Premier League 2013/14 Season Review

My team of the Season

Awards

Player of the Season: Luis Suarez
Young Player of the Season: Eden Hazard
Manager of the Season: Tony Pulis
Goal of the Season: Jack Wilshere Watch the Goal here


General Statistics

Top Goalscorer: Luis Suarez - 31
Most Assists: Steven Gerrard - 13
Most Red Cards: Sunderland - 7
Most Yellow Cards: Aston Villa 78
Player sent off the most: Wes Brown - 3
Player booked the most: Pablo Zabaleta - 11
Biggest Margin of victory: Manchester City 7-0 Norwich City
Longest run of games unbeaten: Liverpool - 16 games
Longest losing sequence: Crystal Palace - 7 games
Most Wins: Manchester City - 27 games
Most Losses: Fulham - 24 games
Most Goals scored: Manchester City - 102 goals
Fewest Goals Conceded: Chelsea - 27 goals
Most Clean Sheets: Chelsea - 18
Fewest Clean Sheets: Fulham - 5

Team Reviews:

Manchester City - Champions and Champions League
Successful Season? Yes
Player of the Season: Yaya Toure
Strengths: Goal-scoring and playing at home.
Weaknesses: Away form blips and Aguero injuries.
Who should they sign: Someone to partner Kompany - linked with Benatia from Roma.

My Opinion: Winners of the Premier League, League Cup Winners and reached the Round of 16 in the Champions League.
With the money they have invested into the club and the players they have, anything less than winning the title would have been seen as a failure. They made the Etihad a fortress, thrashing everyone earlier in the season at home which proved to be a vital factor in their title run. However, it wasn't until the end of their campaign when they went on a winning streak that they took control of the title race. Two trophies in Pellegrini's first season in charge of City was impressive but the Champions League is where they will be looking to improve next season. Getting to the round of 16 was an improvement this season but they will want to keep going further in it.

Liverpool - 2nd and Champions League
Successful Season? Yes
Player of the Season: Luis Suarez
Strengths: Attacking football, fast starts and scoring goals.
Weaknesses: Defensive errors and conceding too many goals.
Who should they sign: 3-5 players to build a stronger squad. Lambert has already arrived and Lallana will most likely be there soon. A couple of defenders to tighten up the defence.

My Opinion: Narrowly missed out on the title but a fantastic improvement from last season.
That was a brilliant season which nearly saw them claim the title. Rodgers was a very strong contender for manager of the season whilst his philosophy of attacking football was a joy to watch. They blew teams away in the opening twenty minutes of certain matches whilst Suarez and Sturridge formed a deadly partnership. Gerrard was instrumental in his defensive role whilst Henderson, Sterling and Coutinho all improved tremendously. Despite just missing out on the title, they will be overjoyed to be back in the Champions league and it should be really entertaining to see them play next year as well.

Chelsea - 3rd and Champions League
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: Eden Hazard
Strengths: Clean sheets and beating title rivals.
Weaknesses: Lack of goals and beating the 'weaker' teams.
Who should they sign: A world class striker- Diego Costa

My Opinion: No trophies, third in the league and beaten in the Champions League Semi-Finals.
Much was expected with Mourinho back at the helm but in the end it was a story of getting close to a trophy and failing to win one. Eto'o, Torres and Ba all scored goals between them but neither was able to go on and score over 20 goals throughout the season. Hazard was brilliant as well as the partnership of Terry and Cahill at the back which was the strongest part of the whole team. Mourinho proved he's still a tactical genius and does a job on the likes of City, Liverpool and Arsenal but it was the inability to defeat weaker teams away from home which was their downfall. However, they did make it all the way to the Champions league semi-finals but it was a lack of goals that saw them defeated at Stamford Bridge. With the addition of a scoring machine up front, Chelsea will be a very strong outfit next season and should do better than they did this year.

Arsenal - 4th and Champions League
Successful Season? Yes
Player of the Season: Aaron Ramsay
Strengths: Great midfielders and passing football.
Weaknesses: Defensively poor at times and not good enough against the top teams.
Who should they sign: Another striker - Loic Remy and possibly a few defenders. Fabregas returning would be a huge bonus.

My Opinion: Fa Cup winners, Champions League round of 16 but only fourth once again.
It was a tale of two halves for Arsenal who were runaway leaders by Christmas but injuries saw them fall down the table. Ramsay, Ozil and Cazorla were all on top form for the first part of the season but injuries to key players such as Ramsay and Walcott halted their progress whilst Ozil struggled to maintain his good form. Wenger really should have signed another striker to help out Giroud, who had a heavy workload throughout the season, to keep their momentum going. It could easily have made the difference between them winning the title or not. However, fourth means champions league football whilst winning the FA Cup was a huge lift for the team and the fans. They could have gone further in the champions league had key moments gone in their favour against Bayern but another marquee signing this summer could see them have another good go at things next season.

Everton - 5th and Europa League
Successful Season? Yes
Player of the Season: Seamus Coleman
Strengths: Attacking philosophy and good loan signings.
Weaknesses: Inability to keep pace with Arsenal and winning more games away from home.
Who should they sign: Barry and Lukaku again amongst a few others.

My Opinion: Came very close to 4th whilst Martinez has done a great job.
Martinez did a really good job with Everton this season and they came so close to finishing inside the top four. Signing Barry, Lukaku and McCarthy were brilliant decisions whilst Barkley was quite outstanding for them. They played some attractive football in a style that Martinez coaches which is good to see but the true test will be next season to see if they can keep this kind of level up. All the loan signings may not return which means that Martinez will have to attract some top players to keep the high standard up.

Tottenham Hotspur - 6th and Europa League
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: Christian Eriksen
Strengths: Winning tight matches and playing fast paced football.
Weaknesses: Not scoring enough goals and losing key matches.
Who should they sign: A goalscorer and a few defenders.

My Opinion: Expected so much more after spending £100 million on new players.
Spurs kept winning games 1-0 earlier in the season but it was Andre Villas-Boas' defensive formations and tactics that eventually got him the sack. They were playing better football in the Europa League but it was their failure to keep that form going in the Premier League that was their ultimate failure. After spending £100 million to replace Bale, more was expected of the team but very few of their signings seemed worth the money they paid for them. Eriksen was the pick of the pack but there were too many flops as Soldado, Lamela and Chadli all failed to make a positive impact. Sherwood restored their preferred playing style when he came in but the damage had already been done. It must be tough for Spurs fans to see Modric and Bale shine at Real Madrid whilst their own team has failed to replace either of them since they left. Pochettino is the new man in charge and I expect a much better season from them next year now.

Manchester United - 7th
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: David De Gea
Strengths: Away form whilst De Gea and Rooney were their best players.
Weaknesses: Offensively, creatively, home form, poor results against the top teams and strange tactics from Moyes.
Who should they sign: A whole new back line, a left winger and a couple of world class midfielders. Potential signings include Shaw, Kroos and Fabregas.

