EPL 14-15, Home Stretch

[The Sybian]

What finish this season is going to be at both ends of the table. Maybe not for the title, but as of today, 4 points separates 3rd place from 7th, and 6 points separates 18th from 12th. Crazy. I don't know if I have watched a Palace game at Selhurst Park before, but is the field usually as shitty as it was this weekend? Players constantly slipped and fell for the entire game. It didn't look like it was raining at all, and the field didn't look wet. I didn't see any players switch spikes, either. I also thought Clattenburg and crew were horrible. Ozil scored a goal that was called back for offsides, and he was on by quite a bit. At least a dozen clear fouls went uncalled, while a lot of very soft contact and even no contact slips were called. Pretty even both ways, but really, really poor.

[A_B]

eff this thread

[degenerasian]

The title race will be interesting as this Movement Against Chelsea continues.

[The Sybian]

Couldn't find an FA Cup thread, and figure I will be talking to myself with only Arsenal and Liverpool left. Someone was a Villa fan, Max maybe?

What a game at Old Trafford on Monday, huh? End to end exitement, De Gea with a couple spectacular saves, Szczesny with a couple shaky moments to scare the crap out of me. And of course, ManU's excess baggage Welbeck scoring the game winner while the man who essentially made him expendable, Falcao, sat on the bench and forced to play on the youth squad the following day despite being 29.

Very interesting calls on the two dives. Live, I thought Di Maria was fouled. Replay shows a dive. Then he completely lost it grabbing the ref. The look on the ref's face was classic. I expected Arsenal to blow the lead a man up. Would have been such an Arsenally move. If Arsenal can't beat the winner of the Bradford/Reading game... Looking forward to a title defense in the final! Liverpool Arsenal would be a great battle of former superpowers on the rise.

[MaxWebster]

indeed he was/is. :)

aside from last week which was shockingly awesome, between the Sabres and Villa i know how to pick the offensive powerhouses!

Couldn't find an FA Cup thread, and figure I will be talking to myself with only Arsenal and Liverpool left. Someone was a Villa fan, Max maybe? ...

[Pruitt]

Yet another huge game for the Harry Kanes this weekend. Beat Man U and the race for the Champions league is well and truly on.

Next three games are Leicester, Burnley and Villa.

No idea how this one will play out.

And for those who haven't seen many Spurs games this year, the MVP of the team is not Harry Kane, it is Hugo Lloris. If Tottenham had an average keeper, they would battling Newcastle for 11th.

[govmentchedda]

Yet another huge game for the Harry Kanes this weekend. Beat Man U and the race for the Champions league is well and truly on.

Next three games are Leicester, Burnley and Villa.

No idea how this one will play out.

And for those who haven't seen many Spurs games this year, the MVP of the team is not Harry Kane, it is Hugo Lloris. If Tottenham had an average keeper, they would battling Newcastle for 11th.

Kane might even be third behind Eriksen.

[Pruitt]

Yet another huge game for the Harry Kanes this weekend. Beat Man U and the race for the Champions league is well and truly on.

Next three games are Leicester, Burnley and Villa.

No idea how this one will play out.

And for those who haven't seen many Spurs games this year, the MVP of the team is not Harry Kane, it is Hugo Lloris. If Tottenham had an average keeper, they would battling Newcastle for 11th.

Kane might even be third behind Eriksen.

An argument could be made, but those three have been unreal this season (Kane since November). Really helping to paper over the fact that this team has approximately no good defenders.

[MaxWebster]

Villa netting 4? away? in one HALF?

this Sherwood fella seems to be pushing the right buttons.

[govmentchedda]

That Rooney boxing video!

All it's missing is Smokey running up to tell him he got knocked the fuck out.

[Sabo]

Villa netting 4? away? in one HALF?

this Sherwood fella seems to be pushing the right buttons.

I watched that game. Villa looked good but you're underselling how awful Sunderland was. I'm surprised Poyet wasn't fired at half time.

[Pruitt]

The Spurs ManU game literally put me to sleep. Who says you cant sit on a lead for 60 minutes?

[A_B]

The Spurs ManU game literally put me to sleep. Who says you cant sit on a lead for 60 minutes?

I think you don't sit on a one goal lead for that long. Three goals? why not.

[govmentchedda]

The original


Screenshot of the goal celebration

[Sabo]

If anyone wants to see 88 minutes of an attack versus defense drill, then turn your TV to NBCSN for this Man City-WBA match. The ref issued a red card to the wrong WBA player in the second minute.

[Pruitt]

Hugo Lloris down. Spurs out.

[Sabo]

If anyone wants to see 88 minutes of an attack versus defense drill, then turn your TV to NBCSN for this Man City-WBA match. The ref issued a red card to the wrong WBA player in the second minute.

