30th April

Apologies for not posting yesterday. I got up really late after seeing Civil War at midnight and then had work in the evening. Anyway, let's dig in to this weekend's football.

Premier League Preview

Everton v Bournemouth 3pm

This is a game between two sides in pretty poor form. Bournemouth had a great run after Christmas but then hit a brick wall against Spurs and City and have folded since, winning only one of their last five and conceding fourteen goals in the process, albeit against some top opposition (although on the other hand their only win in that period came against Villa). Meanwhile. it's been almost two months since Everton won a league match, and that also came against Villa. You have to go back to 6th February to see Everton's last impressive league performance, a 3-0 win over Stoke. With just six points from their last nine games and no win in seven now, they're in one hell of a rut. I can see Bournemouth edging this, but it might also be the perfect game for Everton to return to form, so I'm going to stay on the fence and say a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

Newcastle v Crystal Palace 3pm

This is a huge game for Newcastle. If they don't win this game then I have them pegged for relegation. With three games to go and realistically six points a minimum requirement, this is a very winnable game against a pretty poor Palace side. Only Villa are in worse form than these two sides over their last ten games, although Newcastle have hit a good patch under Rafa Benitez, unbeaten in three. Either way, this should be a scrappy, horrible game of football, but the way that Newcastle have played recently, I can see them winning it.

Prediction: 2-1 Newcastle

Stoke v Sunderland 3pm

This is a tough one to predict. On paper, Stoke are a far superior side to Sunderland and should win this game easily if they apply themselves. But that's Stoke's problem at the moment, they're already on the beach, reasonably secure of a top ten finish. They've lost their last three games by not turning up, shipping twelve goals along the way, four put past them by Spurs, City and Liverpool. That said, Sunderland are not Spurs, City or Liverpool. But nevertheless, they have more to fight for than Stoke, and have only lost one of their last seven games. I can see this one ending 0-0, but I can also see Sunderland running away with it, so I'm going to compromise and say 1-0. 

Prediction: 1-0 Sunderland

Watford v Aston Villa 3pm

This one has snoozefest written all over it. Or maybe goalfest. Villa are just that dreadful that any team can score plenty of goals against them*. Let's say 2-0 Watford and move on because Watford have also been on their holidays for several months now. 

*(Almost any team - Newcastle/Palace exempt)

Prediction: 2-0 Watford

West Brom v West Ham 3pm 

This one could be interesting. West Ham are still hunting a Europa League place for next season and despite not winning a Premier League game in almost two months, West Brom are always a tough nut to crack, as Spurs found out the hard way on Monday night. West Ham have drawn quite a few games recently so a draw would definitely be a reasonable bet, but I reckon the Hammers will nick it 2-1.

Prediction: 2-1 West Ham 

Arsenal v Norwich 5:30pm

Any smart person would say this is a very easy win for Arsenal because simply put it should be. Arsenal are one of the best teams in the country and Norwich one of the worst. If Arsenal play well, this game isn't a contest, especially at the Emirates. But Arsenal look like a team that has stopped playing, and recent draws against Palace and Sunderland attest to that. With Norwich grappling for survival, this won't be easy if Arsenal let their performance levels drop again, but nevertheless, this is at the Emirates, and there's now a real chance that if Arsenal mess it up that they won't get top four, so I expect them to magically remember that they're a good side and win comfortably. 

Prediction: 2-0 Arsenal 

Swansea v Liverpool 12pm Sunday 

I'll talk about Thursday night in a moment. But right now, Klopp will make changes for Sunday. I expect Sturridge to start. I expect a second string midfield. But I like this. It gives young players fight. The likes of Stewart, Ojo, Smith etc. don't need to get themselves up for this sort of game, they'll be up for it simply because they're given the chance. And they've got a lot of quality in their ranks. And if Sturridge plays, we should win comfortably, especially as Mignolet won't be playing, so no Mignolet spectaculars to blow it for us. Apart from a shock win against Chelsea three weeks ago, Swansea are largely playing to form, and having shipped seven goals without reply in their last two games, I can't see them putting up much fight. 

Prediction: 2-1 LFC

Man United v Leicester 2:05pm Sunday

This game has anticlimax written all over it. Maybe not in terms of result, because any Leicester win gives them the title, but in terms of the match itself? I cannot see this being a game where we lots of fluid attacking football. United are very good at killing attacking football, both in their own ranks, and crucially, in the ranks of the opposition and it's a compliment to LVG that he's as good at stopping the opposition playing well as he is his own players. There won't be many goals in this one, but I still think Leicester will get over the line. 

Prediction: 1-0 Leicester

Southampton v Man City 4:30pm Sunday 

Southampton are a very odd team. They can blow both hot and cold simultaneously, they're very much a form side and they're just about still in the hunt for a European spot, although very much the outsiders now, as the three sides above them all have games in hand and relatively simple fixtures left (although United and West Ham playing each other could work in their favour). City meanwhile, need to be careful. Focusing on Europe is fine when you have nothing to play for (see LFC) but when you have a tough away fixture and your biggest rivals breathing down your neck, you can't afford to be lax. I can see this one being a good game, and I'm not sure which way it's going to go. 

Prediction: 2-2

Chelsea v Spurs 8pm Monday

Okay so this one is one that has provoked a lot of talk on the group chat. Chelsea do not want Spurs to win the title. Chelsea are still a good side. It's at the Bridge. Hiddink doesn't lose many games. All evidence that Chelsea will turn up and get a result on Monday night. However, Spurs are a better team than Chelsea, playing wonderful football and should win. But then Monday night made this a whole lot tougher to predict. Now, Leicester could have won the title before Spurs even play. Now, Dele Alli is suspended. Leicester's result on Sunday will heavily impact this game. If Leicester win the title, I reckon it'll be a draw. If Leicester lose, and Spurs are just about still in the hunt, then they're going to win. 

Prediction: 3-1 Spurs if Leicester don't win, 1-1 if Leicester win. 

Villareal Disaster

I needed to give myself a few words to defend Jurgen Klopp. Because it is very, very easy to turn around and say: Liverpool lost 1-0, why didn't he play Sturridge? And yes, I think Sturridge maybe should have been given twenty minutes against tiring Villareal legs. And that only looks obvious in hindsight because of a 92nd minute winner. If the game finishes 0-0, then that's a good result for Liverpool, if Firmino's shot that hits the post squirms in and we win 1-0 then it's an amazing result. If Lallana isn't called offside when he wasn't...

You get the idea. Obviously none of that happened and we lost. But the result itself doesn't mean that Klopp made the wrong call. Yes, it backfired. But there are other factors to consider. Fitness is certainly one. Horses for courses is another. Yes, on paper it looks stupid to bring on Benteke instead of Sturridge with less than ten minutes left. But, we needed a hold up man. And the style of play we were adopting, the kinds of balls going into the box and the wide men we had at our disposal favoured Benteke instead of Sturridge. 