My Opinion: Catastrophic season sees Moyes sacked and the players questioned.
Quite simply that was an atrocious season that should be forgotten quickly. The season started well enough under Moyes but as the season went on, Van Persie got injured and their form took a turn for the worse. I thought that the players ultimately let the manager down but the tactics and formations just didn't work. Fellaini proved to be a massive flop but at least Mata proved his worth since arriving in January. Failing to sign a top player last summer was their biggest mistake in what was a huge season of change. Rooney and De Gea gave it their all throughout but I can't say as much for the others. Their best football came in the Champions League and they came close to pulling off a major upset but in the end it just was not meant to be. People will argue that Moyes should have been given more time but I'm glad he was sacked and that a proven manager has come in to sort everything out. A couple of good things came out of it all though, Januzaj took his chance to impress whilst Giggs showed that he is capable of one day managing United.

Southampton - 8th
Successful Season? Yes
Player of the Season: Adam Lallana
Strengths: Great English talent, able to score plenty of goals.
Weaknesses: Conceding too many goals and struggling to win away from home.
Who should they sign: Players to replace the likes of Shaw, Lambert and Lallana. A manager who can replicate their success this season.

My Opinion: Best finish in the league for quite some time and some exciting English players.
Southampton enjoyed one of their best seasons for a long time and were really exciting to watch. Pochettino did a very good job with them in the league but I felt they could have had a much better cup run than they did. The English trio of Lambert, Lallana and Shaw all stood out from the rest but sadly for the Saints, I don't think either of them will still be there next season. They were a consistent team throughout the year and achieved many good results which saw them finish inside the top eight. It's going to be a real challenge for them this summer and they'll need to employ another ambitious manager who is able to sign players who can replace the ones who end up leaving.

Stoke City - 9th
Successful Season? Yes
Player of the Season: Marko Arnautovic
Strengths: Tough to beat at home and defensively adept.
Weaknesses: Away form can dip and no prolific striker.
Who should they sign: Someone to bang in more goals and a midfielder.

My Opinion: Hughes has done a solid job which saw Stoke finish in the top half of the table.
I thought that Pulis had taken Stoke as far as he could but they seem to have improved under Hughes. They play much more attractive football now whilst Arnautovic was their star player throughout the season. It's one of those strange things where Stoke will always be a hard place to win and they capitalised on that once more this season. They performed reasonably well at home but found it harder to produce their good form away from home but finishing inside the top half of the table will be seen as a good season. If they can sign a proven goalscorer than I expect they will enjoy another decent season again next year.

Newcastle United - 10th
Successful Season? Yes and No
Player of the Season: Loic Remy
Strengths: Playing well at home and having Remy up front.
Weaknesses: Discipline and getting results in tough times.
Who should they sign: A striker and someone to replace Cabaye.

My Opinion: Great first half of the season was completely undone by awful end to the season.
Similarly to Arsenal, it was a tale of two halves for Newcastle. They started the season very strongly which was largely down to the brilliant performances of Cabaye and Remy. All seemed well for the toon army halfway through the season but it all changed for them when they lost Cabaye to PSG in January. They failed to replace him and he proved to be a massive miss. Remy was injured for the latter stages of the season which meant goals were few and far between in what was a dark period for the club. Pardew was under scrutiny after he headbutted Meyler and was lucky to keep his job in some people's eyes. The wheels just came off and they went on a horrendous run of form, losing game after game which saw them end their season in 10th. In order to improve next season, they need to spend wisely and get the right players in to replace the talent they had this year. It may prove tough for Pardew to get the fans back on his side and they will have to start next season well otherwise it's going to be a tough ride for Newcastle.

Crystal Palace - 11th
Successful Season? Yes
Player of the Season: Jason Puncheon
Strengths: Defensively strong and organised.
Weaknesses: Don't score too many goals and were poor under Holloway.
Who should they sign: People who will improve the team, not people to fill the numbers.

My Opinion: The aim was to stay up but Pulis achieved so much more.
The season started poorly under the management of Ian Holloway but he respectively stepped down after realising that the job may have been too much for him. They brought in a lot of new players over the summer but their signing was Tony Pulis who quite simply did an outstanding job with them once he took over. He transformed the team into a really well organised unit that were hard to beat. Jason Puncheon was their best player and scored some very vital winning goals throughout their campaign which saw them not only avoid relegation but finish near the middle of the table. It must have been much more than they expected to get out of the season and with the addition of a few more decent players, Palace should be looking to have another great season next year. 

Swansea City -12th
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: Wilfried Bony
Strengths: Home form and passing.
Weaknesses: Injuries and playing in the Europa League
Who should they sign: Fabianski has already arrived from Arsenal but a few others wouldn't go amiss. 

My Opinion: Disappointing season which saw Laudrup sacked along the way.
Swansea were hampered by a couple of issues this season. Firstly, their squad wasn't really big enough to cope with the demands of playing in the Europa League and they suffered in the Premier League because of it. In addition, the extra games saw key players get injured. Most notably was the absence of Michu who scored so many goals last year but barely featured at all this season. Their form led to Laudrup getting the sack which seemed a little odd to me but Garry Monk did a decent job with them for the rest of the season. They enjoyed a good run in the Europa League but were eventually knocked out by Napoli. One positive was the goalscoring form of Bony who saved them from having a terrible season. 

West Ham United - 13th
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: Mark Noble
Strengths: Aerial threat and Carroll.
Weaknesses: Defensive errors and less attractive football. 
Who should they sign: A couple of defenders and a few extra midfielders.

My Opinion: Tough season which saw fans question Allardyce as manager.
It was an average season in the end for the Hammers who could possibly have done so much better had Carroll been fit throughout the season. They are a much better side when he plays whilst Nolan's performances improve as they have a great partnership between them. Allardyce was the man who should have been in charge, despite protests from the fans, as he guided them to safety and another year in the top league. They should be looking to improve next season and if they can keep Carroll fit for longer periods then they should enjoy a more prosperous year. 

Sunderland - 14th
Successful Season? Yes
Player of the Season: Vito Mannone
Strengths: Causing upsets and fighting to the end. 
Weaknesses: Conceding too many goals and going on bad runs of results
Who should they sign: Borini on a permanent deal as well as a defender and midfielder.

My Opinion: League Cup finalists but a minor miracle saw Poyet's team beat the drop.
It was a rollercoaster ride for Sunderland this season as they found themselves in a cup final but in the thick of a relegation battle. There form was pretty poor over the season in the league but a great cup run kept the fans on their side. It could easily have been another case of a shock cup win, similarly to Wigan last year winning the cup and going down, but despite giving it a real go against City in the final, they lost 3-1. Their focus was then on avoiding the drop and Poyet managed his troops perfectly. Brining back Wickham into the starting eleven paid huge dividends as he proved to be their saviour in a time of great need. They pulled off some incredible results against the big teams and deservedly stayed up. 

Aston Villa - 15th
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: Fabien Delph
Strengths: Causing an upset at home
Weaknesses: Away form and scoring goals
Who should they sign: Keeping Benteke will be key but a few defenders and midfielders.

