31st March 17

Premier League previews! This will be my last post for a while as I'm off to Rome tomorrow.

Liverpool v Everton (12:30pm Saturday)

The Merseyside Derby is usually the biggest game of the weekend, but this weekend it'll take second fiddle to the big clash between City and Arsenal. Nevertheless, this remains a huge game in the top four race, as Everton look to keep themselves in the hunt for Champions League football. This is the toughest fixture Liverpool have left and will be looking to make the most of it. In terms of result, Everton have the dangerous Romelu Lukaku at their disposal, but Liverpool have superior firepower in the midfield and in terms of a rounded attack. Both teams are missing key players, with both Adam Lallana missing for the Reds, and Schneiderlin, Funes Mori and Coleman are all out for the Toffees. Overall, Liverpool's intensity should give them the edge. 

Prediction: 2-1 Liverpool

Burnley v Spurs (3pm)

Tough one to predict, given Burnley's superb home form but Spurs' overall excellent form. However, given that Spurs' last four wins have all been at home, and their away form is patchy, leads me to favour a draw in this one. Without Harry Kane, Spurs will struggle to score goals against a Burnley team that is resolute, and only lost three games at home all season. I think this will be a tight one. 

Prediction: 1-1

Chelsea v Crystal Palace (3pm)

Chelsea at home against a team in the bottom half of the Premier League table. That's all but the definition of a home banker. Chelsea have 12 wins in 13 home games and haven't lost a single game against teams outside the top six, dropping just four points total against those sides. Whilst on the one hand you feel they have to slip up at some point, Leicester didn't last season, and title winners generally have the consistency required to keep up the pace. 

Prediction: 2-0 Chelsea

Hull v West Ham (3pm)

Hull are unbeaten at home under Marco Silva, despite some very tough fixtures. Nevertheless, they're continuing to slip closer to relegation, leaving themselves with a lot to do, making this a must-win game for the home side. West Ham meanwhile are five games without a win, off the back of three straight defeats. You'd have to say that with Hull scrapping for everything, they'll be just about favourites for this one. 

Prediction: 2-1 Hull

Leicester v Stoke (3pm)

Stoke's form is pretty average, which reflects on their pretty average fixtures in recent weeks. For Leicester meanwhile, both of their home league games since Shakespeare took over ended 3-1 to the Foxes. Now that Leicester are largely out of danger, it's possible that they'll drop off again, but you'd imagine that on balance they'll probably win this game, with Stoke's away form pretty mediocre. 

Prediction: 3-1 Leicester

Man United v West Brom (3pm)

This is another big game for Man United, who have a lot of big games coming up. Still shorn of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera with suspension, Smalling and Jones in defence, Pogba in midfield and maybe Rojo and Valencia as well, Man United are low on options. West Brom will not be an easy nut to crack and if they turn up, as they did against Arsenal, then they can cause United all kinds of issues.

Prediction: 1-1

Watford v Sunderland (3pm) 

This one is a massive game for Sunderland. They're running out of time and running out of options and Watford are there for the taking, having picked up just one point from their last four games. Watford's home form isn't particularly special, having won just five of their fourteen games. However, whether Sunderland will be able to step their game up for this one or not will be interesting to see. On balance, this could be literally any score, but I'm fancying Watford, just about. 

Prediction: 2-1 Watford

Southampton v Bournemouth (5:30pm)

Another potentially tasty fixture, one that Southampton will be fancying themselves for. Back to back wins have lifted Bournemouth out of trouble, but their away form is still atrocious, with just two wins in fourteen games. Southampton meanwhile have been blowing hot and cold all season, but in the last few weeks have picked up something close to resembling form, and you'd say on balance they have to be favourites for this one. 

Prediction: 3-2 Saints

Swansea v Middlesbrough (1:30pm Sunday)

In terms of big games, especially down the bottom, they don't come much bigger than this. 17th vs 19th, with Boro five points from safety with a game in hand. If Swansea win, then it could well be curtains for Boro. And with Sigurdsson and Llorente at their disposal, plus excellent home form under Paul Clement, Swans are just about the favourites for this one. 

Prediction: 1-0 Swansea

Arsenal v Man City (4pm)

It's not quite last chance saloon for Arsenal's Champions League hopes but they don't get much closer to that than this. Seven points behind City, albeit with a game in hand, Arsenal need to find their form and quickly. City's away form is overall solid, with ten wins and four defeats, but they have lost to both Spurs and Liverpool away. Still, City are in hot form and will take some stopping, so I'm backing them to at least get a draw in this one, and maybe even win, probably KOing Arsenal's top four hopes with it. 

Prediction: 2-1 City

The Hard and Fast Section

• Konta makes Miami final, beating Venus.
• Ten year-old helps Wales win table-tennis international.
• Half-marathon 146m short. Oops. 
• Player of the year debate ongoing. My vote: Alexis Sanchez.

26th March 17

So, with ten games or so to go and this weekend marks the final international break of the season, which makes it the perfect time to try and calculate (guess) the final Premier League table.

20. Middlesbrough

Boro look sunk without a trace at the moment, simply because they cannot score enough goals. Whilst defensively they've not been terrible, every game they play it looks like their only chance of getting a result is through 0-0, and they've not won a Premier League game in 2017. Will sacking Karanka be enough to keep them up? Probably not. 