As for starting? Klopp's right. Basically. Everyone says Villareal didn't play well but saying that takes away credit from the midfield trio of Allen, Lucas and Milner (who were only really able to do what they did because Firmino was up top instead of Sturridge) who prevented Villareal from playing well. They're fourth in La Liga for a reason, they're no donkeys and they usually dominate matches, as Klopp himself pointed out. Tactically, Klopp got the starting eleven spot on, because Sturridge doesn't offer the work rate in big games. 

What he does offer is quality. But with Ibe forced on for Coutinho, it was the sort of game where Klopp might have changed his mind and thought that he needed defensive work rate more than quality. And I would agree with him. It's just a shame that in the end, it was a lack of defensive work rate in one moment that cost us, not a lack of quality up front. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Vettel in trouble in Russia. Excellent. 
• Ding looks unbeatable at the moment. Class
• Northampton Saints are stuffed. Come on Worcester. 
• Celtic can secure another meaningless trophy today. Come on Aberdeen.

28th April

Only football can make you feel like this...

Leamington Fight On

After 93 minutes, my slightly pessimistic prediction that Redditch's superior fire power would see them edge this tight, cagey game 1-0 seemed to be horribly close to becoming a reality. In a game in which both sides had experienced spells on top in the first half, and both sides had been rock solid defensively, Redditch led through the match's only real moment of attacking quality, a sumptuous volley from the edge of the area. In the second half, Redditch had partly sat back, partly been completely pinned back, as Paul Holleran through the kitchen sink at the game, bringing on three attackers in Mackey, Baker-Richardson and Ogleby. And as Leamington tried everything to level the match, it looked increasingly likely that Redditch's terrific defensive display was going to be rewarded with a play-off final in front of their own fans. 

But a needless corner, as Flanagan hooked away in front of his own goalkeeper, spurred Leamington on in the game's dying seconds, and with Tony Breeden, the Leam keeper, throwing himself into the box amongst others, it really was do or die time for Leam. And Leamington did. A good ball into the box, a flicked header towards goal and suddenly there was one hell of a goalmouth scramble on, Redditch desperately defending as Leamington had several shots blocked, with no idea how they hadn't scored, until finally, with almost the last kick of the game, the ball dropped to Baker-Richardson about six yards out and he slammed the ball emphatically home. 

Pandemonium from the away fans behind the goal. A stunned silence from the nearly 1000 home supporters, who had been fantastic at supporting their team all night long. 1-1. Final whistle moments later and extra time to come. 

Redditch never recovered. The goal absolutely knocked the stuffing out of them and going into the extra half hour, it was Leamington who simply had all of the momentum, creating a string of good chances in extra time to win it. Jack Edwards, who had dropped into midfield, was running the show; both sets of defenders put in the performance of their lives, but none moreso than Jamie Hood and James Mace, who once again both turned in potential man of the match performances. 

As the seconds ticked by, penalties looked increasingly likely and with the tension on a knife edge, up stepped a hero. Tony Breeden. With Leam having missed the first penalty of the shootout, there was a moment of huge pressure, as every single Leamington fan in the ground was starting to get nervous. But not Breeden, who dived to his left, not once but twice, to save both of Redditch's first two penalties, either side of an emphatic penalty from Sam Austin to give Leamington the advance. Breedo then stepped up to rocket his penalty low and hard past the keeper. Although Redditch finally scored on their third attempt, it was 2-1 after three each, and when Richard Taundry coolly sent the keeper the wrong way, Leamington were one penalty from glory. And glory came moments later, when Redditch finally buckled under pressure, skying their last penalty high and into the Leamington fans behind the goal, who swarmed Breeden and the rest of his heroic teammates. 

The reward for an absolutely incredible display from the Brakes is a trip to Hungerford, who had come from 2-0 to beat Hitchin 3-2, on Monday afternoon, and if the atmosphere in Hungerford is anything like the atmosphere in Redditch, then it's going to be a cracking afternoon. Redditch deserve nothing but credit: their players were terrific on the pitch, their fans terrific off it and the atmosphere at the ground was exceptional. But Leam pulled off an incredible display, with shades of mirroring our first game covering the Brakes, maybe three months ago, when they equalised in the last minute against Altrincham to take that game to extra time. But unlike that day, last night ended in victory for the Brakes. And a thoroughly deserved one too.

European Round Up

Elsewhere in Europe last night, my prediction that the game would favour Athletico and be a tense, low-scoring affair proved correct, as Bayern failed to score despite dominating possession and a terrific solo goal from Saul Niguez gave Athletico the advantage. Saul's early goal set up the game we were all expecting: Athletico to sit back and soak up the pressure, which they did with aplomb. I'm not surprised that Bayern didn't score, even though I thought that they probably would, and from here you'd have to say that the second leg is really Athletico's to lose. If they can steal a goal then you can't see Bayern scoring three. 

And tonight is the big one! As Liverpool go to Villareal, a side that have beaten both Madrid sides and drawn with Barcelona at home this season, losing only two games out of eighteen in La Liga, a formidable home record to say the least. However, Liverpool will feel buoyed by Villareal's correspondingly poor away form, losing more games than they've won on the road in La Liga, so if Liverpool can grab an away goal or a draw at El Madrigal, they'll definitely be the favourites at Anfield, especially given the atmosphere that the home fans will create, and the result at home to Dortmund.

Nevertheless, tonight will be a very tough test for Jurgen Klopp's side, missing a number of first team regulars with Henderson, Can and Origi still out injured and Sakho now formally suspended for 30 days by UEFA (not that Klopp would have considered him anyway). What this does mean is that the pressure will be on Kolo Toure, Lucas and/or Joe Allen to fill in in crucial positions, whilst Christian Benteke will be back on the bench to offer cover/support to the starting Daniel Sturridge, who fortunately is in top form at the moment. 

Inevitably, the key players in the side will be Phillipe Coutinho, Sturridge, Lovren, Mignolet and James Milner. Mignolet will be key because of his propensity to make huge mistakes, so Liverpool need him not to do that. If Liverpool want to keep a clean sheet, then they need Lovren to marshal a creaking defence and Mignolet behind him to have a solid game. In terms of attacking force, Sturridge's finishing is second to none in this team and he will be the main source of goals, whilst Coutinho is the one player that can create a spark of something different, something extra.

But more importantly, they need James Milner to have a good game. Milner is one of the most experienced players in this Liverpool team and will be the key influence in the midfield area, with Can and Henderson both missing. He'll be vital in keeping the midfield ticking over and will be one of the most creative players Liverpool have. He's the one player who can make the difference at both ends of the pitch, but just as importantly, in the middle of it too.

Overall, I fancy Liverpool tonight. Villareal aren't in great form, having not scored in their last two games, and although they'll keep it tight at the back. if Liverpool can defend well then Villareal will struggle to break them down, and Sturridge and Couts on the bench will offer a different kind of threat. So I'm going to say either 1-0 to LFC or 1-1, both of which would be a good result for the visitors. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Alli banned for the season. No surprise there, 
• £8m for Ings. Decent price tag. 
• Moeen with another big ton. More positive signs. 
• Three Championship rugby sides eligible for promotion. Woooo.
• Tyson Fury is disgusting. And hit repeat. 

