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18 more matchdays to go. Here’s what we can say after a helter-skelter week (with another poor use of VAR) for the Top 6.

Chelsea’s persistence pays off as they snatch victory from Arsenal

Both sides started the game very differently. Arsenal were quick, effecient, defended well and gave Chelsea little to no openings. Chelsea were sloppy, and struggled to make an impact for the first 30 minutes- especially Emerson. Arsenal’s quality gave them a deseved lead after Ozil’s corner allowed Chamber to flick to ball into Aubameyang and score. Lampard, who looked seriously worried, made a vital subsitution to change to colour of the game. Emerson off, Jorginho on. The domination went to Chelsea, who were fast-paced, and tried to convert every impounding chance. Somewhere in the 75th minute, Abraham was found by Willan but David Luiz, a former Chelsea player, recovered the ball, which was just 8 to 9 yards from the goal. Jorginho, who was lucky not to get a second booking, equalised. Mason Mount’s free-kick, which should have been an easy save for Leno, found Jorginho at the near post. Leno completely missed the ball. A counter-attack from Chelsea allowed Willian to pass to Abraham, and changed the Emirates stadium atmosphere with a cool finish. However, Chelsea wanted to grab another goal, and were still passionate, and Abrahan could have scored a third. Arteta’s home debut has been soured, but there is a hugee improvement in Arsenal.

Liverpool manage to make things count again after 1-0 win to Wolves

Liverpool, actually dominated the first half until Sadio Mane’s goal. There was a little touch by Adam Lallana on the shoulder, but the goal was given. Wolves, did equalise through Diego Jota for the goal to be disallowed by the ever-so controversial VAR. Wolves had 6 shots to Liverpool’s 4 in the second-half, and at one point, Vigil van dijk lost the ball to gift it to Jota. Alisson did save it, though. A good 3 points for the reds as they head into New Year 13 points clear of Leicester City.

VAR on City’s side as well as they secure controversial win over Sheffield Utd

Sheffield United deseved to score at least a goal. A John Fleck through ball during a Sheffield United counter attack allowed Mousset to score. However, Mousset’s toenails were offside and City were safe. A foul to a Sheffield United player caught many players napping as the referee did not call for the foul. Aguero, lethal as he is, scored for City to take the lead. A goood run by De Bruyne made it 2-0. Sheffield United had a good chance when Billy Sharp’s header hit the inner post and rolled on the line. However, the ball wan’t completely over the net. A vital win for City, as they countinue to threaten Leicester for second spot. 

Red Devils enjoy rare clean sheet after 0-2 win at Turf Moor

United continued to press high and push the opposition under pressure and it gave them a second win on the bounce. Rashford had a chance from a free-kick 35 yards out which was saved by Pope and Daniel James’ pass to Martial would have allowed him to score had left-back Bardsley not done a goal-line clearance. Just before half-time, Taylor was caught in possession which allowed Perreira to capitalise on it. His through ball to Martial allowed him to give the visitors a 0-1 lead. In second-half stoppage time, Burnley’s free-kick ,cleared by Young, allowed United to counter-attack, Daniel James leading it. His pass to Rashford allowed Rashford to dribble past Pope, and allowed him to give United a 0-2 win. 

VAR steals Limelight again as it saves Tottenham

Norwich played pretty well, and got a deserved 1-0 lead after Juan Foyth was caught in possession, which gave the ball to Vrancic. His run and speed allowed him to calmly finish giving The Canaries a 1-0 lead. Teemu Pukki supposedly scored to make it 2 for Norwich after Vrancic’s sublime pass, but was somehow ruled offside. Eriksen equalised after a sublime free-kick, and Lo Celso’s cross allowed Dele Alli to flick the ball in, but he was rightfully offside. A through ball to Pukki made Aldeweireld tackle him and clear the ball, but his clearance deflected off Serge Aurier, scoring a comical own goal. Dele Alli bursted into space late in the match finding Kane, who was fouled by Zimmerman. His Penalty allowed him to score on his 200th EPL appearance, giving Tottenham a vital point.

It’s been quite an exciting Boxing day. Let’s see what is there to unravel as we are halfway through the season!

City’s defence lets them down again: Wolves 3-2 Man City

City went into the game not as favourites, but the more likely side to win the fixture (just barely). After their 0-2 humbling at home to their opposition in October, quite a handful predicted Wolves could stop City again. City, looking for revenge, received a major blow when Ederson was sent off for a challenge on Diego Jota. City did take a 0-2 lead after 50 minutes courtesy of Raheem Sterling’s brace. The first goal was a rebound of a penalty which Patricio saved (twice as there was enroachment on the first penalty taken). The second was from a delicate ball played by De Bruyne. Wolves took the one man advantage and dominated in stats (even in possession). Traore, a thorn to City, scored outside 18 yards with a low drive. The same man took advantage of Benjamin Mendy’s carelessness and assissted for Raul Jiminez to make it 2-2. A run from Jim Doherty into the penalty area gave Wolves the 3-2 win.