19. Sunderland

I think Sunderland will get a couple of wins under their belt between now and the end of the season, but I'm not sure it'll be enough. They're seven points from safety, with some difficult games to come and plenty of teams above them in decent form. It would take an absolute miracle for Sunderland to stay up and whilst they've somehow managed it before, they've still not sacked David Moyes and until they do that, they have very little hope of staying up.

18. Hull City

The final relegation spot was a hard one to pin down, but on balance, I think Hull are probably the team in the most trouble. Although their home form is solid under Marco Silva, they simply aren't picking up points away from home and they're three points from safety with teams above them in better form and with games in hand. I think they've just left themselves too much to do.

17. Crystal Palace

The major thing working against Palace is their fixture list. They have to play all of the top six and travel to Southampton in their last ten games, putting the pressure on home games against Leicester, Burnley and Hull. However, you'd just about back Palace to survive, as seven points from those three games should be enough to keep them up, and they're in good form, having won their last three games against Boro, West Brom and Watford. 

16. Swansea City

Swansea are another team whose away form has slumped recently after making a great recovery under Paul Clement. Nevertheless, of the teams in the bottom five, Swansea are in the best position to stay up, and I'd be surprised if they went down from here, especially as their fixture list isn't that bad, and they have two really class players in Llorente and Sigurdsson. 

15. Watford 

Much like last season, I expect Watford to slump now that Premier League survival is secure. No wins in four games suggests that that slump has already begun, and Watford have hardly had a stellar season with a pretty average squad. Nevertheless, they've kept their heads clear of the drop zone and in a second season, that's an achievement and I expect them to be back in 17/18.

14. Burnley

Burnley are another team sliding with 0 wins in six games. Nevertheless, their excellent home form should be enough to keep them well clear of trouble in the remaining ten games. Whilst they may well continue to slide, there are too many teams below them struggling for Burnley to seriously fall away, especially as they have some good players at their disposal and they've only got two games against the top six left, both at Turf Moor. 

13. Bournemouth 

Much like Watford, Bournemouth are a club who in their second season in the Premier League, have done well to stay out of trouble, and will probably finish in the lower end of the mid-table bracket, which in itself would be an achievement and maybe even a slight improvement on last season. Two vital back to back wins have lifted them clear of any sniff of trouble, but I doubt they'll be able to maintain their current form and make a top half finish. 

12. Leicester City 

Since sacking Claudio Ranieri, Leicester have won three straight league games, propelling them up the table. And with the players seemingly rejuvenated by the removal of Ranieri, there's no reason to suspect that Leicester's form is going to dip any time soon, and with only three points separating them in 15th to Southampton in 10th, I expect them to climb the table. 

11. West Ham United

West Ham are another team suffering from a slump in form, with just one win in their last seven games. However, they've got plenty of talent in their team and look reasonably secure in mid-table, and I don't expect them to do much yoyo-ing between now and the end of the season, so they'll be somewhere between 10th and 13th, with 11th I think their most likely finishing point. They could slump if they go on their holidays early but so will most teams in the mid-table region. 

10. Southampton

Saints are an interesting one, as they have been all season. They've been scoring for fun in recent weeks as their mostly solid defence has capitulated since Christmas with the selling of Jose Fonte and injury to Virgil Van Dijk. As such, I think Saints are one of the teams that will keep fighting until the very end and are very good at home. They're three points behind Stoke and level with teams below them, but have games in hand on their opposition. I think they'll end up finishing where they are now, give or take one place. 

9. Stoke City

And lo' Stoke finished 9th for the 4th season in a row. And so it was written. 

8th. West Bromwich Albion

Seven points clear of Stoke, seven points behind Everton. They're not catching Everton, but it's unlikely that they'll be caught. West Brom have been excellent at beating teams outside the top seven this season, so chances are they'll rack up enough points to stay clear of Stoke and Saints behind them.

7th Everton

Whilst Everton aren't going to finish lower than 7th, it'll be interesting to see whether they can bridge the gap and penetrate the top six. Personally, I think both Arsenal and Man United will be able to keep them at bay, and whilst Everton's remaining fixtures against the top teams may work in their favour, it's more likely that it'll backfire and end up costing them points. 

6th Man United

Of the top teams, United have the toughest set of fixtures left. I can't see them winning at the Etihad or White Hart Lane, or beating Chelsea at Old Trafford. Even games at the Emirates and against Everton won't be easy and United's record against the fellow top teams, especially away from home, isn't great. That, plus injuries and suspensions, means that they'll probably finish lowest of the top sides. 

5th Arsenal 

Like United, Arsenal's fixtures are particularly nasty, and they're in the worst form of the top six. I think that they'll recover somewhat, and with Alexis Sanchez in their team they're always in with a chance of winning any game. Both Manchester clubs have to go to the Emirates, which gives Arsenal a slight edge, but they've got too much ground to make up on the top four to make it. 

4th Liverpool 

Liverpool are in the driving seat for Champions League right now, with the nicest set of fixtures, with no more games against the top six, and points on the board. Their form is a mixed bag right now, but they should have enough in the tank to get over the line, especially as they've had an excellent season at Anfield, as the rest of the contenders will all take points off each other. 