My Opinion: No progression whilst the team lacks investment.
It was a disappointing season for Villa who only showed glimpses of form this season. Benteke was nowhere near the level he produced last year and Villa paid a heavy price for his lack of goals. Lambert did an okay job managing the team this year but there is clearly a lack of investment into the club which it desperately needs. They did enough to stay up but that's about all they can hope for if they don't bring in better players. It seems like Lerner is going to put the club up for sale and that is probably for the best. If they get someone who is willing to invest in the club and they bring in better players, Villa should be looking to finish mid-table next season. 

Hull City - 16th and Europa League
Successful Season? Yes
Player of the Season: Ahmed Elmohammady
Strengths: Signing good players and going on a cup run
Weaknesses: Picking up wins rather than draws. 
Who should they sign: Wingers and full backs to give them more options.

My Opinion: FA Cup finalists, avoided relegation and European football to look forward to.
Hull's objective was to stay up and they managed to do that. What made it an even better season was that they made it all the way to the FA Cup final. Despite taking a 2-0 lead, Arsenal overcame them in extra time but it was still a great achievement. Bruce realised by January that they needed someone to score more goals for them and he did that really well. Both Long and Jelavic arrived and they struck a great partnership between them. The goals went in and they managed to avoid relegation. Huddlestone and Livermore proved to be a couple of good signings in what was actually a pretty good season. Progress will be expected next season but Bruce can be happy with this year went. 

West Bromich Albion - 17th
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: Ben Foster
Strengths: Avoiding relegation
Weaknesses: Failure to hold on and win more games
Who should they sign: Defenders and Midfielders.

My Opinion: Finished nine places lower than last year and just about avoided going down.
West Brom enjoyed a really strong season last year but it was a completely different story this time around. Steve Clarke couldn't get his players to produce the same kind of results early in the season and was eventually shown the door. Pepe Mel came in and did a reasonable job as they just about avoided relegation. Vastly disappointing for the fans but there were a few players who caught the eye. Foster was decent in goal whilst Berahino and Amalfitano posed a threat going forward. Plenty of work to be done in preparation for next season and Mel will have a big job on his hands to try and achieve a mid-table finish.

Norwich City - 18th and Relegated
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: Robert Snodgrass
Strengths: Set plays
Weaknesses: Scoring goals and conceding way too many goals. 
Who should they sign: Players who can get them back into the Premier League and strikers who can score.

My Opinion: Relegated, Hughton sacked and strikers failed to deliver.
Norwich were going throughout their season picking up a few points here and there but their main problem was that they just conceded far too many goals. If they were going to get beat, they were going to get beaten badly. This was demonstrated when they lost 7-0 away to Man City. However, it didn't look as though they were going to be relegated until their final five games. Hughton was sacked, which seemed a little odd as he could have pulled off a few upsets, in what was an attempt to make a quick and sudden impact. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way and they lost their last five games. This poor run of results saw them fall into the relegation zone as Sunderland managed to get themselves out of it. A really disappointing season for the Canaries and they may find it difficult to bounce straight back up next season.

Fulham - 19th and Relegated
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: Ashkan Dejagah
Strengths: Sacking a manager
Weaknesses: Defensively weak and scoring goals. 
Who should they sign: Experience players to compliment their youth team graduates.

My Opinion: Three managers, woeful defence and relegated.
Fulham started the season slowly and it only got worse for them as it went on. There was no confidence in the team and they just kept losing match after match. Jol was sacked before Christmas whilst Muelensteen came in. He wasn't really given much of a chance as the owners panicked and opted to go for someone who had more experience in keeping a team up. In came Magath but he struggled just like the others. Hangelaand and Stekelenberg were injured for key periods of the season whilst they spent £10 million on Mitroglou who hardly featured after picking up injuries. Nothing seemed to be working and despite a hard-working midfield, they failed to find the back of the net frequently enough and conceded goal after goal. There is plenty of optimism and high hopes surrounding their youth academy but it could still prove to be a challenging season next year. 

Cardiff City - 20th and Relegated
Successful Season? No
Player of the Season: David Marshall
Strengths: Caulker in defence.
Weaknesses: A disillusioned owner and buying too many players. 
Who should they sign: Players who are good enough to get them back up next year. 

My Opinion: McKay should not have been sacked and owner contributes to relegation.
The season started pretty well for Cardiff under McKay but it all turned sour when the owner started to make a lot of controversial decisions. I maintain that Cardiff would probably have stayed up under McKay but the owner had different ideas. He changed the colour of their kit from blue to red which saw the majority of the fans turn against him whilst the decision to let McKay go only increased the supporters frustrations. Solskjaer was recruited but his methods just didn't seem to work as well as expected. In the end it was too much and they went down with a whimper. Marshall was their best player this season and that says a lot when your keeper is your start man. Caulker led the team impressively but there were too many new faces that didn't contribute as much to the team as others. It will be interesting to see how Vincent Tan reacts next year but they need to sign players who are committed to the cause. 

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Super Sunday Game Week 38

Manchester City 2 v 0 West Ham United Nasri (39), Kompany (49)
First Half: Noble survives a handball penalty appeal. Silva volleys over at the far post. Zabaleta has a penalty appeal turned down. Kolarov has a long range blast tipped over. Goal! 1-0, City take the lead as Nasri scores with a low shot from long range that goes in via the inside of the far post. Silva has a low shot across goal deflected onto the bar.
Half Time: 1-0.
Second Half: Goal! 2-0, Kompany slots in from close range following a corner. Aguero heads wide of the near post. Aguero spurns a great chance from close range. Nasri has a low volley saved.
Full Time: 2-0.
Man City 1st, 83>86pts
West Ham 12th>13th, 40pts



My Opinion:
My man of the match was Nasri. Man City win Premier League title. Manchester City only needed a point to win the league but they sealed their second title in three years with a comfortable victory over West Ham. City were at ease and never looked like losing. Nasri gave them the lead six minutes before half time with a brilliant long range strike which put the crowd at ease whilst the players were able to relax. They have been on a fantastic run over the last ten games this season and came out on top.
West Ham didn't pose much of a threat going forward and never looked like defeating City. They spent most of the game defending as City were just too good for them. At 1-0 down they had a massive task on their hands to beat City but the concession of another goal soon after half time killed the game off. West Ham finish their season by falling one place into 13th.

Liverpool 2 v 1 Newcastle United Skrtel OG (20), Agger (63), Sturridge (65)
First Half: Suarez has a goal ruled out for taking the free kick too quickly. Goal! 0-1, Newcastle take the lead as Gouffran's cross is turned in by Skrtel across goal. Gouffran has an effort saved before Anita blazes a volley over from the edge of the box. Sturridge heads wide of the far post.
Half Time: 0-1.
Second Half: Goal! 1-1, Liverpool equalise through Agger who volleys in from an acute angle at the far post from Gerrard's free kick. Goal! 2-1, Liverpool come from behind to take the lead as Sturridge taps in from close range at the far post from a Gerrard free kick. OFF! Ameobi is shown two yellows cards for dissent. OFF! Dummett is shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Suarez.
Full Time: 2-1.
Liverpool 2nd, 81>84pts
Newcastle 9th>10th, 49pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Sterling. Subdued end to Liverpool's season. Liverpool got off to a sluggish start which may have happened as they knew their fate was not in their hands. They actually went behind after Skrtel turned into his own net but a better second half performance saw them turn things around. Two similar goals saw Agger and Sturridge put them in front but it was a rather sullen way to end their season.
Newcastle put in a decent performance in the first half which saw them go into half time ahead. However, they failed to cope with a couple of Gerrard free kicks which saw them trail in the 65th minute. Some very poor discipline after going behind saw both Ameobi and Dummett sent off in what was a poor end to the game and season for the toon army. 

