EPL 2013/14 Mega Thread - Previews, Reviews and General Discussion/Banter

[CrowsFan]

Yeah I remember Enke too, he was definitely a world class keeper! Such a shame he felt he couldn't open up to anyone :(

[Tominator]

ROBBED!!! SWANSEA WERE ROBBED!!!!

And West Brom were too .... Two terrible mistakes in one weekend !

[My Chumps]

Yeah I remember Enke too, he was definitely a world class keeper! Such a shame he felt he couldn't open up to anyone :(

A common shame with depression unfortunately.

[CrowsFan]

Why the flower did SAF not play Pogba more when he was at United. He is exactly the type of player we need at the moment! ::)

Check out these highlights from the short time he has been at Juve... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAgpKvF1JVA

Better (BEST) angle of the first goal from the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV5klx3ZFd0

More goals and skills (some overlap), but check out the dribble just after the minute mark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en0uehMg04g

Then this amazing goal from the weekend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JauzVXxhjEA

He's only 20!!! The kid is a freak!

[My Chumps]

Why the flower did SAF not play Pogba more when he was at United. He is exactly the type of player we need at the moment! ::)

Check out these highlights from the short time he has been at Juve... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAgpKvF1JVA

Better (BEST) angle of the first goal from the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV5klx3ZFd0

More goals and skills (some overlap), but check out the dribble just after the minute mark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en0uehMg04g

Then this amazing goal from the weekend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JauzVXxhjEA

He's only 20!!! The kid is a freak!

Haha, I watched Juve vs Real in the Champions League mid-week and damn he looked good.

[Tominator]

boys I am back, sorry for the exam-caused absence ... big round of EPL this weekend to look forward to as well!


GAMEWEEK 12 PREVIEW


Everton v Liverpool
The Merseyside Derby. Games rarely get bigger than this. Both teams have big names up front - Lukaku, Suarez, Sturridge, Gerrard - so it could be a high-scorer, but this fixture traditionally is not.

KEY PLAYER:  Steven Gerrard
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to Liverpool


Arsenal v Southampton
Southampton's biggest test of the season. A point or three here and they will announce themselves as big contenders for a Europa League spot. A 2-or-more goal loss for Arsenal would see them fall behind Soton in the standings.

KEY PLAYER:  Artur Boruc
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to Arsenal


Fulham v Swansea
A bad loss for Fulham, and Martin Jol could be sacked. But Swansea need a win to avoid slipping into relegation territory. Interesting point in that Swansea have conceded leads in injury time in 3 of their last 4 games.

KEY PLAYER:  Ashley Williams
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-0 to Swansea


Hull City v Crystal Palace
A very important game for both sides. If Palace win, it would be a huge boost for their survival hopes, but if Hull win, it could go a long way to ensuring their own survival.

KEY PLAYER:  Robbie Brady (if he plays)
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  1-0 to Hull


Newcastle v Norwich
Newcastle have managed to show their best and their worst this season, while Norwich have arguable been this sesaon's biggest disappointment. Big game for both clubs.

KEY PLAYER:  Loic Remy
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-0 to Newcastle


West Ham v Chelsea
Both these sides have been inconsistent of late. West Ham will need to reproduce their stunning performance at White Hart Lane if they are to beat Chelsea this time.

KEY PLAYER:  Ravel Morrison
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to Chelsea


Manchester City v Tottenham
Spurs need to consolidate after some indifferent form following their bright start. City however have been flying lately, and should keep that going. Tottenham have struggled up front, but a win against City would stamp their status

KEY PLAYER:   Joe Hart (if picked)
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-0 to City


Cardiff v Manchester United
Cardiff will need to play like they did against City, in that famous 3-2 win, if they are going to be any chance. United produced their best display of the season against Arsenal, and are now back in the title race. If Arsenal slip up against Soton, and United win big, then they could be within two points of the Gunners, and no more than three from the top.

KEY PLAYER:  Robin van Persie
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  3-1 to United


West Bromich Albion v Aston Villa
The Baggies have been playing very well lately - win against United and draws against Chelsea and Arsenal, where the latter should have been a win if not for the referee... Villa may get Benteke back, but West Brom should be too good.

KEY PLAYER:  Jonas Olsson
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  1-0 to West Brom

[Tominator]

absolutely CRACKING game at Goodison Park !!!

3-2 in the 83rd minute, Lukaku has just bagged two in less than 10 minutes to put Everton in front!!

[Andrew3737]

He didn't play Pogba because Pogba is a headcase. He demanded 100k a week. He was the best talent we have seen in the academy in years ( yes including adnan), but saf will never, ever let anyone tell him that he should be playing. Ever. Elite talent and will be one of the best players in the world, but his attitude is too shower.

[Tominator]

GAMEWEEK 13 PREVIEW  -  Saturday games


Aston Villa v Sunderland
Villa have had mixed home form while Sunderland's away form has been pretty poor. But Gus Poyet has Sunderland playing a good style of football that has netted success recently, though unlucky at Stoke last week.

