Sport
MICHAEL OWEN vs THE £10,000,000 COLOSSUS
Michael Owen vs The £10,000,000 Colossus
Well, it’s fair to say that Saturday’s Chelsea-Arsenal match wasn’t short of talking points, but in the final analysis I can’t help but feel that the Gunners were pretty badly done to in losing 2-0.
Sure, Gabriel and Cazorla have only themselves to blame for getting sent off and should have shown more restraint – as should Giroud during the week in Arsenal’s Champions League 2-1 loss in Zagreb, while I think of it – and Arsenal’s record against the top four in recent years is shocking. They are what they have been for the past 10 years or so, namely the third or fourth best team in the country.
But it is fair to say that Gabriel was the latest victim of Diego Costa’s unsavoury, and frankly thuggish, wind-up tactics – the Chelsea man clearly should have seen red – though that doesn’t excuse Gabriel’s petulance and if I were his team-mate having chased around for an hour I’d have been fuming.
It was heavy odds-on that Costa would be found guilty of violent conduct. And if the referee had seen it that way on Saturday it could have been a very different result.
Hopefully, Arsenal’s match at Leicester will go without similar incident on Saturday as they need a win to get back on track after two defeats, and some unconvincing victories before that, to be honest, though I am sure a 2-1 win at rivals Tottenham in the League Cup on Wednesday night was a morale-booster.
They have too much talent at their disposal to continue to underperform, and struggle in front of goal, for too long – especially against the lesser teams – and I think they can end Leicester’s unbeaten start to the season by a score line of 2-1. If I were Wenger, I’d leave Ozil on the bench, as I don’t think he is playing to the required level at the minute.
You have to take your hat off to the Foxes, and they again showed plenty of character and prowess in front of goal when pulling back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Stoke. And they beat the Hammers in extra-time in the Cup on Tuesday night, too, to continue their excellent run.
So I will add 1-1, the score line in this fixture last season, and Any Other Draw (AOD).
Stoke are one of three teams in the Premier League without a win and, as I mentioned above, they will be kicking themselves for allowing a two-goal lead to slip last weekend.
Opponents Bournemouth got back on the winning trail when beating Sunderland 2-0, and also claimed the scalp of West Ham 4-3 at the Boleyn last month. And at least they managed to scrape through on penalties at Preston in the Cup on Tuesday.
So I find this a very tough game to call. Stoke to win 2-1 is my main fancy – they haven’t been playing as badly as their results and points would suggest and they won 1-0 at Fulham in the Cup on Tuesday night – but, given the goals in Bournemouth, I will also plump for 1-1 and AOD in my perm.
Newcastle are another side without a win and by all accounts their first-half display at home to Watford on Saturday was as bad as it gets, and they eventually lost 2-1. And a home 1-0 Cup loss to Sheffield Wednesday in midweek has really piled the pressure on.
Steve McClaren has his work cut out but I suppose that he will be reminding his players of the fact that Newcastle have beaten Saturday’s opponents Chelsea in their last three meetings at St James’ Park.
But, even allowing for the fact that Chelsea have not convinced in this campaign despite two recent wins, I don’t see that unlikely record continuing. I go Chelsea 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1.
Napoli spanked Bruges and Lazio 5-0 last week, though the goals dried up in a 0-0 draw at Carpi on Wednesday night, and they will be hoping for more of the same when they host Juventus.
Juve have found a bit of form after a shaky start to the season with away wins at Man Utd and Genoa – though they wouldn’t have been happy conceding an injury-time equaliser at home to Frosinone on Wednesday night – and won this league fixture 3-1 home and away last season, but I have to favour Napoli 2-1, with 1-1 as back-up.
Middlesbrough have won their last four league games, as well as beating Wolves 3-0 in the Cup on Tuesday night, and are up to second in the table and are heavy odds-on favourites to beat a Leeds side whose start to the season is not as convincing, a 2-1 win at MK Dons last weekend notwithstanding.
I go 2-0 or 2-1 Boro.
Watford haven’t conceded a goal in their three home league games and come here on the back of wins at home to Swansea and away at Newcastle. So they could be a tough nut for visitors Palace to crack.
Palace, who saw off Charlton 4-1 in the Cup on Wednesday night, have played some great football this season but their league goals have dried up in recent games and this could be another cagey, low-scoring affair. I go 1-1 or 0-0.
The £10 million Colossus ends with West Brom v Everton, and I take the away side to win 1-0.
Everton may have failed to net in a 0-0 draw at Swansea on Saturday but I have been impressed with them going forward this season, most obviously in a 3-1 defeat of Chelsea, and they can nick a win against a Baggies side yet to win at home in three attempts, failing to score in the last two. And they again drew a blank in a 3-0 Cup loss at Norwich on Wednesday night.
But they have won 1-0 at Stoke and Villa, so this promises to be tight. Everton, who came from behind to beat Reading 2-1 on Tuesday night, to score the only goal of the game for me.