Tottenham Hotspur 3 v 0 Aston Villa Paulinho (14), Baker OG (35), Adebayor (38pen)
First Half: Goal! 1-0, Spurs take the lead through Paulinho who has his first attempt parried before tapping in the rebound. Goal! 2-0, Rose's cross is headed in by Baker at the near post. Penalty! Sandro's shot hits Agbonlahor's hand. Goal! 3-0, Adebayor scores from the spot with a high strike into the near side.
Half Time: 3-0.
Second Half: Delph fires a low shot from the edge of the box just wide of the near post.
Full Time: 3-0.
Spurs 6th, 66>69pts
Villa 15th, 38pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Paulinho. Spurs seal Europa League place. It was a pretty comfortable afternoon for Spurs who strolled past Villa with three goals. By the end of the first half it was all over and a place in the Europa league was sealed. Paulinho put in a very good performance and was the best player on the field. Sherwood has done a decent job with Spurs but it remains to be seen whether or not he will be the manager next season.
Villa arguably cost themselves the game after an own goal and avoidable penalty put them 3-0 down before half time. Thus, had some sloppy defending been cut out, Villa may have had a chance of taking a point. However, they were soundly beaten and finished the season with a disappointing result. Delph had their best chance of the match but fired a low shot just wide of the near post. 

Norwich City 0 v 2 Arsenal Ramsay (53), Jenkinson (62)
First Half: Redmond has long range driven shot parried past the near post. Podolski has a close range effort beaten away at the near post. Giroud has an effort well tipped over the bar. Giroud has a shot from the edge of the box parried at the far side.
Half Time: 0-0.
Second Half: Goal! 0-1, Arsenal take the lead through Ramsay who scores with a majestic volley into the far top corner. Goal! 0-2, Jenkinson scores with a low shot into the near bottom corner. Loza has a driven shot parried away from the far side.
Full Time: 0-2.
Norwich 18th, 33pts
Arsenal 4th, 76>79pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Ramsay. Arsenal too strong for Norwich. Norwich needed a 15 goal difference swing to stay up and it didn't happen which means the Canaries are relegated. They really struggled with their final five games against the top teams and it cost them dearly. Despite giving it a go, they were outplayed for the majority of the match and didn't really look like scoring. Redond and Loza came closest to finding the back of the net but it wasn't to be. 
Arsenal finished 4th once again and secured champions league football for the 16th season in a row. Their fans will be pleased to be playing in Europe's elite competition but it was a disappointing second half to their season that saw them fade away from the title race. Today's result reminded us why Arsenal were so strong earlier in the season and that was through Ramsay. What a great player he is and he scored quite a spectacular volley to open the scoring. Jenkinson doubled their lead with his first ever goal for the Gunners in what was a decent display from Arsenal. 

Cardiff City 1 v 2 Chelsea Bellamy (15), Schurrle (72), Torres (75)
First Half: Torres has an effort blocked behind an open goal. Goal! 1-0, Cardiff take the lead through Bellamy who scores with a long range deflected strike across goal into the far side. Oscar places a low effort wide of the far post. Campbell blazes a shot wide of the near post.
Half Time: 1-0.
Second Half: Goal! 1-1, Chelsea equalise as Azpilicueta has a header parried against the bar before hitting the rebound against the bar from close range which leads to Schurrle volleying into the ground and over the keeper. Goal! 1-2, Chelsea come from behind and take the lead through Torres who chests the ball down and scores with a low shot from close range into the far bottom corner. Schurrle has a shot from the edge of the box across goal parried over.
Full Time: 1-2.
Cardiff 20th, 30pts
Chelsea 3rd, 79>82pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Schurrle. Chelsea comeback against Cardiff. Despite already being relegated, Cardiff gave Chelsea a really good run for their money. Bellamy put them ahead in the 15th minute thanks to a deflected shot from long range and they managed to keep Chelsea out for 70 minutes. However, the story of the their season was summed up after they conceded twice in the space of three minutes to fall behind. Not the way they would have wanted to bow out from the league and it may be a while before we see them playing the premier league again.
Chelsea got off to a slow start which probably comes as no surprise but they dug in well to grind out a good comeback. Schurrle was very impressive and got them back on level terms in the 72nd minute before Torres scored a rare goal to put them in front. Chelsea may not have finished in the top two this season but they can go into next season with strong aspirations. 

Southampton 1 v 1 Manchester United Lambert (28), Mata (54)
First Half: Vidic survives a handball penalty appeal. Lallana has a flicked effort saved, Wanyama has a low shot from long range saved. Goal! 1-0, Southampton take the lead through Lambert who gets played in on goal and coolly fires into the near side.
Half Time: 1-0.
Second Half: Goal! 1-1, United equalise through Mata who scores with a brilliant free kick over the wall and into the near top corner. Fletcher heads wide of the far post. Welbeck prods an effort wide of the near post.
Full Time: 1-1.
Saints 8th, 55>56pts
Man United 7th, 63>64pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Lallana. United held by Saints. Southampton played pretty well but the game had that end of season feel about it as both teams didn't really have much to play for. Saints went ahead in fairly controversial circumstances as Lambert seemed to elbow Vidic, whose face was covered in blood, before going through on goal and slotting neatly past De Gea. However, they were pegged back by a brilliant free kick from Mata and that ended up being that. Shaw and Lallana were the two players who stood out as both enjoyed a strong performance.
United were nowhere near their best but went behind to a goal that I don't think should have stood. Vidic received a head injury in the build up to Lambert's goal and therefore play should have been stopped. Instead, all the United players stopped playing which allowed Lambert an easy chance to open the scoring. However, they were back on level terms early in the second half thanks to a wonderful free kick from Mata who found the top corner. Fletcher and Welbeck had chances to win it but a draw was a fair result. 

Hull City 0 v 2 Everton McCarthy (9), Lukaku (46)
First Half: Goal! 0-1, Everton take the lead through McCarthy whose strike is pushed into the far side. Lukaku has a low effort saved at the near post.
Half Time: 0-1.
Second Half: Goal! 0-2, Lukaku is played through on goal and slots an effort over the keeper into the far side. Davies heads wide of the near post. Meyler has a long range driven shot parried across goal.
Full Time: 0-2.
Hull 16th, 37pts
Everton 5th, 69>72pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Lukaku. Everton at the double to beat Hull. It was not the best display from Hull who most likely have the FA cup final next week in their minds. They went behind early on and never recovered, instead going two down early in the second half. More chances were created by Hull in the second half but both Davies and Meyler failed to find the back of the net. I'm sure we will see more effort from them next week against Arsenal. 
Everton have been very impressive this year and ended with a decent victory which saw McCarthy get his first goal for Everton. Lukaku doubled their lead straight away in the second half as the result never looked in doubt. Martinez has done a brilliant job with the team this year and although they just missed out on a champions league spot, they will be playing European football next season in the Europa League. 

