich (Germany) 0

Athletico Madrid (Spain) 2 Juventus (Italy) 0

Manchester City (England) 3 Schalke 04 (Germany) 0

The next games are March 5/6 and 12/13. Still a lot of drama with two games played at 0-0 draws. A few 1 goal games still give teams a chance to comeback and advance. Looks look at one of the crazier games from the last leg. Penalties, Red Cards, Free Kicks and a late goal…oh my. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilwNwu158Fw&feature=onebox

Europa League Update

For teams not able to qualify for Champions League, we get the “little brother” tournament. Not the best teams, but still some pretty good teams, a few great players, the stadiums are a bit smaller…..but a pretty good tournament too. I am pretty interested this year, as Chelsea are in the Europa League…plus the winner gets a spot in next years Champions League…and that might be Chelsea’s on;y chance to get back to Champions league. Ugh! We are down to the round of 32, so still a ways to go. The Round of 16 is about set. The draw for the next round of games is soon, so more to follow once those games are announced. Still too many teams from too many countries but here are a few you probably recognize:

Spain: Sevilla, Villarreal, Valencia

Italy: Napoli, Inter Milan

England: Arsenal, Chelsea

Portugal: Benfica

Had to throw in a Chelsea game….it’s been a slow spell for them so had to take a win when I can and show some highlights.

Premier League kicks in again this weekend….so get your popcorn ready!

Week 26 is in the books. 12 Games left and we now have a battle at all stages. A huge battle for the League Champion is now official. Manchester City is now officially in first in the Premier League. Liverpool seemed a shoo in at the midway point but that has all changed. Liverpool cooled off and Manchester City has gotten hot. Most feel Manchester City is the best team in Europe but Liverpool got out of the gates so fast. But now….its all square and Man City actually has the tie breaker on Goal Differential. It should be close the rest of the way. One note to consider: Manchester City have a game in hand, having already played 27 games….so all you Liverpool fans….win your next game and you are right back in first. I needed to create some drama, so kept that info for the end of the paragraph ! Bloggers prerogative!

As well, the race for the Top 4 and qualification for Champions League is going to be a real battle. Tottenham have positioned themselves in good shape, sitting at third and 9 points clear of 4th. The real battle is for the 4th spot. Three teams within 1 point. Surging Manchester United sit at 51 points. They have been hot but show signs they may have lost some form in the last few games. Injuries also are hitting them hard. Can they keep it going. Arsenal and Chelsea have both had some poor form recently and now sit at 50 points. Chelsea hit rock bottom this past weekend, suffering their biggest defeat in over 20 years in the Premier League losing 6-0 to Manchester City last weekend. It felt like 3-1 loss watching it live, but sometimes things can just unravel on you quickly. Manchester City had 5 shots in the first half, Chelsea had 8. The score at halftime Man City 4 Chelsea 0. Ouch. Two horrendous defensive mistakes, 1 amazing shot and 1 unfortunate tackle that ended up becoming a great layoff pass all turned into Goals. It was just that kind of day for Chelsea. Two great scoring chances were also snuffed out. As a Chelsea fan, hope they recover quickly, as it can’t get worse….I hope!

I hate doing it, but I guess I have to take my lumps. I had to show the amazing strike from Sergio Aguerro against Chelsea. It is his 11th hat trick in the Premier League, tying him for the career lead in hat tricks and a really, really good shot. Enjoy…I didn’t at the time but certainly appreciate the quality in this shot. wow!

As a treat, thought I would drop in the Top Goals of the year thru Week 26. Some pretty impressive strikes….which is your favorite. Enjoy!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgHNj-1JRVU

Winners over the past week include:

Manchester United 3-0 over Fulham.

Watford 1-0 over Everton.

Arsenal 2-1 win over Huddersfield Township.

Liverpool 3-0 over Bournemouth.

Cardiff City 2-1 win over Southampton.

Burnley 3-1 over Brighton

Tottenham 3-1 over Leicester City

Race for the Title & Champions League Top 4

Win-Loss-Tie 

1- Manchester City 21-4-2. 65 Points. Have played an extra game!

