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

[Vinny]

Zabaleta injured after I got him and took a -4.

[Tominator]

Zabaleta injured after I got him and took a -4.

How long will Zabaleta be out for? I made three trades yesterday and Zabaleta was not one of them


GW 16 Review will hopefully be up tonight after my footy training.

[Tominator]

Sorry this is a bit late - had a power outage for a lot of today! It's 43C in Adelaide  ::)



GAMEWEEK 16 REVIEW


Manchester City 6-3 Arsenal
In a fixture that was traditionally low-scoring, this game certainly wasn't. City are the best team at home, and Arsenal were the best team on the road - something had to give, and City prevailed in a frenzied goal-scoring encounter. Sergio Aguero scored first, on 19 minutes, after Samir Nasri's corner, before Theo Walcott equalised from an uncharacteristic error by Yaya Toure. Minutes later, Alvaro Negredo gave City the lead again and at half-time it was 2-1. An Arsenal turnover led to Fernandinho scoring his first goal for Man City, before Walcott scored again to peg one back. David Silva made it 4-2 before Fernandinho bagged his second to add a fifth. And when it seemed like it was all over, Per Mertesacker got a consolation goal for Arsenal, but then Arsenal conceded a penalty and Toure made it 6-3.


Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace had never won at Stamford Bridge, yet put in a gallant display. Fernando Torres put the Blues ahead after Willian's shot was parried by Julian Speroni, before Marouane Chamakh scored his third goal in three games to level for Palace. But Chelsea went ahead once again when Ramires scored late in the first half. Chelsea had the better of the second half, but to Palace's credit they kept fighting, defending resolutely with the likes of Eden Hazard, Andre Schurrle, Demba Ba and Oscar having chance-upon-chance, but 2-1 it stayed.


Everton 4-1 Fulham
There's something going on at Everton. The Martinez Effect has seen one loss in 16 games and Everton are right in the tilt for a Champions League spot, after another comfortable win. Leon Osman fired the Toffees ahead in his 300th PL appearance, and very nearly had another soon after. Alex Kacaniklic missed a seemingly-unmissable chance at the other end, before winning a penalty which Dimitar Berbatov duly converted. But from there, Everton piled on three late goals through Seamus Coleman, Gareth Barry and Kevin Mirallas, to run out 4-1 winners.


Cardiff 1-0 West Bromich Albion
A game between two sides whose managers are under pressure - one due to form (Steve Clarke), one due to boardroom friction (Malky Mackay). It was West Brom's fourth loss in a row, as they lacked potency and creativity and were beaten by a better side in Cardiff. Peter Whittingham bobbed up in the second half to score for Cardiff, his header from Craig Noone's inch-perfect cross proving to be the winner. The game proved to be the last for Clarke, as he was sacked hours after in a decision many are describing as very very harsh.


Hull 0-0 Stoke
Another pretty dour draw. Goalless draws seem to be much more common this season, especially amongst battles between lower-ranked sides. Hull were arguably the better side in this fixture, as the ever-reliable Asmir Begovic was forced to make numerous saves, but Hull were also quite wasteful with their chances. Stoke took a while to switch on, but they did come alive late and really pressed the Hull defence. Stephen Ireland scored but was correctly deemed offside, while David McGregor had to make a diving save to keep out Peter Crouch in the dying stages.


West Ham 0-0 Sunderland
A pretty forgetful encounter, but every point is an important point for Sunderland nonetheless. Sunderland were 5 points adrift of 19th place going into the game, and have some bad form on the road. Jussi Jaaskalainen was superb in goal, making a number of fantastic saves in a game where the deadlock never looked like being broken. It was West Ham's fifth goalless draw of the season, the most in the league, which suggests two things - they are very solid defensively, but lack creativity in attack. Both teams deserved a point, but neither deserved a win.