Man City had 43 shots in the game, which is the most shots by one team this season in the top flight leagues in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

[tennbengal]

Great atmosphere in Anfield. United with early goal, but crowd not out of it. Anyone watching this? Have a question about the defensive breakdown from Liverpool on the United goal.

[Rex]

Curious of Pele to choose this match over QPR-Everton

[Brontoburglar]

Great atmosphere in Anfield. United with early goal, but crowd not out of it. Anyone watching this? Have a question about the defensive breakdown from Liverpool on the United goal.

On no one picking up Mata? Or what led to the pass to Mata?

[tennbengal]

Great atmosphere in Anfield. United with early goal, but crowd not out of it. Anyone watching this? Have a question about the defensive breakdown from Liverpool on the United goal.

On no one picking up Mata? Or what led to the pass to Mata?

No one picking him up. Liverpool plays only 3 at the back, right? So were all three too far across the pitch and allowed the run off the back? Or was the left mid supposed to have covered back better than that?

[tennbengal]

Oh my.

What a 48 seconds for Garrard. Epic, really.

[tennbengal]

Oh my on the second goal from Mata.

[rass]

A day late, but I really enjoyed the second half of the NUFC/Arsenal match yesterday. Exciting!

[govmentchedda]

Gerrard is past it. What a dick move with the stamp. I get that he expected a horrible tackle from Herrera, but you just can't lash out like that.

What a game by Mata. Pentz has got to be happy about that.

[govmentchedda]

Not EPL, but el clasico is such a great game. Pepe could not be a bigger cunt.

[Pruitt]

Not EPL, but el clasico is such a great game. Pepe could not be a bigger cunt.

A fantastic game - although spoiled somewhat by that Ray Hudson. He's fine on the highlights, but it is an ordeal having to listen to 90 minutes of him.

That ref sucked dog balls, but as much of a cunt as Pepe is, I nominate Suarez, Neymar and Mascherano for divers of the year. But when you see how gullible a ref like that is, their diving becomes a good strategy.

And man, Suarez played a hell of a game.

[The Sybian]

A day late, but I really enjoyed the second half of the NUFC/Arsenal match yesterday. Exciting!

Seriously. At the end of the first half, it seemed like a cakewalk for Arsenal. Complete domination, and Newcastle was listless except for Perez, who was dangerous but offsides every time the ball came near him. The whole first half I was waiting for Giroud to attack Ramsay for repeatedly making bad decisions, bad passes, waiting too long to pass to Giroud. Then A perfectly lofted ball was about to fall to Giroud, alone in front of the net ready to cap off his hattrick, when Ramsey jumps up for the ball an knocks it away from Giroud.

Newcastle's first goal was just beautiful. Ryan Taylor had a great move around Welbeck at the halfway line, very quickly moved up the field with some nice passes, and a great finish by Sissoko. The momentum from that goal turned Newcastle into the best team in the EPL for the remainder of the half. Never seen a transformation like that. I don't think Arsenal played worse in the second half, the Magpies were just that good. The positive takeaway is that Arsenal really fought it out, and withheld a balls out attack for 45 minutes. Any Arsenal team of the past 10 years would have conceded one if not more goals. The mental toughness and defensive composure is better than I can remember since Patrick Viera left. I give a lot of credit to Coquelin. He has transformed Arsenal's midfield. He intercepts so many passes breaking up counters and turning it right back around. He also has an uncanny ability to make desperation tackles, often from behind, and not committing the foul.

Final Arsenal analysis that few if any care about, Giroud is a damned beast. A sexy beast, at that. In addition to scoring, his hold up play and distribution has been phenomenal this season. So many one touch flicks sending a teammate through and showing incredible strength holding the ball with his back to goal and waiting for a runner to dish off to. And let's not forget his meaty French Forehead!

[A_B]

Still in shouting distance of second. Five clear of fifth. With this team i will take it. So inconsistent.

[govmentchedda]

Not EPL, but el clasico is such a great game. Pepe could not be a bigger cunt.

A fantastic game - although spoiled somewhat by that Ray Hudson. He's fine on the highlights, but it is an ordeal having to listen to 90 minutes of him.

That ref sucked dog balls, but as much of a cunt as Pepe is, I nominate Suarez, Neymar and Mascherano for divers of the year. But when you see how gullible a ref like that is, their diving becomes a good strategy.

And man, Suarez played a hell of a game.

Don't forget Ronaldo, who actually got booked for diving. I don't mind Ray Hudson at all, but I get that he irks some. My non-soccer watching parents were over at my house while the game was on, and laughing at his comments.

Both el clasico and Liverpool/Man U were great yesterday. It helps that the teams I support both won, but it was pretty clear that there was a ton of talent on display. Even though I support Man U and Barca, I don't have the hatred for Liverpool or Madrid that others do. I love watching Coutinho, Henderson, Sterling and Sturridge for Liverpool, as well as Ronaldo, Modric, and Marcelo with Real.