27th April

Boredom at the Etihad, let's hope for something a bit more spectacular tonight in Redditch...

Bore Draw in Europe

City and Madrid played out a pretty boring 0-0 draw that there really isn't a lot to say about. But I'll try anyway. Tactically, I think Madrid got it spot on, and they out-thought, albeit not outplayed Manchester City. Without Cristiano Ronaldo in their team, I anticipated that City would if not better Madrid than at least prove their equals on the night and it seems that Madrid agreed, because shorn of easily their best player, and one of the world's top three or four, Madrid were happy to sit deep for large portions of the match, soak up the pressure and tried to nick a goal in the last twenty minutes when City were tiring. 

But whilst Madrid's back four, and Casemiro in front of them did a sterling defence job, there was precious little happening ahead of them for much of the game. Modric ran the midfield in typical Modric style, but with Kroos unable to dictate play, Ronaldo's replacement Lucas Vasquez thoroughly anonymous and Gareth Bale's only major stamp on the game his trademark dives rather than trademark bombastic runs or shooting, there was nothing happening in the forward areas for Madrid, although replacing Benzema with Jese at half time did improve their overall play in the second half.

And for City it was largely the same story. They looked very good in the opening forty minutes without really creating too much. Kompany and the much improved Otamendi, who was phenomenal last night again, were running the show at the back, with Fernando and Fernandinho's energy City were controlling the midfield and Kevin De Bruyne looked lively. But then Pellegrini made a critical error. When David Silva came off with a thigh injury, Pellegrini sent on young Iheanacho to replace him, instead of natural replacement Raheem Sterling, De Bruyne moved to the left and as such, City were neutered. No disrespect to Iheanacho, who I think is a fine young player, but he was the wrong player for the situation. By shunting De Bruyne, City's only really creative player, out of the center of the park, he was also shunted out of the game, and Pellegrini made sure that City had no real threat in the second half. Aguero was feeding off scraps and when De Bruyne finally did drift inside occasionally on the counter, the final pass or the final touch was poor. 

The only real chances of the match came in the last twenty minutes, and almost exclusively off set pieces. City were given a warning sign when Sergio Ramos was gifted a free header about ten yards out and headed straight at Hart, but they didn't listen and Hart was called into action twice more, both excellent stops to deny Casemiro and Pepe, as City's set piece defending went missing. 

Overall, this was a very tactical game, more of a chess match than the fluid, attacking game that we were expecting. And at 0-0 the game is very finely poised. Both sides would have preferred to have nicked it 1-0, but at 0-0, there's all to play for. Madrid will fancy themselves on home soil, but City will be aware that not conceding an away goal could also prove vital, as a score draw would now be enough to knock out the Spanish giants. Game very much on, and the tie very much alive then, going into next Wednesday's second leg. 

Athletico v Bayern and Leam v Redditch 

Gonna preview two games at once here, as Leamington take on Redditch tonight, a game that I will be at, and elsewhere in Europe, two giants clash as Athletico take on Bayern.

Earlier on in the competition, I said that Athletico were the only team I fancied to beat Barca. The only team who had the style to pull it off. Whether or not Bayern could have downed the mighty Barca we'll never know, because Athletico drew them, and as I said, they did the job perfectly. And Athletico's style sets them up perfectly to do something similar against Bayern. Bayern and Barca play far from identical styles, but the way that Athletico will set up will suit them about as well as it suited them against Barca. High intensity, strong defence, nick a goal on the counter attack. And with Bayern's defence looking incredibly vulnerable in the Champions League, this game is one that Athletico will fancy themselves in. 

That said, Bayern are an incredibly potent attacking force, with world class players all over the pitch and will remain the favourites on paper. And I think the first leg being in Spain suits Bayern, because they can turn the tables on Athletico slightly and play for a draw, or try to nick an away goal. Athletico are arguably the worst attacking side left in the competition (albeit definitely the best defensively) so if Bayern adapt to that, and don't play into Athletico's hands in the first leg, it could upset Athletico's game plan. 

That said, you'd back Bayern to score tonight, regardless of how they go at the game and this is Pep Guardiola, he doesn't change for anybody. And I think that a prediction of 1-1 on the night won't be a million miles away, and that will suit both teams reasonably, although I think it will obviously suit Bayern more with the away goal.

And as for Leam, they go into this game tonight against Redditch with a lot of hope. They have a really solid defence, quality in the forward areas and if they play Ben Mackey, a powerhouse of a striker. Redditch's home form isn't better than any of the others in the play-offs, in fact they've won less games at home than Leamington, and when Leam came here a few weeks ago it ended in a goalless draw and I think that just about sums up the way I can see it going tonight. Redditch are very good at scoring a lot of goals against defensively shaky teams, but Leamington will offer a very stern defensive test, conceding only one more goal than Redditch themselves and only three more than Poole. If Mace and Hood turn in the kind of performances that they've turned in in recent weeks then I can see Leamington keeping a clean sheet. 

Coming forwards, of course goals have been a problem for Leam all season, which is why their goal difference is comfortably the worst in the play-offs, but the inclusions of Sam Austin and Courtney Baker-Richardson mean that Leam's goals for tally is a lot nicer than it was a couple of months ago. Even so, against a defence as mean as Redditch's, Leamington may struggle tonight. I could definitely see this one finishing 0-0 and going to extra time, and or penalties. 

Either way, Redditch offer an ominous threat, but Leamington's overall season stats don't quite tell the story of their season, and this Leamington side in the last two months, with Hood and Mace on form in the defence, a revamped attack force and a solid midfield, offer far more in attack than the stats would suggest, and defensively there is nothing to separate these sides. 

On paper, you'd say that 1-0 Redditch is probably a fair assessment, but I could equally see Leam nicking it 1-0 themselves. I can see this being a very tight game either way, and hopefully one that Leamington can come out on top of. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Sakho isn't challenging his charge. Ominous. 
• Sinfield to retire. Legend. 
• Weather still wreaking havoc on the cricket. 
• Alli facing a three game ban. Done.
• Sutton has quit! Controversial!

26th April

It's all over.

Title All But Won

Well that was unexpected. Of all the games you were looking at Tottenham to drop points in, this was not the one. A home game against West Brom, that's a two or three nil win surely? But, with Leicester so triumphant yesterday, the cracks started to show in this Spurs side. Hugo Lloris made a critical error that cost his side the two points that will surely lose them the title, Harry Kane couldn't find the back of the net, denied by the brilliance of Boaz Myhill, and Dele Alli completely lost his cool and punched Claudio Yacob in the chest: an act expected to earn him a three game ban. This was a night in which Spurs' title credentials went up in smoke, leaving Leicester needing just three points from their last three games to secure the title, and that's even assuming that Spurs don't drop anymore points, with a potentially sticky trip to Chelsea to come, albeit one a Spurs side on top form would expect to win. 