Leicester thrashed as Alexander-Arnold shines: Leicester 0-4 Liverpool

Many expected it to be a difficult match for both sides, but a under-pressure Leicester against excellent opposition gave almost every chance to Liverpool. TAA put in a performance worthy of Dani Alves at his peak. He consistently cut through the Leicester defence. He set up Firmino to give Liverpool at 0-1 lead. It wasn’t over, though; as 3 goals in 7 second-half minutes humilliated Leicester. Milner’s first touch was a penalty kick as TAA set up Firmino, who took a touch and then netted his brace. The man himself, scored as a Henderson cross let him score with a first touch. Humilliation for LCFC as Liverpool lead by a whopping 13 points.

Gunners improvement let down by defence: Bournemouth 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal did show quite an improvement under Mikel Arteta’s reign, especially Xhaka and Torreira. In the game dominated by Arsenal for the first 30 minutes, their slumpy defence let them down once again as they conceded first, courtesy of a Dan Gosling goal from a tight angle. Callum Wilson also managed to confuse the Arsenal defence with the assist. Bournemouth dominated for rest of the half but didn’t manage to double their lead. Arsenal were positive in the second half, an Ozil’s pass to youngester Saka allowed him to pass to Aubameyang, taking a deflection. Aubameyang’s first touch managed to give Arsenal a vital point. 

Kane and Alli strike as Spurs get three points in comeback win: Spurs 2-1 Brighton

Spurs were deemed clear favourites for this match as Jose Mourinho’s side needed a bounce back from their 0-2 home loss to Chelsea at home. Tottenham thought they had taken the lead after Harry Winks’ inch-perfect pass found Kane, who scored. However, Kane was slightly offside, according to VAR. Spurs dominated in the seocnd half though, and Lucas Moura’s driving run allowed his deflected pass (comically as his pass was cleared by a defender but the defender’s clearance hit his teammate) find Harry Kane. Kane’s first attempt was saved by Ryan but he made no mistake in putting in the rebound. Eriksen’s cross found Serge Aurier, and with a first touch, managed to pass it to an onside Dele Alli. His half-volley chipped past Ryan, and gave Tottenham the lead. Typical Mourinho fashion.

Red Devils bounce back from Watford defeat: Man Utd 4-1 Newcastle

Matty Longstaff, brother of Sean Logstaff who scored the winning goal when the two last met, gave a high-flying Newcastle the lead at Old Trafford. The goalscorer dinked a ball to Joelinton, and as United defenders surrounded him, he passed back to Matty Longstaff, who was unmarked in a central position and gave the Magpies the lead. Luke Shaw’s pass to Perreira gave a good opportunity to United, and Martial received the ball from Perreira. Martial, who shines in scoring goals at the near post, equalized for United. Dubravka’s pass to Schar wasn’t the right decision, as Greenwood stole the ball from an under pressure Schar. Greenwood’s shot from 25 yards gave United the lead, and Wan Bissaka’s cross allowed Rashford to head the ball to give United a 3-1 half-time lead. Sean Longstaff, who was a thorn to United previously, gave a gift of a pass to Martial who chipped Dubravka to settle the game. 4-1 United.

Woeful Chelsea dominated by Southampton: Chelsea 0-2 Southampton

Southampton took the lead when teenager Obafemi made a good run thanks to Hojbjerg’s chipped pass. Cedric, works the ball to Armstrong. Armstrong neatly touches the ball to beat a challenge and crosses to Redmond. He sticks out his right boot to give Southampton a 0-2 win. Nothing good for Chelsea, who continue their horrendous form at home.

TOT 2-0 BHA

BOU 1-3 ARS

SHU 2-0 WAT

CHE 2-0 S’TON

AVL 2-1 NOR

CRY 3-1 WHU

EVE 2-0 BUR

MU 0-0 NEW

LEI 1-1 LIV

WOL 1-2 MCI

We are half-way through the season and here is all you need to know about Matchday 19, all matches played on Boxing Day.

Game of the round/matchday

Leicester City vs Liverpool (King Power Stadium)

The undisputed game of matchday 19, Brendan Rodgers will be seeking for revenge after their 2-1 loss at Anfield in which James Milner scored a penalty in the 95th minute. Leicester wouldn’t want to lose any points after their 3-1 loss at Man City. It will be a tasty fixture after Christmas. Can Leicester inflict Liverpool’s first loss of the season? One thing to note is that Liverpool have played 1 less match because they were playing in the Club World Cup.

Easiest three points

Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton 

Spurs look like a much changed side from their 3-0 loss at Brighton. The Mourinho era hasn’t started perfectly, but Spurs look a better side with the Portugese Tactician managing the team. Although Graham Potter’s men put in decent performances, they lack clinical finishes. 