3rd Tottenham 

Currently sitting in second with a seven point advantage over Man United and home advantage in their big fixtures to come, Spurs are in a very good position, and are the favourites to hold on to top four football. Barring a huge implosion, Spurs won't finish outside the top four, but I think that they'll drop enough points to lose ground against Man City. 

2. Man City

Aside from Chelsea, City are the form team in the league right now, with four wins in their last six and draws against their biggest rivals in Liverpool and Spurs. On paper you'd back them to beat both Arsenal and Man United, given their superior firepower, and from here, City are probably the least likely to drop points of the five contenders for the remaining three spots. 

1. Chelsea 

Off over the hills and far away. Chelsea are ten points clear with ten games to go, needing just seven wins to secure the Premier League title. They can afford to lose to both Manchester clubs and Everton and still canter to a victory, and frankly they're simply not going to get caught at this stage. Antonio Conte's side are almost certainly going to win and they will be worthy title winners. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Vettel takes first race of the season. Lewis second. 
• Leicester edge out Saints in immense game of rugby. 
• England face Lithuania today off back of Germany loss. 
• Horror injury for Coleman mars Wales/Republic draw.

17th March 17

Premier League preview day!

West Brom v Arsenal (12:30pm Saturday)

Arsenal's problems are highly publicised, with three defeats in four in the league, a massive beating at the hands of Bayern and two routine wins against non-league opposition doing nothing to stem the tide for the Gunners. This has become a must-win game for Arsenal, but it'll be a tough trip to the Hawthorns, to face a West Brom side in good nick and sat 8th in the Premier League table. However, since hitting the 40 point mark and entering March, West Brom have taken their foot off the gas, and back to back comfortable defeats with a few players missing will give the Gunners hope. Could be tense, could be tight. 

Prediction: 2-1 Arsenal 

Crystal Palace v Watford (3pm)

Palace are resurgent, with back to back wins against West Brom and Boro. This is the sort of game that they need to win, as they have a very nasty fixture list coming up. Nevertheless, Watford are in bad form themsleves and will be wary of finding themselves dragged into a dogfight. This could be a very tight game of football, especially as Mamadou Sakho has finally helped shore up a Palace defence that has been too leaky this season. If you had to back someone in this game, it would be Palace, but I quite fancy the draw. 

Prediction: 1-1

Everton v Hull City (3pm)

Everton are in hot form, with only a defeat to Spurs derailing their charge towards European football. Nevertheless, Everton's home form is incredible, with five straight wins since their loss to Liverpool. Hull meanwhile have forged a great home record for Marco Silva, but still struggle to generate any positive results away from home, and you'd assume that this one is as one-sided as it comes. 

Prediction: 3-0 Everton

Stoke City v Chelsea (3pm)

This is the sort of potentially sticky game that Chelsea have become experts at navigating, as was evidenced by their 2-1 win against West Ham last time out. I would expect this game to go very similarly to that one, with Chelsea able to exert a level of control over proceedings and score either once or twice to see the game out. Stoke have a wretched record against the top six this season, and despite their goalless draw with City, they'll be going into this one as massive underdogs. 

Prediction: 2-0 Chelsea

Sunderland v Burnley (3pm)

What a big game this is for Sunderland. When you're down the bottom, home games are vital. Sunderland may have disappointing home form, with just three wins from fourteen games this season, but that's nothing compared to Burnley's wretched away record of just two draws and twelve defeats. Sunderland frankly aren't going to get many better opportunities this season to rack up three points at home, so they need to take them. But for some reason, I fancy Burnley to nick another point, maybe even more. 

Prediction: 2-2

West Ham v Leicester (3pm)

Craig Shakespeare is 3 for 3 since taking over as Leicester boss. But all of those wins have come at the King Power, and Leicester still haven't won a single away game this season, with their away record only marginally better than Burnley's. West Ham meanwhile are in poor form, with just one win in six, following a brutal 3-2 loss to Bournemouth last time out, as well as defeats to Chelsea and Man City. Nevertheless, West Ham have largely played to form this season, beating teams worse than them that come to the London Stadium, so I'm going to back them to edge out this one. 

Prediction: 3-1 West Ham 

Bournemouth v Swansea (5:30pm)

The big games down the bottom are coming thick and fast. Swansea's loss to Hull last time out, coupled with Bournemouth's huge win over West Ham signalled a dramatic shift in form for both clubs and otherwise I would have predicted a win for the visitors. As it is, this is a very tough one to call. Both teams need the points, both have their various strengths, and whilst it would be easy to sit on the fence, I'm going to back the superior firepower of the Swans despite their loss at the KCOM. 

Prediction: 2-1 Swansea

Middlesbrough v Man United (12pm Sunday)

This is an interesting one. Man United are one of only two teams this season who are better away from home than at home (the other being Palace), as they average 2 points per game away from Old Trafford, winning seven of their twelve games and losing just twice. Nevertheless, they're missing their two key players in Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and have struggled all season to break down teams as defensive astute as Boro have been. That, coupled with Boro's new manager bounce, could well be enough for the home side to nick a point. But probably not, especially as Boro almost certainly won't score.

