Match Of The Day a few quick thoughts
Dan Tracey
May 14, 2017
2,160 Views
- As we all know by now Chelsea won the Premier League title on Friday so naturally Match Of The Day started at The Hawthorns and you can read my thoughts on that game here
- In regards to yesterday’s action though, Swansea have taken a huge leap in regards to ensuring their top flight status for another season with a win away at Sunderland
- Once again Fernando Llorente was on hand to score another crucial goal as his header put Swansea in front
- With the early advantage their tails were very much up as they made light work of a very abject Sunderland outfit
- A traveling army of Swansea fans would have been well rewarded for making the long journey when Kyle Naughton doubled their advantage just before the break
- It means that should Hull lose to Crystal Palace in a few hours time then they will be relegated before the final day of the season
- We are literally in a sudden death situation at Selhurst Park
- While at The Stadium Of Light it has been nothing short of a slow death for Sunderland this season
- David Moyes has one hell of a job on his hands as the rebuilding process for next season’s run in the EFL Championship begins in earnest
- A squad devoid of any real talent will need to be pulled apart if they are to have any chance of returning to the top flight at the first time of asking
- Manchester City solidified their chances of a top four finish as they moved back up to third place for at least 24 hours
- That said they made difficult work of beating Leicester at The Etihad
- Their opener was contentious in the fact that Raheem Sterling was not only offside but interfering with play
- He was in Kasper Schmeichel’s eyeline and then attempted to play the ball when David Silva struck towards goal
- Sterling did not make contact but it was a blatant attempt to touch it and the goal should not have stood
- Leicester can have no arguments about City’s second after Leroy Sane was bundled in the box
- Bobby Madeley pointed to the spot and Gabriel De Jesus duly obliged from 12 yards
- City 2-0 up and relatively coasting but Leicester dragged themselves back into the game with a moment of brilliance before the interval
- Marc Albrighton launched the ball into the box and Shinji Okazaki made a picture perfect connection as his volley soared past Willy Caballero
- Albrighton was caught in the wars when he was clobbered by Fernandinho’s Elbow
- On the balance of probabilities you would have to say that it was not intentional but it did leave a nasty gash under the Leicester’s midfielders eye
- City now looked somewhat nervy and rightfully so, especially when Leicester were awarded a spot kick of their own
- Riyad Mahrez was bundled down by Gael Clichy just inside the box and a spot kick was correctly awarded for the second time in the game
- Mahrez himself stepped up or did he slip up
- Bobby Madeley seemed to think so as although Mahrez scored he was adjudged to have struck the ball twice and that meant no goal. Not only that but no retake either and a free kick to City
- It was a harsh decision and another reason to raise Craig Shakespeare’s ire
- City ran out eventual winners and keep their slim chances of a second place finish alive
- Keeping their hopes of a fourth place finish alive are Arsenal with a first win at Stoke in 7 years
- They may not have broken the deadlock until three minutes before the break but it was nothing short of deserved as Oliver Giroud tapped home from close range
- Mesut Ozil would make it two soon after the restart and The Gunners looked like they were cruising to victory
- But Stoke would aim to make life difficult and managed to halve the deficit through Peter Crouch
- It was an incredibly contentious goal not only with the way that Crouch handled the ball into the goal
- But the demolition derby like nature of the build up
- Bodies were flying everywhere but the game was allowed to continue and the ball would eventually find its way into the box where substitute Crouch would prod the ball home with his arm
- Credit must go to Arsenal though as they found the extra gears to make sure of the points, Alexis Sanchez who moments before signaled to the bench that he was injured had time for last piece of important input as he made it 3-1 with a finish from the edge of the box
- While Oliver Giroud would get his third goal of the week and his second of the day as Arsenal wrapped up an impressive win on the road
- They now heap the pressure on Liverpool who travel to West Ham this afternoon
- As for Stoke question will now have to be asked as to whether or not Mark Hughes has taken the club as far as he can
- They seem to be going backwards under his tutelage which with the talent at his disposal must be something of a concern
- It was the battle of two English managers at The Vitality Stadium as Bournemouth edged out Burnley with a 2-1 win in the South Coast sun.
- Junior Stanislaus and Sam Vokes would swap strikes in a game that looked like it was going to end in a dead rubber draw
- But the man of the moment for Bournemouth Josh King had other ideas with his winner three minutes from time
- I would not be surprised if a list of suitors will eye up the Norwegian international for next season
- He really is one of the form players as of late and an FPL managers dream at present
- The other South Coast club Southampton made the long trip to Middlesbrough and ended their run without a win with a 2-1 victory of Steve Agnew’s men
- That’s a win that sees them move above West Brom to 8th in the table, they have been perennially mid table all season but they could end strongly and it could be considered a decent first season for Claude Puel
- The football may not be as exciting at times but it certainly is pragmatic enough to get results
- As for Middlesbrough the question now is who will take over the reigns on a permanent basis and whether or not Steve Agnew has done enough to be seriously considered for the gig
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