But then, a Spurs side anywhere near top form would have been expected to do the job against Tony Pulis' West Brom side, If there was one player that you'd have put money on to be the one to win the title for Leicester, you'd have said it would be Jamie Vardy or Riyad Mahrez, not Craig Dawson. Dawson, who put through his own net, took advantage of an error from Lloris to head home off a corner, and send Leicester into pandemonium. 

Before then, it had looked like one way traffic, as Spurs dominated: Dele Alli pulling the strings, Eriksen, Kane and Lamela all hitting the woodwork, it looked like business as usual. Until it wasn't. And with Spurs losing their composure, the pressure was too much for them and they couldn't find their way past to get the win that they needed. 

So now? The title is all but over. Everton and Chelsea will not prove the most stern opposition for Leicester, and even if they can only muster a point against Manchester United, a game that Leicester are favourites to win anyway, any dropped points from Spurs from here on out mean that it's mathematically game over. Leicester are seven points clear with three games to play, Spurs need nothing short of a miracle.

Now seems like a good time to credit Spurs one more time before the inevitable unanimous praise that Leicester City well and truly deserve means that they'll be buried amongst it. Because honestly, Spurs have been exceptional this season. Among the highest scores, with Harry Kane showing he's got a bright future as one of the stars of football for the next decade, with the likes of Eric Dier and Dele Alli showing that England's midfield also has a bright future. And defensively, Toby Alderweireld has easily been the best defender in the league this year, contributing to Spurs having the best defence in the league. They've been a joy to watch at times and they thoroughly deserve to be where they are, finishing ahead of City, Arsenal and United, which they hopefully and probably will still accomplish. And make no mistake, Spurs aren't going anywhere, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them lifting the title next year, if they can bolster their options nicely in the summer, bringing in some cover for Kane, Dier and Dembele. Because my only criticism of this Tottenham side is their lack of options. They have too many individuals who are vital to the team. Dier, Dembele, Alli, Eriksen, Lamela, Kane, Lloris and Alderweireld. Too many times this season they've dropped points and it's been because of a different member of their starting eleven hasn't been there. Every single individual plays a vital role, but when one individual is missing, it wreaks havoc with Spurs' style of play. 

As for West Brom, they'll be happy with enough season cemented in the Premier League and comfortably so. Inching closer to a midtable finish, level on points with 11th place Everton and looking like there's no chance that they'll go down next season either, West Brom will be hoping to emulate the likes of Stoke and West Ham, creeping up the table, making sure that the focus is on solidity and stability and then they can start to add some flair players that will give them a bit of momentum and hopefully springboard them up the table. They've been in the Premier League for six years now, but only two seasons ago they were very nearly relegated. After years of being a yo-yo club, West Brom will hope that they are finally establishing themselves as a Premier League club in the long run. 

But enough about Tottenham because quite frankly, this season is Leicester's and it's about time that we let them enjoy it. 

Champions League Preview

Tonight: Man City take on Real Madrid in a clash of the European titans. It would be very easy to write City off before this tie has even started, such is the pedigree of the Madrid side that they face. But Madrid have looked nowhere their best this season, and have scraped into this stage after struggling against lowly Wolfsburg, as well as some high profile poor league performances. Apart from a narrow win against the run of play against Barca, who have slid incredibly since, Madrid haven't looked overly impressive when put under pressure. 

That said, City may not have the defensive prowess to put Real Madrid under any real pressure. Certainly both De Bruyne and Aguero would not look out of place in Madrid's front four, but how many other City players would stand a chance of getting into Madrid's side? Kompany? Hart? Both maybes but nobody else jumps out. 

Even so, Aguero and De Bruyne in particular, but also the likes of David Silva and maybe Raheem Sterling can cause Madrid real problems on the counter attack and we could be in for an immense, goalscoring feast of football. Otamendi has been immense at the back for City in recent weeks and if he, alongside Kompany and Hart, turns in another stoic display then I fancy City to cause an upset here, especially if there's doubts over whether Ronaldo is 100% fit. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Vardy will serve a one match ban. Deserved. 
• Justice for the 96. And long overdue too. 
• Lots of snow and hail ruining the cricket. Standard.
• Ronnie O'Sullivan out! That is a shock.

25th April

Leicester moved emphatically clear at the top of the Premier League. Let's dig in.

The Fairytale Continues

There really is only one place to start after a day like yesterday, as Riyad Mahrez had the perfect day at the office. At about twenty-five past four, he was scoring the first of four as Leicester City routed a hapless Swansea side to move back to eight points clear at the top of the Premier League, matching the marker that Tottenham set down on Monday night against Stoke. And then, about five or so hours and one private jet ride later, Mahrez was crowned the PFA Player of the Year. And thoroughly deserved to. A tally of 17 goals and 11 assists is staggering for a winger, especially one who has quite literally come out of nowhere. Signed for just £400,000, Mahrez has been a mini-revelation at the heart of the revelation that has been Leicester City. 

And it was he who capitalized on a shoddy piece of defending from Ashley Williams to cut in and fire a precise finish past Fabianski to make sure that after less than ten minutes, the pressure was off. The game was never in doubt from there, as Leicester, shorn of top scorer and number one striker Jamie Vardy, showed that they don't need Vardy to score goals. Two goals from Leo Ulloa, on the half hour and hour mark put the game to bed, before a late strike from Albrighton put the gloss on it. 

Swansea offered very little to the game after gifting Mahrez the opener, and a sloppily conceded free kick led to an offside trap so appalling that you'd see better in the school yard, allowing Ulloa to power home a header to put Leicester 2-0 up and if there had been any doubts about the result of this fixture, they were well and truly dispelled. Swansea's only real chance of the game came about two minutes later, as an overzealous Robert Huth conceded a free kick from a similar position, but whilst Ulloa found the net, Fernandez could only head over. 

And from there, Swansea offered nothing to the match and the game threatened to stagnate completely, with Leicester only too aware after what had happened to Liverpool that 2-0 could be a precarious scoreline, and unwilling to over-commit looking for a third, and Swansea looking like a side already off on holiday, much as Stoke had for Spurs six days earlier. 

The result was the same. A lightning fast break from Jeff Schlupp, who was easily the best player on the pitch for Leicester as he ran riot in the second half, squared across at the second time of asking for Ulloa to pinch his second from all of a yard. And from there, Leicester took their foot off the brake pedal, Schlupp in particular causing havoc down the left, firing just wide twice and setting up Okazaki who also failed to hit the target. 

The introduction of pacy substitutes Albrighton and Gray meant that Leicester remained a constant threat on the break and it was a scintillating run from Gray, leaving Taylor for dead as he outstripped a tired Swansea defence that set up Albrighton's goal, as Gray's volley was palmed out into the path of the English winger, who was dropped today for Schlupp and made his mark off the pitch. 

Ranieri deserves a mention too. In the absence of Vardy today, he made two big decisions. First, the seemingly straightforward decision to play Ulloa instead of Vardy in a straight swap, that looks obvious in hindsight, especially when you consider that Ulloa scored twice, but at the time, looked as if it might not have been, with Mahrez an option in the CAM role or Andy King in the middle of the park if Leicester wanted to go 4-5-1. And the other was to drop Albrighton for Schlupp, one that raised eyebrows at kick off but again was vindicated as Schlupp dominated Rangel on the opposite flank to Mahrez, and did everything but score. 

