Month: November 2015

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‘Can City Bounce Back?’ – Manchester City vs. Southampton, 28/11/15

Probable XI’s

Man City: Caballero, Sagna, Demichelis, Otamendi, Kolarov, Fernando, Delph, Touré, De Bruyne, Aguero, Sterling

Southampton: Stekelenburg, Soares, Fonte, van Dijk, Bertrand, Wanyama, Davies, Ward-Prowse, Mane, Long, Tadic

Two defeats in a week. Liverpool’s ‘gegenpressing’ approach during last week’s game at the Etihad could have been an anomaly, City were awful with a whole host of defensive errors. Liverpool were fantastic. City’s defeat in Turin however hints at a greater issue for City that has reared its head once more for Pellegrini. What to do when Kompany gets injured? Continue reading “‘Can City Bounce Back?’ – Manchester City vs. Southampton, 28/11/15”

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‘A Bigger Game for Villa than Watford’ – Aston Villa vs. Watford, 28/11/15

Predicted XI’s

Villa: Guzan, Hutton, Richards, Clark, Lescott, Veretout, Westwood, Sanchez, Gil, Gestede, Ayew

Watford: Gomes, Nyom, Cathcart, Britos, Anya, Capoue, Watson, Abdi, Aké, Deeney, Ighalo

Oh how a manager can see two very differing sides to the same team. Rémi Garde must have seen a light at the end of the tunnel after Villa’s 0-0 draw against Man City but Saturday’s performance against Everton would have undoubtedly proved that the City game was a false dawn. Villa were atrocious against an in-form Everton side. Already 5 points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League, they are a team on a dreadful run of form and at risk of already been cut off.

Continue reading “‘A Bigger Game for Villa than Watford’ – Aston Villa vs. Watford, 28/11/15”

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‘A Fight to be London’s Third Team’ – Tottenham vs. West Ham, Match Preview, 22/11/15

This could be one of the last meetings for these London clubs in the guise we know them today. Change is afoot in London, and the footballing landscape of the Premier League really could be a whole new world by 2018. It is a question of Stadiums. As Liverpool re-develop Anfield, Tottenham and West Ham have gone down the moving home root.

With West Ham due to inherit the Olympic Stadium next season, the likes of James Collins and Mark Noble will be strutting their stuff in front of a sold out crowd of 54,000 come August 2016. Karen Brady talks about generating a footballing brand in East London, revenues will be up, finances will be a lot stronger. West Ham want Champions League. Tottenham on the other hand aren’t moving. Perhaps in a backhanded swipe against their greatest of rivals, their new stadium will be built on the current White Hart Lane site. Tottenham don’t move boroughs and with a stadium of over 60,000 capacity, the new Spurs venture could well be ready as early as August 2018. With both these stadium moves in mind, who out of Spurs and West Ham are in the better position before they start their respective transitions into the big time? Continue reading “‘A Fight to be London’s Third Team’ – Tottenham vs. West Ham, Match Preview, 22/11/15”

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‘A Tight Affair in North London’ – Arsenal vs. Spurs Match Preview – 8/11/15

The North London Derby returns this weekend. One of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures for the neutral after those heady days just a few years ago when Spurs, under Harry Redknapp, were part and parcel of some miraculously free scoring fixtures. In the Redknapp years this fixture saw 30 goals in 5 games at the Emirates including two 5-2’s in Arsenal’s favour. Yet since ‘Arry has moved on to pastures new, the goals have dried up and have been replaced by a much tighter and cagey affair on the field. Continue reading “‘A Tight Affair in North London’ – Arsenal vs. Spurs Match Preview – 8/11/15”

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Match Report: Arsenal Put to the Sword by A Majestic Bayern Munich

Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich. The scene of gameweek 3’s biggest surprise in the Champions League. Arsenal sat back, absorbed pressure and conceded possession to then score two at the Emirates and take the three points. Their Champion League ambitions back on track in 90 miraculous minutes after two insipid defeats in their opening two games. If the 90 minutes of the performance at the Emirates was miraculous, then we have run out of superlatives for the opening 45 minutes in Munich as Bayern and Guardiola unleashed a footballing lesson of possession, flexibility and most crucially the Dutch via Barcelona inspired total football philosophy of Senor Pep. Continue reading “Match Report: Arsenal Put to the Sword by A Majestic Bayern Munich”

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