Premier League Week 21 a few very late thoughts
Dan Tracey
January 19, 2017
2,208 Views
- We may well be closer to week 22 than we are week 21 but I’ve only just found the time to sit down and reflect on what was a big weekend of Premier League action
- If we start from Sunday and work backwards as that is just about fresher in the mind
- The bigger game was at Old Trafford but the bigger headline came from Goodison Park
- Ronald Koeman’s Everton tore Manchester City apart as they ran out 4-0 winners
- A game that all but ends City’s chances of winning the title this season
- Pep Guardiola echoed those exact sentiments after their defeat and with their title hopes all but evaporated they now find themselves in the midst of a race for those covered Champions League places
- Quite simply 6 into 4 does not go
- Overall you would have to say that it was not the most super of Sundays for Manchester with the Red half having to make do with just a point against their arch rivals Liverpool
- A game which Paul Pogba will most definitely want to forget
- If you are paying £89m for a player then you would suggest expect him to be able to deal with the odd corner or two
- He did manage to deal with one but he only managed to say it away and give Liverpool the ideal opportunity to go ahead
- James Milner duly obliged and Liverpool were a steep closer to winning their first game in four matches across all competitions
- Unfortunately though they were pegged back late on by the mercurial Zlatan Ibrahimovic late on and you would have to say that a point does neither side any real favours
- On balance you would have to say that a point was the fair result as United ended the game stronger while Liverpool lagged after a bright start
- Liverpool would have probably taken a draw before hand but to get close to victory only to drop another two points would have rankled somewhat
- If Manchester were not in the best form this weekend then North London certainly was
- Tottenham were relentless as they crushed a West Brom side which never really arrived at White Hart Lane
- Harry Kane topped off a perfect week, first fatherhood and then a hat-trick against The Baggies
- From minute one, Spurs were on top and they never gave Tony Pulis’ side a foothold in the game
- That 4-0 win would see Tottenham go second and what with Liverpool’s draw they would stay there by the end of the weekend
- A win that sets them up very nicely for their trip to The Etihad on Saturday
- It was a case of anything you can do, we can do just as well for Arsenal
- They also managed to put 4 goals last their opposition as Swansea limped to another defeat at the weekend
- In the end it was a routine win for Arsenal but the talking point would have been the sulk from Alexis Sanchez when being substituted after scoring
- It may seem slightly inconsequential but with talks over a new deal still rumbling on, that’s not the sight you want to be seeing if your an Arsenal fan
- Talking of star players, the biggest story of last week was Antonio Conte’s decision to drop Diego Costa due to an apparent row over a non existent injury
- That fuelled a Chinese Takeaway for Costa but that move is yet to materialise and Chelsea did not miss his presence on Saturday
- A 3-0 win over Leicester once again made the gap at the top 7 points After Tottenham eroded it earlier in the day
- So whether Costa returns to the fold on Sunday remains to be seen
- But Leicester and their defence of the title continues to be a non existent one
- Performances like that make you wonder how on Earth they even win the league last season
- Marco Silva made the perfect Premier League managerial debut as his Hull side came from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-1
- A vital win for Hull but another worrying defeat for The Cherries
- That’s 9 goals they have conceded in their last three matches in all competitions
- It was the perfect debut for Silva but Sam Allardyce still looks for his first league win since taking over at Crystal Palace
- A return to West Ham was not a good one as his Palace side were soundly beaten at The London Stadium
- Worrying times for Palace and with Jill’s victory things are even tighter at the bottom
- But it’s now Sunderland at the foot of the table after they were beaten by Stoke at The Stadium Of Light
- 3-0 down before they even got going, a worrying defeat for The Black Cats but a win that relieves the pressure on Mark Hughes
- Burnley continue to turn Turf Moor into Fort Knox with another win in front of their own fans
- They say you need to pick up points away from home to stay up but Sean Dyche’s seem to be dispelling that myth with ease
- As good Watford vs Middlesbrough 0-0 says it all
- Not the best result for either side as the pressure continues to mount on Walter Mazzari
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