Overall, this was not the sternest test for Leicester, and certainly with the fixture list that they have left, Spurs fans won't be losing sleep over Leicester winning this game. But what it was was a potential banana skin, as every game is in the Premier League. And Leicester navigated it effortlessly, with a class performance that once again puts the pressure on Tottenham and lays a marker down. Leicester are not going to slip up. They aren't going down without a fight. This title is theirs to win and if they turn in two more performances like they did today against Everton and Chelsea, two sides that are painfully average at the moment and have about as much to play for as Swansea did, then they'll secure the two results needed to win the Barclays Premier League. And nope I can't believe that I wrote that sentence either. 

Race To Survive Heats Up

In all the hubbub of the LFC result yesterday, I didn't really go into any detail about how that big point for Newcastle affects the race down the bottom, and where the three sides left are at regarding their survival. 

If the Premier League title is increasingly looking like it'll be wrapped up early, then make no mistake, barring something truly mad, this relegation dogfight is going down to the final day. With Newcastle, Sunderland and Norwich all separated by a solitary point, and Sunderland out of the bottom three on goal difference alone (their goal difference is -18, with Norwich at -25 and Newcastle -26) and Newcastle only a point behind both of their rivals, this one really is going down to the wire. 

Norwich didn't play this weekend, but Sunderland did, and they secured a 0-0 draw with a pretty poor Arsenal side that seem to have forgotten that their annual battle for 4th place isn't over yet, with Manchester United breathing down their necks and Manchester City's goal difference superior to theirs. The first half was a rather tepid affair, with Arsenal creating a couple of decent chances from set pieces and both teams having half a penalty shout, but in the second Sunderland were immense and barring a string of terrific saves from Petr Cech, would have won the game. 

Either way, a point was as good a result for Sunderland as Newcastle's was yesterday, and leaves the table looking very tasty. Starting with Newcastle, they still have to face Palace, Villa and Spurs, so you would expect them to finish with six more points than they currently do, moving them to 36. What that means is that, given goal difference, you'd imagine Norwich would need probably six points and Sunderland probably five in order to stay up. Sunderland have Stoke, Chelsea, Everton and Watford left, whilst Norwich, bizarrely, also face Everton and Watford in their final two games, with United and Arsenal before then. 

Simply put? I fancy Sunderland. If Sunderland pick up even one point against Stoke or Chelsea, then I suspect that they'll stay up. Everton and Watford in the final two games for both Norwich and Sunderland are very winnable and I suspect that Sunderland will win on the final day away at Norwich and probably stay up on goal difference, maybe by a single point. If Norwich want to stay up then they'll need a result against either United or Arsenal, because I think winning both of their remaining games will be a tall order. 

And as for Newcastle? They've got to do what they can and hope that Leicester have wrapped up the title before the final day. If Spurs have nothing to play for then Newcastle, if they need a result, could well get one. But if Spurs are even slightly still in the title race on the final day then Newcastle are screwed. If both teams are giving 100% then Spurs' 100% is vastly superior to Newcastle's 100%.

I think the big day will be Wednesday 11th May with Norwich at home to Watford, and Sunderland at home to Everton. If either of those teams can pick up a win that day, then I suspect that they will stay up. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Palace join United in the FA Cup final. Awesome. 
• Racing beat Leicester 19-16 to face Sarries. Game on. 
• Sean Dickson given out handling. The twonk.
• Ballance and Cook both made 50s. Excellent.

24th April

So two draws for the two teams beginning with L that I followed yesterday and some really mixed emotions...

Leamington Make The Play-Offs

For Leamington, never has a 0-0 been cheered as hard as it was at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium (except for you know the other times a promotion/relegation/cup competition has been decided by a 0-0 but you). 

It was not the best game of football in the world, far from it, and you could see that for both teams, it was very much the case that the tension was getting the better of them. Fluidity in the attack, cohesion in midfield, it all was lacking a little bit, and in the end, the game was decided by two superb defensive performances. Hood and Mace for Leamington were immense, whilst Danny Dubidat got no joy at all from Mike Jones and Matt Day in the Hungerford defence. 

In the midfield, it was a tightly contested battle, with Rees and Herring going toe to toe with Gittings and Halsall, and you'd have to say that this was a battle that Leamington shaded. They just about saw more of the ball, won more challenges and created more half-chances. 

But in the final third, both teams were found wanting. As the first half came to an end, the tension was high, and that tension only escalated more and more as the second half minutes ticked away. 0-0 was enough for Leam, but Kettering were winning very easily, so any slip ups and it was KO. As the game reached its final fifteen, its final ten, the game got more and more stretched as neither team were quite sure whether to stick or twist. In truth, Hungerford had much more to gain from a win than Leamington, with Hitchin winning to ensure that Leam couldn't get a home semi either way, but Hungerford would with a win, and a draw only really suited Leam. But for Leam, the goal would seal their play-off place, and the feeling around the Phillips 66 was one of intense nerves. A goal would settle those nerves, but it was a risk. 

And in fairness to the Brakes, they were well set up for the 0-0. With Jack Edwards pushed up in his more familiar attacking role, a role that I personally prefer him in to central midfield and he was exceptional, it allowed Paul Holleran to slot an extra man, Gittings into midfield, making Leamington more compact. And when Ben George came on for the largely ineffectual Lee Moore, it cemented the notion that one point was fundamentally the Brakes' target. 

Both teams had last ditch chances to win it: a header from Day off a corner for Hungerford was smartly stopped by Tony Breeden, who had to get down low into the corner of the goal to palm away the close range header and for Leam, Gittings was released by Dubidat and really should have buried the chance. 

But 0-0 was a fair result and I think, accurately reflects both of these teams' various strengths. They're both exceptional defence sides, two teams that thoroughly deserve their spots in the play-offs and don't concede many goals. They both face away trips on Wednesday, Hungerford to Hitchin and Leam to nearby Redditch, and both of them will be very hard to beat. You wouldn't be surprised to see them play each other again in a week's time. 

The quality of the football was definitely hampered by what was at stake, and it was a tight, tense, closely fought contest, but 0-0 was a result that Leamington would have bit your hand off for before the match started, at half time and frankly, at any point before the full time whistle. It's a result that secures the Brakes' play-off position, and, with a bit of luck, a real shot at promotion. 

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back 

I want to preface any LFC discussion by saying that I'm not going to talk about Sakho. I know nothing about the case except the brute facts that have already been stated elsewhere: he's going to submit a second sample, if he's found guilty he's looking at six months out and frankly if he is guilty then he's a colossal fuckwit who's let himself and the club and his country down and deserves the ban. From a footballing perspective it's a blow, but either way we needed to reinforce our defence in the summer anyway. 