Sunderland 1 v 3 Swansea City Dyer (7), Emnes (14), Borini (50), Bony (54)
First Half: Goal! 0-1, Swansea take the lead through Dyer who curls a shot into the far top corner from close range. Goal! 0-2, Emnes turns on the ball and fires a fierce strike into the near side. Amat's flicked header bounces back off his own far post. Bardsley has a long range driven shot tipped over.
Half Time: 0-2.
Second Half: Goal! 1-2, Borini heads in from a corner at the near post to half the deficit. Johnson has a low strike across goal beaten away. Goal! 1-3, Bony scores with a low shot that goes in via the inside of the far post. Johnson fires a low driven shot from close range just wide of the near post.
Full Time: 1-3.
Sunderland 14th, 38pts
Swansea 13th>12th, 39>42pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Dyer. Swansea fire three past Sunderland. Going two goals down inside the first fifteen minutes proved pivotal for Sunderland who gave it a real go but were unable to get themselves back on level terms. Borini gave them a little ray of hope early in the second half but they conceded only four minutes later which pretty much settled the outcome. 
Swansea started the game brilliantly and found themselves two goals up as Dyer and Emnes scored inside the first quarter of an hour. They didn't start the second half as strongly but restored their two goal advantage in the 54th minute through Bony. Dyer was particularly impressive for the Swans in what was good final performance of the season. That result means that Swansea move up one place to finish 12th. 

Fulham 2 v 2 Crystal Palace Gayle (28,84), Woodrow (61), David (90+4)
First Half: Goal! 0-1, Palace take the lead through Gayle who latches onto Ward's long range shot to turn it past the keeper at the near side from close range.
Half Time: 0-1.
Second Half: Rodallega heads against the far post. Goal! 1-1, Fulham equalise through Woodrow who cuts back inside and curls a shot into the far top corner. David has a penalty appeal turned down. Goal! 1-2, Palace retake the lead through Gayle who scores with a curling free kick around the wall and into the near side. Murray hits the bar with an effort at the near side. Goal! 2-2, Fulham equalise again through David who scores with a long range shot across goal that goes in via the underside of the bar and into the far top corner.
Full Time: 2-2.
Fulham 19th, 31>32pts
Palace 11th, 44>45pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Gayle. Fulham claim dramatic draw at Craven Cottage. Fulham played a pretty youthful team in their last game of the season and they looked pretty good. Promising signs ahead for the team who will have to fight it out in the championship next season with players such as Woodrow impressing today. It looked like they were going to lose when Gayle scored his second but a late equaliser sealed a point. Both Woodrow and David scored great goals but they needed more of that earlier in the season.
Palace played well and probably should have taken all three points. They created lot of chances but it was Gayle who scored twice to put Palace in the lead on two occasions. After going 2-1 up, Palace really should have held on but they conceded a goal that would have beaten most keepers in the 94th minute. 

West Bromich Albion 1 v 2 Stoke City McCauley OG (22), Sessegnon (56), Adam (87)
First Half: Sessegnon hits the underside of the bar from close range whilst the ball bounces away off the line. Walters has a shot across goal from an acute angle parried away. Walters heads wide from close range of the near post. Odemwingie has a low shot across goal parried away. Goal! 0-1, Stoke take the lead after a low Arnautovic cross is deflected in off McCauley at the near post.
Half Time: 0-1.
Second Half: Goal! 1-1, West Brom equalise through Sessegnon who scores with a low shot into the far bottom corner. Arnautovic curls a low shot from the edge of the box just wide of the far post. Mulumbu hits the far post with a strike across goal. Goal! 1-2, Stoke go back in front as Adam scores with a low strike from long range into the far bottom corner.
Full Time: 1-2.
West Brom 17th, 36pts
Stoke 10th>9th, 47>50pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Arnautovic. Late Adam strike stuns Baggies. West Brom were much better in the first half but found themselves a goal down going into half time. They were back on level terms when Sessegnon struck just before the hour mark but they came undone from a late strike from Adam. I felt West Brom could have taken more from that game but they were just poor in front of goal. They created some good chances but scuppered most of them. 
Stoke proved themselves to be the better team and were much stronger in the second half. Victory was deserved in the end but it came down to a great goal from Adam to decide it. Those three points move Stoke up one place into 9th in what was a decent season for Hughes and Stoke. 

Best Goal: Nasri, Ramsay, Mata, Emnes, Gayle, Woodrow, David, Adam. Winner: Ramsay Watch the goal here

League Leaders:
1. Manchester City P38 - 86pts Champions
2. Liverpool P38 - 84pts CL
3. Chelsea P38 - 82pts CL
4. Arsenal P38 - 79pts CL
5. Everton P38 - 72pts EL
6. Tottenham Hotspur P38 - 69pts EL

*CL - Champions League
* EL - Europa League

Relegation Zone:
16. Hull P38 - 37pts
17. West Brom P38 - 36pts
18. Norwich P38 - 33pts Relegated
19. Fulham P38 - 32pts Relegated
20. Cardiff P38 - 30pts Relegated

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Mid-Week Football Game Week 37

Manchester City 4 v 0 Aston Villa Dzeko (64,72), Jovetic (89), Yaya Toure (90+4)
First Half: Kolarov has an effort from an acute angle parried past the near post. Kolarov scuffs a shot from the edge of the box wide of the near post. Yaya Toure has a low shot cleared off the line. Bowery volleys wide of the near post. Silva has an effort blocked. Nasri sends a long range volley wide of the near post.
Half Time: 0-0.
Second Half: Kompany has an overhead kick saved. Kolarov has a long range free kick pushed away from the near top corner. Goal! 1-0, City take the lead through Dzeko who latches onto Zabaleta's low cross to tuck in under the keeper. Goal! 2-0, Dzeko scores from Nasri's rebounded shot to tap in from close range. Weimann heads against the underside of the bar from close range which bounces away off the line. Goal! 3-0, Yaya Toure lays the ball across to Jovetic who scores with a low shot from the edge of the box into the far bottom corner. Goal! 4-0, Yaya Toure goes on an incredible run that starts within his own half, going past the villa defence and slots past the keeper at the near side.
Full Time: 4-0.
Man City 2nd>1st, 80>83pts
Villa 14>15th, 38pts



My Opinion:
My man of the match was Yaya Toure. City battle past Villa. City knew that victory today would mean that a point against West Ham on the final day of the season would see them lift the trophy. It took just over an hour for them to break the deadlock as Dzeko opened the scoring before doubling the lead eight minutes later. Once the first goal went in, the floodgates opened and it turned into a rout. It may have taken them a while to take the lead but Villa put up a stern defence which proved tough to break down. All the nerves in the stadium were settled once Dzeko scored that first goal and for me it's all over now. I can't see City losing at home to West Ham so it looks like City will be champions for the second time in two seasons.
Villa were worthy opponents and kept City at bay for an hour. They parked a bus or two and it worked as it frustrated City for the majority of the game. However, the endless City pressure proved too much and their defence was broken and severely breached. There really wasn't much threat from Villa going forward so in the end they were didn't really deserve much out of the game. That defeat means that Villa fall one place into 15th.