Newcastle 1-1 Southampton
Alan Pardew's men had won 5 of their last 6 games, the best record in the Premier League. After wins against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, they had much to look forward to against Southampton. They took the lead on the break when Yoan Gouffran. Steven Davis hit the post with his curling effort, before assisting Jay Rodriguez to equalise not long later. Moussa Sissoko accidentally hit the referee in the face whilst remonstrating with Paolo Gazzaniga, before a melee erupted after a challenge near the dugouts involving players, officials and the ever-controversial Pablo Dani Osvaldo, which resulted in both goalkeeping coaches evicted.


Norwich 1-1 Swansea
Nathan Dyer did well to get on the scoresheet when he lobbed Ashley Williams' long ball over John Ruddy, after a defensive mix-up. Dyer then brought about a long delay just before added time at the end of the first half, when he suffered a nasty ankle injury and was stretchered off. Norwich dominated the last 15 minutes of the first half and went ahead just before the break when Gary Hooper's audacious lob left Michel Vorm no chance. Norwich continued to be the better side in the second half, as Swansea lacked potent up front in a very disappointing display from Michu. He often looked disinterested and was completely shut out of the game - and I'm a Swansea fan as well, but Swansea were lucky to gain a point.


Aston Villa 0-3 Manchester United
After back-to-back losses, United were back on the winners list away from home with a comprehensive win at Villa Park. Danny Welbeck scored a first half double, both goals coming from United counter-attacks after Villa had given the ball away. The wingers, Antonio Valencia and Adnan Januzaj were both very good, while Wayne Rooney interestingly was deployed in a deeper midfield role. Rooney did tee up Tom Cleverley to add a third goal in the second half, but a vital 3 points for United and for David Moyes.


Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool
The Luis Suarez show was in full flight again. Two goals and three assists, in his first game as captain (standing in for Steven Gerrard) for the man who just keeps on scoring. It was a nightmare for Andre Villas-Boas, whose back four again capitulated just weeks after conceding 6 against Manchester City, despite being defensively solid for most of the season. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half, before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0. Paulinho was sent off in the second half, and from there it went from bad to worse, as Jon Flanagan scored his first league goal for Liverpool. Suarez added another to his tally - that's 17 for the season - before Raheem Sterling made it 5-0. Rightly or wrongly, it was the last straw as Villas-Boas was ultimately sacked in the wake of the loss.

This performance, and his recent form, proves that Luis Suarez is without a doubt the best player in the Premier League.

[My Chumps]

Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool
The Luis Suarez show was in full flight again. Two goals and three assists, in his first game as captain (standing in for Steven Gerrard) for the man who just keeps on scoring. It was a nightmare for Andre Villas-Boas, whose back four again capitulated just weeks after conceding 6 against Manchester City, despite being defensively solid for most of the season. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half, before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0. Paulinho was sent off in the second half, and from there it went from bad to worse, as Jon Flanagan scored his first league goal for Liverpool. Suarez added another to his tally - that's 17 for the season - before Raheem Sterling made it 5-0. Rightly or wrongly, it was the last straw as Villas-Boas was ultimately sacked in the wake of the loss.

This performance, and his recent form, proves that Luis Suarez is without a doubt the best player in the Premier League.

Damn that's good to read  8)

Excellent write up as usual Tom! Top stuff mate.

[T Dog]

Good work again Big Tom... ;D

[Vinny]

Top stuff Tom, awesome read. ;)

[Noz]

Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool
The Luis Suarez show was in full flight again. Two goals and three assists, in his first game as captain (standing in for Steven Gerrard) for the man who just keeps on scoring. It was a nightmare for Andre Villas-Boas, whose back four again capitulated just weeks after conceding 6 against Manchester City, despite being defensively solid for most of the season. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half, before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0. Paulinho was sent off in the second half, and from there it went from bad to worse, as Jon Flanagan scored his first league goal for Liverpool. Suarez added another to his tally - that's 17 for the season - before Raheem Sterling made it 5-0. Rightly or wrongly, it was the last straw as Villas-Boas was ultimately sacked in the wake of the loss.

