It’s Thursday morning folks, and that means another round of Premier League action is in the rearview mirror. What do we get to do as a result? We get to have a merry little laugh at the funny football news that has turned up at our doorstep.
After Man City lost in bizarre fashion at Newcastle, a win for Liverpool would see King Klopp’s men re-extend that top-of-the-table lead to seven points. However, Leicester City refused to play ball.
Liverpool, like City, took a very early lead. And like City, Liverpool failed to defend that lead. But then, when Jordan Henderson is playing right-back, what do you expect?
Jurgey lad was unhappy after the match, claiming that Harry Maguire should have seen red for his first-half challenge which stopped Sadio Mane going through on goal. Maguire was having one of those games where he was involved in almost everything as he scored the equaliser for Leicester.
Kloppo was even more annoyed at the fact that Liverpool didn’t get a late penalty when it looked like Naby Keita had been fouled in the area.
And thus, Leicester have done it again. Incapable of being competitive against teams around and below them they have been another large thorn in the side of a top four team.
Still, #PuelOut OK?
Maurizio Sarri is a curious chap, no? Having claimed the other week that his players are very difficult to motivate, he has pointed his finger the other way and now says it his fault. Considering Chelsea had just been done 4-0 at Bournemouth (a result I woke up to and just naturally assumed was 4-0 to Chelsea) it was quite refreshing to hear a manager come out and say ‘you know what, maybe it is me’.
Whatever Sarri said to the Chelsea players at halftime didn’t work as all four Bournemouth strikes came in the second half. Roman Abramovich has never seen his club lose by so many. The Russian has sacked managers early when feeling he has made a mistake so has the defeat at the Vitality put Sarri on death row?
Dragging Gonzalo Higuain, the man brought in to score those goals, when 2-0 down drew the obvious chants from the travelling fans but, after such a great start to the season, are Chelsea actually in crisis?
Let’s be honest, the Premier League isn’t the Premier League if Chelsea aren’t in a post-Christmas crisis, is it?
That Fernando Llorente. He just cannot cut it at Premier League level anymore, right? Er, actually. Heung-min Son was back for Tottenham last night and brought Spurs level against Watford with ten minutes to go before everyone’s favourite Lillywhite Spaniard headed home the winning goal with moments left.
Considering he had missed yet another sitter earlier in the half, the relief on the face of Llorente was understandable.
Harry Kane he isn’t, but he has done enough for Daniel Levy to sit there thinking, ‘see, I said we didn’t need to buy another striker’.
There are few greater sights than seeing a player pick up a second yellow card for sarcastically applauding a referee. We’ve all wanted to do it and nine-times-out-of-ten it is completely worth it. That said, doing it in the middle of a relegation six-pointer is not exactly good timing. Wilfried Zaha, who had scored Crystal Palace’s goal, managed to pick up a suspension instead of a man-of-the-match award in the 1-1 draw with Southampton.
The transfer window slams shut tonight because transfer windows can never be closed quietly in a way that respects the neighbours.
If Everton want Michy Batshuayi to be their upgrade on Cenk Tosun then they need to give Chelsea £35m.
Leicester City are going to make another astute midfield signing when Youri Tielemens arrives at the King Power from Monaco. Adrien Silva is heading the other way feeling that a relegation battle with Thierry Henry’s former team has to be better than his current lot in life.
Denis Suarez has joined Arsenal on loan, which has surprised everyone who thought Arsenal had no money to spend even on borrowing folk. He’s played for Unai Emery before you know and won things with him.
There’s still chat that Yannick Carrasco might end up at the Emirates as Arsenal feel the need to be overstocked on left-sided attacking players.
Idrissa Gueye is still the apple of both PSG and Man City’s eyes but it is more likely the Everton midfielder will end up in Paris, meaning Marco Silva is prepared to walk away from Goodison Park in protest. Or has Marco spotted a convenient ruse to get out the door unsacked?
Miguel Almiron is still expected to become Mike Ashley’s biggest ever footballing purchase which must be killing him.
Instead of getting Celta Vigo’s Maxi Gomez, West Ham fans will have to put up with a 19-year-old signed from Benfica. Classic Hammers.
