Super Sunday!!!!!!!!!!! (again?)

December 16th these clubs all met for the first time this season. This Sunday is round two:

  Manchester Utd  v  Liverpool 

When these two met at Anfield, Manchester United came away with a 1-0 win courtesy of Carlos Tevez’s goal late in the first half. The Red Devils are currently top of the league and can’t afford to drop any points at home. Liverpool are back in the top four with a very slim chance at reaching third. Both clubs are still in the hunt for the Champions League title and would love to make a statement. Liverpool are a fantastic tournament side, but this is a league match. United are looking to show the world that they are truely a world power. It will be close. Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool.

  Chelsea  v  Arsenal 

Chelsea lost to Arsenal at the Emirates 1-0 earlier. The Gunners have had to scrap out draws in their last four Premier League matches and it has cost them dearly. The Blues have played well enough, but they have been iffy in a couple of matches that they should have won. Some questions have come up as to whether Avram Grant has any clue how to manage in the big game. Sunday will be a huge test and could be a make or break match for him. Arsene Wenger’s side seem to have lost their focus lately. Without a talisman like Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera or Dennis Berkamp to lead them they seem to be losing direction. Bad timing for the Gunners. Chelsea will probably take a lead, but Arsenal will draw late. Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal.

Midweek Magic

  Tottenham 4 - 4 Chelsea  

Mayhem at White Hart Lane. A midweek replay of the Carling Cup final had the potential to be exciting, but who could have predicted this? Didier Drogba opened the scoring for the visitors in the 3rd minute when his free kick was blocked. The ball made it’s way to Claude Makelele who sent it on it’s way to John Terry. Terry crossed it to Drogba for an unstoppable header to put the Blues on the board. Nine minutes later Jonathan Woodgate had a header of his own from a Jermaine Jenas cross to draw the score. Chelsea answered with goals by Michael Essien and Joe Cole to go up 3-1 and put the Spurs against the ropes.

Tottenham pulled themselves back into the match when Dimitar Berbatov and Tom Huddlestone each found the net. Joe Cole beat Pascal Chimbonda and pounded the ball past Paul Robinson for a 4-3 score line. Things looked bleak for Tottenham until Robbie Keane beat Carlo Cudicini from distance to knot the score again. Berbatov had the chance to win outright late in the match, but Cudicini was up to the task and saved the point.

There was some craziness in this match between Huddlestone’s 10.0 dive to Ashley Cole joining the Brat Brigade. With the money these guys make you would think they could buy some balls.

                      

  Man Utd 2 - 0 Bolton 

Captain Cristiano sets tone at Old Trafford. Manchester United knew coming into this match that a win would put them in first place in the league. Would they be up to the task? Would they ever! Ronaldo was given the honour of leading out the Red Devils as their captain and he didn’t disappoint when he fired home a volley that Ali Al Habsi was just not up to. Manchester United came out in the first half like they had something to prove, and they did. Ten minutes after his opener, Ronaldo sent in a free kick that didn’t look like much until you see it from behind. What a shot.

My wife despises the Portuguese international (something about a flop and a wink in Germany), but even she has to admit that what that boy does with the ball is amazing.

Bolton made a stronger appearance in the second half with good attempts by Kevin Davies and El-Hadji Diouf each putting the home side on edge. Diouf’s free kick beat Tomasz Kuszczak only to have referee Alan Wiley disallow it on the grounds that he hadn’t blown his whistle to re-start play. United took back control of the match about midway through the period and though they didn’t score again they showed that they were the defending champions by shutting down the Bolton offense.

Kuszczak’s return was good, however I had hoped to see Ben Foster get another crack in goal. He needs the reps against these teams not Arsenal or Roma. Nani’s selfishness helped keep the score from getting worse for the Wanderers as he repeatedly took terrible shots intead of passing the ball to an OPEN teammate.