The pressure is mounting on Louis Van Gaal after Manchester United suffered back-to-back defeat, first at relegation-threatened Sunderland followed by FC Midtjylland.
The question now on everyone's lip is, if Van Gaal is an upgrade of David Moyes. Let us take a look at the results under both managers.
Louis Van Gaal
Played 51 Win 28 Draw 12 Lose 11 Win %: 54.90
David Moyes
Played 51 Win 27 Draw 9 Lose 15 Win %: 52.94
Van Gaal's win percentage of 54.90% is just slightly better than Moyes' 52.94. But the amount of investments made by the former is almost 4 times as much, £249.6m compared to £67.7m.
With such heavy spendings, the fans have every right to demand better performances from their team.
Are they really that bad?
Based on WhoScored.com, the Red Devils garnered an average rating of 6.83, 56% of possession, 10.2 shots conceded per game and 11.6 shots per game for themselves.
Hardly vintage Manchester United at her peak.
They are now six points away from Manchester City who occupied the fourth position. The prospect of missing out on the Champions
League position is real.
When this becomes a reality, one would expect Van Gaal to be shown the door.
In fact, there are rumours going around that the Dutchman will be sack soon and replace by Jose Mourinho. The appointment could happen as early as before Arsenal trip to Old Trafford.
Showing posts with label BPL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BPL. Show all posts
Thursday, 18 February 2016
Tuesday, 16 February 2016
Heroics return for double strikers
Heroics return for double strikers
Wahbi Khazri put relegation threatened side, Sunderland, ahead only for Anthony Martial to level the score for Manchester United. But a late own goal by David De Gea condemned the Red Devils to another defeat.
Giannelli Imbula Wanga, Ibrahim Afellay and Joselu gave Stoke City a 3-0 lead at Dean Court while Matt Ritchie scored a consolation goal for Bournemouth.
Troy Deeney scored from the penalty spot to put Watford ahead but Emmanuel Adebayor equalised for Crystal Palace on the stroke of half time. Troy Deeney then scored his second of the match and Palace's hopes for rescuing a point were dashed when Pape Ndiaye Souare got himself sent off.
Jose Salomon Rondon scored the only goal of the game to give West Brom a 1-0 away victory over Everton.
Robert Brady and Wesley Hoolahan gave Norwich a 2-0 lead over West Ham, but Dimitri Payet pulled a goal back. The comeback was completed three minutes later when Mark Noble made it 2-2.
A second-half goal from Shane Long was enough for Southampton as they left the Liberty Stadium with all three points.
Gus Hiddink unbeaten run as Chelsea's manager continues as the Blues defeated Newcastle 5-1. Diego Costa opened the scoring and Pedro added a second. Willian then made it 3-0 before Pedro scored his second. Bertrand Traore completed the rout with the fifth and Andros Townsend scored a consolation goal for away side.
Jamie Vardy scored a debatable penalty on the stroke of half time. Theo Walcott equalised for Arsenal after Leicester's Danny Simpson got himself sent-off for two yellow cards offences. Danny Welback, on his first game back after a 10 months laid off, headed home the winner with virtually the last kick of the game.
Liverpool got their biggest win of the season at cellar club Aston Villa. Daniel Sturridge, in his first start in two months, opened the floodgate and James Milner added the second. Further goals from Emre Can, Divock Origi, Nathaniel Clyne and Kolo Toure complete a miserable day for the Villans.
In another top of the table clash, Tottenham took the lead through a Harry Kane's controversial penalty. Kelechi Iheanacho levelled the score for Manchester City but Christian Eriksen scored the winning goal after a delightful pass from Lamela.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal: 7.07
Leicester: 7.04
Tottenham: 7.02
Man City: 6.99
Everton: 6.96
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 7.90
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): 7.79
Dimitri Payet (West Ham): 7.67
Mousa Dembele (Tottenham): 7.66
Virgil van Dijk (Southampton): 7.62
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Wahbi Khazri put relegation threatened side, Sunderland, ahead only for Anthony Martial to level the score for Manchester United. But a late own goal by David De Gea condemned the Red Devils to another defeat.
Giannelli Imbula Wanga, Ibrahim Afellay and Joselu gave Stoke City a 3-0 lead at Dean Court while Matt Ritchie scored a consolation goal for Bournemouth.
Troy Deeney scored from the penalty spot to put Watford ahead but Emmanuel Adebayor equalised for Crystal Palace on the stroke of half time. Troy Deeney then scored his second of the match and Palace's hopes for rescuing a point were dashed when Pape Ndiaye Souare got himself sent off.
Jose Salomon Rondon scored the only goal of the game to give West Brom a 1-0 away victory over Everton.
Robert Brady and Wesley Hoolahan gave Norwich a 2-0 lead over West Ham, but Dimitri Payet pulled a goal back. The comeback was completed three minutes later when Mark Noble made it 2-2.
A second-half goal from Shane Long was enough for Southampton as they left the Liberty Stadium with all three points.
Gus Hiddink unbeaten run as Chelsea's manager continues as the Blues defeated Newcastle 5-1. Diego Costa opened the scoring and Pedro added a second. Willian then made it 3-0 before Pedro scored his second. Bertrand Traore completed the rout with the fifth and Andros Townsend scored a consolation goal for away side.
Jamie Vardy scored a debatable penalty on the stroke of half time. Theo Walcott equalised for Arsenal after Leicester's Danny Simpson got himself sent-off for two yellow cards offences. Danny Welback, on his first game back after a 10 months laid off, headed home the winner with virtually the last kick of the game.
Liverpool got their biggest win of the season at cellar club Aston Villa. Daniel Sturridge, in his first start in two months, opened the floodgate and James Milner added the second. Further goals from Emre Can, Divock Origi, Nathaniel Clyne and Kolo Toure complete a miserable day for the Villans.
In another top of the table clash, Tottenham took the lead through a Harry Kane's controversial penalty. Kelechi Iheanacho levelled the score for Manchester City but Christian Eriksen scored the winning goal after a delightful pass from Lamela.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal: 7.07
Leicester: 7.04
Tottenham: 7.02
Man City: 6.99
Everton: 6.96
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 7.90
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): 7.79
Dimitri Payet (West Ham): 7.67
Mousa Dembele (Tottenham): 7.66
Virgil van Dijk (Southampton): 7.62
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Thursday, 21 January 2016
Stars aligning for Arsenal
Arsenal must be dreading their trip to the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke City. So often the bogey team for Arsenal, they must be glad to come away from the fixture with a point.
Some will say this is just another game, unlike the local derbies or top of the table clash. But is this really so? Not, according to the fortune tellers among the fans.
They will look into the history books and point out a fact. In the past 5 seasons, no eventual league champion has lost at the Britannia Stadium.
Looking at the likely contenders for the title this season, Stoke has beaten both Manchester clubs while Tottenham has yet to visit Stoke. Only Arsenal and Leicester has gone and came away without suffering a defeat. If we are to push further, Liverpool has recorded a win.
The historians in them went further. Out of the five seasons, four teams who led the table on New Year's Day remain in top spot at the end of the season. And the club who is leading the pack on New Year's Day, Arsenal.
Putting both "facts" together, the fortune telling instinct kicks in and they predicted that the Gunners will be crowned champions come May. It is written in the stars, they says.
How far is their prediction from the reality? Let us look at the statistic provided by WhoScored.com.
With an overall rating of 7.07, Arsenal are the top in terms of performance points, followed closely by Leicester with a score of 7.02.
Arsenal under Wenger's reign is known for their possession and passing game. While they have somewhat change their tactics this season, they are still among the top of the pile with 55.8% possession and 84.3% successful passes.
One surprising stats is the number of goals from counter-attack. Speed is essential during a counter attack and with a forward line consisting of Sanchez, Walcott, Chamberlain and aided by Bellerin raiding down the right flank, they have plenty of it. How they cannot take advantage of it is anyone's guess.
Topping almost in all categories, it does looks like the London club is in for a real shout. The fortune tellers could be right afterall.
But there is one fact they missed out. The only team which was at the top on New Year's Day and failed to win the title, ARSENAL.
Do you think Arsenal will end their 12 years wait for the league title?
Some will say this is just another game, unlike the local derbies or top of the table clash. But is this really so? Not, according to the fortune tellers among the fans.
They will look into the history books and point out a fact. In the past 5 seasons, no eventual league champion has lost at the Britannia Stadium.
Looking at the likely contenders for the title this season, Stoke has beaten both Manchester clubs while Tottenham has yet to visit Stoke. Only Arsenal and Leicester has gone and came away without suffering a defeat. If we are to push further, Liverpool has recorded a win.
The historians in them went further. Out of the five seasons, four teams who led the table on New Year's Day remain in top spot at the end of the season. And the club who is leading the pack on New Year's Day, Arsenal.
Putting both "facts" together, the fortune telling instinct kicks in and they predicted that the Gunners will be crowned champions come May. It is written in the stars, they says.
How far is their prediction from the reality? Let us look at the statistic provided by WhoScored.com.
With an overall rating of 7.07, Arsenal are the top in terms of performance points, followed closely by Leicester with a score of 7.02.
Arsenal under Wenger's reign is known for their possession and passing game. While they have somewhat change their tactics this season, they are still among the top of the pile with 55.8% possession and 84.3% successful passes.
One surprising stats is the number of goals from counter-attack. Speed is essential during a counter attack and with a forward line consisting of Sanchez, Walcott, Chamberlain and aided by Bellerin raiding down the right flank, they have plenty of it. How they cannot take advantage of it is anyone's guess.
Topping almost in all categories, it does looks like the London club is in for a real shout. The fortune tellers could be right afterall.
But there is one fact they missed out. The only team which was at the top on New Year's Day and failed to win the title, ARSENAL.
Do you think Arsenal will end their 12 years wait for the league title?
Tuesday, 19 January 2016
England greatest striker
While both teams are hardly the force they used to be, the match between Liverpool and Manchester United will always be one of the most anticipated game of the season. It is no difference when the two side met over the weekend.
