Premier League Picks Of The Week 29

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 29

The 29th week of the Premier League action saw:

24 goals - most by Swansea = 4

233 shots - most by Leicester = 22

82 on target - most by Burnley & Swansea = 8 each

118 corners - most Southampton = 15

189 fouls - most by West Ham = 14

23 yellow cards - most by West Ham, Brighton, Arsenal & Man United = 3 each

1 red card - Ashley Williams for Everton

2 penalties - 2 scored (Joshua King for Bournemouth, Jordan Ayew for Swansea)

What a match! Liverpool outplayed and outshone Newcastle with a top-class convincing 2-0 home win in the Saturday evening kick-off, and that could have easily been more, the front trio starring and shining once again. Click here for my full LFC match report.

Super Sunday started with super shambles by Arsenal, well beaten by Brighton for the first time since 1982, 2-1 thanks to Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray of course, recording the Londoners' fourth successive defeat for the first time since 2002, their eighth defeat in 2018 and 11th league game without a clean sheet, their longest run since 2002. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did pull one back and the referee did his best to help the Gunners with some ridiculous calls and decisions, more to that below. No discrediting the Seagulls and their spirit and fight, but Arsène Wenger has lost it, it = this game, his team, his fans and all his marbles if he doesn't do everyone a favour and go!!! 

The other Super Sunday match could not have been more one-sided, Manchester City riding and bossing it, Chelsea parking and watching, the miss-match ending 1-0, Bernardo Silva with the winner, taking the Citizens 18 points clear at the top for the day. The Blues failed to register a single shot in the first half of a league game for the first time since 2003-04 and got nothing on target for the whole 90 minutes for the first time this season. Have they forgotten their job? PLAY FOOTBALL!!!

What a team! West Ham were taken to bits by Swansea, 4-1 thanks to Ki Sung-yueng, Mike van der Hoorn, Andy King and Jordan Ayew, sealing Carlos Carvahal's fourth win in six Premier League games. Loved this BBC video about his metaphors in interviews, lol! It could have been eight or nine goals for the Welsh side, who have surprised everyone how they have ripped and gripped themselves up and away from the bottom of the table. I'm sure David Moyes doesn't feel so comfortable any more. 13th and 14th respectively, only three points from the drop zone, the Swans on their way up, whilst the Hammers are caught in the downward spiral.
Southampton slipped down to 17th after their goalless draw against relegation rivals Stoke City, making it a new Premier League club record of eight consecutive home matches without a win. And Watford heaped more misery on bottom-side West Brom, Troy Deeney's goal enough to slump Alan Pardew's club to their fifth successive league defeat, eight points from safety.

What a man! Everton's Jordan Pickford definitely put his name on the England team sheet making some sublime saves at Burnley with Gareth Southgate watching in the stands in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff. If it weren't for him it would have ended a total thrash. 2-1 was the result, Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood turning the game around for the Clarets in the second half after Turkish forward Cenk Tosun had given the Toffees the lead after 20 minutes. It was a competitive match, both teams creating chances and making the keepers work, Ashley Williams' late sending off for reckless swinging around with his elbow on Barnes adding to the visitors' misery, no protest. Whatever Sean Dyche said at the break in his 250th game for the club (W98 D73 L79 with this result), it worked, completing the double in the league against Big Sam's side. It was the first win for Burnley in 2018, their first comeback after going behind in 61 Premier League games under Dyche (D12 L48), and the first time they won both league games against Everton in a season since 1959-60, when they won the title!

What a goal! Tottenham's star men Dele Alli and Harry Kane set up Son Heung-min in the first and the second half respectively, beautiful crosses, exemplary conversions, making it 2-0 and giving Huddersfield no chance of a comeback at Wembley. 

And it had to be Riyad Mahrez nicking the last-minute equaliser for Leicester against Bournemouth (90'+7!!!), curling a free kick around the wall and in to make it 1-1 after the Cherries were ahead thanks to Joshua King's first-half penalty. It's never over till that annoying one bloke whistles!

That unstoppable injury-time Nemanja Matić smacker of a strike, his first goal for Manchester United, shattered Crystal Palace, mentally and physically at Selhurst Park on Monday night keeping them in the drop zone. Roy Hodgson's men had worked so hard and shocked everyone when Andros Townsend gave them lead in the first half and Patrick van Aanholt doubled the score straight after the interval. It was the first time Palace had ever taken the lead over United in the PL, they were in control. But whatever José Mourinho said at the break, it had its effects. The Red Devils finally turned up, played and broke the home side eventually, Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku evening out the scoreline and wounds. But once again David de Gea was the main man for United, keeping them in the game with crucial stops and avoiding a total thrash, until the last-minute winner. The visitors had two shots on goal in the first half, fewest any away team has had at Selhurst Park this season, bad, and 15 in the second half, the most, mad. The Eagles have never beaten United in 18 attempts and it was the first time United's Portuguese boss has won after being two goals behind in the PL. But if the Mancs play like this against their bitter rivals Liverpool next weekend they will get battered!!!

What the hell?! No, that wasn't a penalty at Wembley, just because Son tumbled to the ground doesn't mean he was fouled! The South Korean scored a great brace as mentioned above, but should have been booked for his diving antiques!!! FFS!

Talking about spot kicks, don't they have to be taken from the spot?! It was just stupid how the ref didn't spot that at the King Power Stadium! King got the penalty spot-on to give Bournemouth the lead, but Leicester will be glad they evened it out as mentioned above, a goal and point each in the end.

All the best wishes go to Hammer Winston Reid who was stretchered off at Swansea after landing awkwardly on his leg and taking a knock to his head on landing, I hope he will be okay. Same with Brighton's Ezequiel Schelotto after being taken out by Arsenal's Sead Kolašinac, who was lucky to escape any punishment for his reckless actions! Something serious like this makes me even more annoyed about the divers and whiners making a scene of nothing!!! Appreciate what you've got and make the most of it instead of looking for any excuse to fall!!! And referees, please, please, please be more consistent with your punishments! It is just too ridiculous what too many players get away with, fouling and diving!!!

My Predictions - Actual Results

Burnley 1:1 Everton - 2:1

Leicester 1:1 Bournemouth - 1:1

Southampton 1:1 Stoke City - 0:0

Swansea 1:1 West Ham - 4:1

Tottenham 4:0 Huddersfield - 2:0

Watford 2:1 West Brom - 1:0

Liverpool 3:1 Newcastle - 2:0 or my LFC match report 

Brighton 1:1 Arsenal - 2:1

Man City 3:1 Chelsea - 1:0

Crystal Palace 0:0 Man United - 2:3

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

Pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, MOTD, Twitter and SFR coverage.