Right, so Newcastle. Newcastle. Oh boy. Well look at it this way, getting a message saying it was 2-0 at HT, I thought. Oh okay, maybe we won't bottle this. And then we bottled it. And it's very frustrating. Because every single time we make significant strides towards progress, we take a step backwards. Make no mistake, this was bad. This is a bad result. Another bad result. But, nothing in this game changes a lot for me. Nothing in this game doesn't tell us what we already knew. 

Sturridge scored a lovely goal. No surprise there, he's somewhere near his best form now, and playing very very well. He's always looking to find the back of the net and that is a really really positive sign. And away from Sturridge, there is some real quality fluidity in our attacking play now. Firmino looks equally good playing on his own or alongside Sturridge up top, or just dropping in behind; Milner is in a really, really good spell of form and Adam Lallana, who scored a sensational goal yesterday, is in really good nick himself, and is really pushing for an England start. We have plenty of attacking options and we used them really well in the first half of this game. 

But. Here we are again, looking at a game where we've conceded two goals off of two shots on target. The first goal was shocking. Absolutely shambolic from Simon Mignolet. How many times have I sat here and said that we've dropped points because of poor goalkeeping? How many times have I said that Mignolet is an obvious weak link in the side that needs replacing in the summer? Perhaps Moreno could have done more to stop the cross but it was not a dangerous ball into the box, it was an easy one for Mignolet and he made a complete and utter hash of it, where a David De Gea, or a Manuel Neuer or even a Jack Butland would have caught the ball.

And even at 2-1, Liverpool should have ended the game. Sturridge could have had a penalty, Firmino had a goal (rightfully) ruled offside, but the original header from Joe Allen could easily have ended up in the back of the net and Newcastle were on the back foot. 

The second goal wasn't great. Townsend did really well but Toure didn't really deal with it. Lovren did well with the initial cross but the lack of organisation was pretty bad, and someone should have been dealing with Colback. That said, Lovren was desperately unlucky that the ball bounced off his leg and in. 

It was one of those games. A combination of bad luck, complacency, some arguably questionable refereeing and certainly a lack of Mamadou Sakho and a goalkeeper worth a damn ended up costing us. Make no mistake, it's a shocker, especially at 2-0 up, but a lot of credit has to go to Newcastle for the way they came out in the second half and I don't think there's anything here that we didn't already know. We need a new goalkeeper, we need at least one more central defender on top of Matip, and everyone has days like today. 

It's just a shame that it came right at a time when we were building some real momentum. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Man United beat Everton. Joy. 
• Aston Villa scored! Twice! No really!
• Suarez scored four again. Barca are insane. 
• Sarries made the European final. English power!
• Alistair Cook is in top form. Boding well. 

22nd April

Leamington face their final game of the season at the Phillips 66, and it's a belter...

Do Or Die For Leam

Leamington FC play Hungerford Town in their final game of the season, in front of their own fans and it's a game with a lot riding on it, especially when you take into account the structure of the play-offs, as the team that finished higher in the league gets to play at home for both the semi-final and the final. 

To set the scene: Hungerford sit 3rd in the league, knowing that finishing 3rd guarantees them a home play-off semi-final and if they win, they have a chance of finishing 2nd, ahead of Redditch which would guarantee them both a home semi and a home final, should they get there. The lowest that Hungerford can finish is 5th, should they lose to Leam and Hitchin win, which would mean that they'd play away in both the play-off semi and final. 

As for Leam, they currently sit 5th, the lowest play-off spot. A win would take them ahead of Hungerford, who are two points ahead, which means that Leam would secure a home semi-final if Hitchin fail to win. A draw would guarantee that Leam finish 5th, so would have to travel to Redditch and then either Hungerford or Hitchin. But, and this really is the crucial bit. A defeat for Leam, coupled with a win for either Kettering or Weymouth, both of whom have relatively simple fixtures and sit three points behind the Brakes with a superior goal difference, would mean that Leam are stuck in the Evo-Stick Premier for another year. 

For Leamington, not reaching the play-offs really isn't an option. You can tell speaking to the fans, the players, everyone around the club wants promotion. They really want promotion. And they deserve promotion. The club is such a well run, lovely, well-supported club and the team on the pitch have turned in a lot of superlative performances since the turn of the year, with only two defeats in seventeen since Valentine's Day. Loan signings Sam Austin and Courtney Baker-Richardson have been revelations, but in truth the Brakes' good form has started at the back, with central defensive pairing James Mace and Jamie Hood forming a top partnership and right back Richard Taundry playing as almost a deep-lying playmaker. 

There are so many excellent players at the club, who clearly care about the club and will always give their all. Midfielders Joe Magunda and Jack Edwards always give 110%, left back Connor Gudger and keeper Tony Breeden have been almost ever-present for Leam when fit, and top scorer Ben Mackey has the strength and finishing of a striker well above this level. 

And off the pitch, Leamington deserve it as much as on. Everyone at the club is lovely, there are so many welcoming and genuinely likeable people across the club that have always made us feel welcome and part of the club. This is a club that cares, and that thoroughly deserves to be the level above where it is. 

And there is every chance that Leamington will make the play-offs. A draw at home to a Hungerford side who have already secured promotion is far from an impossible task, and with Hood and Mace back in defence, Austin, Taundry and CBR all fit, giving Leamington lots of options to play with. 

In any case, it's a huge game for Leam, as they look to secure promotion.

FA Cup Semi-Final

There's not a lot happening in the Premier League tomorrow. Unless City lose to Stoke then the top four race is all but over, Villa are already relegated, Chelsea and Bournemouth have nothing to play for and we're treading water ahead of our European semi-final, but should still beat a Newcastle side desperate for points. 

However, the FA Cup Semi-Final is more than worth watching. I mean, mostly because they're announcing the new Doctor Who companion, but the game itself has some interesting subplots. Everton are in dire straights, a floundering Premier League season and Roberto Martinez on the cusp of being sacked after being wiped aside by their biggest rivals in midweek. This is the biggest game of Everton's season, almost certainly the biggest game of Martinez's reign.

And likewise, Manchester United's season is hanging by a thread. Knocked out of both the Champions League and the Europa League, the latter as a result of being outclassed by their biggest rivals, and looking like a Champions League place for next season is out of reach, United's season hinges on the FA Cup, so Louis Van Gaal also needs to show that he can bring trophies to Old Trafford, since United haven't won a trophy since Sir Alex retired (and no the Community Shield doesn't count). 

The question remains whether either of these managers can be saved by winning the cup, as the Premier League performances and results for both have been below what was required. For Everton to not even finish in the top half, and for United to not make Champions League represents a step backwards for both clubs, and unless they can produce concrete proof of achievement, and the FA Cup would certainly be that, both managers will struggle to keep their heads off the chopping block in the summer. 

Everton and Man United. Can't they both lose?

Really though, there's not a lot to preview here. United should win. Easily. They have a superior team and are in better form. Everton are a shambles at the moment, whereas United are looking pretty decent at the moment, especially now that most of their team is back from injury and LVG has remembered that players play best in their preferred positions. Unless Lukaku does what he did in the quarters and produces a couple of moments of magic, Everton will be sunk.