How the game panned out mirror the problems bugging either side. Despite playing better and having created better chances, Liverpool is unable to find a way to goal. Manchester United on the other hand, scored with probably their only clear-cut chance, when Wayne Rooney reacted the quickest after Marouane Fellani's header came back off the crossbar.
In scoring the goal, Rooney has created history. Firstly, this is his first goal at Anfield in more than 10 years. Secondly, with 176 goals Premier League goals for the Red Devils, he became the player who scored the most Premier League goals for a single club, surpressing Thierry Henry's record of 175 goals for Arsenal.
His current total goal tally stands at 242 goals in all competition, just 7 shy of Sir Bobby Charlton's all time record of 249. At 30 years of age, there are plenty of chances left for him overtake and become Manchester United greatest scorer.
On the comparison with Sir Bobby Charlton, Rooney has overtaken former's 45 years reign as England's all time leading scorer.
With 6 goals in 17 league appearances, according to WhoScored.com, this is hardly Rooney's vintage season. But time and again, the England skipper bailed his side out.
Records are crumbling and the next in line will be Peter Shilton's record of 129 appearances for the Three Lions. With 109 caps, don't bet against it happening.
So, is Wayne Rooney the best English striker ever for both club and country?
How the game panned out mirror the problems bugging either side. Despite playing better and having created better chances, Liverpool is unable to find a way to goal. Manchester United on the other hand, scored with probably their only clear-cut chance, when Wayne Rooney reacted the quickest after Marouane Fellani's header came back off the crossbar.
In scoring the goal, Rooney has created history. Firstly, this is his first goal at Anfield in more than 10 years. Secondly, with 176 goals Premier League goals for the Red Devils, he became the player who scored the most Premier League goals for a single club, surpressing Thierry Henry's record of 175 goals for Arsenal.
His current total goal tally stands at 242 goals in all competition, just 7 shy of Sir Bobby Charlton's all time record of 249. At 30 years of age, there are plenty of chances left for him overtake and become Manchester United greatest scorer.
On the comparison with Sir Bobby Charlton, Rooney has overtaken former's 45 years reign as England's all time leading scorer.
With 6 goals in 17 league appearances, according to WhoScored.com, this is hardly Rooney's vintage season. But time and again, the England skipper bailed his side out.
Records are crumbling and the next in line will be Peter Shilton's record of 129 appearances for the Three Lions. With 109 caps, don't bet against it happening.
So, is Wayne Rooney the best English striker ever for both club and country?
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
Arsenal extend lead. City keep pace.
Michail Antonio put West Ham ahead under controversial circumstances. Former Reds' striker Andy Carroll added a second with a typical bullet header.
Arsenal were made to work hard for their 1-0 victory over Newcastle. The visitors had the better chances but found Petr Cech near impossible to breach. They were made to pay when Laurent Koscielny popped out with the winner.
Leicester's goal-less streak extends to 3 games when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Bournemouth. Riyad Mahrez had the best chance of the game but he missed from the penalty spot.
Manchester United ended their 6 games winless run with a 2-1 victory over Swansea. Wayne Rooney scored the winning goal after Gylfi Sigurdsson cancelled out Anthony Martial's opener.
Alexander Tettey scored the only goal of the game to give Norwich a 1-0 win over Southampton which saw Victor Wanyama sent off shortly before the goal.
Sunderland came away with three important points against fellow struggler, Aston Villa. Patrick van Aanholt gave Sunderland the lead with Carles Gil equalising for the away side. Jermain Defoe then scored two goals to give Sunderland the win.
Jonny Evans late goal gave West Brom a 2-1 victory over Stoke after Stephane Sessegnon and Jonathan Walters had levelled the score at 1-1.
Manchester City scored two goals in three minutes to leave Vicarage Road with all three points. Yaya Toure cancelled out Aleksandar Kolarov's own goal before Sergio Aguero scored the winning goal.
Chelsea continue their revival under manager Guus Hiddink. Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa scored the goals.
Points were shared between Everton and Tottenham. Ex-Spurs player, Aaron Lennon gave Everton the lead before Dele Alli equalised at the stroke of half time.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal: 7.08
Leicester: 7.01
Tottenham: 7
Man City: 6.99
Everton: 6.93
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.09
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): 7.84
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal): 7.68
Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 7.65
Mousa Dembele (Tottenham): 7.63
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Arsenal were made to work hard for their 1-0 victory over Newcastle. The visitors had the better chances but found Petr Cech near impossible to breach. They were made to pay when Laurent Koscielny popped out with the winner.
Leicester's goal-less streak extends to 3 games when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Bournemouth. Riyad Mahrez had the best chance of the game but he missed from the penalty spot.
Manchester United ended their 6 games winless run with a 2-1 victory over Swansea. Wayne Rooney scored the winning goal after Gylfi Sigurdsson cancelled out Anthony Martial's opener.
Alexander Tettey scored the only goal of the game to give Norwich a 1-0 win over Southampton which saw Victor Wanyama sent off shortly before the goal.
Sunderland came away with three important points against fellow struggler, Aston Villa. Patrick van Aanholt gave Sunderland the lead with Carles Gil equalising for the away side. Jermain Defoe then scored two goals to give Sunderland the win.
Jonny Evans late goal gave West Brom a 2-1 victory over Stoke after Stephane Sessegnon and Jonathan Walters had levelled the score at 1-1.
Manchester City scored two goals in three minutes to leave Vicarage Road with all three points. Yaya Toure cancelled out Aleksandar Kolarov's own goal before Sergio Aguero scored the winning goal.
Chelsea continue their revival under manager Guus Hiddink. Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa scored the goals.
Points were shared between Everton and Tottenham. Ex-Spurs player, Aaron Lennon gave Everton the lead before Dele Alli equalised at the stroke of half time.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal: 7.08
Leicester: 7.01
Tottenham: 7
Man City: 6.99
Everton: 6.93
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.09
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): 7.84
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal): 7.68
Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 7.65
Mousa Dembele (Tottenham): 7.63
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Monday, 28 December 2015
Leicester and Arsenal loses
Bojan Krkic put Stoke ahead and Marko Arnautovic added a superb second to condemn Manchester United to their third consecutive defeat in the Premier League.
Bournemouth and Crystal Palace played out a goal-less draw, a result which maintained the unbeaten run in December for both team.
Diego Costa put Chelsea ahead but Troy Deeney to level the score from the penalty spot. Odion Ighalo then put Watford ahead only for Diego Costa to score his second of the match. Oscar has a chance to put Chelsea back in front but miss from the spot.
Remi Garde's winless run as manager of Aston Villa continues as the Villians were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham. Aaron Cresswell put the visitor ahead but Jordan Ayew converted his penalty to level things up.
Liverpool ended eicester City's 10 games unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory. Christian Benteke scored the only goal of the game.
Raheem Sterling opened the scoring for Manchester City before goals from Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony gave the home team a 3-0 half-time lead. Kevin de Bruyne added a fourth. Fabio Borini scored a consolation goal for Sunderland.
Sung-Yueng Ki scored the only goal in the match between Swansea City and West Brom. The result snapped the Swans' 7 games winless streak.
Tottenham defeated Norwich 3-0 with two first half goals from Harry Kane and another by Jonathan Howson in the second period.
A late goal by Tom Cleverley ensure Everton leaves St. James Park with all three points.
Southampton inflicted Arsenal's heaviest defeat of the season. Cuco Martina opened the scoring with a brilliant goal. Shane Long added a second before Jose Miguel Fonte punished the Gunners sloppy defending from a corner. Long rounded off the scoring with his second of the night.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal: 7.09
Leicester: 7.03
Tottenham: 7.01
Man City: 6.99
Everton: 6.92
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.26
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): 7.86
Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 7.69
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal): 7.68
Dimitri Payet: 7.68
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Bournemouth and Crystal Palace played out a goal-less draw, a result which maintained the unbeaten run in December for both team.
Diego Costa put Chelsea ahead but Troy Deeney to level the score from the penalty spot. Odion Ighalo then put Watford ahead only for Diego Costa to score his second of the match. Oscar has a chance to put Chelsea back in front but miss from the spot.
Remi Garde's winless run as manager of Aston Villa continues as the Villians were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham. Aaron Cresswell put the visitor ahead but Jordan Ayew converted his penalty to level things up.
Liverpool ended eicester City's 10 games unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory. Christian Benteke scored the only goal of the game.
Raheem Sterling opened the scoring for Manchester City before goals from Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony gave the home team a 3-0 half-time lead. Kevin de Bruyne added a fourth. Fabio Borini scored a consolation goal for Sunderland.
Sung-Yueng Ki scored the only goal in the match between Swansea City and West Brom. The result snapped the Swans' 7 games winless streak.
Tottenham defeated Norwich 3-0 with two first half goals from Harry Kane and another by Jonathan Howson in the second period.
A late goal by Tom Cleverley ensure Everton leaves St. James Park with all three points.
Southampton inflicted Arsenal's heaviest defeat of the season. Cuco Martina opened the scoring with a brilliant goal. Shane Long added a second before Jose Miguel Fonte punished the Gunners sloppy defending from a corner. Long rounded off the scoring with his second of the night.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal: 7.09
Leicester: 7.03
Tottenham: 7.01
Man City: 6.99
Everton: 6.92
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.26
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): 7.86
Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 7.69
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal): 7.68
Dimitri Payet: 7.68
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Sunday, 13 December 2015
Leicester City, a breath of fresh air
Most would have predicted Leicester to struggle like last season where they looked set for relegation for most part of the season only to put in a strong end towards the end to drag themselves to safety.
A pre-season which saw three players sacked for racist orgy and the manager leaving as an aftermath of the fiasco, only strengthen the belief.
One can only rubbed their eyes in disbelief, even the most ardent of supporters, when they see the table with a third of the season gone. Top of the table and two points clear of the second place Arsenal.
So what happened that drastically change the club's fortunate?
First is the appointment of Claudio Ranieri. The "Tinkerman" has often been ridiculed for his habit of tinkering with the team's formation and lineup but fact is he ain't too bad a manager.
