EPL 2016/17 - Game Week 18

Chelsea are inching away with 1-0 wins and looked Mourinho-ish in their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. If Liverpool have a defence that play like theirs, they would be league champions. Arsenal who finally look like the real thing have stumbled, again albeit a month later than usual. Manchester City, in self-doubt have bounced back strongly and Manchester United seemed to have overcome their earlier setback. This week and next will be the 'killer' weeks that may make or break any team. Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year! 

Week 18

Watford v Crystal Palace - The Hornet surprisingly went down at Sunderland last week while Palace had nothing to show for their big effort on Chelsea though they played well. Alan Pardew need a result here and they are six points and five places behind Watford. Usually when they meet they do not do draw and one of them wins. Palace are playing better than the results has shown and Waford have not been scoring. Away win. 0-1. Alan Pardew has been sacked! It wold be ironic if Palace win and turn their season around. Who's coming? Sam Allardyce! Sam has saved man a team from relegation in the past. So he will organised to get at least a point here. 1-1.

Arsenal v WBA - The Gunners have lost just one of their eleven matches against the Baggies with eight wins but in their last two leagues games they have stumbled and fell to Everton and City. Their usual November slump has become a December slump. Worse, both matches were lost after they led 1-0 and ended 1-2. Arsenal cannot afford to drop more points as leaders Chelsea are now nine points ahead. Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil looked strangely subdued against City and were they affected by contract negotiations. Are their ego getting in the way or are they merely wanting to be recognised by being matched to the salary of other top salaried players like Rooney and of course they should in a sense as they are better than Rooney but are already in the top bracket at Arsenal. Perhaps they were just missing the presence of Mustafi? WBA are in a good 8 position and playing well but I thought their performance against United was below par. The Gunners should come around to overcome. One more stutter and then Gunners could be Goners. They are just one defeat from disaster.  2-1.

Burnley v Middlesborough - Burnley are winless against Boro the last six times. Boro themselves were winless for two matches before they came back with a convincing 3-0 win over Swansea. Both sides have been losing narrowly and are real fighters in every matches they play. This could be one of those tight matches which would probably end a draw. 1-1.

Chelsea v Bournemouth - Chelsea are on a roll. Tight at the back, tough in the middle and scoring the winners even if through a single goal. Diego Costa is not only a changed man, he is their hero and top scorer but now suspended. Eddie Howe's Cherries while playing well are unpredictable - losing to weaker teams and beating the stronger ones. Last season, Bournemouth won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. Batshuayi shall now be given a chance to show his worth in the absence of Costa. Chelsea has been playing mostly the same players without disruption so it is time like this that they will be put to another kind of test. What is their strength in depth? Injuries and suspension will only disrupt but Bournemouth collapsed at home to Southampton last week. Chelsea should win here but do not be surprised by an upset because going forward, Chelsea have depended a lot from Diego Costa while Liverpool have scorers from across the field. They will also miss Kante. All teams can drop points at some stage. If there is any team that can handle and surprise it is Bournemouth. Chelsea are on 11 straight wins and 3 more to equalise Arsenal's record. Do not let Chelsea score first or score early as they will organise differently and in the last 20 minutes bring in defenders. 2-0.

Leicester City v Everton - The Foxes did the double over the Toffees last season but as everyone knows now, they have not been the same. Leicester City have not repeated not only their form of last season, not even the one the had City beaten so impressively. How did they went two down at Stoke? But to come back to level 2-2 was quite something. The loss of Jamie Vardy could be telling. Everton had two solid game beating Arsenal 2-1 and a narrow and hard fought 0-1 loss to Merseyside rival Liverpool. It will be close as either side could win but my pick is a draw. 1-1.

Manchester United v Sunderland - The odds are heavily stacked against the Black Cats. 24 home meetings and only one loss by the Red Devils but while avoiding relegation last season Sunderland have won 2-1 at home and in 2014 won 1-0 at Old Trafford. Can you then truly rule out such an upset? They lost to a narrow 0-1 defeat to Chelsea and have just beaten Watford but can they withstand an improving United? Sunderland are fighting for survival even as early as now and how nice for David Moyes to get one over his old employer. The shining light at Sunderland have been striker Jermaine Defoe who kept scoring even as his team flounder and then there is the young goalkeeping lad Jordan Pickford who have shown great potential with his great form and many superb saves. These two could be United's potential banana skins. Still United may just be too strong. 2-1.

Swansea v West Ham - Last season Swansea were undefeated by the Hammers. Now they are second from the bottom only by goal difference. Their recent 5-4 win over Palace and 3-0 over Sunderland led to big losses in three other matches. Meanwhile, West Ham are making a comeback somewhat - undefeated in three and won two. Swansea are having real problems. They used to be a footballing team with sweet passing. West Ham should be happy to be playing Swansea now but they need to watch themselves as last week's match against Hull, the Man of the Match was their goal post. 1-2.

Hull v Manchester City  - Bottom versus third with City on fire last week. The Tigers earlier season surprisingly good performances has given way to losses. The unexpected early fire have dwindled and the current standing is expected but Hull was unfortunate at West Ham last week. However, City will probably be less merciful. In their last two matches, City have shown they have learnt how to win again even despite difficult circumstances but Hull won't go down without a fight. City can't afford to lose ground and points. 0-2.

Liverpool v Stoke City - Since that 1-6 thrashing by Stoke in 2015, Liverpool have not lost to Stoke in the league. While Stoke are now better than their early season, Liverpool are second with an important and significant Merseyside derby win at Goodison Park. Liverpool were rudderless in the first half as Everton's tactic was simply to get into them, disrupt all their first touch and closing in on them fast and furious. It was at a frenetic pace but the Reds were semi-flaccid. They only got their mojo in the second half but Mane, Firmino and Origi had their chances. It was only when Sturridge was introduced that changed the equation. You may call it an inspired substition by Klopp but everyone knows Daniel Sturridge.

On his day, when he is not injured and in the mood, he is world class. Sturridge got the ball on the right harmlessly. In typical fashion he dragged the ball and a couple of defenders across the goal mouth and suddenly he turned in a shot diagonally across a sea of legs to surprise the goalkeeper. It was more a well directed angled low shot rather than a powerful one and it hit the post and richocheted back to a pouncing Mane who gleefully tucked in to goal. It looked simple but it takes such awareness and anticipation from Mane to react so quickly. Watching Mane, you must agree he is an amazing player. Well built but not that tall, he has such explosive pace, has a great way of somehow shielding the ball and that quickness of mind and feet plus that amazing balance.

Going into this match, Liverpool are unbeaten in 15 premier league home games,  the longest in the competition and the good news is that they have now kept two consecutive clean sheet. Things are looking good as Origi has been scoring and Sturridge is back plus possibly Joel Matip too. Home win. 2-0.

Southampton v Tottenham - At one time, Tottenham suffered six successive away defeats to the Saints which was followed by four unbeaten games at the same venue. Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino hails from Southampton. The Saints have the fourth worst goal scoring record so far this season. The game will be tight and a draw is highly possible so Tottenham must go for maximum points to keep pace with the rest. Can they do enough? 1-1.