On Any Given Saturday (or Sunday)

I hope nobody paid attention to my comments that some of last weekend's matches might not be worth watching.  On paper they did look like blow outs with top sides playing lower table teams at home but it didn't quite work out that way.  On balance, a decent set of games, especially for the neutrals.  Swansea City's 3-2 win over Liverpool was the only clear upset but every match involving the top six squads was a decent watch.


This Is Why They Play 'Em

Having slept a little late for the 7:30 start of Swansea-Liverpool, I had expected that with judicious use of fast forwarding I wouldn't be behind for long.  A largely uneventful first half did allow for some catch up but then came the wild second half. Fernando Llorente, possibly the best scorer in the EPL that you haven't heard of, notched two more in the 48th and 52nd minutes to give the Swans a 2-0 lead.  To their credit, Liverpool did not fade into the sunset and Firminho got one back quickly in the 55th minute.  When he scored again in the 69th minute, you had every reason to think the Reds were going to pull this one out.  So it was a bit of shocker when Glyfi Sigurdsson (ex-Chester player!) scored against the run of play in the 74th minute.  This was Swansea's first EPL win ever at Anfield.

For the 10 am match, I went for the potential car crash of Crystal Palace-Everton (1-0 for the Toffees on a 89th minute tally from Coleman) instead of Stoke-Man United.  Thus, I missed Wayne Rooney's historic strike, his 250th goal for Man United taking him past Sir Bobby Charlton as the club's all-time leading scorer. Not only was Rooney's goal - a free kick from the left side - of the highest quality, it came in the 94th minute and snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat for his team.  Clearly, this week's YouTubeAbleMoment.

Given the high expectations for Man City-Tottenham, the first half was almost unwatchable regardless of your colors.  The Citizens dominated but couldn't score, Spurs looked listless and slow and the neutrals were wondering what all the fuss was about.  Frankly, the early part of the second half was worse (unless you are a Man City fan), as the Citizens tallied two goals that were largely the result of Hugo Lloris mistakes, the second a pretty egregious failure to hold onto the ball.  But things starting looking up (again, unless you are a Man City fan) when Kyle Walker put a perfect cross into the box that Dele made sure found the back of the net.  Game on.  When Son leveled things at 77 minutes with the help of Kane (shortly after a key non-call in the box, discussed below), you thought maybe Spurs were going to take all three points.  Things ended 2-2, which was for me a fair result.

Arsenal-Burnley was a tight but sleepy affair for about 65 minutes.  But a series of interesting calls (also discussed below) made for a wild finish that ended in a 2-1 Arsenal win.  Chelsea-Hull was likely the dullest match of the group but even that one was close, with the Blues grinding out a 2-0 win.  Costa was back in the lineup, scored a goal and everything seems, if not hunky dory, at least workable.  Just in time for key matches with Liverpool and Arsenal.


Newcastle Top Of Table For Three Days

Murphy has scored three goals in three games for Newcastle

That queasy feeling I spoke of in the previous post lasted well into the first half in Newcastle's home match against Rotherham.  Not only was the match still 0-0 but the Magpies could have been playing a man down at that point (discussed below).  Then Daryl Murphy played hero again and scored in first half stoppage time.  That seemed to settle everything down as Ritchie (twice) and Perez added second half goals to make it a 4-0 rout in the end.  Newcastle were back on top until Brighton played their extra game on Tuesday, beating Cardiff City.  Reading also cashed in their game in hand with a win over Fulham.  With everybody now on 27 games, Brighton lead by two over Newcastle, who have a nine point edge on Reading and Huddersfield.


What Foul in the Box?

Probably a little more attention on the referees' performances than they would like this weekend.  By my accounting there were at least four PK calls that may have been incorrect.  I did not see the play involving Newcastle keeper Karl Darlow but based on the live accounts I was reading at the time, he likely deserved a PK for DOGSO in the Rotherham match; since it was 0-0 at the time, the PK and requisite sending off might have sent the match in an entirely different direction.

Kyle Walker "not fouling" Sterling

Then we had the no call on Spurs Kyle Walker with Man City nursing a 2-1 lead.  Looked to me a straight push but Sterling, though clearly knocked off stride to the point where all he could manage was a feeble shot, did not go down.  Apparently not enough for Andre Marriner or his assistant to call a PK.  What bothers me about this one is that attackers are going to think, I have to go down or I'm not going to get the call.  This play stuck out like a sore thumb because Tottenham scored on the subsequent counterattack.  Spurs supporters are quick to point out that Sane probably handled the ball on Man City's first goal so let's call it even they say.