In his final season at Chelsea, he led the team to a second place finish with the least goals conceded. Most importantly, he laid the foundation, including identifying Didier Drogba and Arjen Robben as the players to sign, for title winning team the following season.
Second is the form for the players, especially Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. While the game is base on the entire team's effort, both are without doubts the standout stars.
Currently the top scorer in the Premier League with 14 goals, Jamie Vardy scored in 11 consecutive games, breaking Ruud Van Nistelrooy's record of 10 games. Vardy also became the first player to do so in a single season (Van Nistelrooy's 10 games was at the end of the 2002–2003 season and the beginning of the 2003–2004 season).
Riyad Mahrez contributed 10 goals to the cause and according to WhoScored.com, the Algerian scored an average point of 8.33, the highest performing player in the Premier League and second to Neymar in the European scene.
The question now is can they maintain the form and break the big four strangle-hold?
One argument is that the fixture list has been kind to Leicester and the litmus test is when they face the big 5. So far, they have only played Arsenal and Manchester United and the results read 1 lost (Arsenal) and 1 draw.
At the point of writing, they are scheduled to play Chelsea. Chelsea has been in such poor form whereby a Leicester won't send shockwave across the country but it will at least somewhat put rest the argument.
While the fans and purists will hope they can do the unthinkable, I guess is that they won't last the distance and I hope my prediction won't return to bite me.
A pre-season which saw three players sacked for racist orgy and the manager leaving as an aftermath of the fiasco, only strengthen the belief.
One can only rubbed their eyes in disbelief, even the most ardent of supporters, when they see the table with a third of the season gone. Top of the table and two points clear of the second place Arsenal.
So what happened that drastically change the club's fortunate?
First is the appointment of Claudio Ranieri. The "Tinkerman" has often been ridiculed for his habit of tinkering with the team's formation and lineup but fact is he ain't too bad a manager.
In his final season at Chelsea, he led the team to a second place finish with the least goals conceded. Most importantly, he laid the foundation, including identifying Didier Drogba and Arjen Robben as the players to sign, for title winning team the following season.
Second is the form for the players, especially Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. While the game is base on the entire team's effort, both are without doubts the standout stars.
Currently the top scorer in the Premier League with 14 goals, Jamie Vardy scored in 11 consecutive games, breaking Ruud Van Nistelrooy's record of 10 games. Vardy also became the first player to do so in a single season (Van Nistelrooy's 10 games was at the end of the 2002–2003 season and the beginning of the 2003–2004 season).
Riyad Mahrez contributed 10 goals to the cause and according to WhoScored.com, the Algerian scored an average point of 8.33, the highest performing player in the Premier League and second to Neymar in the European scene.
The question now is can they maintain the form and break the big four strangle-hold?
One argument is that the fixture list has been kind to Leicester and the litmus test is when they face the big 5. So far, they have only played Arsenal and Manchester United and the results read 1 lost (Arsenal) and 1 draw.
At the point of writing, they are scheduled to play Chelsea. Chelsea has been in such poor form whereby a Leicester won't send shockwave across the country but it will at least somewhat put rest the argument.
While the fans and purists will hope they can do the unthinkable, I guess is that they won't last the distance and I hope my prediction won't return to bite me.
Monday, 7 December 2015
Leicester goes top while Chelsea lost at home again
Marko Arnautovic scored twice within the first 15 minutes to condemn the Manchester City to their second defeat in three games.
Joel Campbell put the host ahead but Olivier Giroud's own goal ensure both teams went into half time on level time. The Frenchman scored on the right end to put Arsenal ahead and Aaron Ramsey ensure the victory.
When Manchester United hosted West Ham, it was the third best home record versus the third best away record. The result was both side cancelling each other out in a 0-0 draw.
Southampton was held to a 1-1 draw at home against Aston Villa. Joleon Lescott put the away team ahead before Oriol Romeu equalised in the second half.
Leicester moved to the top of the table with a 3-0 victory over Swansea City. Riyad Mahrez scored all three goals.
The match between two newly promoted teams saw the home team grabbing all three points. Troy Deeney put the home team ahead and Odion Ighalo added a second in the 90th minute.
FT West Bromwich Albion 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
Spoils were shared between West Brom and Tottenham. Dele Alli put the visitors ahead but were held back when James McClean equalised for the home side.
Chelsea's dreadful season continues as they slumped to another home defeat, their fourth this season. Glenn Murray scored the only goal of the game.
Newcastle grabbed a much needed victory to move above cross-town rival Sunderland in the league table. Martin Skrtel put through his own net before Georginio Wijnaldum confirmed all three points.
Crystal Palace went ahead through Scott Dann before in-form striker, Romelu Lukaku, equalised for the home team.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal : 7.14
Leicester: 7.04
Tottenham: 7
Manchester City: 6.99
Everton: 6.94
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.33
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): 7.86
Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 7.82
Mousa Dembele (Tottenham): 7.72
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal): 7.68
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Joel Campbell put the host ahead but Olivier Giroud's own goal ensure both teams went into half time on level time. The Frenchman scored on the right end to put Arsenal ahead and Aaron Ramsey ensure the victory.
When Manchester United hosted West Ham, it was the third best home record versus the third best away record. The result was both side cancelling each other out in a 0-0 draw.
Southampton was held to a 1-1 draw at home against Aston Villa. Joleon Lescott put the away team ahead before Oriol Romeu equalised in the second half.
Leicester moved to the top of the table with a 3-0 victory over Swansea City. Riyad Mahrez scored all three goals.
The match between two newly promoted teams saw the home team grabbing all three points. Troy Deeney put the home team ahead and Odion Ighalo added a second in the 90th minute.
FT West Bromwich Albion 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
Spoils were shared between West Brom and Tottenham. Dele Alli put the visitors ahead but were held back when James McClean equalised for the home side.
Chelsea's dreadful season continues as they slumped to another home defeat, their fourth this season. Glenn Murray scored the only goal of the game.
Newcastle grabbed a much needed victory to move above cross-town rival Sunderland in the league table. Martin Skrtel put through his own net before Georginio Wijnaldum confirmed all three points.
Crystal Palace went ahead through Scott Dann before in-form striker, Romelu Lukaku, equalised for the home team.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal : 7.14
Leicester: 7.04
Tottenham: 7
Manchester City: 6.99
Everton: 6.94
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.33
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): 7.86
Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 7.82
Mousa Dembele (Tottenham): 7.72
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal): 7.68
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Monday, 12 October 2015
South American treats for Arsenal and Manchester City
Stoke got their second straight win as Marko Arnautovic scored the only goal of the game. The defeat leaves West Brom seeking their first home win of the season.
After a goal-less first half, Crystal Palace scored twice in the second half to clinch victory. Yannick Bolasie put this host ahead and Yohan Cabaye added the second with a late penalty.
Points were shared between the two newly promoted side. Glenn Murray puts the home side ahead but Odion Ighalo ensures the Watford went into the dressing room on level term. Murray had the opportunity to win the game for Bournemouth late on but missed his penalty.
Manchester City went into the game on the back of two consecutive defeats. The home supporters can be forgiven for feeling the worse when Aleksandar Mitrovic puts Newcastle ahead. But Sergio Aguero equalised just before half time. Two goals within 6 minutes of the restart from the Argentine hotshot puts Manchester City 3-1 ahead. Kevin de Bruyne added the fourth before Augero added two more to his tally.
Seeking a quick response to their first defeat last week, Leicester found themselves 2-0 up with goals from Jamie Vardy and Jeffrey Schlupp. Dieumerci Mbokani put a goal back for the home team.
Sunderland seems to be on their way to their first victory of the season when Steven Fletcher and Jeremain Lens put them 2-0 ahead. Carl Jenkinson put a goal back on the stroke of half-time and the comeback was completed when Dimitri Payet equalised for West Ham.
Willian put Chelsea ahead only for Steven Davis to equalise for Southampton. Further goals from Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle condemned Chelsea to their second home defeat.
Two late goals were the highlights of a rather dull Mersey derby. Danny Ings benefitted from some slack defending to put Liverpool ahead. But the lead lasted only 3 minutes when Romelu Lukaku took advantage of defensive mistake to level the score for Everton.
A fast start from Arsenal saw them went 3-0 ahead within 20 minutes. Alexis Sanchez put the home team ahead and Mesut Oezil added the second a minute later. Sanchez got his second of the day to ensure the Gunners leapfrogged Manchester United into second place.
Andre Ayew put Swansea ahead only for Christian Eriksen to equalised for Tottenham. A Harry Kane own goal restored the home team advantage only for Eriksen to spare his team-mate blushes with another equaliser.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal: 7.18
Manchester City: 7.1
Tottenham: 6.97
Leicester: 6.95
West Ham: 6.94
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.46
David Silva (Manchester City): 8.04
Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 7.87
Dimitri Payet (West Ham): 7.85
Santi Cazorla (Arsenal): 7.77
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
After a goal-less first half, Crystal Palace scored twice in the second half to clinch victory. Yannick Bolasie put this host ahead and Yohan Cabaye added the second with a late penalty.
Points were shared between the two newly promoted side. Glenn Murray puts the home side ahead but Odion Ighalo ensures the Watford went into the dressing room on level term. Murray had the opportunity to win the game for Bournemouth late on but missed his penalty.
Manchester City went into the game on the back of two consecutive defeats. The home supporters can be forgiven for feeling the worse when Aleksandar Mitrovic puts Newcastle ahead. But Sergio Aguero equalised just before half time. Two goals within 6 minutes of the restart from the Argentine hotshot puts Manchester City 3-1 ahead. Kevin de Bruyne added the fourth before Augero added two more to his tally.
Seeking a quick response to their first defeat last week, Leicester found themselves 2-0 up with goals from Jamie Vardy and Jeffrey Schlupp. Dieumerci Mbokani put a goal back for the home team.
Sunderland seems to be on their way to their first victory of the season when Steven Fletcher and Jeremain Lens put them 2-0 ahead. Carl Jenkinson put a goal back on the stroke of half-time and the comeback was completed when Dimitri Payet equalised for West Ham.
