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Tag: Manchester City

  • Premier League Ends With Manchester City On Top

    Manchester City won the Premier League on the final day of the season. For some it was sealed when Chelsea FC upset Liverpool FC at home 2-0.

    However, the fact that it was never a sure thing until the very last day is a testament to how open and competitive this season truly was.

    Their local rivals Manchester United tumbled from 1st to 7th within the same window of time.

    The Red Devils would love to blame the entire debacle on the departed David Moyes.

    One thing that should be appreciated is that the absence of Sir Alex Ferguson has created one heck of a vacuum in English football.

    Not even Jose Mourinho and his notorious press commentary could fill it; his return to Chelsea brought no silverware to the London team.

    Though many have said much about Liverpool FC “blowing it” in the last few games of the season, it’s bizarre that nothing has been said of 4th placed Arsenal.

    This is a team that lead the league for 128 days, more than any team this season and that includes Liverpool.

    The fact that no one is asking what happened is amazing. Perhaps it is a sad representation of how no one, not even Arsenal fans, take the Gunners’ title hopes seriously.

    Arsenal may not end the season empty-handed despite league disappointments.

    The Gunners face off against Hull City on May 17th. Should they win, they will earn their first trophy in a very long time.

    They will head to the Champions League playoffs, so the Europa League spot they turn down will go to London rivals Tottenham Hotspurs.

    If Hull were to win, it could shut the Spurs out of Europe. This would be an amazing turn of events after spending so much money thanks to their sale of former club talisman Gareth Bale.

    Overall, it’s been a great season of football for English Premier League fans. Hopefully the 2014-15 will be just as good.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Liverpool Title Hopes Take A Beating

    Liverpool Title Hopes Take A Beating

    As a Liverpool fan, I can admit….the Crystal Palace match was painful to watch. Not because it may or may not have cost the Reds the league. It was actually frustrating for a different reason.

    The Reds put on a strong offensive display. At the 70th minute, the team was winning 3-0.

    It seemed certain the Liverpool football club team would be rolling towards a final game with confidence.

    Then the Liverpool defense collapsed in spectacular fashion. Somehow, in a period of about ten minutes, it was a 3-3 game.

    The last time I witnessed that kind of lapse was in the away game to QPR which ended in much the same way.

    That day ended in a shocking 3-2 loss following the failure to hold a 2-0 lead. It also suggests that a certain defensive problem remains.

    Tony Pulis, who to his credit has lifted Crystal Palace’s game and spirit since signing on as manager, made a poignant observation in his post game interview.

    Liverpool is a team that has been winning in the last portion of the season largely through the strength of its offense. It is not a team that out-defends, but rather out-scores.

    What happens when a team cannot score and cannot defend? Odds are it is not a team that wins.

    Can Liverpool still win the title? It’s not impossible, but it’s highly improbable. Manchester City has two games left to play, an extra 3 points on the table that Liverpool do not have. The only chance that Liverpool has is if Man City were to somehow lose. That’s it.

    And given both games are home games to teams with nothing to play for and who are no visible threat….the momentum is with City.

    However, stranger things have happened. Crystal Palace has nothing to play for either. This didn’t stop them from playing for the point and for pride.

    I won’t make any predictions. I will say that it’s been a strange season, but a good season overall for Liverpool. They will have Champions League football again and should they fix that defense, they will be a terrifying team next season.

    Image via YouTube

  • Liverpool FC Stuns Manchester City FC At Anfield

    This past Sunday’s game was set to be an emotional rollercoaster for Liverpool FC.

    The match took place on the weekend anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster, an event that broke the heart of the club almost 25 years ago.

    After a minute of silence to somberly honor the fallen, the stadium came to life. Fans loudly sang the club anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in a show of massive support. It was also meant to be an intimidating spectacle for visitors Manchester City FC.

    During the first half of the game, it seemed to work.

    Raheem Sterling kicked things off brilliantly with a goal inside the 6th minute. Approximately twenty minutes later, Martin Skrtel would make it 2-0 for the Reds with a header into the back of the Sky Blues’ net.

    At halftime it appeared as though the visiting club would be comfortably defeated in the same manner as Arsenal FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, and Everton FC.

    As the home fans soon learned, one does not simply write off Manchester City.

