Wow. A weekend of wow. I’m not sure where to begin so lets start with the big one.
1. Chelsea vs. Manchester United Feb 5
I was sitting with my girlfriend, whose knowledge of football is…maturing, lets say and she made an amazing call — at 60 minutes, I had written Man U off: 3-0 down and no sight of a revival. She turned to me, after I proclaimed with great exclaim that the game was over, and said, “there’s still 30 minutes, they could come back.” I thought this was ludicrous. Half and hour later, she was smugly cooking something delicious as my jaw and ego hit the floor, looking at a 3-3 final. The scoring opened with the much-maligned Johnny Evans turning the ball into his own net, just after the half hour mark. The OG will have his name on it but the United defense were all to blame. Seconds after the half time break, United were staring down the barrel again. United were caught deep in their half and Torres found Mata with a beautiful cross for his Spanish compatriot to volley home in fine style. More sloppy defense led to the third Chelsea goal, this time with Ferdinand to blame. David Luiz slipped his United counterpart and nodded home an in-swinging cross from the right. Replays will show that his header took a major deflection. United needed something and three minutes after the third goal Hernandez was introduced with Paul Scholes coming on minutes after. The substitutions had immediate effect on United’s offensive play and made Chelsea pay for their turn of sloppy defensive play. Two penalties in under 10 minutes put United back on the scene. Chelsea was now on the back foot and holding a very narrow lead. The pressure was too much and six minutes from time, Javier Hernandez found the equalizer. None other than Ryan Giggs picked up a loose ball near the touchline and found the unmarked Hernandez completely unmarked in the box to power past a helpless Cech. Chelsea rallied for the winner but had it not been for some sublime goalkeeping on De Gea’s part, they would put the game to bed. I’m quite sure the United fans took the ride home north much the happier of the two supporters.
2. Manchester City vs. Fulham Feb 4
Manchester City was back to winning ways against a under-par Fulham Saturday afternoon with a convincing 3-0 victory. City took the game by the scruff of the neck and dictated play right from the opening whistle. It didn’t take long for City to go ahead and ten minutes in, Adam Johnson was pulled down in the box in controversial style — a staple mark of the EPL these days. Aguero was clinical from the spot and the hounding was just beginning for Fulham. I didn’t take long for City to find the second and Johnson again was the provider on the half hour mark. Kolarov, who was looking City’s most threatening player on the pitch, whipped in a dangerous ball from the left flank finding Aguero. His deft flick-on found Johnson whose wayward shot was deflected past a helpless Shwarzer for Chris Baird’s second defensive blunder of the game. Fulham never looked threatening and City finished the game off with 20 minutes remaining. A well-worked play down the left flank found Aguero, the Argentine skipping by Phillipe Sendros to set up Dzeko for an easy finish. Even though City were greatly under-par from previous victories, this result will greatly progress their title hopes.
3. Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspurs Feb 6
Poor Liverpool. Anfield will seem more like an cursed graveyard than a hallowed sanctuary for the men in red. A master class on both teams part in defense could not inspire an attacking one and the game was left 0-0 at the final whistle. Martin Kelly did well to nullify the danger of Gareth Bale but did little going forward and the Tottenham defense were equal to the threat of Andy Carrol. There were a few sparks in this dulcet affair with Jay Spearing popping up to unleash a 25 yard cracker only to see his shot wiz by the post. Bale had arguably the best chance to win the game six minutes from time when he found himself with only the keeper to beat. Reina was outstanding and had his angles picture perfect and Bale’s shot was parried away to keep Liverpool from utter disappointment. The much-maligned Luis Saurez made a guest appearance 30 minutes from time but could do little to influence the game. The affair finished a stalemate with Tottenham going home the happier of the two, firmly situated below the Manchester teams, with Liverpool languishing in seventh.
4. Arsenal FC vs. Blackburn Rovers Feb 4
Looking at the score line you wonder if Blackburn’s team bus
even made it to the stadium. Arsenal has received their first win of the New
Year in convincing fashion. They crushed Blackburn 7-1. Extending a scoreless
drought to two games must had been too much an overwhelming thought for Van
Persie. He scored within the first two minutes off of a cross from Walcott.
Blackburn thought they could make a game out of it. On the thirty-first minute
Pedersen scored a beautiful free-kick 20 yards out. Placing it ever so nicely
in the left top corner. The interlock didn’t last long when Arsenal scored 2 quick
goals at the thirty-seventh minute and the 39th minute. Van Persie
scoring the first with another assist from Walcott and the second assisted by
Van Persie to the Young Chamberlain making a cut into the box. Signs of
frustration show when Givet is sent of f for a two-footed tackle into Van
Persie. After that it was all down hill and more “Arsenal Gun Show”. Arteta
scored in the fifth minute of off a badly cleared corner. The young Chamberlain
scores again in the fifty-forth minute off of a blazing diagonal run from Walcott
for the assist again. Van Persie finished his hat trick in the sixity-first
minute. As the goal went on Blackburn’s now turned schoolboys performance
became of something not to desire. Even Theiry Henry scored. Oh man this game
was good and the Goals were nuts.
****PS. Watch out for the return of Arsenals terrifying
galloping horse man….I mean Forwards….Forwards. Man Van Persie, Walcott and
Chamberlain are fast.****
No comments:
Post a Comment