Willian put Chelsea ahead only for Steven Davis to equalise for Southampton. Further goals from Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle condemned Chelsea to their second home defeat.
Two late goals were the highlights of a rather dull Mersey derby. Danny Ings benefitted from some slack defending to put Liverpool ahead. But the lead lasted only 3 minutes when Romelu Lukaku took advantage of defensive mistake to level the score for Everton.
A fast start from Arsenal saw them went 3-0 ahead within 20 minutes. Alexis Sanchez put the home team ahead and Mesut Oezil added the second a minute later. Sanchez got his second of the day to ensure the Gunners leapfrogged Manchester United into second place.
Andre Ayew put Swansea ahead only for Christian Eriksen to equalised for Tottenham. A Harry Kane own goal restored the home team advantage only for Eriksen to spare his team-mate blushes with another equaliser.
Top five performing team *
Arsenal: 7.18
Manchester City: 7.1
Tottenham: 6.97
Leicester: 6.95
West Ham: 6.94
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.46
David Silva (Manchester City): 8.04
Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 7.87
Dimitri Payet (West Ham): 7.85
Santi Cazorla (Arsenal): 7.77
* all statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Wednesday, 16 September 2015
Leicester moved to second while Newcastle condemned to the bottom
Leader Manchester City face an in-form Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park without David Silva or Raheem Sterling. To make thing worse, they lost Sergio Augero on the 25th minute through injury. The game seems to be heading for a draw until Kelechi Iheanacho came up with the winner to preserve Manchester City 100% start to the season.
Champions Chelsea poor start to the season just got worse as they lost 3-1 to Everton at Goodison Park. Steven Naismith scored twice in 5 minutes to give the home team a 2-0 lead. Nemanja Matic gave Chelsea hope of a fightback when he thumped in from distance. However, Naismith hat-trick ensure all three points for Everton.
The game of the weekend sees Manchester United hosting their fierce rival, Liverpool. After an uninspiring first half, Danny Blind opened the scoring 4 minutes after the restart. Ander Herrera added a second from the penalty spot. Christian Benteke scored a brilliant bicycle kick to give Liverpool a glimmer of hope which was extinguished within 2 minutes. Making his debut, Anthony Martial beat three defenders before sliding the ball into the net.
Despite their near total dominance, the Gunners went into the half-time only 1-0 ahead, courtesy of a Theo Walcott goal. Stoke had goalkeeper Jack Butland to thank for keeping the scoreline down but he is unable to stop Olivier Giroud from adding a second.
Two teams who were winless faced off at the Stadium of Light and Tottenham came away with the three points with Ryan Mason scoring the only goal of the game.
In the battle between the newly promoted sides, Norwich defeated Bournemouth 3-1 at the Carrow Road. Cameron Jerome opened the scoring with Wesley Hoolah and Matt Jarvis adding further goals. Steve Cook scored the consolidation goal for the visitor.
Watford got their first win of the season, beating Swansea 1-0. Odion Ighalo scored the winner but the home team had to play with 10 men after Valon Behrami was shown a straight red on 64th minutes.
Leicester completed a remarkable comeback to defeat Aston Villa. Jack Grealish and Carles Gil put the visitor 2-0 ahead. Ritchie De Laet pull one goal back before Jamie Vardy equalised for The Foxes. The comeback was completed when Nathan Dyer scored with 1 minute left.
West Brom and Southampton played out a goal-less draw at The Hawthorns.
Over at Boleyn Ground, Dimitri Payet scored twice to condemn Newcastle to the bottom of the table.
Top five performing team *
Manchester City: 7.23
Arsenal: 7.13
Leicester: 6.99
West Ham: 6.96
Everton: 6.94
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.76
David Silva (Manchester City): 8.03
Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City): 7.88
Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace): 7.86
Yaya Toure (Manchester City): 7.86
*Statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Champions Chelsea poor start to the season just got worse as they lost 3-1 to Everton at Goodison Park. Steven Naismith scored twice in 5 minutes to give the home team a 2-0 lead. Nemanja Matic gave Chelsea hope of a fightback when he thumped in from distance. However, Naismith hat-trick ensure all three points for Everton.
The game of the weekend sees Manchester United hosting their fierce rival, Liverpool. After an uninspiring first half, Danny Blind opened the scoring 4 minutes after the restart. Ander Herrera added a second from the penalty spot. Christian Benteke scored a brilliant bicycle kick to give Liverpool a glimmer of hope which was extinguished within 2 minutes. Making his debut, Anthony Martial beat three defenders before sliding the ball into the net.
Despite their near total dominance, the Gunners went into the half-time only 1-0 ahead, courtesy of a Theo Walcott goal. Stoke had goalkeeper Jack Butland to thank for keeping the scoreline down but he is unable to stop Olivier Giroud from adding a second.
Two teams who were winless faced off at the Stadium of Light and Tottenham came away with the three points with Ryan Mason scoring the only goal of the game.
In the battle between the newly promoted sides, Norwich defeated Bournemouth 3-1 at the Carrow Road. Cameron Jerome opened the scoring with Wesley Hoolah and Matt Jarvis adding further goals. Steve Cook scored the consolidation goal for the visitor.
Watford got their first win of the season, beating Swansea 1-0. Odion Ighalo scored the winner but the home team had to play with 10 men after Valon Behrami was shown a straight red on 64th minutes.
Leicester completed a remarkable comeback to defeat Aston Villa. Jack Grealish and Carles Gil put the visitor 2-0 ahead. Ritchie De Laet pull one goal back before Jamie Vardy equalised for The Foxes. The comeback was completed when Nathan Dyer scored with 1 minute left.
West Brom and Southampton played out a goal-less draw at The Hawthorns.
Over at Boleyn Ground, Dimitri Payet scored twice to condemn Newcastle to the bottom of the table.
Top five performing team *
Manchester City: 7.23
Arsenal: 7.13
Leicester: 6.99
West Ham: 6.96
Everton: 6.94
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.76
David Silva (Manchester City): 8.03
Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City): 7.88
Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace): 7.86
Yaya Toure (Manchester City): 7.86
*Statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Sunday, 6 September 2015
Home comfort no longer an advantage
Whether the club is fighting for the title or fending off relegation, home results are important. With familiar surroundings and the home crowd roaring the team on, the home team certainly has the advantage.
But is this the case? Not, if one look at the results from the first 40 games in the Premier League. It reads, played 40, 9 wins, 14 draws and 17 defeats.
Among the casulties, Chelsea and Stoke City, who have gained a reputation of being hard to beat at home. Between them, they have garnered just a single point.
So, did the teams performed better away from their comfort zone?
Let us take a look at the statistics, provided by WhoScored.com
Shots per game / Possession (%) / Pass Success (%) / Aerials Won / Rating
Manchester City
[home] 18 / 53.2 / 87.9 / 12 / 7.31
[away] 18 / 58.4 / 88.5 / 14 / 7.29
Swansea
[home] 14 / 50.5 / 84.0 / 12.5 / 7.10
[away] 18.5 / 53.8 / 81.8 / 19 / 6.90
Arsenal
[home] 20.5 / 60.8 / 85.4 / 26 / 7.03
[away] 21 / 62.5 / 88.7 / 14 / 7.05
Leicester
[home] 16 / 42.6 / 70.8 / 16 / 7.00
[away] 7 / 40.9 / 65.7 / 20.5 / 6.85
Watford
[home] 14.5 / 55.3 / 79.5 / 21 / 6.93
[away] 9 / 40.9 / 79.7 / 16 / 6.77
Manchester United
[home] 14.5 / 56.6 / 86.1 / 10.5 / 6.91
[away] 10 / 57.7 / 84.0 / 20 / 6.80
Southampton
[home] 20 / 56.0 / 84.9 / 18.5 / 6.90
[away] 14 / 47.9 / 77.2 / 22.5 / 6.99
Aston Villa
[home] 13 / 52.2 / 82.5 / 20.5 / 6.88
[away] 9 / 47.4 / 78.6 / 22 / 6.94
Tottenham
[home] 16.5 / 50.8 / 82.9 / 16.5 / 6.86
[away] 14 / 55.4 / 82.3 / 18 / 6.69
Crystal Palace
[home] 13.5 / 46.8 / 79.8 / 19.5 / 6.75
[away] 12 / 40.7 / 74.0 / 11.5 / 7.04
Chelsea
[home] 18.5 / 55.1 / 82.2 / 17.5 / 6.74
[away] 12.5 / 53.1 / 82.1 / 18.5 / 6.58
Everton
[home] 10 / 53.8 / 81.3 / 15.5 / 6.69
[away] 9 / 48.6 / 81.6 / 14 / 7.06
Sunderland
[home] 8 / 43.1 / 68.6 / 15.5 / 6.63
[away] 9 / 47.9 / 76.3 / 23.5 / 6.68
Liverpool
[home] 15.5 / 56.7 / 83.7 / 20 / 6.60
[away] 11.5 / 45.5 / 75.8 / 25 / 7.10
Newcastle United
[home] 5 / 42.7 / 79.9 / 11.5 / 6.57
[away] 5.5 / 37.1 / 75.4 / 10 / 6.62
Norwich
[home] 18.5 / 51.6 / 80.9 / 10.5 / 6.56
[away] 12 / 48.0 / 76.7 / 16.5 / 6.64
Bournemouth
[home] 8 / 54.9 / 80.0 / 21.5 / 6.52
[away] 14 / 49.6 / 74.5 / 22 / 6.78
Stoke
[home] 10 / 48.0 / 78.8 / 14 / 6.46
[away] 10.5 / 52.1 / 82.8 / 11.5 / 6.75
West Ham
[home] 10 / 54.7 / 78.1 / 23 / 6.45
[away] 10 / 40.9 / 72.1 / 16.5 / 7.28
West Brom
[home] 12 / 40.6 / 78.6 / 11 / 6.43
[away] 10.5 / 45.4 / 79.4 / 18 / 6.96
Looking at the numbers, this is definitely so, with only 7 teams managed a better average home ratings.
Why is this so? A theory is that the home teams have to take the game to the oppositions and in the process, exposed themselves to the counter-attack which the away teams usually deployed.