Prediction: 1-0 United

Spurs v Southampton (2:15pm)

Spurs have a terrific record at White Hart Lane, where they swept aside Millwall 6-0 just a week ago. Moreover, their home record is bolstered by their overall good form in the league, their defeat at Anfield their loss in the league in 2017. Only Chelsea can match their league form at the moment. However, they could be missing as many as five key players for this game, including star striker Harry Kane, and that makes them vulnerable. Saints meanwhile haven't played much league football recently with the cups in play, but have won their last two league games and will be well rested. I predict a tight game. 

Prediction: 1-1

Man City v Liverpool (4:30pm)

The big game of the weekend is between two of the teams chasing Champions League football: Liverpool and Man City, which is why it's ironic that it may be a Champions League hangover that costs the home side, as they crashed out of the UCL in a bruising encounter with Monaco in France on Wednesday night. That will surely affect their squad's fitness levels. But Liverpool face injury worries of their own, still shorn of Henderson and Sturridge and maybe even losing Origi and/or Firmino. Nevertheless, if the Reds can get Firmino starting with Lovren back in defence they'll be damn close to their best XI, and in big games this season, the Reds have been exceptional. This is going to be a close, tactical encounter, and it could go either way. Much will hinge on whether Firmino starts, and also on the form of Phillipe Coutinho who has been poor in recent weeks but absolutely loves playing against Man City (see 2014, 2015 [twice] and 2016)

Prediction: 2-1 LFC

The Hard and Fast Section

• Leicester are into the quarters of UCL to face Athletico.
• Bayern Munich v Real Madrid. Monaco v Dortmund. Phwoar. 
• Man United through to face Anderlecht. 
• Karanka gone. Agnew in. Yikes. 

13th March 17

England sealed the Six Nations in style.

England 61-21 Scotland

All of the build up was about how improved Scotland were, how England had not been at their best, and that there was a chance that the Scots could cause an upset. That in itself should tell you everything you need to know. This is an England side that had won 17 straight matches going into this game, and were on the brink of winning back to back Six Nations. The media was desperately trying to find evidence that this might be an interesting game, or even a close game. 

This match of rugby was many things, but it was nothing close to a contest. This was what England fans had been waiting for for a month or so, for their team to finally click, find that extra gear and play somewhere near their best. And the results were absolutely explosive, as England won the tournament in absolutely phenomenal style, putting seven tries past a beleaguered Scotland side. 

It became clear early on that Scotland were out of their depth, and even more clear that they had let the occasion get to them. This was a great opportunity for Scotland to turn over England at Twickenham, having already seen off Wales and Ireland, and if they had succeeded, they would have been in prime position to steal the Six Nations from under their greatest rival's noses, what would have been their first win since the tournament's inception in the year 2000. 

But Scotland imploded right from the off, picking up a yellow card inside two minutes for a shocking late tip tackle, that would have been a card even if poor Elliot Daly hadn't been dropped on his neck which in this day and age is a red card offence. Within ten minutes, Scotland were 10 points down and the rot didn't seem to ever stop. 

And England just kept coming like a freight train, 20-0 up inside 25 minutes, had 30 points by half time and didn't even bother to slow down in the second half, adding four tries in the second set of 40. At the heart of it all was the phenomenal Jonathan Joseph, who scored three tries himself with bulldozing carries and also set up Anthony Watson to score. Whilst there were a lot of exceptional performances from England players in this match, Joseph was the catalyst for the comprehensive victory, as he put the game out of reach of the Scots, allowing England the freedom to play. 

And although Scotland kept striking back, scoring three tries themselves, they never got near England, who had them at arm's length for almost the entire match. Scotland pulled one back to make it, 20-7 and that became 40-7. Scotland got another one back to make it 40-14, England steamed on to make it 47-14. Even with Scotland getting the gap back within 30 at 47-21, England went on again, two late tries from Danny Care just rubbing salt in Scotland's wounds. 

We've seen in this Championship how England are a team of winners: a team who have been able to grind out results and step their game up when they've needed to. And in this game, we saw the full attacking potential of this side unleashed on a hapless Scottish defence. If there were any nerves in the England camp about winning back to back tournaments or equalling New Zealand's record, they were dispelled almost instantly, and England never looked back. 

Next week, England have a chance to complete a feat that not even the 2003 World Cup winning side could do, and be the first team to win back to back Grand Slams, breaking New Zealand's 18 game winning run along the way. Whilst England are yet to demonstrate that they're in the same league as the All Blacks, or indeed the 2003 side that managed to win the World Cup, 18 months on from a dismal World Cup performance, this England side are light years ahead of where they were when Eddie Jones took over, and next week in Dublin could be the perfect pay off to 18 months' worth of hard work. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Speaking of one-sided matches, Spurs put Millwall to the sword.
• Liverpool reignited their top four bid: beating Burnley 2-1.
• Chelsea v strikerless United tonight. Could be another massacre. 
• Racing 92 and Stade Francais announce merger plans. Wow. 
• Derby to appoint Rowett. McClaren sacked again. 
• Durban not hosting 2022 Commonwealth Games. Liverpool? 
• And finally, shock Murray defeat at Indian Wells. Disappointing.

11th March 17

Reduced Premier League predictions this week because of the FA Cup. I'm not going to bother predicting Spurs and Arsenal to win because they just should, and Man City have already cruised through against Middlesbrough. I will suggest how I think Chelsea v United will go though.