    The Liverpool team, either due to overconfidence or an urge to simply defend their lead, let up on the gas. Instead of continuing to attack the City players head on, the home team sat back.

    They offered Man City a brilliant opportunity to stage a massive comeback.

    In the 57th into the game, David Silva would make it 2-1.

    Now only a goal down, the Sky Blues were determined to pull themselves back into the match. Nerves soon got the better of the Reds. A Glen Johnson own goal in the 62nd minute would make it a 2-2 game.

    It was starting to look as though the Liverpool team had gifted their title rivals a point, or even worse, a chance to steal the win.

    Then in the 78th minute, Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany made a fatal error.

    During a Liverpool wave of attack, City defenders were working hard to get the ball away from their goal. The ball bounced towards Kompany, who clearly intended to kick it far down field.

    He missed.

    The ball then fell to Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho, who with one kick sent it flying past the stunned defender.

    Just like that, it was 3-2 and Liverpool were once again out in front.

    The lead would be held until the final whistle blew and cheers erupted around the stadium.

    The Reds won their match, leaving the Sky Blues in an uncomfortable position.

    Man City must now not only win both games in hand, they must win all remaining fixtures PERIOD. Even then, their chance at the title relies on Liverpool dropping points in one of their remaining four games.

    Liverpool are now on a 10 game winning streak. Should they win all four remaining games, they will be crowned Premier League champions for the first time in the league’s history.

    In the way stands Chelsea FC, who they meet in two weeks time.

    Image via YouTube

  • Liverpool FC: Can They Stay Top Of The League?

    Liverpool FC are now on a nine game winning streak. They have not outright lost a game since the end of 2013. At present, they are the only team undefeated in 2014.

    After a 1-2 victory over West Ham FC put them back at the top of the Barclay’s Premier League table, everyone’s left to wonder: Will Liverpool finish the season on top?

    There are two other teams expected to have a major say in where Liverpool finishes the season. The first in Manchester City FC, who are due to travel to Anfield this coming weekend.

    Man City have two games in hand, and if they were to win them both, that would give them a two point lead over Liverpool. However, if the Reds were to beat the Sky Blues anyway, it would put the fate of the Premier League back in the hands of the current league leaders.

    Not to be counted out is Chelsea FC. Anfield will host the London club just two weeks after this important match up. It could be that the home match against the Blues will decide the league once and for all.

    Much is riding on Liverpool FC’s final five games, two of which have been dubbed “league deciders”.

    Surprisingly, manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed time and again that there is no pressure on the Red men.

    “[City] will be looking to get a result next Sunday,” said the Liverpool boss. “For us, we are just going to enjoy it.”

    Liverpool FC are certainly enjoying their football.

    They have scored an amazing 90 goals in all Premier League competitions, the most of any Liverpool team in the English PL era. They are on course to shatter the all time record of 103 held by Chelsea FC since the 2009-10 season. They need 14 goals in 5 games. It’s not too big an ask given LFC’s current goal scoring pattern.

    As for the league title, it’s a bigger ask to expect the Liverpool club to take it home. To win it, Liverpool will likely have to go to the end of the season undefeated.

    Image via YouTube

  • Manchester United F.C Falls To Manchester City F.C.

    Some people are surprised that Manchester United FC lost in spectacularly abysmal fashion to local rivals Manchester City FC 0-3.

    Whoever those people are…I imagine they’re just now joining us at this stage of the Barclay’s Premier League season.

    For those of us who have been watching all season long, this latest defeat is pretty typical of the Red Devils under David Moyes.

    Manchester United found themselves down within a minute, following a successful early effort by Edin Dezko.

    From that moment on, it was almost as if United’s players resigned themselves to defeat. They were absolutely toothless offensively.

    Though the final goal of the night came by way of Yaya Toure in the last minute of regular time, the game was truly over long before then.

    And where were fans and players to look for direction, for inspiration, and any kind of hope? Certainly not to Moyes, who continues to reveal himself to be absolutely out of his depth.

    When a team is without direction or hope, defeat is inevitable.

    Manchester City is a team on a mission to win the premier league. To do so they will have to get past Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC. However, at least it’s clear they are a team with a direction and something to fight for.

    As for Manchester United there are seven games left for them to play and it’s safe to say there are no corners left to turn at this stage.

    As for making it into the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the outlook is particularly grim.

    They face a team that just won their league in record time.