But whatever the reason, one can be sure that as the season progress, it will be business as usual.
But is this the case? Not, if one look at the results from the first 40 games in the Premier League. It reads, played 40, 9 wins, 14 draws and 17 defeats.
Among the casulties, Chelsea and Stoke City, who have gained a reputation of being hard to beat at home. Between them, they have garnered just a single point.
So, did the teams performed better away from their comfort zone?
Let us take a look at the statistics, provided by WhoScored.com
Shots per game / Possession (%) / Pass Success (%) / Aerials Won / Rating
Manchester City
[home] 18 / 53.2 / 87.9 / 12 / 7.31
[away] 18 / 58.4 / 88.5 / 14 / 7.29
Swansea
[home] 14 / 50.5 / 84.0 / 12.5 / 7.10
[away] 18.5 / 53.8 / 81.8 / 19 / 6.90
Arsenal
[home] 20.5 / 60.8 / 85.4 / 26 / 7.03
[away] 21 / 62.5 / 88.7 / 14 / 7.05
Leicester
[home] 16 / 42.6 / 70.8 / 16 / 7.00
[away] 7 / 40.9 / 65.7 / 20.5 / 6.85
Watford
[home] 14.5 / 55.3 / 79.5 / 21 / 6.93
[away] 9 / 40.9 / 79.7 / 16 / 6.77
Manchester United
[home] 14.5 / 56.6 / 86.1 / 10.5 / 6.91
[away] 10 / 57.7 / 84.0 / 20 / 6.80
Southampton
[home] 20 / 56.0 / 84.9 / 18.5 / 6.90
[away] 14 / 47.9 / 77.2 / 22.5 / 6.99
Aston Villa
[home] 13 / 52.2 / 82.5 / 20.5 / 6.88
[away] 9 / 47.4 / 78.6 / 22 / 6.94
Tottenham
[home] 16.5 / 50.8 / 82.9 / 16.5 / 6.86
[away] 14 / 55.4 / 82.3 / 18 / 6.69
Crystal Palace
[home] 13.5 / 46.8 / 79.8 / 19.5 / 6.75
[away] 12 / 40.7 / 74.0 / 11.5 / 7.04
Chelsea
[home] 18.5 / 55.1 / 82.2 / 17.5 / 6.74
[away] 12.5 / 53.1 / 82.1 / 18.5 / 6.58
Everton
[home] 10 / 53.8 / 81.3 / 15.5 / 6.69
[away] 9 / 48.6 / 81.6 / 14 / 7.06
Sunderland
[home] 8 / 43.1 / 68.6 / 15.5 / 6.63
[away] 9 / 47.9 / 76.3 / 23.5 / 6.68
Liverpool
[home] 15.5 / 56.7 / 83.7 / 20 / 6.60
[away] 11.5 / 45.5 / 75.8 / 25 / 7.10
Newcastle United
[home] 5 / 42.7 / 79.9 / 11.5 / 6.57
[away] 5.5 / 37.1 / 75.4 / 10 / 6.62
Norwich
[home] 18.5 / 51.6 / 80.9 / 10.5 / 6.56
[away] 12 / 48.0 / 76.7 / 16.5 / 6.64
Bournemouth
[home] 8 / 54.9 / 80.0 / 21.5 / 6.52
[away] 14 / 49.6 / 74.5 / 22 / 6.78
Stoke
[home] 10 / 48.0 / 78.8 / 14 / 6.46
[away] 10.5 / 52.1 / 82.8 / 11.5 / 6.75
West Ham
[home] 10 / 54.7 / 78.1 / 23 / 6.45
[away] 10 / 40.9 / 72.1 / 16.5 / 7.28
West Brom
[home] 12 / 40.6 / 78.6 / 11 / 6.43
[away] 10.5 / 45.4 / 79.4 / 18 / 6.96
Looking at the numbers, this is definitely so, with only 7 teams managed a better average home ratings.
Why is this so? A theory is that the home teams have to take the game to the oppositions and in the process, exposed themselves to the counter-attack which the away teams usually deployed.
But whatever the reason, one can be sure that as the season progress, it will be business as usual.
Monday, 31 August 2015
Manchester United and Chelsea lost further ground
Manchester City continue their winning start to the season with a victory over Watford. Raheem Sterling scored his City goal shortly after half time and Fernandinho added a second to ensure that City goes into the international break with a three points lead at the top of the table.
Champions Chelsea stuttering start continues as their lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, only the second time in 100 home games under Jose Mourinho. All the scoring came in the second half with Bakary Sako putting Palace ahead only for Radamel Falcao to equalise. But it took the visitor only two minutes to restore their lead through Joel Ward.
Liverpool and Manchester United suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of West Ham and Swansea respectively.
Manuel Lanzini making his premier debut, got a dream start when he put West Ham ahead in the third minute. Mark Noble made in 2-0 after Lovren's mistake. Any hope of a fight-back was extinguished when Philippe Coutinho was sent off for two yellow card offenses. The numbers was even out when Mark Noble joined the Brazilian for an early shower. Diafra Sakho added a third just before the final whistle.
Over at Liberty Stadium, Juan Mata put the Red Devils ahead but the home team hit back in quick succession with goals from Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis.
Arsenal's poor conversion rate in front of goals continue as they struggled to beat Newcastle who had to play 74 minutes with 10 men, after Aleksandar Mitrovic got his marching order. The Gunners needed an own goal from Fabricio Coloccini to ensure they came away from St. James' Park with all three points.
Callum Wilson followed up his hat-trick the previous weekend with another goal to put Bournemouth in front. Jamie Vardy equalised from the spot on the 86th minute to maintain Leicester's unbeaten start to the season.
Yann M'Vila put Sunderland ahead at the Villa Park only for Scott Sinclair to hit a double before half-time. Jeremain Lens equalised for the visitor to share the spoils.
Tony Pulis, who was given a warm reception on his returned to Britannia Stadium, left his old hunting ground will all three points. Jose Salomon Rondon scored the only goal of the games after Stoke had Ibrahim Afellay and Charlie Adam sent off.
Southampton finally got their first win of season, a 3-0 victory over Norwich. Graziano Pelle scored on the stroke of half-time before Dusan Tadic added two more in the space of three minutes.
Tottenham was still searching for their first win as they were held to a 0-0 draw against Everton.
Top five performing team *
Manchester City: 7.3
Arsenal: 7.04
Swansea: 7
Southampton: 6.94
Leicester: 6.92
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.46
Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace): 8.36
Yaya Toure (Manchester City): 8.08
Pedro (Chelsea): 8.07
Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City): 8.04
*Statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Champions Chelsea stuttering start continues as their lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, only the second time in 100 home games under Jose Mourinho. All the scoring came in the second half with Bakary Sako putting Palace ahead only for Radamel Falcao to equalise. But it took the visitor only two minutes to restore their lead through Joel Ward.
Liverpool and Manchester United suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of West Ham and Swansea respectively.
Manuel Lanzini making his premier debut, got a dream start when he put West Ham ahead in the third minute. Mark Noble made in 2-0 after Lovren's mistake. Any hope of a fight-back was extinguished when Philippe Coutinho was sent off for two yellow card offenses. The numbers was even out when Mark Noble joined the Brazilian for an early shower. Diafra Sakho added a third just before the final whistle.
Over at Liberty Stadium, Juan Mata put the Red Devils ahead but the home team hit back in quick succession with goals from Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis.
Arsenal's poor conversion rate in front of goals continue as they struggled to beat Newcastle who had to play 74 minutes with 10 men, after Aleksandar Mitrovic got his marching order. The Gunners needed an own goal from Fabricio Coloccini to ensure they came away from St. James' Park with all three points.
Callum Wilson followed up his hat-trick the previous weekend with another goal to put Bournemouth in front. Jamie Vardy equalised from the spot on the 86th minute to maintain Leicester's unbeaten start to the season.
Yann M'Vila put Sunderland ahead at the Villa Park only for Scott Sinclair to hit a double before half-time. Jeremain Lens equalised for the visitor to share the spoils.
Tony Pulis, who was given a warm reception on his returned to Britannia Stadium, left his old hunting ground will all three points. Jose Salomon Rondon scored the only goal of the games after Stoke had Ibrahim Afellay and Charlie Adam sent off.
Southampton finally got their first win of season, a 3-0 victory over Norwich. Graziano Pelle scored on the stroke of half-time before Dusan Tadic added two more in the space of three minutes.
Tottenham was still searching for their first win as they were held to a 0-0 draw against Everton.
Top five performing team *
Manchester City: 7.3
Arsenal: 7.04
Swansea: 7
Southampton: 6.94
Leicester: 6.92
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 8.46
Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace): 8.36
Yaya Toure (Manchester City): 8.08
Pedro (Chelsea): 8.07
Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City): 8.04
*Statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Monday, 24 August 2015
Liverpool and Manchester United lost perfect record
Before the start of the weekend ganes, there were four teams who had 100% from their first 2 games. At the end of it, only Manchester City gets to keep their perfect start in tact.
The Citizens follow up their 3-0 success over Chelsea with another impressive victory at Goodison Park with Aleksandar Kolarov and Samir Nasri scoring the goals.
Liverpool and Manchester United were held to goal-less draw against Arsenal and Newcastle respectively. Both Aaron Ramsey and Wayne Rooney had goals wrongly ruled out for outside.
Leicester and Riyad Mahrez continued their brilliant start to the season with the Algerian equalising after Dele Alli had given Tottenham the lead 60 seconds earlier.
Champions Chelsea finally got their first win of the season at The Hawthorns. Debutant Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring and Diego Costa put Chelsea 2-0 ahead. James Morrison made up for his earlier missed penalty by pulling a goal back before Cesar Azpilicueta restored the Blues 2-0 advantage. James Morrison got his second of the night but West Brom could not find an equaliser against ten men Chelsea after John Terry was sent off.
Bournemouth scored their first Premier Leagues goals when Callum Wilson scored twice to put the newly promoted side 2-0 ahead. Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate levelled the score for the Hammers before Marc Pugh and Callum Wilson restored Cherries' 2-0 lead. Modibo Maiga pulled one back but forcing a draw proved too much for the home side who had Carl Jenkinson sent off.