This performance, and his recent form, proves that Luis Suarez is without a doubt the best player in the Premier League.

Damn that's good to read  8)

Excellent write up as usual Tom! Top stuff mate.

You a a liverpool fan as well chumpy?

[My Chumps]

Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool
The Luis Suarez show was in full flight again. Two goals and three assists, in his first game as captain (standing in for Steven Gerrard) for the man who just keeps on scoring. It was a nightmare for Andre Villas-Boas, whose back four again capitulated just weeks after conceding 6 against Manchester City, despite being defensively solid for most of the season. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half, before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0. Paulinho was sent off in the second half, and from there it went from bad to worse, as Jon Flanagan scored his first league goal for Liverpool. Suarez added another to his tally - that's 17 for the season - before Raheem Sterling made it 5-0. Rightly or wrongly, it was the last straw as Villas-Boas was ultimately sacked in the wake of the loss.

This performance, and his recent form, proves that Luis Suarez is without a doubt the best player in the Premier League.

Damn that's good to read  8)

Excellent write up as usual Tom! Top stuff mate.

You a a liverpool fan as well chumpy?

Yes mate. Yourself, Q, chrisuzz (if he's still about) and I are all Liverpool supporters I believe. Might be forgetting other people too.

[elephants]

Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool
The Luis Suarez show was in full flight again. Two goals and three assists, in his first game as captain (standing in for Steven Gerrard) for the man who just keeps on scoring. It was a nightmare for Andre Villas-Boas, whose back four again capitulated just weeks after conceding 6 against Manchester City, despite being defensively solid for most of the season. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half, before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0. Paulinho was sent off in the second half, and from there it went from bad to worse, as Jon Flanagan scored his first league goal for Liverpool. Suarez added another to his tally - that's 17 for the season - before Raheem Sterling made it 5-0. Rightly or wrongly, it was the last straw as Villas-Boas was ultimately sacked in the wake of the loss.

This performance, and his recent form, proves that Luis Suarez is without a doubt the best player in the Premier League.

Damn that's good to read  8)

Excellent write up as usual Tom! Top stuff mate.

You a a liverpool fan as well chumpy?

Yes mate. Yourself, Q, chrisuzz (if he's still about) and I are all Liverpool supporters I believe. Might be forgetting other people too.

Poor blokes :( :P

[Nige]

Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool
The Luis Suarez show was in full flight again. Two goals and three assists, in his first game as captain (standing in for Steven Gerrard) for the man who just keeps on scoring. It was a nightmare for Andre Villas-Boas, whose back four again capitulated just weeks after conceding 6 against Manchester City, despite being defensively solid for most of the season. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half, before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0. Paulinho was sent off in the second half, and from there it went from bad to worse, as Jon Flanagan scored his first league goal for Liverpool. Suarez added another to his tally - that's 17 for the season - before Raheem Sterling made it 5-0. Rightly or wrongly, it was the last straw as Villas-Boas was ultimately sacked in the wake of the loss.

This performance, and his recent form, proves that Luis Suarez is without a doubt the best player in the Premier League.

Damn that's good to read  8)

Excellent write up as usual Tom! Top stuff mate.

You a a liverpool fan as well chumpy?

Yes mate. Yourself, Q, chrisuzz (if he's still about) and I are all Liverpool supporters I believe. Might be forgetting other people too.

Poor blokes :( :P

I second this sentiment.

[Noz]

Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool
The Luis Suarez show was in full flight again. Two goals and three assists, in his first game as captain (standing in for Steven Gerrard) for the man who just keeps on scoring. It was a nightmare for Andre Villas-Boas, whose back four again capitulated just weeks after conceding 6 against Manchester City, despite being defensively solid for most of the season. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half, before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0. Paulinho was sent off in the second half, and from there it went from bad to worse, as Jon Flanagan scored his first league goal for Liverpool. Suarez added another to his tally - that's 17 for the season - before Raheem Sterling made it 5-0. Rightly or wrongly, it was the last straw as Villas-Boas was ultimately sacked in the wake of the loss.

