After a full set of fixtures before the International Break, here’s a round of the weekend’s action for Game Week 29:
The Winners:
Chelsea, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Leicester City
Chelsea:
The Blues keep marching on. The Bet365 is always a tough place to go and Stoke have one of the best home records against the Champions elect of any club in the last five years. One an understand then, why Antonio Conte was swinging from the dugout roof as Gary Cahill smashed the ball into the roof of the net for a late winner. Spurs remain the only threat to the Blues title procession after they beat Southampton.
Manchester United:
Few would have rushed to the bookies on Friday Morning to bet on manager-less Middlesbrough after Jose Mourinho said he expected his side to lose in the wake of their Europa league game. Whilst the United Boss’s mind games seem to have lost their edge his side certainly haven’t. A well-deserved win against a brave Boro side that has catapulted them to within one win of the Champions League spots and with a game in hand.
Crystal Palace:
Big Sam to the rescue! A few weeks back I wrote that Palace were playing with a fear of losing that held them back from stamping any type of authority on matches. Now on a run of three successive victories it’s safe to say that fear has been conquered. Three clean sheets on the bounce and it’s easy to see that Big Sam has finally got his message across. His side are now four points clear of the relegation zone and with a game in hand the Eagles should be safe from the drop.
Leicester City:
Gary Lineker, an ex-Foxes player, hit the nail on the end this week as he explained the Leicester results from the last few weeks. His thinking was that of excelling under huge pressure, that playing game after game like it was a Cup Final at the end of last season had left them empty and unmotivated except in the new challenge of competing with Europe’s Elite. Now with the threat of relegation that Cup Final feel is back and so are the results. A few more wins and safety will be theirs and, hopefully, a European Semi-final to sweeten the deal.
The Losers:
Arsenal, Swansea, Middlesbrough
Arsenal:
The final West Brom goal seemed to typify Arsenal’s entire season. Five defenders watching the ball sail over their heads to be met by a queue of Bromich players lining up to bury it in the back of the net. No one was surprised, a carbon copy having been scored earlier in the game, and no one seemed to care. The men in Yellow just trudged back to their starting positions. Arsene Wenger seems to have well and truly lost his grip on his club and I will be amazed if they make the top four at the end of the season.
Swansea City:
Two losses on the spin for Paul Clement’s men have brought them back into the dogfight at the bottom of the table. Only three points separate the Swans from Hull beneath them in eighteenth and whilst I still back Swansea to avoid the drop, they need a few results after the International break.
Middlesbrough:
Hope is not lost for the North-East side but time is running out for the manager-less club. Aitor Karanker has been in a downward spiral since January and his sacking will have come as little shock to anyone. There were, however, signs of encouragement against man United though and the Boro fans must hope that the board can act quickly to bring in a new boss or the drop beckons.
The Sublime:
Jesse Lingard
What a screamer from the young United winger. The marauding run from deep in midfield was finished with a thunderbolt into the top corner and it was the type of goal United fans have been craving from him for a while now. Perhaps he can kick on for the rest of the season.
The Ridiculous:
Managers
I could scarcely believe my eyes when after a controversial refereeing decision Pep Guardiola high fived Jurgen Klopp. Yes. High fived. The surprise on the German’s face said it all. Then there was Conte treating the Stoke dugout like a Jungle gym. Watching the Italian do pull ups on the roof as he celebrated his side’s winning goal is why we love this League.