KEY PLAYER:  Andres Weimann
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to Villa


Cardiff v Arsenal
After snatching a point at the death against Manchester United last week, Cardiff will have no fear going into this week's game. Cardiff's home form has been fantastic, so Arsenal cannot afford to slip up here, as United and City have done already this season at the venue.

KEY PLAYER:  Mesut Ozil
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to Arsenal


Everton v Stoke
Will be interesting to see how Everton cope without Leighton Baines, and what Stoke do to try and exploit the left-back position. Stoke will want to use the game to restart a run of form after winning against Sunderland last weekend, but will have to stop Romelu Lukaku if they are to be any chance.

KEY PLAYER:  Kevin Mirallas
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-0 to Everton


Norwich v Crystal Palace
Palace got a crucial win against Hull last week which drew them level with Sunderland at 7 points each. Still a long way to go before being out of the danger zone, but they could gain a result if they turn up at Norwich, who will need to win this danger game, otherwise Chris Hughton may get the sack.

KEY PLAYER:  Mile Jedinak
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  1-0 to Norwich


West Ham v Fulham
Fulham will want to win to ease the growing pressure on Martin Jol, but West Ham have been far from convincing this season as well. The Hammers lost 3-0 at home to Chelsea last week so will want to bounce back fast. Both sides have quality keepers in Jaaskelainen and Stekelenberg, so the game could easily be a 0-0 draw

KEY PLAYER:  Jussi Jaaskelainen
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  1-1 draw


Newcastle v West Brom
The Magpies have shone recently, winning their last 3 games. West Brom have also patched some decent football together, but they coughed up a 2 goal lead to only draw against Villa last week. The battle of the strikers will be intriguing - and could go a long way to deciding the outcome of the match.

KEY PLAYER:  Shane Long
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to Newcastle

[Tominator]

GAMEWEEK 13 PREVIEW  -  Sunday games


Tottenham v Manchester United
Crucial game for both sides after below-par performances last week, where United lost in injury time and Tottenham were thrashed 6-0. If one team wins, the losing team's manager will be feeling a lot of heat to salvage the season.

KEY PLAYER:  Wayne Rooney
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to United


Hull v Liverpool
Robbie Brady's prolonged hernia issues remain a problem for Hull - the sooner he returns to full fitness the better. Liverpool will be looking to get a win after their draw at Everton last week, while Daniel Sturridge should start.

KEY PLAYER:  Steven Gerrard
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  3-0 to Liverpool


Manchester City v Swansea
This could get ugly. Swansea have been up and down this season while City at the Etihad have been absolutely breathtaking. The partnership of Aguero and Negredo has been nothing short of clinical, while City's plethora of wingers give them fantastic supply. Swansea face a mountainous task to get any points from this one, so the likes of Ashley Williams and Michel Vorm will need to be at their best.

KEY PLAYER:  Ashley Williams
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  3-0 to City ... could be more though


Chelsea v Southampton
Hard game to tip this one. Southampton could trouble Chelsea like West Brom did recently, and they could be the team to break Mourinho's unbeaten run at home. If they do, it'll send a message to the other teams that the Saints deserve their current standing. If they make the most of their attacking chances, and defend resolutely, Chelsea could be in for a shock - Soton only conceded goals via a penalty and a brainfade from Artur Boruc.

KEY PLAYER:  Adam Lallana
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to Chelsea ... could be a draw though

[specky92]

Awesome work Tom, I'm watching the Tottenham vs Manchester United now and the camera feels so far away from the play!  :-[

The Gunners were really solid at Cardiff, 2 late goals but we never looked like losing.

[My Chumps]

Stupid Hull  :(

[Tominator]

GAMEWEEK 13 REVIEW


Aston Villa 0-0 Sunderland
Pretty dour nil-all draw really. Some good saves from both goalkeepers kept it that way, but mainly the chances were not on target. Christian Benteke, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Sunderland's Seb Larsson and Fabio Borini came close. Craig Gardner did score, albeit from an offside position. But the biggest chance of the game was to Emanuele Giaccherini, who somehow shot over the bar when it seemed easier to score. When FT came, the ground erupted in a chorus of boos.


Everton 4-0 Stoke
Comprehensive win for Everton. They are really playing some great football under Roberto Martinez, and this is shown by how both their Left-Back (Bryan Oviedo) and Right-Back (Seamus Coleman) managed to score. Everton also proved they are not purely reliant on Romelu Lukaku, with him contributing only the fourth goal when the game was already sealed. The emergence of Gerard Deulofeu was very exciting, but it could have been much worse if not for Asmir Begovic, who made 8 saves, such was how convincingly Stoke were dominated.