Another Interesting fixture

Wolves vs Man City

Man City haven’t been at their best without Frenchman Aymeric Laporte, and their 0-2 home loss against Wolves summed that up. They haven’t been doing better though- losing 1-2 to their rivals United but all is not bad. They have won the past 4 games by at least a goal difference of 2. Wolves, are not at their form last season but are still consistent and doing well. Will be an interesting tie, but not the best.

Predictions (which didn’t go well last Matchday) will be coming soon.

Tottenham completely outclassed by Lampard’s youth

In a game with racial slurs (#saynotoracism), many fans expected Mourinho’s Tottenham to win this one, but Lampard tactically outclassed the self-dubbed, ‘Special One’. Willian gave in an incredible performance and Lampard’s 3-4-2-1 formation worked wonders as the full wing-backs (M. Alonso and C. Azpilicueta) tracked down when they needed to defend to a 5-4-1 or a 5-2-2-1 formation. Willian scored a goal and a penalty  thanks to stupendous errors by Serge Aurier and Paulo Gazziniga, giving Chelsea the win ‘at the Lane’. Son’s stupid error cost him a red card and a suspension. Poor and dissappointing performance for Tottenahm. This gives me a question: Can Leipzig win Tottenham in the Round of 16?

Leicester blip as they record second loss in the EPL this season

It is still possible for Leicester to win the Premier League but it will be difficult. Leicester went to the Etihad, looking for all the 3 points but couldn’t take any. Jamie Vardy’s cheeky chip, which gave Leicester a 0-1 lead, was cancelled out by Riyad Mahraz’s deflected strike. A foul by Ricardo Pereira gave City a penalty which Gundogan scored. Jesus made it 3 in the 69th minute. Good performance by both sides, but City showing Leicester how a true champion plays the game.

United stunned by a brilliant Watford

Watford maintained their discipline as well as their attack as a David De Gea error as well as a Tryo Deeney penalty after a Aaron Wan-Bissaka foul gave Watford the 2-0 win. Their first win since they won 0-2 at Norwich and another frustrating Sunday as United were not clinical enough. Watford are now level on points with Norwich at 12 points. Time to sack Solksjear?

Interim manager’s last appearances not enough for Everton and Arsenal

Everton and Arsenal played a stalemate 0-0 draw. Everton’s 9 shots were not the best as they didn’t have any on target. Arsenal had 6 and had 2 on target but were easy saves for Pickford. Both interim managers give way for their new managers. This fixture could become more interesting should both teams improve.

Liverpool vs West Ham has been postponed.

#EPL #PremierLeague #Liverpool #mancityleicester #manutdwatford #tottenhamchelsea

Everton have just announced the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti, 60, has returned to the Premier League as the 3rd highest paid manager at Goodison Park.

Be wary, LFC. Those Merseyside Derbies won’t be as easy as you think. (His Napoli side beat Liverpool 2-0)

#carloancelotti #everton #manager #highpaidmanagers

Liverpool are playing Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo in a tight yet interesting matchup. Both sides would want to win this trophy.

History

Flamengo and Liverpool have some history. Flamengo fans will be reciting a chant in the Khalifa International stadium. It roughly translates to: “In December 1981 we ran circles around the Englishmen/3-0 over Liverpool/It left a mark on history.

Flamengo won Liverpool 3-0 in December 1981 to win the Intercontinential cup- the forerunner to the Club World Cup- by overpwering Kenny Daglish and the rest of the team in Tokyo.

Flamengo were founded in 1895 as a rowing club, but started kicking a ball around in 1912. Their fanbase swelled in size in the 1980s- their golden era. Winning 4 league titles and the Copa Libertadores in 1981- as well as beating LFC. 

Who do Liverpool need to be wary of? 

Diego Alves

The former Valencia man was crucial for Flamengo, and was voted best goalkeeper in Brazil. Front three need to be wary. 

Rafinha

A Bayern Munich legend, and although old, his wealth of experience can prove to be vital against Liverpool.

Gabriel Barbosa

Gabriel Barbosa has netted 25 goals in 29 games in the Brazillian league this season. 

Who do Flamengo need to be wary of?

Mane, Salah

Both Mane and Salah are doing well this season, and Salah, back in full form, could prove to be deadly and lethal against Flamengo. Mane, who also tracks back to defend, is clinical and is amazing in the air. Clinical, Flamengo need a strategy against both men.

Full-backs

Robertson and TAA prove to be deadly on the attack, with dangerous crossing which could prove to be costly for Flamengo.

Virgil van Dijk

Could be the solution to Gabriel Barbosa, just hope he is fit enough to play in the match, if not, I can see a Flamengo win.

Liverpool Starting XI Prediction (4-3-3)

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Score Prediction?

I’m a Liverpool fan so I have a biased perspective. But to be as neutral as possible, I say:

Liverpool 2-1 Flamengo (A.E.T)

I wouldn’t be too surprised if we would have to decide the match on Penalties.