Sunderland 2 v 0 West Bromich Albion Colback (13), Borini (31)
First Half: Borini has a fierce long range strike parried over. Goal! 1-0, Sunderland take the lead through Colback who latches onto Alonso's cross before converting at the near side. Goal! 2-0, Larsson plays in Borini who volleys in at the near side. Berahino has a curling shot from the edge of the box parried away from the far side.
Half Time: 2-0.
Second Half: Berahino fires a shot wide of the near post. Sessegnon sends a low shot wide of the near post. Altidore puts a close range effort wide of the near post. Vergini drags a low shot wide across goal. Morrison has a long range strike saved.
Full Time: 2-0.
Sunderland 17>14th, 35>38pts
West Brom 16>17th, 36pts



My Opinion:
My man of the match was Cattermole. Sunderland march to safety. Sunderland are now safe from relegation and have produced quite a run of form to incredibly avoid the drop. They got the job done in the first half, taking a two goal lead into half time. More goals could have come in the second half but in the end Colback and Borini sealed those three points early on. Poyet has pulled off a minor miracle with Sunderland who move up three places into 14th with that win whilst Norwich are as good as relegated. 
West Brom created chances for themselves but failed to take any of them. Berahino and Sessegnon came closest for the Baggies but both failed to provide a goal. It wasn't their best performance by any stretch of the imagination and they were soundly beaten in the end in what was Sunderland's night to remember. That defeat means that West Brom fall one place into 17th but they can sleep easy knowing that they are not going to be relegated unless there is a tremendous swing in goal difference on Sunday.  

Manchester United 3 v 1 Hull City Wilson (31,61), Van Persie (86), Fryatt (63)
First Half: Januzaj has a penalty appeal turned down. Lawrence has a long range shot deflected over. Goal! 1-0, United take the lead as Fellaini heads down to Wilson who scores with a low volley under the keeper.
Half Time: 1-0.
Second Half: Goal! 2-0, Fellaini has an effort parried straight to Wilson who scores from the rebound. Goal! 2-1, Fryatt scores with a low strike from long range into near bottom corner. Fellaini fires a shot high and wide at the near side. Goal! 3-1, Van Persie has a shot blocked but volleys in from the rebound into the near side. Giggs has a free kick parried over the near top corner.
Full Time: 3-1.
Man United 7th, 60>63pts
Hull 15>16th, 37pts



My Opinion:
My man of the match was Januzaj. Dream debut for Wilson. Giggs made plenty of changes and gave debuts to both Wilson and Lawrence. They both played pretty well whilst Wilson managed to bag a brace to round off a dream start to his United career. On the whole it was a pretty decent performance whilst Van Persie found the back of the net for the first time since coming back from injury. However, Fellaini really struggled and looks to have no confidence in his game whatsoever. Overall, encouraging signs for United whilst Giggs bid farewell with his last ever game at Old Trafford in a United shirt. A true legend bows out.
Hull were largely there for the occasion as it all centred around Ryan Giggs. They went 2-0 down but came back into the game when Fryatt scored a cracker from long range to half the deficit. The game could have turned at that point but they failed to capitalise and ended up conceding a late goal. Their main problem was that they failed to contain the threat of Januzaj down the wings who proved to be a constant thorn in their side. Hull may have fancied their chances coming to Old Trafford and taking something home, especially after seeing the team sheet but it didn't work out for them and that defeat means that they drop down one place into 16th. 

Best Goal: Yaya Toure, Jovetic, Borini, Van Persie, Fryatt. Winner: Yaya Toure

League Leaders:
1. Man City P37 - 83pts
2. Liverpool P37 - 81pts
3. Chelsea P37 - 79pts
4. Arsenal P37 - 76pts
5. Everton P37 - 69pts

Relegation Battle:
16.  Hull P37 - 37pts
17. West Brom P37 - 36pts
18. Norwich P37 - 33pts
19. Fulham P37 - 31pts Relegated
20. Cardiff P37 - 30pts Relegated

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Monday Night Football Game Week 37

Crystal Palace 3 v 3 Liverpool Allen (18), Sturridge (53), Suarez (55), Delaney (79), Gayle (81,88)
First Half: Johnson has a penalty appeal turned down. Sakho heads wide of the far post from a corner. Johnson heads over the bar. Sturridge has a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide of the far post. Goal! 0-1, Liverpool take the lead through Allen who heads in at the far post from a corner. Puncheon has a low drilled shot from long range parried past the near post. Jedinak has a long range blast tipped over the bar.
Half Time: 0-1.
Second Half: Suarez has a penalty appeal turned down. Sturridge has a curling shot from the edge of the box parried onto the far post before Suarez blazes a shot over the bar. Goal! 0-2, Sturridge scores with a low shot from the edge of the box into the near bottom corner. Goal! 0-3, Suarez plays a neat one-two with Sterling before slotting a shot under the keeper at the near side. Goal! 1-3, Delaney's close range shot deflects in off Johnson into the near top corner. Coutinho has an effort tipped over the bar. Goal! 2-3, Bolasie makes a powerful run before laying the ball off to Gayle who steers a low shot into the far bottom corner. Goal! 3-3, Palace equalise as Murray chests the ball down to Gayle who slots a low shot into the near side. Lucas has an effort blocked.
Full Time: 3-3.
Palace 11th, 43>44pts
Liverpool 2nd>1st, 80>81pts



My Opinion:
My man of the match was Gayle. Palace stun Liverpool with amazing comeback. Palace were outplayed for the majority of the match and it looked like a case of how many they were going to concede. Nobody could have seen the incredible comeback that was to come as it was just extraordinary. At 3-0 down and with just over ten minutes to go, everyone expected Palace to lose. However, Palace broke away and scored through Delaney for what seemed like a consolation goal. Incredibly, Gayle came off the bench and netted a brace to level the match at 3-3. An outstanding effort in what was a brilliant short summary of their season under Pulis. 
Liverpool played so well and deservedly went three goals up and could easily have been more ahead. They knew that they had an inferior goal difference compared to Man City and thus this was a great chance to reduce that deficit. It really did seem like it was just a case of how many could Liverpool score. However, they struggled to find the back of the net after Suarez made it 3-0 and consequently pushed more and more players forward. This left them extremely vulnerable at the break and they paid a very heavy price for being so open. They should have had a rethink once Palace broke away and scored their first goal but they continued to press on which ended horribly for them. Gayle scored twice and at 3-3, Liverpool can't believe they have thrown three points away. That result puts the title firmly in City's control and it looks unlikely now that Liverpool will become champions. 