Bournemouth v West Ham (3pm)

This is do or die time for Bournemouth. They've slowly but surely been slipping towards the drop zone and they need a big result to pull them out of trouble. They certainly have the capacity to pull out a win in this game, but they've been crippled by injuries in key areas of the pitch and West Ham have excellent away form, having beaten Saints, Swansea and Boro all away since Christmas. I really do fear for Bournemouth, and I think that this will be one that West Ham manage to win based on current form. 

Prediction: 2-1 West Ham 

Everton v West Brom (3pm)

7th v 8th in a reasonably tasty clash at Goodison Park. Everton's loss at White Hart Lane was their first since Christmas, having clocked up a nine game unbeaten streak. They're certainly a side in hot form, especially at Goodison Park where only Liverpool have secured three points this season. West Brom are themselves in good nick, but their loss at home to Palace last weekend was incredibly disappointing, and you have to say that on balance, Everton should run away with this one. 

Prediction: 3-1 Everton

Hull v Swansea (3pm)

This is a really tough one to call. Two teams that look much better under their new managers and have gone some way to sliding out of danger. But Hull especially still look serious relegation candidates and have a lot to do, whilst Swansea look to be nearly out of danger. On current form, you'd have to back Swansea to nick it, but Hull need the points more and are at home, so that might just give them the edge. Plus, Llorente scored twice against Burnley so he's due a two or three game cold streak before scoring another brace to remind everyone how good he is. 

Prediction: 1-1

Liverpool v Burnley (4pm Sunday)

As much as there is a palpable sense of nerves amongst Liverpool fans ahead of this crucial game in their season, they shouldn't be too worried. Of their shambolic league performances against smaller sides since Christmas, almost all of them have been away from Anfield, where the Reds have still only lost once all season. Moreover, all three of Hull, Swansea and Leicester had the new manager bounce behind them. Burnley meanwhile, still only have two draws away from home all season, and have very little to play for beyond pride, as they're nine points clear of the drop zone and slap bang in mid-table. With Divock Origi looking set to start, Liverpool will have a more direct threat, and should win this one comfortably if they can grab an early goal. 

Prediction: 4-1 Liverpool

Chelsea v Man United (7:45pm Monday)

As promised, a bonus prediction for Chelsea v Man United on Monday night at Stamford Bridge. To be blunt, it's hard to see United standing much chance in this one. Chelsea's defence is too well organised for United's poor finishing to be overcome by their sheer creativity, and the likes of Hazard and Costa are in fine form, whilst United will be missing their big game talisman, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Whilst the lack of Ibrahimovic will give some of United's fringe players a chance to shine, Chelsea have only lost one game at home for a reason this season, and that was before they switched to the three at the back system that has already essentially won them the title. The last time these sides met, it was 4-0 to Chelsea and whilst I don't think this result will be as emphatic, I don't think United have improved enough since then to make a game of it. 

Prediction: 2-0 Chelsea

The Hard and Fast Section

• Wales 22-9 Ireland. Match point England.
• France beating Italy as expected. England on afterwards. 
• Ferrari testing well. Could be a tasty year of F1. 
• Herath breaks record to trump Bangladesh. Legend. 

10th March 17

Well...where to start?

Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich 

We'll get there. Don't worry. Beginning chronologically then, with the second leg of Arsenal's clash with Bayern Munich. The predictable narrative was that Arsenal would win comfortably against a Bayern side that couldn't really be bothered, safe in the knowledge that there was no way Arsenal would qualify. That didn't happen. What happened instead was a brutal come down to earth for Arsenal. If the first leg was a stark reminder of how far they've fallen in terms of European competition, then this game proved that it was no fluke. 

Truthfully, it's hard to draw meaningful conclusions from this game itself. But what it did do, unlike the other major cup tie this week, was reinforce the conclusions that were made after the previous 5-1. Arsenal's midfield is lightweight, their defence is paper thin and held together by Koscielny, they're sorely lack in spine and the manager's tactics are absolutely colossally poor. 

The most shocking thing about this game was how predictable it was. When Koscielny bundled over Lewandowski from behind and the referee rightfully gave a red card, what happened next was not just pitiful, but inevitable. Sometimes, football produces magnificent shocks, where sheer force of will and narrative overcome the logical conclusion. But not in this game. This game was a unanimous victory for logic, as a full pelt Bayern Munich side absolutely obliterated a ten man Arsenal who offered absolutely nothing in terms of resistance. Tactically, they continued to be open as anything, refusing to bring on a central defender and with a defensive line that would have an under-10s manager screaming in frustration, as Bayern ran in behind, and onside, on about six separate occasions in the second half. 

For Wenger to come out and blame the referee at full time was an embarrassment. Other than Lewandowski being clearly offside for the penalty, the officials got just about everything either right, or debatably wrong. Arsenal feel they should have had a penalty in the first half and that was at worst debatable. And yes they were unfortunate with Bayern's penalty but that's not excuse. The tie was dead at 5-1 anyway, and it simply doesn't justify what happened afterwards. It was as if the moment the referee sent Koscielny off, Wenger decided he'd had enough. He didn't care, the players didn't care, and the rest of the game was just going through the motions, conceding four goals without care or cause because he'd already decided it was the ref's fault. It was a shambles and a disgrace and the fans deserved better. 