    The dominant Bayern Munich are headed by none other than Pep Guardiola, a man more than familiar with being at the helm of a dominant and winning team.

    I think that anyone hoping Manchester United will find the will to do to Bayern Munich what they could not do to Manchester City FC or Liverpool FC is being optimistic to the point of naive.

    Manchester United’s football at present is without passion and can be painful to watch at times. The only way forward for the former champions is a serious adjustment in the off season.

    Image via YouTube

  • Lionel Messi Kicks Barcelona Into Quarter-Finals

    Lionel Messi’s left foot scored the goal that placed Barcelona into the quarterfinals when the team won against Manchester City in the Champions League.

    Barcelona has been in a slump lately, and Messi’s winning kick has broken the spell. The kick came when there was just about 20 minutes left on the clock. The ball dropped near Messi and he swiftly lifted the ball into the net and propelled his team to the quarter-finals.

    Messi has been doing well, scoring in all the games in this season’s Champions League – a total of eight goals in five matches. He also holds the title for the player with most goals in the Champion League with a total of 67. Some players, coaches, and commentators regard Messi as the greatest footballer of all time.

    Team Barcelona’s bus arrived at the venue at 7:10 p.m. Messi was the last to get off the bus together with Cesc Fábregas who has been Messi’s teammate since they were 13 years old. According to Angel Cappa, the Argentinian coach, Messi sometimes looks like he has lost his passion for the game. When the teams shook hands before the game, Messi appeared poker-faced while munching on food.

    Statistics also show that Messi’s rate of goals has declined throughout the last four seasons. Overall, his play today is only a third of his play in 2011 to 2012, which was his most active season.

    Vincent Kompany of Manchester City said that Barcelona’s recent decline should not be the focus, as “The beast might wake.” Indeed, the beast in Messi has awakened, as people in the stadium noticed his intensity and aggressiveness just a few minutes into the game.

    With Messi scoring a goal, Barcelona has risen out of their slump and moves on to their next match.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Chelsea Ends City’s Perfect Home League Record

    Before the EPL season began, most soccer pundits would have pegged Manchester City to carry home the title at the end of the year. Coming into Monday’s contest with Chelsea, City boasted a perfect 11-0 home league record and was looking to reclaim its position atop the league standings from rival Arsenal. Unfortunately for City, no one had told Chelsea any of this information.

    In somewhat surprising fashion, Chelsea was able to defeat Manchester City 1-0 Monday, ending City’s home winning streak and tying the standings in the EPL between the two teams. The winning goal came in the 31st minute, off the foot of Branislav Ivanovic from 25 yards out. While only 1 goal was scored by either team, Chelsea threatened on many more occasions, hitting the woodwork 3 additional times.

    The shutout by Chelsea marked the first time City had not scored a goal in a home match since November of 2010. Chelsea is only the second team to defeat City at their home field of Etihad all year, the other being European champions Bayern Munich.

    The victory for Chelsea adds new pressure to the EPL title race. With a victory on Monday, City would have been 6 points ahead of Chelsea and would have surpassed Arsenal for the top spot in the league. After suffering the loss, however, City and Chelsea are now tied in second place, with Arsenal sporting a 2 point margin over both clubs.

    When asked if the two victories over City this year proves his team is a title contender, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was more than humble: “The title race is between two horses and a little horse that needs milk and needs to learn how to jump. Maybe next season we can race.”

    Mourinho followed up his comments by explaining how he sees his team this year: “What we are doing this season is what Arsenal have been building to for years. It means nothing for us to come here and park the bus and win 1-0 in a lucky situation. The evolution is more important.”

    Mourinho did give a hint of optimism concerning his team’s title hopes, however, in saying that, “We can (win the title) if they (City) lose it.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSaOtlTwCtc

    While Chelsea celebrated the victory over the top team in the EPL, City brushed the loss off as a slight disappointment: “Chelsea played very well, but we had important players out missing. A lot of things like this affect the result, but even so, I don’t think we deserved to lose the game… It’s just three points. Now we have 42 more points to play for,” stated Manuel Pellegrini, manager of Manchester City.

    The title race may be heating up,but there is still quite some time until the end of the EPL season (May 11). City manager Pellegrini may feel as if the loss was not representative of the talents of each respective team, yet his teams two losses to Chelsea may prove costly in the end.

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