2- Liverpool   20-1-5 65 Points.

3- Tottenham  20-6-0   60 Points.

4-Manchester United     15-5-6   51 Points.

5-Arsenal  15-6-5   50 Points. 5th on Goals Scored Advantage

4-Chelsea   15-6-5  50 Points

Wolves, Watford, Everton and West Ham United round out the Top 10.

Relegation Zone

There are now 8 teams within 3 points of the 18th position and fighting to stay up.  Crystal Palace (27), Brighton (27), Burnley (27), Newcastle (25) and Cardiff City (25) sit just outside the 18th spot and are hanging on to the Premier League. The new bottom three:

18. Southampton 5-12-9. 24 Points

19. Fulham 4-17-5. 17 Points.

20.  Huddersfield 2-19-5 11 Points.

Unless something changes quickly, Huddersfield is toast! Fulham is about to be toast, but that 18th and last spot, man, that will be interesting.

Match Week 27 Preview

Game of the Week. #4 Manchester United vs. #1 Liverpool. A really big game for both clubs. Manchester United has surged but hope they take a loss….Chelsea needs some help. Liverpool need the win to take back control of 1st. Let’s go Liverpool!!

Get ready for an exciting finish to the season. 12 games to go.

So we are past the crazy Christmas week when the games are coming fast and furious, 2 games a week and how in the world can anyone keep up with that. This darn work thing keeps getting in the way. Full time blogging sounds like a nice gig, there is just that cash flow problem…oh well… you just need to give me a chance to get caught up this week.

A few big developments over the past few weeks, first, the big news, Liverpool finally lost a game, and oh what a game it was. Liverpool lost to title holder Manchester City in an epic battle. It was a real edge of your seat type of game. I tried to stop watching a few times as I had things to do, but I could not walk away. It had that intensity that makes your nervous watching. Constant action, an energy about it, the players felt it, the coaches felt it and certainly the fans felt it. All the talking TV heads agreed, it was the best game in the Premier League this season…by a long way. The two best clubs in the league slugging it out. I was a bit drained afterwards. Never more than a 1 goal lead and scoring chances all the time. The result was in doubt right up to whistle. Check it out.

Spanish highlights just make the game more exciting, don’t you think. This game needed something special and it just sounds better when you here “goooooooooooaaaaaaaaal!

The second big development the past few weeks is the re-emergence of Manchester United. They’re Back! This was a season that was really falling apart. Jose Mourinjo was on watch to be fired the entire year. The 3rd season curse was alive and well. The team was flat, the fans were frustrated, and the results were not good. Sitting around 7-8th in the table all year with no real direction. Paul Pogba, the best midfielder in the world was not happy, lost his captaincy, and was benched multiple times. Something had to give, and give it did when Mourinjo was finally fired after their really poor performance against Liverpool, losing 3-1 and getting dominated. Replaced by a club legend who over 10 years scored 91 goals for Manchester United in his career, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was names Caretaker manager and has righted the ship. Players are loose, confident and playing their best soccer of the season. 6 straight wins have Man U now in striking distance of a top 4 finish. In a real teat last week, Manchester v=came up big against a Top 4 team Tottenham. It was really the GK that shone brightest. David de Gea put down his claim form the best GK performance of the season with 11 saves, many of them epic and amazing. A single counter attach strike gave Man U the lead and then it was the de Gea show. Check out this amazing GK performance.

Week 21-22 Recap

A strange few weeks with only three teams able to win back to back games. Other games/winner of note were:

Manchester City with 2 wins, over Liverpool and Wolves.

Burnely with two wins over Huddersfield and Fulham.

Manchester United with two wins over Newcastle and Tottenham

Race for the Title & Champions League Top 4

Win-Loss-Tie 

1- Liverpool 18-1-3  57 Points

2- Manchester City   17-3-2   53 Points

3- Tottenham  16-6-0   48 Points

4-Chelsea      14-3-5   47 Points

5-Aresnal     12-5-5   41 Points

6-Manchester City  12-5-5   41 Points

Watford, Leicester City, West Ham United and Everton round out the Top 10.  Bournemouth and Wolverhampton dropped out of the Top 10 with recent losses.