The Hard and Fast Section

• "It's now or never" says Ranieri. He's not wrong. 
• Villa become more shambolic by the day. 
• Murray will play in the Davis Cup. If fit. 
• Origi could play again this season. Pleeeeeeease. 

21st April

And so, after an essay enforced hiatus - I return!

Merseyside Carnage

And last night saw not just one of the most one-sided Merseyside derbies in the history of the fixture, but one of the most one-sided matches of football I've seen all season. The only game that is comparable to me from a Liverpool perspective is the 6-0 against Villa early on in the season, that's how bad Everton were, and how utterly dominant Liverpool were. The final half hour was akin to a training session, as Liverpool knocked the ball about for fun, dictating the pace, the game, even when they scored. Everton didn't stop them putting the ball into the box, they just defended their area and I can't think of a time when an Everton player, or Simon Mignolet for that matter, touched the ball in Liverpool's half after Funes Mori's red card shortly after half time. 

At the time I thought Funes Mori was unlucky, and tackles that do serious damage to players always look worse than they are. But on the other hand, it's difficult to argue that the tackle wasn't dangerous when it literally did endanger another player and even if I would have given a yellow on first viewing, Funes Mori can't really have any complaints. But in truth, his red didn't change the flow of the match, it just exaggerated it. Liverpool were already 2-0 up and cruising, after two pieces of truly awful defending from Everton towards the end of the first half allowed Divock Origi and Mamadou Sakho to power home headers, and Everton had offered very little to the match up until that point. Liverpool had over 60% of the possession in the first half, which increased in the second, they had had all of the shots and chances in the first half, and they'd played pretty well, without ever finding their top gear. Nevertheless, Everton could have no complaints with being 2-0 down at the break, as Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino should both have definitely scored in the first half, missing gilt-edged chances. As for Everton, they had one run from Lukaku, shut down by a phenomenal tackle in the box from the increasingly imperious Sakho, and that was it for the 90 minutes. 

In the second half, it became truly humiliating. Not just on the scoreline, as Sturridge and Coutinho scored goals that were both easy and classy, but as Liverpool racked up over 40 shots, Everton barely touched the ball. Coutinho had more passes in the final third in the final 45 minutes than the entire Everton team did over 90 minutes. James Milner picked up his 13th and 14th assists of an increasingly impressive campaign for the England midfielder, who looks increasingly like starting at the Euros if he keeps playing like this, with nobody in the Premier League close to his assist tally in 2016. 

But as good as Liverpool were, Everton were an absolute disgrace. In the second half they offered nothing. Literally nothing to the game. If they were poor in the first half, then they took it to new levels in the second. With one center back throwing in the towel straight after the half-time break, and the other putting in a performance so dreadful that he cost Everton two goals before meekly retreating with a stomach ache similar to that of any Everton fan forced to watch his car crash performance, you could forgive Roberto Martinez for tearing out what little remains of his hair. 

But in truth, Everton never got close to Liverpool. The moment that sums up this game is when Moreno and Coutinho mockingly chipped the ball repeatedly on the volley over the head of a hapless Everton defender, before Moreno volleyed into the feet of Lucas, who had a pop from 20 yards. Even Klopp, who's only been at the club six months knew how ludicrous the notion of Lucas scoring was, and he howled with laughter as the crowd jeered and ole'd every successful pass. At one point Liverpool played nigh on 50 passes in the Everton half for fun, just because they could. My mate at one point messaged me going: "They are dicking about" to which I replied: "Have been for about half an hour". This was genuinely laughable. And the joke was on Everton and Roberto Martinez, who surely now has sealed his fate. To lose 4-0 to your biggest rivals and not even put up a fight is criminal enough, either the result or the performance alone in a derby game should be enough to get him sacked, let alone both. If he doesn't beat an in-form Manchester United on Saturday in Everton's season-defining FA Cup semi-final, he's gone. 

But frankly, Everton are going to need a miracle. They are a club in total disarray, massively underperforming with two or three genuinely top class players, surrounded by a lot of bang average players, being managed in a shambolic way by a man who is completely out of his depth. There's a reason he couldn't keep Wigan in the Premier League. He cannot organise a defence and on this display, it's completely fair to say that he has lost the dressing room. Two bad seasons in a row for Everton and if it wasn't for Lukaku, they'd be much worse off than they are. They've gone backwards since Moyes left, and they cannot afford to go backwards any longer. 

Moving away from the utter shambles that is Everton's season, with three points picked up from their last 7 games and their only win in the last two months coming against Aston Villa, to how impressive once again Liverpool were. We've now won six of our last eight in the league, since that turning point I mentioned, the 2-2 collapse against Sunderland, followed by the first of those six wins, the 6-0 thumping of Villa. And in that time we've knocked Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund out of the Europa League, crushed Manchester City, Stoke and Everton at Anfield, and picked up a thoroughly deserved draw against arguably the best team in the country (sorry Leicester). We are well and truly in a hot streak and the players really look they're coming together under Klopp.

The only problem is injuries, with Henderson, Can and Origi, three vital players, all looking set to miss the remainder of the season or somewhere close to it, depending on how bad Origi's ankle is. But last night, that didn't seem to matter. Daniel Sturridge is in the top two strikers in the country when fit and firing, as he is now, Coutinho, Milner and Lallana are finding hot form, Allen and Lucas have filled in impeccably and our central defenders are turning into an outstanding partnership.

Right now, Liverpool are on a high. Twelve goals in three games at Anfield, the same amount in our last four in the league, We've now scored as many goals this season as Arsenal, and are closing in on Leicester and West Ham as well, a whole 14 more than Man United, who I now am convinced we will finish ahead of. If United drop points to Leicester then we should move ahead of them in the table on the 1st of May, assuming we turn over Newcastle and Swansea. After that, both teams face one more potentially tough league fixtures, United have to go to West Ham and we invite Chelsea to Anfield. I know which fixture of those I'd rather have. The average league position of our opponents between now and the end of the season is 14th and none of them except Newcastle have anything to play for.

We probably won't win all of our last five, because simply put we're not really playing for much. Klopp will send out a young reserve team for games before and after our huge Europa League ties, as we've just left ourselves too much to do in terms of reaching top four. But if we can win the EL, and finish 5th, within three or four points of Arsenal and/or City, then considering the topsy-turvy sesaon we've had, I'd be very happy with that, and it would give us a magnificent springboard into next season. And show that the so-called top teams in the country are not even close to a million miles ahead of us right now. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Barcelona won 8-0 last night. Suarez scored four. Slump over.
• West Ham are having a cracking season. Top six?
• Less than a month until test cricket returns. 
• Did we all enjoy Spieth's collapse? I know I did. 
• Jamie's Vardy's having a suspension. Chat sh*t, get banned. 

11th April

Hello! I am in the middle of an insane essay run, but that is all due on the 20th April, so I will be back to daily posting that day I promise! Until then, here's a little something to keep you satiated.

The North London Question

"Lads, it's Tottenham." 

Although this phrase is famous for being spoken by Sir Alex Ferguson to his Manchester United team, it's nowadays more likely to be heard by an Arsenal fan, shrugging off the possibility that Spurs will finish ahead of them in the league for the first time in 20 years or so. 

