Premier League is back after a week off for tournament play. Some changes at the top after the past few weeks with Chelsea under some pressure after dropping out of the Top 4 as Tottenham continue their recent good form. Manchester United with a critical win against Chelsea in Week 28. That was a tough loss for Chelsea after leading 1-0. They face another massive game on Sunday against Manchester City. A win gets Chelsea right back on track, but a loss could mean their fight for a Top 4 is in danger.
Premier League Update
Race for the Top 4.
Manchester City 24-3-1 75 points. Plays Sunday.
Liverpool 17-9-3 60 points. 2-0 win earlier today.
Manchester United 18-5-5 59 points. Plays Monday
Tottenham 17-7-5 58 points. 2-0 win earlier today.
Chelsea 16-5-7 53 points. Plays Sunday
Arsenal 13-6-9 45 points. Plays Sunday
Race for the Relegation Zone. Still a tight race and teams fighting to get out of the zone.
17. Southampton with 28 points.
18. Crystal Palace 27 points. Plays Monday against Manchester United. Needs a big upset!
19. Stoke City with 27 points.
20. West Bromich Albion with 20 points. Seems dead man walking and no way to get out of being relegated.
Big Matches Next Weekend
Manchester City v. Chelsea is huge. A 1 v 5 match up that could be a factor in whether Chelsea can secure a Top 4 spot. Chelsea outplayed Manchester United last week but feel victim to a post and unfortunate head injury allowing a goal that flipped the momentum. They have lost back to back games where they were the better team with more shots and chances. Maybe their luck will turn tomorrow.
FA CUP Update
Round 5 games are now complete and we are on to the final 8 and Quarter Final action. There was still some hope of the underdogs advancing, but unfortunately, as expected, the clock has struck midnight, the carriage has turned back into a pumpkin and the big bad teams from the Premier League have taken over the FA Cup.
Swansea City 2 v Sheffield Wednesday 0. I was hoping for the upset just so I could continue to report on Sheffield Wednesday, I still love that name. How do you think a football club gets a name like that….they played all their games on Wednesday? The club was formed on a Wednesday? I got to google that one!
Tottenham 6 v Rochdale 1. Rochdale had their chance last week to shock the world, but you just knew Tottenham would crush their hearts in the replay. This is what you expect when a team from the Premier League plays a team from the third division.
So here are your FA Cup Quarter Final match ups.
Manchester United v Briton
Chelsea v. Leicester
Wigan v. Southampton
Tottenham v Swansea City.
Only one true underdog left is Wigan. They have a shot of getting to then Semi-Finals. The next round of games are on March 17-18.
Champions League Update
The round of 16 is underway. The second leg games will be the week of March 6 – March 14. Some quick notes on the First Leg games.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich all in really good shape to advance after convincing first round wins. Real Madrid with a huge 3-1 win over PSG, who was one of the tournament favorites. Manchester United still with some work to do after a first round tie against Sevilla. The best game of the first round: Chelsea v. Barcelona. I am a Chelsea fan and it was a tough one. Willian hit the post twice and we had several other chances to score. Willian finally got his goal but a late defensive error allowed Messi to tie. 1-1. A great game, full of drama for a 1-1 tie. Felt like Chelsea could have won 3-0, but soccer can be cruel at times, so they walk away with a tie and a tough road game in Barcelona at Camp Nou. They need a 1 goal win to advance or a 1-1 tie to get to overtime and a shootout. Check out the highlights. Ugh! Still hurts to watch. How did we not get a win in that one…sometimes the post is your friend…but sometimes it crushes your heart!