Crystal Palace players scored all three goals in their 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Scott Dann put home side ahead only for Pape Ndiaye Souare to put through his own goalkeeper. Bakary Sako pops up with the winner to spare the Senegalese's blushes.
Watford got their third consecutive draw, helding Southampton 0-0 at Vicarage Road.
Matches between Norwich City vs Stoke City and Sunderland vs Swansea ended in a 1-1 draw.
Mame Biram Diouf put Stoke ahead in the 11th minute and Norwich replied through Russell Martin 17 minutes later.
Swansea scored on the stroke of half time, courtesy of Bafetimbi Gomis. Jermain Defoe replied to ensure Sunderland got their first point of the season.
Top five performing team *
Manchester City: 7.33
Liverpool: 7.12
Arsenal: 7.04
Swansea: 7.02
Watford: 7.01
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 9.22
Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace): 8.51
David Silva (Manchester City): 8.25
Pedro (Chelsea): 8.21
Yaya Toure (Manchester City): 8.14
The Citizens follow up their 3-0 success over Chelsea with another impressive victory at Goodison Park with Aleksandar Kolarov and Samir Nasri scoring the goals.
Liverpool and Manchester United were held to goal-less draw against Arsenal and Newcastle respectively. Both Aaron Ramsey and Wayne Rooney had goals wrongly ruled out for outside.
Leicester and Riyad Mahrez continued their brilliant start to the season with the Algerian equalising after Dele Alli had given Tottenham the lead 60 seconds earlier.
Champions Chelsea finally got their first win of the season at The Hawthorns. Debutant Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring and Diego Costa put Chelsea 2-0 ahead. James Morrison made up for his earlier missed penalty by pulling a goal back before Cesar Azpilicueta restored the Blues 2-0 advantage. James Morrison got his second of the night but West Brom could not find an equaliser against ten men Chelsea after John Terry was sent off.
Bournemouth scored their first Premier Leagues goals when Callum Wilson scored twice to put the newly promoted side 2-0 ahead. Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate levelled the score for the Hammers before Marc Pugh and Callum Wilson restored Cherries' 2-0 lead. Modibo Maiga pulled one back but forcing a draw proved too much for the home side who had Carl Jenkinson sent off.
Crystal Palace players scored all three goals in their 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Scott Dann put home side ahead only for Pape Ndiaye Souare to put through his own goalkeeper. Bakary Sako pops up with the winner to spare the Senegalese's blushes.
Watford got their third consecutive draw, helding Southampton 0-0 at Vicarage Road.
Matches between Norwich City vs Stoke City and Sunderland vs Swansea ended in a 1-1 draw.
Mame Biram Diouf put Stoke ahead in the 11th minute and Norwich replied through Russell Martin 17 minutes later.
Swansea scored on the stroke of half time, courtesy of Bafetimbi Gomis. Jermain Defoe replied to ensure Sunderland got their first point of the season.
Top five performing team *
Manchester City: 7.33
Liverpool: 7.12
Arsenal: 7.04
Swansea: 7.02
Watford: 7.01
Top five performing players *
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 9.22
Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace): 8.51
David Silva (Manchester City): 8.25
Pedro (Chelsea): 8.21
Yaya Toure (Manchester City): 8.14
*Statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Monday, 10 August 2015
Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd wins
Finally the big kick off is here and normal service for weekends resumes.
The big four / five endured mixed results with only Manchester City making an early statement. The Citizens put West Brom to the sword with Yaya Toure (twice) and Vincent Kompany scoring the goals.
Holder Chelsea was held to a 2-2 by Swansea at Stamford Bride. The Blues led twice and had Courtois sent off.
Arsenal was humbled by West Ham at the Emirates Stadium. Both goals were results of Cech's mistake, the signing that many said tilt the title in the Gunners' favour.
Liverpool and Manchester United were hardly inspiring in their 1-0 victory. Liverpool needing a Coutinho superb goal and the Red Devils had Kyle Walker to thanks for the three points.
Steve McClaren's tenure as manager of Newcastle began with a 2-2 draw against last season surprise package, Southampton.
Leicester will try to avoid last season scrap and did their cause no harm with a opening 4-2 victory over Sunderland.
None of the newly promoted team manages a win. Watford earn a point with at 2-2 draw at Everton, while both Bournemouth and Norwich lost their home game against Aston Villa (0-1) and Crystal Palace (1-3) respectively.
Top five performing team *
1) Manchester City: 7.70
2) Leicester: 7.55
3) West Ham: 7.52
4) Watford: 7.42
5) Crystal Palace: 7.42
Top five performing players *
1) Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 10.00
2) Marc Albrighton (Leicester): 9.31
3) Yaya Toure (Manchester City): 8.80
4) Adrian (West Ham): 8.78
5) Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 8.31
*Statistics provided by WhoScored.com
The big four / five endured mixed results with only Manchester City making an early statement. The Citizens put West Brom to the sword with Yaya Toure (twice) and Vincent Kompany scoring the goals.
Holder Chelsea was held to a 2-2 by Swansea at Stamford Bride. The Blues led twice and had Courtois sent off.
Arsenal was humbled by West Ham at the Emirates Stadium. Both goals were results of Cech's mistake, the signing that many said tilt the title in the Gunners' favour.
Liverpool and Manchester United were hardly inspiring in their 1-0 victory. Liverpool needing a Coutinho superb goal and the Red Devils had Kyle Walker to thanks for the three points.
Steve McClaren's tenure as manager of Newcastle began with a 2-2 draw against last season surprise package, Southampton.
Leicester will try to avoid last season scrap and did their cause no harm with a opening 4-2 victory over Sunderland.
None of the newly promoted team manages a win. Watford earn a point with at 2-2 draw at Everton, while both Bournemouth and Norwich lost their home game against Aston Villa (0-1) and Crystal Palace (1-3) respectively.
Top five performing team *
1) Manchester City: 7.70
2) Leicester: 7.55
3) West Ham: 7.52
4) Watford: 7.42
5) Crystal Palace: 7.42
Top five performing players *
1) Riyad Mahrez (Leicester): 10.00
2) Marc Albrighton (Leicester): 9.31
3) Yaya Toure (Manchester City): 8.80
4) Adrian (West Ham): 8.78
5) Jamie Vardy (Leicester): 8.31
*Statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Thursday, 6 August 2015
Six new faces to look out for
With the season to start in a couple of days, let us look at some of the new faces that could light up the Premier League.
Jordan Ayew
Striker, Aston Villa
The man tasked with replacing Christian Benteke has goals in him. He scored 13 times in the Ligue 1 for FC Lorient.
His pace will offer Villa options on the flank as well.
Appearance: 29
Goals: 11
Assist: 5
WhoScored.com rating: 7.07
Yohan Cabaye
Midfielder, Crystal Palace
Possibly the transfer coup of the summer, Cabaye will be linking up once again with manager Alan Pardew, after the pair enjoyed a successful stint together at Newcastle United from 2011 to 2014.
A great passer of the ball, Cabaye will also be adding goals to the London club. He scored 18 times in 93 appearances for Newcastle.
Appearance: 13
Goals: 1
Assist: 1
WhoScored.com rating: 7.06
Memphis Depay
Forward, Manchester United
One of the most promising young players in the world, Louis Van Gaal was so eager to sign him up that a deal was done before the end of last season.
Top Scorer in the Dutch Eredivisie with 22 goals, Depay is a good dribbler with plenty of pace and packed a power long shot.
Appearance: 30
Goal: 22
Assist: 5
WhoScored.com rating: 7.92
Georginio Wijnaldum
Midfielder, Newcastle
Newcastle third most expensive player, after Michael Owen and Alan Shearer, Wijnaldum captained PSV to the Eredivisie title last season and was crowned Dutch Footballer of the Year 2014/15.
The attacking midfielder had 19 caps for Netherlands and scored 56 goals in 152 appearances for PSV before arriving on Tyneside.
Appearance: 32
Goal: 14
Assist: 3
WhoScored.com rating: 7.47
Dimitri Payet
Midfielder, West Ham
A sensational swoop. Payet was the star in the Marseille side that finished four in the Ligue 1 last season.
He topped the Ligue 1 assist chart with 17 assists and wasted no time in winning the fans over with his man-of-the-match performances in the pre-season friendlies against Southend United and Norwich.
Appearance: 35
Goals: 7
Assist: 17
WhoScored.com rating: 7.62
Roberto Firmino
Forward, Liverpool
Firmino will add creativity and goals to Liverpool.
Known for his attacking prowess and dribbling ability, Firmino will add creativity and goals to a Liverpool side who was very dependent on Coutinho as a playmaking outlet last season.
The Brazilian can play across the front three.
Appearance: 33
Goal: 7
Assist: 10
WhoScored.com rating: 7.79
Jordan Ayew
Striker, Aston Villa
The man tasked with replacing Christian Benteke has goals in him. He scored 13 times in the Ligue 1 for FC Lorient.
His pace will offer Villa options on the flank as well.
Appearance: 29
Goals: 11
Assist: 5
WhoScored.com rating: 7.07
Yohan Cabaye
Midfielder, Crystal Palace
Possibly the transfer coup of the summer, Cabaye will be linking up once again with manager Alan Pardew, after the pair enjoyed a successful stint together at Newcastle United from 2011 to 2014.
A great passer of the ball, Cabaye will also be adding goals to the London club. He scored 18 times in 93 appearances for Newcastle.
Appearance: 13
Goals: 1
Assist: 1
WhoScored.com rating: 7.06
Memphis Depay
Forward, Manchester United
One of the most promising young players in the world, Louis Van Gaal was so eager to sign him up that a deal was done before the end of last season.
Top Scorer in the Dutch Eredivisie with 22 goals, Depay is a good dribbler with plenty of pace and packed a power long shot.