Relegation Zone

There are now 6 teams within 3 points of the 18th position and fighting to stay up.  Burnley with two massive wins recently (21) ,Southampton (19) and Cardiff City (19) currently safe but sitting just outside the relegation zone.  The new bottom three:

18. Newcastle United 4-12-6   18 Points

19. Fulham 3-14-5  14 Points.

20.  Huddersfield 2-15-5  11 Points

Match Week 23 Preview

Game of the Week. #4 Chelsea vs. #5 Arsenal. A really big game for both clubs. Arsenal and Chelsea have both had nice moments this year, but both need 3 points desperately to maintain their Top 4 hopes.

Get ready for an exciting finish to the season. 16 games to go.

We are officially at the halfway point of the season, 19 games complete and 19 games to go. So, what is the story of the year? Liverpool, maybe but for me the real question is:

What is wrong with Manchester City! That is the the Hot Take from this week. After dropping their first Premier League game to Chelsea a few weeks back, they have now lost 3 of their last 4, losing to Crystal Palace and Leicester City in back to back games. Last years runaway winner is struggling. Their mini-slump has turned into a crises in Manchester. The next two games are huge. A game Sunday against Southampton where they need to find some momentum and then….a showdown with Liverpool. Win and they are right back in the race. Lose and they go down 7 points and maybe it’s over. Liverpool is now halfway to an unbeaten Premier League season. It has happened only twice in history. First accomplished by Preston North End in the inaugural Football League season on 1988-1989. A total of 27 games, winning the league and the FA Cup. A record of 23 wins and 4 draws over the season. The only other time it was accomplished was in the 2003-2004 season in which Arsenal became the first team to go undefeated in a 38 game Premier League season, finishing the year with 26 wins and 12 draws. Can Liverpool be the 3rd. Lots of work to do, but the dream is still alive.

Match Week 18 Recap

No feature matches between Top 6 clubs this week, but some very interesting games and results to report. The score that really shocked everyone was the Leicester City 2-1 win over struggling Manchester City. For Leicester, that is back to back big wins, having taken down Chelsea the game before. Manchester City had their chances, but it just seems when you are in a bit of a funk, that things just don’t go your way. Man City actually took a 1-0 lead, but Leicester City keep pressing all game. Two really nice goals, one on the counter attack and a rocket shot from Ricardo off a corner kick stunned Manchester City. Wow. Back to Back losses. Incredible. Did I ever tell you that this league is hard!

Let’s check out some highlights.

In other games the winners were:

Everton 5-1 over Burnley.

Liverpool rolls on with a dominating 4-0 win over Newcastle.

Tottenham is building momentum after thrashing Bournemouth 5-0

Manchester United seem to have forgotten Mourinjo after 2 wins. 3-1 over Huddersfield.

Chelsea back on track with a 2-1 win over Watford.

West ham with a 2-1 win over Southampton.

Race for the Title & Champions League Top 4

Win-Loss-Tie 

1- Liverpool 16-0-3  51 Points

2- Tottenham   15-4-0   45 Points

3- Manchester City  14-3-2   44 Points

4-Chelsea      12-3-4   40 Points

5-Aresnal     11-3-5   38 Points

6-Manchester City  9-5-5   32 Points

Leicester City, Everton, West Ham United and Watford, Bournemouth round out the Top 10.  Bournemouth and Wolverhampton dropped out of the Top 10 with recent losses.

Relegation Zone

There are now 5 teams within 3 points of the 18th position and fighting to stay up.  Southampton (15) and Cardiff City (15) currently safe but sitting just outside the relegation zone.  The new bottom three:

18. Burnley 3-13-3   12 Points

19. Fulham 2-12-5  11 Points. Their first week out tof the 20th spot on a few months.

20.  Huddersfield 2-13-4  10 Points

Match Week 20 Preview

Game of the Week. #1 Liverpool vs. #5 Arsenal. The first of two big weeks for Liverpool. Will they be caught looking ahead to Manchester City. Can Arsenal protect their title as the only undefeated Premier League Champion in the modern era of 20 teams.

Get ready for an exciting second half to the season.