But when Erik Lamela smashed in a third goal in six minutes, Manchester United learned a very painful lesson. That Spurs have evolved. They are a significantly better team than they have been for a long time and anyone denying it is looking increasingly silly. This was a Spurs team who ruthlessly and painfully exploited a mediocre Manchester United side's weaknesses, who found every hole and tore it open, and could easily have put five or six past United, despite only playing well in the final quarter of the game. When they turned it on, they were irresistible. Spurs have now lost just one of their last ten games, a run that includes Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham, 5 of the top 8 (top 7 if you factor in Liverpool's games in hand but that's neither here nor there right now). 

Arsenal on the other hand, were being Arsenal. Whilst Spurs were evolving, Arsenal were dropping points at West Ham, a very tough place to go, but a game that could easily have been lost by the Gunners, albeit with some, shall we say interesting decisions on both sides. Since they got themselves back into the title race, Arsenal have dropped ten points, whilst Leicester have dropped two. Now make no mistake, Leicester have had an easier run in up until now, and they've navigated it extraordinarily well, but Arsenal should have picked up more points against a weakened United, as Spurs did yesterday, and against Swansea especially. 

Now I'm not saying Arsenal have gone backwards. They haven't. They've got the same excuses and problems as they have every year and the opposition in the league has been much tougher all around, everyone is dropping points. But unless they pull off a remarkable finish to their season, Arsenal aren't going to match last season's points tally of 75. Spurs have already passed their previous tally of 64. 

My point is this. Last season Arsenal finished a whopping 11 points above Spurs. This season, they'll be lucky to finish above them at all. At this stage, I personally think that Spurs will hold them off, I'm looking at Spurs' fixture list and the ease with which they dismantled United in this second half and can see them dropping two more points at most, at Stamford Bridge against a poor Chelsea side. West Brom, Southampton and Newcastle shouldn't pose much threat and Stoke were abject yesterday, so even at the Britannia, (where Stoke have only beaten Newcastle, Norwich and Aston Villa in 2016) I can't see Spurs dropping points. That said, I'll have to be right because Arsenal's run in is even easier, with only Manchester City posing a real threat to Arsenal's chances of picking up 18 points from their last six games. 

But for me at least, that's almost irrelevant at this stage. Because either way, whether they finish ahead of them or not, Arsenal cannot dismiss Spurs anymore. They cannot shrug their shoulders and say: it's Spurs. Because as Spurs showed against Man United, and in truth, have showed all season, they're not just Spurs anymore. They've evolved. And Arsenal? I'm not sure that they've developed one iota in the last twelve months. 

Progress under Klopp

As Divock Origi hammered in Liverpool's fourth goal against Stoke, there was a palatable sense of progress. Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp have finally started to get where they want to be.

More than almost any other side in the Premier League this season, this has been a year of transition. Brendan Rodgers spent a lot of money in the summer, had one or two high profile flops, got sacked and with Klopp coming in, all eyes were on him. Big defeats against Newcastle and Watford just increased the feeling that Klopp had a real job on his hands, and there were more abject defeats to come, at the hands of West Ham and Leicester. For me, the turning point, one of the lowest points in our season, was a pathetic 2-2 draw against Sunderland on the 6th of February. Then, next time out, we played Aston Villa, who of course were absolutely abysmal and we beat them 6-0. Now I maintain that this is a very good result. Yes it's only Villa but who else has beaten Villa 6-0 this season? Nobody. Regardless, I put it down to it being just Villa, as you would. And then a funny thing happened. We kept playing well. We beat City 3-0, we tore United apart, we were terrific in the final half an hour against Palace and then we were exceptional against both Spurs and Dortmund, securing two excellent draws (both of which could easily have been wins) in a week against teams we'd have been favourites to lose against. Then yesterday, we put Stoke to the sword with a second string. 

Of course there have been missteps along the way. Palace we were poor for much of the match before turning in a stellar half hour, Southampton felt like a huge loss but only because we played so damn well for 45 minutes, and obviously losing the cup final to City on pens was a body blow. But in truth, we've not turned in a shocking, abject performance like we did so many times under Rodgers since Leicester beat us in early February. Not since that Sunderland game have I been fuming with the side. Southampton was unacceptable yes, but there were hugely positive signs in that game. Palace we stepped up incredibly. Coutinho and Firmino have been excellent since the turn of the year and they're not the only ones. 

It's been over two months since there's been nothing positive to say about an LFC game, something that in 2015 happened all the time. The only time I went two months without being completely and utterly done with a Liverpool performance in 2015 was when we weren't playing over the summer.

And against Stoke, we showed that we do have some genuine strength in depth. Both Origi and Sturridge were sensational, Joe Allen put in yet another good performance, Milner was terrific, young Stewart was arguably man of the match and Skrtel...okay well Skrtel only made one error that led to a goal so that's progress for him right?

I jest, but what 2016 has done so far is two-fold. It has really allowed the players in our squad who were signed under Rodgers but never able to quite find their form to really shine under Klopp. Milner, Clyne, Origi and Firmino, all summer signings written off within two months because funnily enough the team didn't gel immediately by October, for a multitude of reasons, not to mention injuries, fitness levels and cohesion, but all of whom have come good under Klopp. Rodgers' business in the summer, I maintain was a success. Milner has seven goals and ten assists this season, not bad for a free signing and certainly good enough to earn an England call up as far as I'm concerned, Clyne has been consistently good and just last week he kept Marco fucking Reus in his back pocket...twice. Origi is only just 20 years old but he's an intelligent and hard working young forward who now has as many goals this season as Daniel Sturridge and could very easily break into double digits and Firmino has been a bit of a revelation since Christmas, and when he also makes ten goals for the season (and maybe ten assists too), it will be richly deserved. Of course Ings and Gomez were both desperately unlucky with injuries, but they'll both add something to our squad when they return. And the likes of the much maligned Lovren, Lallana and Sakho are all starting to really find their feet under Klopp and have put in some formidable performances.

The other thing 2016 has allowed us to do is pick out the weaknesses in our squad. The obvious weaknesses. Benteke? Definitely a problem and definitely needs to go in the summer. Mignolet? Too error prone, he has to go too. Skrtel? Almost single-handedly cost us the Southampton game, has to be binned. Replace these three players with genuine quality, and we'll have a squad with a lot of potential on our hands. 

Of course, this season has been disappointing. 2015 was highly disappointing. But considering the results and performances we've turned in in 2016, seeing us become the highest scorers in the league this calendar year, outplay some of the best clubs in the country, and make some real progress in the Europa League, I see no reason that we can't finish 5th, secure Champions League football through the Europa League and make a good fist of next season. 

Or, you know...crash and burn. That's also an option.

Hard And Fast Section

• Leicester City. Wow. Seven points clear again. 
• Newcastle are so relegated it hurts. 
• LVG: tactical genius
• Please, please, please let United get docked points. 
• And Danny Willett. Wow. Story of 2016 so far.