Where do Arsenal go from here? Well I answered this question a few weeks ago after the first leg defeat. Nothing much has changed. Two fresh smarting defeats in less than a week against Liverpool and Arsenal's situation has only been reinforced. They're not even close to Europe's elite, they're really struggling for top four football and whilst they still have a chance in the FA Cup, that's more through luck of the draw than any good work on their part. They are in serious, serious trouble. And I'm starting to agree with the fans. I think it's time for Wenger to go. 

Barcelona 6-1 PSG

Holy moses. This was something else wasn't it? I mean wow. A few weeks ago Barca's season looked dead. They were nowhere near Madrid in the league and that humiliating 4-0 defeat to PSG seemed to signal the end of an era, a feeling only compounded when their manager Luis Enrique announced that he was stepping down at the end of the season. 

But now? Now they're top of La Liga, and in better form than their biggest rivals, they're into the last eight of the Champions League in impossible fashion, and they are arguably favourites to complete the treble. And so much credit for that has to go to Enrique, whose switch to what is essentially a 3-3-4 has worked wonders, and reignited Barca's season. Since losing to PSG, they've played five, won five, beating Leganes 2-1 before seeing off Athletico Madrid with a late Messi winner. That game with Athletico seems to have been the turning point, as since then they have won 6-1, 5-0 and 6-1, that last 6-1 the all important win over PSG.

But as much as this was a colossal victory for Barcelona, it has to be said that this was arguably the worst performance PSG have put in all season, and may well be their worst performance in the Champions League in recent years. Defensively they were absolutely all over the place, failing to clear the ball hilariously for the first; putting badly through their own net for the second; falling over to give away a penalty; and the offside line for the sixth goal was nothing short of shambolic. 

Moreover, at 3-1, once Cavani had fired PSG surely out of sight, they missed multiple, painful chances to put the game to bed. Cavani himself could and maybe should have had a hat-trick, but Angel Di Maria's awful miss when in on goal was the kicker, before two late goals from Neymar and Sergi Roberto's 95th minute winner sent Barca into raptures. 

This game was many things, both a showcase of how incredible Barcelona still are with Messi, Neymar, Suarez and Iniesta all performing somewhere near their best, if only in moments. It was a showcase in how to mentally implode as PSG absolutely and completely bottled it. And above all else, it was a showstopping, jaw-dropping, truly incredible game of football as Barcelona scored 3 goals with 3 minutes plus stoppages to go to somehow, inexplicably, make it through. 

This is one that will be talked about for years to come. It's one of the best games, and comebacks, of all time. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• England destroyed West Indies. Easy as you like. 
• Man City dropped points to Stoke amongst the carnage. 
• Aubameyang is one hell of a striker. 
• Wales v Ireland tonight. It's on. 
• FA Cup and EPL this weekend. Predictions tomorrow.

5th March 17

So let's have a look at some of yesterday's big games.

Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal

The only place to start: as Liverpool took Arsenal apart to move back into the top four at the expense of the Gunners who drop to 5th place. Whilst Jurgen Klopp's side have had some really rough results against the sides at the bottom of the table, their form against the top six is simply unmatched. This win against Arsenal, a thoroughly deserved one, means that they've beaten Man City, Arsenal and Spurs at Anfield in the last few months, and will be relishing a trip to the Etihad in a couple of weeks: having won at Stamford Bridge and the Emirates already this season.

And make no mistake, Liverpool were awesome. Sadio Mane has proven to be a sensational signing by Jurgen Klopp and he was once again at the heart of the demolition, with a goal and an assist in a first half where the Reds were rampant. Mane's lovely ball across the box created the first, before finding himself in acres of space and finishing off an excellent team move to put Liverpool 2-0 up. 

Unlike the game against Spurs, where Liverpool killed the game, Arsenal proved harder to put to bed, as Alexis Sanchez came off the bench to cause Liverpool a lot of problems, and Arsenal woke up. The decision not to play Sanchez looks increasingly baffling on Wenger's part, as without him Arsenal were woeful, and with him, better. Giroud's header was excellently kept out by Mignolet before the Belgian keeper came out unconvincingly, allowing Welbeck to chip him. 

But Arsenal rarely threatened to equalise, and indeed Liverpool looked the more likely team to kill the game, which they eventually did through a magnificent breakaway goal: the amazing Adam Lallana picking out substitute Divock Origi, whose cross was turned in by Gini Wijnaldum.

So what does this result mean for both teams? Well for Liverpool the answer is not a lot. It serves as a reminder of just how good this team is when they turn up, but it doesn't answer the real question which is whether or not they can turn in these kinds of performances consistently against teams down the bottom of the table, something that they simply haven't done in 2017. As for Arsenal? Well it underlines their reliance on Sanchez, as well as their serious defensive issues and how lightweight their midfield is. This game was a body blow for Arsene Wenger, and it also served as a painful reminder that nobody has a God-given right to finish in the top four, and Arsenal now have to be considered outsiders for a Champions League place. 

Man United 1-1 Bournemouth

This match was a very very tasty one, with lots to dive into, so let's jump straight to the controversy, as Kevin Friend totally lost control of this match - sending off an unfortunate Surman whilst leaving Mings and Ibrahimovic on the field. Friend struck me as someone who didn't want to send anyone off, taking pains to avoid sending off Ibrahimovic and only giving Surman a red card because he forgot that he'd booked him when he gave him his second yellow card - a point that Man United captain Wayne Rooney was quick to point out. 