This performance, and his recent form, proves that Luis Suarez is without a doubt the best player in the Premier League.

Damn that's good to read  8)

Excellent write up as usual Tom! Top stuff mate.

You a a liverpool fan as well chumpy?

Yes mate. Yourself, Q, chrisuzz (if he's still about) and I are all Liverpool supporters I believe. Might be forgetting other people too.

Poor blokes :( :P

I second this sentiment.

Our fans are the most loyal in the history of any sport, Plus we are one of the most successful clubs in England  8)

[BoredSaint]

EVERTONNNN

[My Chumps]

Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool
The Luis Suarez show was in full flight again. Two goals and three assists, in his first game as captain (standing in for Steven Gerrard) for the man who just keeps on scoring. It was a nightmare for Andre Villas-Boas, whose back four again capitulated just weeks after conceding 6 against Manchester City, despite being defensively solid for most of the season. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half, before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0. Paulinho was sent off in the second half, and from there it went from bad to worse, as Jon Flanagan scored his first league goal for Liverpool. Suarez added another to his tally - that's 17 for the season - before Raheem Sterling made it 5-0. Rightly or wrongly, it was the last straw as Villas-Boas was ultimately sacked in the wake of the loss.

This performance, and his recent form, proves that Luis Suarez is without a doubt the best player in the Premier League.

Damn that's good to read  8)

Excellent write up as usual Tom! Top stuff mate.

You a a liverpool fan as well chumpy?

Yes mate. Yourself, Q, chrisuzz (if he's still about) and I are all Liverpool supporters I believe. Might be forgetting other people too.

Poor blokes :( :P

I second this sentiment.

:P

Honestly I prefer it supporting Liverpool than United/Chelsea/City. Winning the league is obviously the ultimate objective but being a team that's expected to be battling for Champions/Europa league is fun, because if we don't win the league, the seasons not a disappointment, and we don't sack our manager unlike some other premier league clubs... *cough cough :P

[Cicjose]

http://sportbild.bild.de/SPORT/fussball/2013/12/19/transfer-news/bayer-trifft-de-bruyne-pitroipa-rueckkehr-zum-hsv.html

Bayer Leverkusen has intensified its efforts to oblige the Belgian international's Kevin De Bruyne. As the "kicker" reported is in charge of the Second Bundesliga met on Monday with the attacking midfielder from Chelsea and his adviser Patrick de Koster to an exploratory conversation.

[elephants]

Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool
The Luis Suarez show was in full flight again. Two goals and three assists, in his first game as captain (standing in for Steven Gerrard) for the man who just keeps on scoring. It was a nightmare for Andre Villas-Boas, whose back four again capitulated just weeks after conceding 6 against Manchester City, despite being defensively solid for most of the season. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half, before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0. Paulinho was sent off in the second half, and from there it went from bad to worse, as Jon Flanagan scored his first league goal for Liverpool. Suarez added another to his tally - that's 17 for the season - before Raheem Sterling made it 5-0. Rightly or wrongly, it was the last straw as Villas-Boas was ultimately sacked in the wake of the loss.

This performance, and his recent form, proves that Luis Suarez is without a doubt the best player in the Premier League.

Damn that's good to read  8)

Excellent write up as usual Tom! Top stuff mate.

You a a liverpool fan as well chumpy?

Yes mate. Yourself, Q, chrisuzz (if he's still about) and I are all Liverpool supporters I believe. Might be forgetting other people too.

Poor blokes :( :P

I second this sentiment.

:P

Honestly I prefer it supporting Liverpool than United/Chelsea/City. Winning the league is obviously the ultimate objective but being a team that's expected to be battling for Champions/Europa league is fun, because if we don't win the league, the seasons not a disappointment, and we don't sack our manager unlike some other premier league clubs... *cough cough :P

Resigned to mediocrity, nice Liverpool fans ;)