Appearance: 30
Goal: 22
Assist: 5
WhoScored.com rating: 7.92
Georginio Wijnaldum
Midfielder, Newcastle
Newcastle third most expensive player, after Michael Owen and Alan Shearer, Wijnaldum captained PSV to the Eredivisie title last season and was crowned Dutch Footballer of the Year 2014/15.
The attacking midfielder had 19 caps for Netherlands and scored 56 goals in 152 appearances for PSV before arriving on Tyneside.
Appearance: 32
Goal: 14
Assist: 3
WhoScored.com rating: 7.47
Dimitri Payet
Midfielder, West Ham
A sensational swoop. Payet was the star in the Marseille side that finished four in the Ligue 1 last season.
He topped the Ligue 1 assist chart with 17 assists and wasted no time in winning the fans over with his man-of-the-match performances in the pre-season friendlies against Southend United and Norwich.
Appearance: 35
Goals: 7
Assist: 17
WhoScored.com rating: 7.62
Roberto Firmino
Forward, Liverpool
Firmino will add creativity and goals to Liverpool.
Known for his attacking prowess and dribbling ability, Firmino will add creativity and goals to a Liverpool side who was very dependent on Coutinho as a playmaking outlet last season.
The Brazilian can play across the front three.
Appearance: 33
Goal: 7
Assist: 10
WhoScored.com rating: 7.79
Wednesday, 5 August 2015
MOAN-inho at it again
A master of the mind game, Jose Mourinho had started his game before the season gets underway.
First he took a swipe at Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool for spending more money than his Chelsea and buying their way to the title.
He might have selective memory but to put records on the table, over the period between 2004 and 2014, no manager in the world has spend more money than the Portuguese during his spells with Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. His total spending, nearly €1bn, €22m more than his closest rival Carlo Ancelotti who succeeded him at Real
Second, after the Community Shield defeat at his nemesis Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, he said, "My opinion is the team that defends very well, that leaves their philosophy in the dressing room, changes their attitude, plays all the second half with nine players in front of the box, doesn’t concede and scores one goal, from that perspective they deserve to win.
"This is football. This is very good tactical organisation. Congratulations to them."
While Mourinho might seem to be praising Arsenal, it does not mask the fact he is critising Wenger for deploying the park-the-bus tactics, something which Mourinho has perfected and used frequently during big games en-route to the league title last season.
But is Arsenal really that bad?
Based on WhoScored.com statistic, the Blues' manager is far from being true.
Total Shots
Arsenal - 11
Chelsea - 14
Shots on Target
Arsenal - 5
Chelsea - 2
Pass Success
Arsenal - 75%
Chelsea - 80%
Aerial Success
Arsenal - 39%
Chelsea - 61%
Dribbles
Arsenal - 5
Chelsea - 11
Tackles
Arsenal - 11
Chelsea - 18
Possession
Arsenal - 43%
Chelsea - 57%
Knowing Mourinho, he will usually try to unnerve opponents whom he thinks is a threat to his Chelsea team. For him to pay such "tribute" to Arsenal, one can be sure that he sees Arsenal as a genuine contender.
First he took a swipe at Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool for spending more money than his Chelsea and buying their way to the title.
He might have selective memory but to put records on the table, over the period between 2004 and 2014, no manager in the world has spend more money than the Portuguese during his spells with Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. His total spending, nearly €1bn, €22m more than his closest rival Carlo Ancelotti who succeeded him at Real
Second, after the Community Shield defeat at his nemesis Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, he said, "My opinion is the team that defends very well, that leaves their philosophy in the dressing room, changes their attitude, plays all the second half with nine players in front of the box, doesn’t concede and scores one goal, from that perspective they deserve to win.
"This is football. This is very good tactical organisation. Congratulations to them."
While Mourinho might seem to be praising Arsenal, it does not mask the fact he is critising Wenger for deploying the park-the-bus tactics, something which Mourinho has perfected and used frequently during big games en-route to the league title last season.
But is Arsenal really that bad?
Based on WhoScored.com statistic, the Blues' manager is far from being true.
Total Shots
Arsenal - 11
Chelsea - 14
Shots on Target
Arsenal - 5
Chelsea - 2
Pass Success
Arsenal - 75%
Chelsea - 80%
Aerial Success
Arsenal - 39%
Chelsea - 61%
Dribbles
Arsenal - 5
Chelsea - 11
Tackles
Arsenal - 11
Chelsea - 18
Possession
Arsenal - 43%
Chelsea - 57%
Knowing Mourinho, he will usually try to unnerve opponents whom he thinks is a threat to his Chelsea team. For him to pay such "tribute" to Arsenal, one can be sure that he sees Arsenal as a genuine contender.
Thursday, 30 July 2015
Sterling and Delph, to play or be benched
Something unusual is happening over at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City is stockpiling their squad with "English players"!
Looks like the "homegrown" rule is hitting Manchester City hard.
After the departure of James Milner, Micard Richards, Frank Lampard and Scott Sinclair, only Joe Hart, Richard Wright and French left-back Gael Clichy (due to his formative years at Arsenal) meet the criteria.
So unless they sign more British footballer, they have to operate with a smaller squad.
And sign they did. First was Raheem Sterling followed by Fabian Delph.
But one has to ask, are the signings out of necessities or requirements, necessary for the club to be competitive or required by the law of the game?
Lets see how the duo measure up against the direct competitors for a place in the team.
Looking the table tallied by WhoScored.com, Yaya Toure is the sure shoo-in. With more goals scored, more tackles and interceptions per game, Fernandinho has the slight edge. Unless Manuel Pellegrini move away from his favoured 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 formation, Delph might have to spend some considerable time on the bench.
Raheem Sterling - Played: 34(1) / Goals: 7 / Assists: 7 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.27
David Silva - Played: 32 / Goals: 12 / Assists: 7 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.53
Samir Nasri - Played: 18(6) / Goals: 2 / Assists: 6 / WhoScored.com ratings 6.94
Sergio Aguero - Played: 30(3) / Goals: 26 / Assists: 8 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.67
Edin Dzeko - Played: 11(11) / Goals: 4 / Assists: 2 / WhoScored.com ratings 6.63
Wilfried Bony - (Swansea)Played: 16(4) / Goals: 9 / Assists: 2 / WhoScored.com ratings: 7.22
Wilfried Bony - (Man City)Played: 2(8) / Goals: 297 / Assist: 2 / WhoScored.com ratings: 6.88
Jesus Navas - Played: 23(12) / Goals: - / Assists: 8 / WhoScored.com ratings: 6.98
Stevan Jovetic - Played: 9(8) / Goals: 5 / Assists: 3 / WhoScored.com ratings: 6.87
David Silva and Sergio Augero, not only are they fans' favourites, their statistics make it very hard for Pellegrini to drop them.
Transfer rumours regarding Nasri, Dzeko and Jovetic should be music to Sterling's ears but if Man City manage to offload them, it will means they will have extra spots for some world class "foreign" players.
Assuming the situation remains the same, Sterling's should make it to the first team, partnering Silva, Augero and Navas in one of the fastest and mobile attacking quartet.
Will the duo follow in the footsteps of Milner and Sinclair? Only time will tell. My guess, looking purely at playing time, they will regret moving to the blue half of Manchester.
Looks like the "homegrown" rule is hitting Manchester City hard.
After the departure of James Milner, Micard Richards, Frank Lampard and Scott Sinclair, only Joe Hart, Richard Wright and French left-back Gael Clichy (due to his formative years at Arsenal) meet the criteria.
So unless they sign more British footballer, they have to operate with a smaller squad.
And sign they did. First was Raheem Sterling followed by Fabian Delph.
But one has to ask, are the signings out of necessities or requirements, necessary for the club to be competitive or required by the law of the game?
Lets see how the duo measure up against the direct competitors for a place in the team.
Looking the table tallied by WhoScored.com, Yaya Toure is the sure shoo-in. With more goals scored, more tackles and interceptions per game, Fernandinho has the slight edge. Unless Manuel Pellegrini move away from his favoured 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 formation, Delph might have to spend some considerable time on the bench.
Raheem Sterling - Played: 34(1) / Goals: 7 / Assists: 7 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.27
David Silva - Played: 32 / Goals: 12 / Assists: 7 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.53
Samir Nasri - Played: 18(6) / Goals: 2 / Assists: 6 / WhoScored.com ratings 6.94
Sergio Aguero - Played: 30(3) / Goals: 26 / Assists: 8 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.67
Edin Dzeko - Played: 11(11) / Goals: 4 / Assists: 2 / WhoScored.com ratings 6.63
Wilfried Bony - (Swansea)Played: 16(4) / Goals: 9 / Assists: 2 / WhoScored.com ratings: 7.22
Wilfried Bony - (Man City)Played: 2(8) / Goals: 297 / Assist: 2 / WhoScored.com ratings: 6.88
Jesus Navas - Played: 23(12) / Goals: - / Assists: 8 / WhoScored.com ratings: 6.98
Stevan Jovetic - Played: 9(8) / Goals: 5 / Assists: 3 / WhoScored.com ratings: 6.87
David Silva and Sergio Augero, not only are they fans' favourites, their statistics make it very hard for Pellegrini to drop them.
Transfer rumours regarding Nasri, Dzeko and Jovetic should be music to Sterling's ears but if Man City manage to offload them, it will means they will have extra spots for some world class "foreign" players.
Assuming the situation remains the same, Sterling's should make it to the first team, partnering Silva, Augero and Navas in one of the fastest and mobile attacking quartet.
Will the duo follow in the footsteps of Milner and Sinclair? Only time will tell. My guess, looking purely at playing time, they will regret moving to the blue half of Manchester.
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Who should Arsenal go for? Benzema or Llorente?
Having watched the Barclays Asia Trophy and the Emirates Cup, I have to say Arsenal is looking very good.
The defence seems much calmer with Petr Cech in goal and the movement of the midfielders look very promising, especially the inter-play between Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey.
The only area that needs improvement is in the attacker department. While Oliver Giroud and Theo Walcott had scored in both the tournaments, they too missed quite a few good chances, too many in fact.
The Gunners might be able to overcome this against weaker oppositions where they will create tons of chances but against defensive strong outfits like Chelsea, where chances are at a premium, they have to find the back of the net whenever they have a sniff of the goal.