This was just a bad game for football really. The standard of defending in the first half was shambolic, the standard of finishing from Man United was laughably poor, the standard of refereeing was absolutely awful and the standard of sportsmanship was essentially non-existent. One image that sums up the match was Harry Arter having been barged in the head by Paul Pogba lying flat out on the pitch with a clear head injury, whilst the referee happily let Man United get on with things. 

And of course, the key clash was between Mings and Ibrahimovic, with the latter time and again the instigator. First of all Ibrahimovic wrestled Mings to the floor with an arm around his neck, then he attempted to stamp on him, before finally getting retribution for Mings' stamp a moment later by deliberately elbowing him in the face. Whilst Mings' reaction was abhorrent and disgusting if he stamped on Ibrahimovic deliberately, (and personally I think there's no way of telling whether he meant to or not; only he knows) Ibrahimovic's behaviour was absolutely despicable all afternoon and there's no place for it in the game. The referee seemed to be almost afraid of Ibrahimovic at times, and showed absolutely no bottle in failing to send off the United man. There's a lot of talk about video refereeing but I'm not sure that seeing a replay would have made much difference for Friend. It's not just a case that referees don't have all the information but in some cases, simply show poor judgement skills. 

But what's important is not to let the performance of the referee overshadow what was a poor result for United, as they suffered from the same problems as they have done all season. Ten draws this season, including seven at Old Trafford, indicate that they simply cannot kill off opposition. They had a hat-full of chances in this game, including a penalty and an open goal but on almost every occasion they failed miserably to make the most of it. Boruc had a solid game but most of the shots he saved were reasonably comfortable. United's expected goals was 1.8 in a brutal first half, but once Bournemouth went down to ten men they created almost nothing in the second, 0.4 their tally apart from a poor penalty decision in their favour. United simply aren't scoring enough goals to make the top four, and part of that is that Ibrahimovic aside, they have no real goalscorers, and even Ibrahimovic should be scoring more. Aguero, Costa or Kane would have 35 odd goals by now with the chances United are creating for him. 

Moving forwards, top four looks very tough for United, as they remain 6th. They still have to play Chelsea at Old Trafford, and travel to the Emirates, the Etihad and White Hart Lane, all games where you would say they are second favourites. And if they keep dropping sloppy points at home, they're in trouble. 

As for Bournemouth, they were absolutely awful for half an hour, the sort of performance that gets teams relegated. But once they grabbed the penalty and got back into the game they produced a stunning backs to the wall defensive display. There is some hope for them yet. 

Swansea 3-2 Burnley

Whilst there are certainly talking points from the other 3pm kick offs - Boro are relegation fodder, Hull's recovery stunted, Leicester and Palace may be safe now, what on earth happened at Watford v Saints - Swansea v Burnley is by far the most interesting fixture. 

The first thing to note is how incredibly impressive Swansea were. Burnley barely had a kick in this game. It would have been mightily unfair had the visitors got anything from this game, as the phenomenal Llorente was terrorizer in chief, winning just about everything in the air. Paul Clement said there aren't many better strikers in Europe at scoring from crosses into the box and it's hard to argue with him. There aren't many better headers of the ball in the Premier League based on Llorente's display this season. And he capped off that display with two sensational headed goals, including a late winner in this game. 

And it really is remarkable that Swansea required a late winner, given how dominant they were, particularly in a first half where they hit the woodwork three times, Llorente and Mawson both incredibly unfortunate not to put the game to bed before half time. However, in equally remarkable circumstances, Burnley got a penalty for handball, even though it was quite clearly Burnley's own striker, Sam Vokes, who threw himself at the ball with his hand. This is another case of really poor judgement from a referee who couldn't have been certain what he was seeing. 

Paul Clement put it best, when asked about the use of video referees, pointing out that every single other person in the stadium will get two or three different looks at a particular incident, except the one person who most needs to see a replay. Referees like Antony Taylor in this game need help, or the standard of refereeing at the top level will only get worse. Every single weekend at the moment we're complaining about how one or more referees has cost a particular team a result. Fortunately that didn't happen this weekend but Swansea could have been robbed by a really shocking decision. 

Take nothing away from Andre Gray though, who took the two chances he had in this game, the penalty and a volley on the swerve, with aplomb to put Burnley into a leading position at 2-1, only for a carbon copy of Olsson's goal against Leicester, as a Sigurdsson backheel set him away for a rollicking finish, before Llorente's heroics. 

Burnley's away form continues to be abysmal, because the idea that they would win their first game of the season away from Turf Moor a week before they inevitably win at Anfield was never going to happen. But they're absolutely fine in terms of a mid-table finish. 

And a mid-table finish looks very plausible for Swansea now, much as it ended up being last season, as a terrific result off the back of a string of good performances puts them five points clear of the drop and very much on the up. 

The Hard and Fast Section

• Big wins for Saints, Exeter and Wasps. 
• England off to a flier in their ODI series. 
• Bellew beats Haye. At least that's over. 
• Australia pile the pain on India. 

3rd March 17

Premier League preview time. Proper EPL weekend this, with all of the top six having live televised fixtures and everyone else kicking off at 3pm on Saturday.