Sunday's matches added two more.  With the score 1-1 and well into stoppage time in the wild Arsenal-Burnley affair, Ben Mee appeared to foul Koscielny in the box.   In this case, Jonathon Moss did signal for a PK, probably correctly.  But based on available evidence, there never should have been a PK because Koscielny was likely offside on the the play. Moss was already having a fun day.  He had sent off Granit Xhaka for a serious foul play in the 65th minute, seemingly with the advice of his AR, for a challenge that I thought was at most worthy of an orange card if such a thing existed; Xhaka did come in with speed and did make contact cleat to shin but he had already hit the ground and slid, not flew, into the challenge.  (Given Zhaka's penchant for hard fouls, Moss probably just took it for Granit that this was a red card.)  With the Gunners shorthanded, Moss called a PK in stoppage time that allowed Burnley to level the match at 1-1; though Wenger and Arsenal fans complained, this was a stone cold PK.

And then lastly, we had Marcos Alonso clipping Hernandez with Chelsea holding a 1-0 lead against Hull.  Again, no call.  Chelsea had dominated on the field if not the scoreboard. Hard to believe that the non-call here changed the course or outcome of the match.

Michael B sent along this NY Times article on Mike Dean and EPL refereeing in general.  Recall I made what could be viewed as a disparaging remark about Mr. Dean's willingness to make his presence known. I found a website with data on every referee in EPL history.   Turns out that of the 94 officials who have worked EPL matches, Dean is 9th in yellow cards and penalty kicks per match and 12th in red cards per game.  Among the current crop of 17 who have worked matches in 2016/17, he is 2nd or 3rd in each category.  As an example, the median for all referees is .18 penalty kicks per match while Dean is at .32 PKs per game.  I should add that I'm not saying that he's necessarily a bad referee - although I do frequently disagree with his calls - just that he tends to favor taking action when the majority of other referees might not.  I'm hoping to spend some more time with this data; for example it does appear that number of yellow cards, red cards and PKs per match called by newer referees is significantly higher than the group working in the 90s.

AFCON

Group play is over and two favorites - Algeria and Ivory Coast - are going home having both failed to win a match.  Other favorites - including Senegal, Egypt and Tunisia - are into the quarters.  I have taken in a few more matches but seem to be choosing the less exciting contests.  I see the 0-0 and 1-0 games and miss out on the fun 2-2 or 4-2 matches.  Proceeding to the knockout matches, I'm hoping all will have a little more urgency.


Talking Union

Getting late in the transfer window and not much news.  Former USMNT regular Oguchi Onyewu was in camp for a tryout; he's 34 now but maybe he can help.  Pete M offered a glass is totally full perspective on recent signing Jay Simpson, suggesting he could be the next Bradley Wright-Phillips.  Before asking to share whatever he's drinking, consider that BWP had a disappointing Premier League experience from age 19 to 21, scored 75 goals in 240 Championship/League One matches from age 21 to 28, then came to MLS at age 28.  Simpson had a largely disappointing Premier League experience from age 19 to 21, scored 39 goals in 202 appearances in Championship/League One matches from age 21 to 28 and joins the MLS at 28.  Granted BWP's goals per game in the lower leagues was .31 while Simpson's was .19 and maybe it won't work out.  But it does seem like a decent gamble that could have a huge upside; even adding 10-15 goals season would be great.


The Other Cup

Southampton added to Liverpool's bad week with a 1-0 result at Anfield, completing a 2-0 aggregate win over the Reds in the first semi-final of the League Cup.  Sturridge and Coutinho probably didn't have their best matches but Southampton's heading in the box was resolute.  In the second semi, Hull City made a contest of it but could not overcome the 0-2 deficit from the first leg.  Looks like a decent final set for Sunday February 26 at Wembley.


The Beast Is Back For More

This is another FA Cup weekend so league play waits until midweek.  BFS favorite Adebayo Akinfenwa (left) and his Wycombe Wanderers will be taking on Tottenham at 10 am Saturday (FoxSoccerPlus and FoxSoccer2Go).   Liverpool will try to reverse a string of bad results hosting Wolves (Sat 7:30), Chelsea are home to Brentford (Sat 10 am) and Arsenal travel to face Southampton (Sat 12:30).  All those matches are on FoxSports 1.  Man City travel to London to face Crystal Palace and Newcastle are at Oxford on Saturday as well.  Sunday has Man United taking on Wigan Athletic.

Midweek sees league action on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Marquee match up is Liverpool-Chelsea at Anfield on Tuesday at 3 pm on NBCSN.  Having learned my lesson, I will simply note that other top six matches are Arsenal-Watford, Sunderland-Tottenham, West Ham-Man City and Man United-Hull.  I might be inclined to check out the resurgent Hammers hosting Man City but as we all know, on any given Tuesday or Wednesday, anything can happen so the other matches might be just as good.

In Championship play, Reading get in an extra game on Saturday while other top sides have their FA Cup matches.  Midweek Newcastle are home to QPR while Brighton has a tricky contest with Huddersfield.

It's been a relatively quiet January transfer window but I'll report on major deals next week.  By that time Newcastle may have signed James McCarthy (yes please), Andros Townsend (yes please), or Modou Barrow (if we can't get Townsend, okay).  Or maybe none of the above.