Best Goal: Sturridge, Suarez, Gayle. Winner: Sturridge

League Leaders:
1. Liverpool P37 - 81pts
2. Man City P36 - 80pts
3. Chelsea P37 - 79pts
4. Arsenal P37 - 76pts
5. Everton P37 - 69pts

Relegation Battle:
16. West Brom P36 - 36pts
17. Sunderland P36 - 35pts
18. Norwich P37 - 33pts
19. Fulham P37 - 31pts Relegated
20. Cardiff P37 - 30pts Relegated

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Super Sunday Game Week 37

Chelsea 0 v 0 Norwich City
First Half: Olsson has a penalty appeal turned down. Schurrle hits the far post with a low shot across goal. Schurrle has a shot from the edge of the box saved at the near side.
Half Time: 0-0.
Second Half: Luiz hits the bar with a shot from the edge of the box across goal. Schurrle has a penalty appeal turned down. Hazard has a penalty appeal turned down. Snodgrass has an effort blocked wide at the near side. Hazard has a shot parried at the near side before Torres scuffs an effort over. Johnson has a header saved.
Full Time: 0-0.
Chelsea 3rd, 78>79pts
Norwich 18th, 32>33pts



My Opinion:
My man of the match was Turner. Goalless draw helps nobody. Chelsea needed to win to keep their title hopes alive but they failed to score at home against Norwich. There was a lack of creativity in front of goal which has been a particular problem for Chelsea, especially in the first halfs of most of their games this season. However, they can count themselves unlucky as both Schurrle and Luiz struck the woodwork. Hazard and Schurrle will both feel that they should have had penalties and on another day they might have. Defensively Chelsea were strong but they let themselves down offensively. 
Normally Norwich would have been delighted to have taken a point from Stamford Bridge but with results going against them, they really needed to win. It was a very strong defensive effort which impressively kept Chelsea out but they didn't start to press forward until the final ten minutes. I suppose it was the right tactic to try and nick a late winner and it nearly came off as Snodgrass and Johnson both came close. However, with Sunderland winning yesterday, I fear Norwich will now go down alongside Cardiff and Fulham.

Arsenal 1 v 0 West Bromich Albion Giroud (14)
First Half: Podolski fires an effort wide of the near post. Berahino has an effort blocked at the near side. Cazorla has a shot from the edge of the box deflected over. Goal! 1-0, Arsenal take the lead as Giroud heads in from a corner at the near side. Cazorla has a low shot well pushed past the near post.
Half Time: 1-0.
Second Half: Amalfitano has an effort stopped. Dawson heads over the bar. Ozil strikes an effort wide of the far post. Podolski hits the near post with a sliced effort. Lugano heads wide of the far post.
Full Time: 1-0.
Arsenal 4th, 73>76pts
West Brom 16th, 36pts



My Opinion:
My man of the match was Giroud. Arsenal were the dominant team as everyone expected and controlled the match. Despite deserving to win, they only scored once which probably came as the biggest surprise. Giroud was on form and put the Gunners ahead inside the first fifteen minutes but Cazorla, Ozil and Podolski all failed to double the lead. Fourth spot is sealed as Wenger once again delivers champions league football.
West Brom were outplayed but could easily have taken a point as they remained within one goal. A shock equaliser never came as Amalfitano, Berahino and Lugano all scuppered chances. Despite defeat today, I believe West Brom are safe from relegation unless Norwich pull off a miracle. 

Best Goal: Giroud Watch the goal here

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Soccer Saturday Game Week 37

Everton 2 v 3 Manchester City Barkley (11), Aguero (22), Dzeko (43,48), Lukaku (65)
First Half: Zabaleta slices a shot wide of the near side. Goal! 1-0, Everton take the lead as Barkley scores with a long range curling beauty into the far top corner. Barkley has a penalty appeal turned down. Goal! 1-1, City equalise through Aguero who is played in by Yaya Toure before firing a shot into the near side. Dzeko has a low effort blocked at the near side. Goal! 1-2, City come from behind to take the lead as Dzeko scores with a header into the near bottom corner.
Half Time: 1-2.
Second Half: Naismith has a low effort really well tipped past the far post. Goal! 1-3, City double their lead as a low cross from Nasri is slotted home by Dzeko from close range at the near post. Goal! 2-3, Everton go back to within one as Lukaku scores with a diving header that hits the inside of the far post before going in across goal. Zabaleta has a low effort saved. Deulofeu has a low shot blocked into the side-netting.
Full Time: 2-3.
Everton 5th, 69pts
Man City 3rd>1st, 77>80pts



My Opinion:
My man of the match was Dzeko. City stay on course for title. Despite playing pretty well, Everton were just beaten by the better team today. They went ahead through quite a brilliant goal from Barkley who will definitely have caught the eye of Roy Hodgson after his performance. However, some sloppy defending saw them concede three times which all but ended the match. Lukaku managed to score with a diving header but an equalising goal seemed beyond them. That defeat means Everton will most likely be being in the Europa league next season.
City were in for a tough ride at Goodison but they handled the game really well and came out deserved winners. That was their biggest chance of slipping up and they came out with flying colours. After going behind to a wonder goal, Aguero levelled before having to go off injured. However, Dzeko took responsibility of the situation and netted either side of half time to give City a commanding lead. They were pegged back to 3-2 but they defended valiantly to hold on for three vital points. With that win, City go top of the table and look set to win the title. 

Manchester United 0 v 1 Sunderland Larsson (30)
First Half: Nani fires a shot from the edge of the box just over the bar. Goal! 0-1, Sunderland take the lead as Wickham's cross is volleyed in by Larsson into the far bottom corner. Mata has a low strike from long range saved.
Half Time: 0-1.
Second Half: Hernandez has a close range effort deflected wide of the near post. Vidic heads wide of the far post. Giaccherini strikes a low against the far post. Van Persie puts an effort from close range just wide of the near post. Welbeck fires a shot over from the edge of the box. Hernandez fluff an effort over the bar. Borini strikes a shot across goal that hits the bar.
Full Time: 0-1.
Man United 7th, 60pts
Sunderland 17th, 32>35pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Larsson. After the joyous first match in charge for Giggs last week, it quickly turned back to reality as United slumped to yet another home defeat this season. It was a very poor performance from a United team who looked completely out of form. This led to an eerily quiet atmosphere inside Old Trafford which clearly affected the United players. Van Persie came off the bench in the second half but failed to make a difference. It seems that even Giggs remains baffled by United's poor performances and is struggling to change their fortunes. Very disappointing result but at least we now know it wasn't just the Moyes factor that has caused United's huge slump.
Sunderland have pulled off a fantastic result here. In their desperate time of need they turned up and gave it a real go which paid off. Larsson scored a really good goal on the half hour mark and their organised defence managed to keep an impressive clean sheet. All in all they deserved to win as they quite clearly wanted it so much more. Poyet has pulled off another great result and I think Sunderland will stay up after that. 

