This week of Barclays Premier League action was supposed to see teams at the top of the table cruise to easy victories, leaving the standings unchanged. But, thanks to some poor performances and questionable officiating, some top teams dropped points and made the Premier League title race much more interesting.
Let’s get to the games:
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Chelsea | 1 | (18-6-2) |
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Burnley | 1 | (4-10-12) |
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It could certainly be argued that Chelsea should have been awarded multiple penalty kicks, and the challenge that could have broken Nemanja Matic’s leg should have been punished. But Matic’s unacceptable reaction was deserving of a red card regardless, and Burnley took advantage of their opposition being a man down with a late goal.
There’s no doubt that Chelsea was the better side throughout the match, but mistakes like the one Matic made can make even the best teams average. While Jose Mourinho has a reason to be upset with the outcome of the match, Chelsea need to take accountability for their shortcomings in this one.
Chelsea entered this week up by seven points in the standings over second place Manchester City, but left the door open for City to get closer in the title race.
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Swansea City | 2 | (10-7-9) |
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Manchester United | 1 | (13-8-5) |
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Manchester United possessed the ball for two thirds of this match, but couldn’t muster enough offense to pick up even a single point against the Swans. Despite scoring first, United gave up the final two goals to drop to fourth place in the Premier League standings.
Swansea, meanwhile, were the more explosive side despite losing striker Wilfried Bony to Manchester City during the January transfer window. While Swansea won’t threaten for a European tournament spot, their fans must be encouraged that they are still capable of scoring goals.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, United striker Robin van Persie was spotted in crutches after the game, continuing his recent history of injuries with the club.
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Aston Villa | 1 | (5-7-14) |
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Stoke City | 2 | (10-6-10) |
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Aston Villa just can’t catch a break. After scoring first through Scott Sinclair, they conceded two to Stoke, including a penalty in second half stoppage time, to lose yet again. Villa are the only team in the Barclays Premier League to have earned zero points in their last five matches, and they are currently in the relegation zone. Unless Christian Benteke, who has just two Premier League goals this season, can find the scoring touch, Villa may be headed to the Championship next season.
Stoke, meanwhile, are in the top half of the table, and deserve credit for doing so without a strike force that puts fear into their opponents.
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Sunderland | 0 | (4-13-9) |
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West Bromwich Albion | 0 | (6-9-11) |
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There have been some exciting 0-0 draws in the Premier League this season, including Sunderland’s performance against Chelsea in November. This, however, was not one of those exciting 0-0 draws. Perhaps the most interesting moment in the match was Joleon Lescott’s yellow card in the fifth minute, which arguably should have been red. Other than that, there were just three shots on goal in the entire match. The epitome of a bore draw.
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Crystal Palace | 1 | (6-9-11) |
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Arsenal | 2 | (14-6-6) |
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On a Saturday where Chelsea and Manchester United failed to secure all three points against lesser competition, Arsenal did well to secure their points with two first half goals. Santi Cazorla’s penalty in the eighth minute started things off, with Olivier Giroud adding a second in first half stoppage time to render a late Palace consolation goal worthless.
With the win, Arsenal moved to third in the table, and look like a favorite to secure yet another UEFA Champions League place next year. Given the cries for Arsene Wenger’s job earlier in the season, that has to be even sweeter than usual for the boss of the Gunners.
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Hull City | 2 | (6-8-12) |
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Queens Park Rangers | 1 | (6-4-16) |
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This was a massive match, with the winner moving away from other teams in the relegation battle. Hull managed to get it done with the help of QPR’s Joey Barton, who made a typical Joey Barton move by getting a red card in an important match.
With the score tied 1-1 minutes after the red card, it was only a question of when Hull would break through against the ten men of Queens Park Rangers. They did just that with an 89th minute goal from Dame N’Doye.
Hull sit on 26 points with the win, while QPR’s 22 put them in 17th in the standings, with their goal differential saving them from being in the relegation zone for now.
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Manchester City | 5 | (16-7-3) |
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Newcastle United | 0 | (8-8-10) |
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This game was over before it started. City drew a penalty one minute into the match, and never stopped piling on the goals. Edin Dzeko looked competent up front for City for the first time in months, and Wilfried Bony made his debut for the home side during garbage time.
The win put City just five points back of Chelsea, and provided a bit of optimism for them heading into the latter stages of the season.
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Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | (13-5-8) |
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West Ham United | 2 | (10-9-7) |
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You feel for West Ham for failing to secure all three points here. They got out to a two goal lead, and lead 2-1 in second half stoppage time. But they conceded a penalty late into stoppage time, allowing Spurs to draw level on the rebound of said penalty.
The point keeps Tottenham within three points of the fourth and final Champions League spot, but a game like this has to raise questions about their viability as a legitimate contender for one of those four spots. After all, Harry Kane won’t always be able to bail them out.
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Everton | 2 | (6-10-10) |
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Leicester City | 2 | (4-6-16) |
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Leicester were in a similar position to West Ham, in that they blew a late lead to drop points. However, Leicester’s situation is much more dire, and the way they blew their lead was much more comical.
Sitting in dead last, Leicester need to pick up points in a hurry to avoid falling to a lower division next season. And after giving up an own goal with just a few minutes left in today’s match with Everton, they will regret missing out on two more points this week.
For Everton, a miserable season relative to their expectations continues, as they continue to find ways not to win matches.
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Southampton | 0 | (14-4-8) |
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Liverpool | 2 | (13-6-7) |
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Southampton are still firmly in the race for the top four following today’s loss to Liverpool, but they are fading fast. In the Saints’ last four matches, they’ve managed just four of a possible 12 points, and have let the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham creep closer to the top four.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have claimed 13 of a possible 15 points in their last five matches, and won here despite having only 40% of the ball. Liverpool hosts Manchester City next in a huge test for two of the best in the Premier League.