Cardiff 0-3 Arsenal
The former Cardiff man Aaron Ramsey was immense in Arsenal's comprehensive win. The Gunners did what Man City and Man Utd could not - get 3 points at Cardiff. Jack Wilshere nearly scored inside 2 minutes when his curler hit the post/bar, but Ramsey managed to get the away side in front on 29 minutes. He then earned a round of applause from the Cardiff fans, as he did not celebrate any of Arsenal's goals out of respect for his former club. Mathieu Flamini wasn't as reserved in his celebrations after he scored, after Mesut Ozil's second assist of the game, before Theo Walcott teed up Ramsey to score in injury time.


Norwich 1-0 Crystal Palace
Three points for Norwich which eases pressure on Chris Hughton. Nathan Redmond was dominant early, while Johan Elmander very nearly scored one of the goals of the season, his look-away backheel hitting the crossbar. Redmond was immense in setting up Wes Hoolahan to assist Gary Hooper, who scored to give Norwich a deserved 1-0 lead. Barry Bannan had his shot deflected onto the crossbar, before in the second half Seb Bassong nearly got an own goal. But Norwich held on to win 1-0.


West Ham 3-0 Fulham
Fulham's fifth loss in a row was the final straw for Martin Jol, who ended up losing his job as manager. Martin Stekelenberg was forced into a number of saves, under siege all game, as West Ham were easily the dominant side, but could not score in the first half. That changed within the first 90 seconds of the second half as Mohamed Diame scored off a deflection. Shortly after, Stuart Downing hit the bar and Ravel Morrison came close, but West Ham could not finish it off. But after Morrison came on, West Ham scored twice through Carlton Cole and Joe Cole.


Newcastle 2-1 West Bromich Albion
Newcastle's fourth win in a row took them to fifth place in the PL at the end of the game. Newcastle's "Frenchmen Henchmen" were pivotal in the win, with a goal to Yoan Gouffran in the first half giving them the lead. Chris Brunt equalised early in the second for WBA, but Newcastle had the lead with a dazzling strike from Moussa Sissoko from 25-yards out which proved to be the winner.


Tottenham 2-2 Manchester United
A bad loss for Tottenham and AVB may be gone by now. However, Tottenham took the lead twice in the game in what was a spirited performance. Kyle Walker scored from a free kick before gifting Wayne Rooney the equaliser. Tottenham had a number of chances to get 2-0 up, with Roberto Soldado the main culprit, missing a glorious chance to continue his woeful form recently. Sandro scored a screamer to give Tottenham the lead once again, but Hugo Lloris fouled Danny Welbeck in the box, where Rooney converted to level once more.


Hull 3-1 Liverpool
Lose to Palace, win over Liverpool. It's been an unusual couple of weeks for Hull. But they were the better side against Liverpool, and had a lot of chances. Luis Suarez was well below usual standards, while the absence of Daniel Sturridge was felt. Jake Livermore gave Hull the lead with a deflection off Martin Skrtel, but Steven Gerrard stepped up with a trademark free kick minutes later. David Meyler gave Hull the lead again before a Skrtel own goal sent the KC Stadium into raptures.


Manchester City 3-0 Swansea
As expected, a comprehensive win to City at the Etihad. Alvaro Negredo scored from a free-kick inside 8 minutes, and the signs were ominous for the Swans. But to their credit, they fought hard and defended resolutely to keep City at bay, but a second-half double to Samir Nasri killed off the game. The assisters were the effervescent Yaya Toure and right-back Pablo Zabaleta, and the win continued City's epic run of form on their home turf.


Chelsea 3-1 Southampton
Southampton took the lead after just 13 seconds  when Michael Essien's backpass fell straight to Jay Rodriguez to give the Saints a dream start. They maintained the lead for the entirety of the first half, but things went pear-shaped in the second. Central defenders Gary Cahill and John Terry both scored before Demba Ba added a third. The Saints have now lost to Arsenal and Chelsea in the last two weeks, denting their title hopes.

[Tominator]

GAMEWEEK 14 PREVIEW


Crystal Palace v West Ham
yes I know the result.... this was made before the game though I just forgot to post   ::)

KEY PLAYER:  Barry Bannan
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  1-0 to West Ham


Arsenal v Hull

KEY PLAYER:  Jack Wilshere
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-0 to Arsenal


Liverpool v Norwich

KEY PLAYER:  Luis Suarez
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  3-0 to Liverpool


Manchester United v Everton

KEY PLAYER:  Wayne Rooney
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to United


Southampton v Aston Villa

KEY PLAYER:  Rickie Lambert
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-0 to Southampton


Stoke v Cardiff

KEY PLAYER:  Peter Crouch
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  1-1 draw


Sunderland v Chelsea

KEY PLAYER:   Juan Mata
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  3-0 to Chelsea


Swansea v Newcastle

KEY PLAYER:  Yohan Cabaye
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  1-1 draw


Fulham v Tottenham

KEY PLAYER:  Paulinho
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to Tottenham


West Bromich Albion v Manchester City

KEY PLAYER:  Yaya Toure
TOMINATOR'S TIP:  2-1 to City

[CrowsFan]

Well after 12 matches of trying David Moyes has finally gotten Everton a win at Old Trafford! ::)