Newcastle United 3 v 0 Cardiff City Ameobi (18), Remy (87), Taylor (90+1)
First Half: Campbell volleys a shot into the ground that goes just wide of the near post. Debuchy has a driven shot parried over at the near side. Debuchy has a header tipped against the bar at the far post from a corner. Goal! 1-0, Newcastle take the lead as Ameobi heads in from close range at the far post from Sissokho's cross. Sissokho strikes a low shot from long range that takes a deflection before hitting the far post. Zaha has a low shot denied by a great save at the near post.
Half Time: 1-0.
Second Half: Campbell sends a cross that just goes wide of the far post. Jones has a close range volley well parried away. Gunnarsson has a low effort blocked on the line. Goal! 2-0, Tiote has a shot that deflects into the path of Remy who scores with a low shot from close range at the near post. Sissokho has a shot that deflects wide of the near post. Goal! 3-0, Taylor scores. latching onto a Remy shot to score with a close range effort at the centre of the goal.
Full Time: 3-0.
Newcastle 9th, 46>49pts
Cardiff 20th, 30pts Relegated

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Sissokho. Newcastle have actually avoided defeat and won a match for the first time in ages. Remy being back out on the pitch was a massive bonus for them as they just play like a completely different team when he plays. It was a much better performance than we have seen in a while from Newcastle who were good value for their 3-0 victory. However, they were playing against poor opposition but that result may calm the pressure on Pardew for at least a week. 
Cardiff are relegated after one season in the premier league with defeat at Newcastle. It was just one of those days where nothing was going in with Campbell and Zaha going close. On a day where you need to score they just couldn't manage it. A disappointing season ends horribly for Cardiff who will be back in the hard slog of the Championship next season.

Stoke City 4 v 1 Fulham Odemwingie (39), Arnautovic (54), Assaidi (73), Richardson (80), Walters (82)
First Half: Assaidi blazes a shot over and wide. Assaidi has a low strike from long range parried at the near post. Goal! 1-0, Stoke take the lead as Ireland has a shot deflected against the bar before Odemwingie scores from the rebound, tapping in from close range. Arnautovic has a strike across goal parried away.
Half Time: 1-0.
Second Half: Parker has a long range shot saved. Dejagah has a penalty appeal turned down. Goal! 2-0, a fast break leads to Arnautovic scoring with a shot into the far top corner. Goal! 3-0, Arnautovic has a low cross parried at the far post before Assaidi is on hand to convert the rebound from close range. Goal! 3-1, Fulham score a consolation goal through Richardson who scores with a low volley into the near bottom corner. Goal! 4-1, Walters goes through on goal and scores with a low shot into the far bottom corner.
Full Time: 4-1.
Stoke 10th, 44>47pts
Fulham 19th, 31pts Relegated

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Assaidi. Fulham relegated at Britannia Stadium. Stoke proved to be too good for Fulham and they romped their way to victory. Arnautovic and Assaidi starred as Stoke put four past the Fulham keeper in what was a really commanding performance. Hughes has done a really good job so far at Stoke and results such as today's are becoming more common.
Fulham have been relegated after Sunderland took three points at Old Trafford. It was a defensive nightmare for Fulham who just awful defensively. Once the first goal had been conceded, there was no fight amongst the Fulham players who had pretty much given up on survival. Changing the manager three times this season didn't help their cause and it all just turned into a terrible season for them. 

Aston Villa 3 v 1 Hull City Westwood (1), Bowery OG (28), Weimann (41,45+3)
First Half: Goal! 1-0, Villa take the lead through Westwood who scores with a low shot from the edge of the box into the far bottom corner. Goal! 1-1, Hull score an equaliser as a low cross from Rosenior deflects in off Bowery from close range. Huddlestone has a long range strike parried over the far top corner. Baker has an effort headed off the line by Jelavic before heading the rebound against the bar which leads to Goal! 2-1, Villa go back in front as Weimann heads into the near top corner. Goal! 3-1, Weimann scores his second with a flicked header into the far bottom corner.
Half Time: 3-1.
Second Half: Bowery has a strike pushed over the near top corner. Huddlestone has a low shot from long range saved.
Full Time: 3-1.
Villa 16>14th, 35>38pts
Hull 13>15th, 37pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Weimann. That was a much better performance from Villa who came out deserved winners. The result means that they will are now safe and will be playing the Premier League next season. It only took them a minute before taking the lead through Westwood before Weimann struck twice before half time to give them a two goal cushion. Relief for Villa who move up two places into 14th with that victory. 
Hull started the game poorly but managed to get themselves back in it thanks to an own goal from Bowery. However, they came undone when they conceded twice before half time which killed the game off. There were few chances created in the second half whilst Huddlestone came closest with a long range shot saved. Disappointing result for Hull who fall two places into 15th after that defeat. 

West Ham United 2 v 0 Tottenham Hotspur Kane OG (27), Downing (44)
First Half: Adebayor has a low shot from the edge of the box saved. OFF! Kaboul is shown a straight red card for fouling Downing and being deemed to be the last man. Carroll has a free kick really well parried over the far top corner. Goal! 1-0, West Ham take the lead as Carroll heads back across goal at the far post which deflects in off Kane at the far side. Taylor has a low volley from the edge of the box really well tipped past the near post. Goal! 2-0, Downing scores with a low free kick that goes through the wall and in at the near side.
Half Time: 2-0.
Second Half: Diame has an overhead kick well saved before Nolan sends the rebound wide of the far post. Nolan has an effort well blocked. Rose has a shot really well tipped over the bar.
Full Time: 2-0.
West Ham 14>12th, 37>40pts
Spurs 6th, 66pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Carroll. West Ham played really well which was largely thanks to Carroll who proved to be too much to handle for the Spurs defence. They went ahead through an own goal from Kane before Downing doubled their lead just before half time. There was only going to be one winner from how the game played out and that was West Ham. It was obvious they have really missed Carroll for a large part of the season as he was just too strong and powerful for Spurs to cope with. With that result, West Ham move up two places into 12th. 
Spurs just had to endure a day when it wasn't going their way. I wasn't convinced Kaboul should have been shown a straight red card but he was and they had to play most of the game with ten men because of it. However, they struggled to get in the game and were below par. They failed to cope with Carroll as he created so many chances for West Ham but Lloris made top save after top save and was clearly Spurs' best player by a mile. They still look on course to finish in sixth but Sherwood will be very disappointed with that result. 

Swansea City 0 v 1 Southampton Lambert (90+3)
First Half: Hernandez has a shot from the edge of the box parried before De Guzman blazes the rebound over. Bony heads wide of the far post. Lovren strikes a free kick just over the near side. Gallacher heads just over from Clyne's cross. Bony volleys just over across goal.
Half Time: 0-0.
Second Half: Lallana has a low shot from long range saved. Goal! 0-1, Saints score a late winner as Lambert bundles the ball in from close range after Williams fails to clear the ball.
Full Time: 0-1.
Swansea 12>13th, 39pts
Saints 8th, 52>55pts

My Opinion:
My man of the match was Shaw. It was a really poor game but Swansea will be gutted to have lost it right at the death. They created a few decent chances in the first half through Hernandez and Bony but both failed to find the back of the net. A 0-0 draw would have been a fair result as nobody really deserved to win. That defeat means Swansea fall one place into 13th. 
Southampton played below their normal standard but didn't look like losing. Gallacher, Lovren and Lallana all had chances but neither managed to open the scoring. However, they were very fortunate to take home three points as Lambert bundled the ball home in what was a really scruffy goal in the 93 minute. 

Best Goal: Barkley, Larsson, Walters. Winner: Barkley Watch the goal here

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