And it seems like Arsenal is keen to address the issue and have been linked with a few strikers, among them, Karim Benzema and Fernando Llorente.
Benzema is believed to be the number one choice after been linked with Arsenal for a few seasons. Even thou Benitez had stated that Benzema is not for sale, it had not stop rumours of the Frenchman being unsettled at the Bernabeau.
It is believed that the Gunners are prepared to up their initial bid of £31 million to £35 million for the Real Madrid striker and if the deal fails to materialise, Wenger will turn his attention to Fernando Llorente.
Over the weekend, Arsenal were reported to offer Serie A champions, Juventus, £8 million for the 30-year-old.
Llorente had proved invaluable to Juventus' domestic and international success the last two seasons. Despite his age, it is hard to believe that the Old Lady will let him go for that sum of money.
But how does the Benzema and Llorente measured up to Giroud and Walcott?
Fernando Llorente - Played 25(6) / Goals 7 / Assist 1 / WhoScored.com ratings 6.70
Karim Benzema - Played 29 / Goals 15 / Assist 10 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.56
Olivier Giroud - Played 21(6) / Goals 14 / Assist 3 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.23
Theo Walcott - Played 4(10) / Goals 5 / Assist - / WhoScored.com ratings 6.61
Based on statistics, Benzema is an upgrade while Llorente isn't going to improve the squad much.
And to finally end their 10 years wait for the Premier League title, Arsenal have to go for only the best.
The defence seems much calmer with Petr Cech in goal and the movement of the midfielders look very promising, especially the inter-play between Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey.
The only area that needs improvement is in the attacker department. While Oliver Giroud and Theo Walcott had scored in both the tournaments, they too missed quite a few good chances, too many in fact.
The Gunners might be able to overcome this against weaker oppositions where they will create tons of chances but against defensive strong outfits like Chelsea, where chances are at a premium, they have to find the back of the net whenever they have a sniff of the goal.
And it seems like Arsenal is keen to address the issue and have been linked with a few strikers, among them, Karim Benzema and Fernando Llorente.
Benzema is believed to be the number one choice after been linked with Arsenal for a few seasons. Even thou Benitez had stated that Benzema is not for sale, it had not stop rumours of the Frenchman being unsettled at the Bernabeau.
It is believed that the Gunners are prepared to up their initial bid of £31 million to £35 million for the Real Madrid striker and if the deal fails to materialise, Wenger will turn his attention to Fernando Llorente.
Over the weekend, Arsenal were reported to offer Serie A champions, Juventus, £8 million for the 30-year-old.
Llorente had proved invaluable to Juventus' domestic and international success the last two seasons. Despite his age, it is hard to believe that the Old Lady will let him go for that sum of money.
But how does the Benzema and Llorente measured up to Giroud and Walcott?
Fernando Llorente - Played 25(6) / Goals 7 / Assist 1 / WhoScored.com ratings 6.70
Karim Benzema - Played 29 / Goals 15 / Assist 10 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.56
Olivier Giroud - Played 21(6) / Goals 14 / Assist 3 / WhoScored.com ratings 7.23
Theo Walcott - Played 4(10) / Goals 5 / Assist - / WhoScored.com ratings 6.61
Based on statistics, Benzema is an upgrade while Llorente isn't going to improve the squad much.
And to finally end their 10 years wait for the Premier League title, Arsenal have to go for only the best.
Tuesday, 21 July 2015
Minus 16.5 million man likely to solve Liverpool woes
In January 2011, Liverpool completed the most expensive transfer between British club when they agreed to sell Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50m. In replacement, they got the minus £15m man, Andy Carroll.
How did both transfers turned out? The lesser said the better.
Fast forward to now, the Reds had just completed another massive deal, shipping out contract rebel Raheem Sterling to Manchester City for a cool £49m.
And if rumours is to be believed, Liverpool had triggered the £32.5m release clause for Christian Benteke and the move will be completed on Wednesday.
For the best part of the 2014 / 15, Benteke looked like an one-season wonder, scoring just 2 goals in 27 games. However, his form took a massive upturn with the appointment of Tim Sherwood, scoring 11 goals in 9 games. Like they say, form is temporary, class is permanent.
But how did Benteke compare to Sterling, the player he is suppose to replace?
Raheem Sterling - Played 34 Goals 7 Assist 7 *
Christian Benteke - Played 26 Goals 13 Assist 2 *
In the 2014 / 15 season, creating chances was not a problem for Liverpool. Putting it in the back of the net was. Looking at the statistics of both players, Rodgers looked to have solve the issue that derailed them last season.
Both are big. Both are powerful. But can the minus £16.5m Belgian surpass the minus £15m man? There is every chance he will.
* Players' statistics provided by WhoScored.com
How did both transfers turned out? The lesser said the better.
Fast forward to now, the Reds had just completed another massive deal, shipping out contract rebel Raheem Sterling to Manchester City for a cool £49m.
And if rumours is to be believed, Liverpool had triggered the £32.5m release clause for Christian Benteke and the move will be completed on Wednesday.
For the best part of the 2014 / 15, Benteke looked like an one-season wonder, scoring just 2 goals in 27 games. However, his form took a massive upturn with the appointment of Tim Sherwood, scoring 11 goals in 9 games. Like they say, form is temporary, class is permanent.
But how did Benteke compare to Sterling, the player he is suppose to replace?
Raheem Sterling - Played 34 Goals 7 Assist 7 *
Christian Benteke - Played 26 Goals 13 Assist 2 *
In the 2014 / 15 season, creating chances was not a problem for Liverpool. Putting it in the back of the net was. Looking at the statistics of both players, Rodgers looked to have solve the issue that derailed them last season.
Both are big. Both are powerful. But can the minus £16.5m Belgian surpass the minus £15m man? There is every chance he will.
* Players' statistics provided by WhoScored.com
Friday, 3 July 2015
Liverpool overhaul squad
After the disappointment of last season, Liverpool wasted no time seeking new additions to try and grab the Champions League spot back.
The main problem with the Reds last season was the lack of goals and they addressed the issue by signing Roberto Firmino and Danny Ings from Hoffenheim and Burnley respectively.
Despite Bunrley going down, Ings had a breakthrough season and was the shining light for the Clarets. From some of the clips on Youtube, Firmino looks a promising addition. Then again who doesn't look good on Youtube.
If Daniel Sturridge can stay clear of injuries, together with Coutinho and Raheem Sterling (if he is still around), the five of them have the capabilities to set the Premier League on fire.
Beside the attacking duo, Liverpool has also recruited goalkeeper Adam Bogdan (Bolton), midfielder James Milner (Manchester City), defenders Joe Gomez (Charlton) and Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton).
Clyne performed brilliantly last season, so much so that if Calcum Chambers was still at Southampton, he would find it hard to dislodge Clyne from the right back position.
As for James Milner, while he is not regular at Manchester City, he did reasonably well when called upon. He belongs to one of those players that do not come with a high profile but consistently performed beyond what is required of him.
Exciting times for Liverpool? For his own sake, Brendan Rodgers can only hope.
Roberto Firmino
Position: Attacker
Nationality: Brazil
Transfer fee: €41million
Bundesliga: 33 (appearances) / 7 (goals) / 10 (assist) / 7.79 (whoscored.com ratings)
Copa America: 3 / 1 / - / 6.56
Danny Ings
Position: Attacker
Nationality: England
Transfer fee: Free
Premier League: 35 / 11 / 4 / 6.89
James Milner
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: England
Transfer fee: Free
Premier League: 18 / 5 / 7 / 7.02
UEFA Champions League: 6 / 1 / - / 6.60
Nathaniel Clyne
Position: Defender
Nationality: England
Transfer fee: €17.6million
Premier League: 35 / 2 / - / 7.04
Adam Bogdan
Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Hungary
Transfer fee: Free
Championship: 10 / - / - / 6.83
Joe Gomez
Position: Defender
Nationality: England
Transfer fee: €4.9million
Stats not available
* Player statistics provided by WhoScored.com
The main problem with the Reds last season was the lack of goals and they addressed the issue by signing Roberto Firmino and Danny Ings from Hoffenheim and Burnley respectively.
Despite Bunrley going down, Ings had a breakthrough season and was the shining light for the Clarets. From some of the clips on Youtube, Firmino looks a promising addition. Then again who doesn't look good on Youtube.
If Daniel Sturridge can stay clear of injuries, together with Coutinho and Raheem Sterling (if he is still around), the five of them have the capabilities to set the Premier League on fire.
Beside the attacking duo, Liverpool has also recruited goalkeeper Adam Bogdan (Bolton), midfielder James Milner (Manchester City), defenders Joe Gomez (Charlton) and Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton).
Clyne performed brilliantly last season, so much so that if Calcum Chambers was still at Southampton, he would find it hard to dislodge Clyne from the right back position.
As for James Milner, while he is not regular at Manchester City, he did reasonably well when called upon. He belongs to one of those players that do not come with a high profile but consistently performed beyond what is required of him.
Exciting times for Liverpool? For his own sake, Brendan Rodgers can only hope.
Roberto Firmino
Position: Attacker
Nationality: Brazil
Transfer fee: €41million
Bundesliga: 33 (appearances) / 7 (goals) / 10 (assist) / 7.79 (whoscored.com ratings)
Copa America: 3 / 1 / - / 6.56
Danny Ings
Position: Attacker
Nationality: England
Transfer fee: Free
Premier League: 35 / 11 / 4 / 6.89
James Milner
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: England
Transfer fee: Free
Premier League: 18 / 5 / 7 / 7.02
UEFA Champions League: 6 / 1 / - / 6.60
Nathaniel Clyne
Position: Defender
Nationality: England
Transfer fee: €17.6million
Premier League: 35 / 2 / - / 7.04
Adam Bogdan
Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Hungary
Transfer fee: Free
Championship: 10 / - / - / 6.83
Joe Gomez
Position: Defender
Nationality: England
Transfer fee: €4.9million
Stats not available
* Player statistics provided by WhoScored.com
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