Man United v Bournemouth (12:30pm Saturday)

The term: "flat track bully" is one I saw in tandem with Man United this week. And whilst the term is probably more applicable to Chelsea, it's still an apt term. United still have a tough run in, but they've gotten very good at winning games like Bournemouth at home with the minimum amount of fuss. Bournemouth meanwhile are in truly horrendous form, with two points from seven games, and have lost nine of their thirteen away games this season. This one is a home banker. 

Prediction: 2-0 Man United

Leicester City v Hull City (3pm)

Okay this one is very very tasty. Leicester were able to get themselves up for their game against Liverpool, but will they be able to translate that form into a proper six pointer, with a Hull side that look much better under Marco Silva? Hull certainly won't play to Leicester's strengths the way that Liverpool did, which means that they might need to find a new way to win, and Hull will be a tough nut to crack. But at the same time, you feel that Leicester's resurgence means they're unlikely to lose this match. 

Prediction: 1-1 

Stoke City v Middlesbrough (3pm)

It's do or die time for Aitor Karanka and his team. Boro haven't won since December and are in serious danger of slipping into the bottom three. They've been able to secure plenty of draws (a league high ten), but a lack of goals means that they've won the least league games of anyone this season. As for Stoke, form has been pretty middling recently, now that they're pretty much where they'd expect to be in the middle of the pack. Whilst you'd fancy Stoke to be the better team in this one, and really should win it, perhaps Boro can nick a point. 

Prediction: 2-1 Stoke 

Swansea v Burnley (3pm)

Swansea have four wins and three defeats in 2017. Those three defeats have come against Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City. Back to back home victories for the resurgent Swans make them firm favourites for this game, especially given Burnley's truly abysmal away form - having picked up just two points away from home this season. Burnley's mid-table position also means that Swansea have more to play for, and this one should be a comfortable home win. 

Prediction: 3-0 Swansea

Watford v Southampton (3pm)

Southampton's league cup defeat last weekend means that both of these teams have nothing to play for in the final weeks of the season, except mid-table pride and rankings. 12th and 13th respectively, only one point separates these two sides, and very little separates them in the form guide either. Overall I'd say Saints are marginal favourites as they have a better team, but they've struggled to translate that into points recently so I'm going to go for a draw. 

Prediction: 0-0

West Brom v Crystal Palace (3pm)

West Brom have had a brilliant season so far, especially at the Hawthorns, where they've won seven of their last eight home games, giving them a better home record than both Manchester clubs. Palace meanwhile have managed to win two of their last four games, but against the two teams in the worst form in the league, and nothing to indicate that they've turned enough of a corner to win at the Hawthorns. I'm backing West Brom for this one. 

Prediction: 3-1 West Brom 

Liverpool v Arsenal (5:30pm)

Two teams in serious danger of dropping out of the top four, as both are in seriously poor form; their seasons threatening to implode around them. However, this should be an absolutely cracking game of football. Both Arsenal and Liverpool are scoring goals for fun, but both are really struggling defensively. Whilst Liverpool have been in worse form, they've showed up against the big teams, particularly at Anfield, having beaten Spurs 2-0 in their last home game and also toppled Man City on New Year's Eve. Arsenal meanwhile, have picked up just one point from their three away trips against the top six this season, and will not be fancying this. You have to favour Liverpool. Arsene Wenger's luck may finally be running out. 

Prediction: 4-3 LFC

Tottenham v Everton (1:30pm Sunday)

Whilst one Merseyside team faces North London opposition, so does the other, as Everton travel to Spurs. Whilst only two teams have picked up a point at White Hart Lane this season, you'd have to say that in Everton's current form, you wouldn't expect them to go there and get turned over. Whether they have enough in the tank to deny Spurs for 90 minutes is going to be interesting to see, but it should be a cracking game of football. Overall, I think it's highly plausible that Everton pinch a draw, but on balance I'm going to say that Spurs' home form is too good, and I think that they have enough firepower to edge it. 

Prediction: 2-1 Spurs

Sunderland v Man City (4pm)

Man City finally looking somewhere close to their best form, with an incredible 5-3 win over Monaco, a 5-1 win over Huddersfield and three straight league wins following their 2-2 draw with Spurs in January. City are unbeaten since their humbling defeat to Everton in mid-January, and are firing on all cylinders with Sterling and Sane leading the charge. To suggest that the worst team in the league (and make no mistake Sunderland are the worst team in the league) should lose this game is an understatement. But it's football so who knows. 

Prediction: 4-1 City

West Ham v Chelsea (8pm Monday)

West Ham have recovered from an early season blip to propel themselves spectacularly into mid-table. They're performing well at the moment, but their last two home defeats against the two Manchester clubs have indicated that they simply don't have the players to compete with the top teams. This is the sort of game that Chelsea have proven adept at winning, only dropping four points to teams outside the top six away all season with Swansea and Burnley the two teams to hold the runaway leaders. That said, a draw wouldn't be a bad result in this game for Chelsea either given that their lead is in double digits, but I suspect they will have enough fire power to win it. 

Prediction: 2-0 Chelsea

The Hard and Fast Section

• Murray saves seven match points to win. Tense. 
• Torres suffers horrific head injury. Get well soon. 
• Bacuna given a six match ban. Lenient. 
• England back in action today with West Indies ODI.