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The Full English: Simply Super
This could be the top matchday of the year, says Goal.com’s Shane Evans.
Feb 5, 2010 1:51:00 PM
By Shane Evans
My oh my, what a weekend we have in store. Three matches that could easily qualify for the top billing in any other weekend, have to duke it out for my attention in this column.
It was a tough choice, but I’m going with the friendly derby to start things off, then we’ll move south to foggy London town for Chelsea-Arsenal and then to wrap things up it’s off to White Hart Lane for Spurs-Villa.
Who knows, maybe I’ll be so daring as to include the Birmingham derby at the end of things as well? That would make for a pretty intense edition of “The Full English,” for sure. So many memories through the years. I just love you guys...yes, even you Arsenal fans of the world.
Ok, moving on...let’s get cracking with this cracking weekend. Should be super. Get it? The Super Bowl is on Sunday. Witty, right? Nope, didn’t think so.
The Bacon (as in Bringing It Home)
Liverpool vs. Everton (Anfield, February 6th, 7:45 a.m. ET, ESPN2)
The friendly derby. Not so much anymore. Lots of red cards, lots of action, lots of anger. Should be quite the match, especially when you consider the resurgence Merseyside has been experiencing over the last month or so.
Quietly, oh so quietly, Liverpool are back playing solid football, not having lost in six matches and are steadily mounting their assault on fourth place. Kinda sad when you put it like that, but it’s the truth unfortunately. Reaching fourth is the ultimate goal at this point. Yikes.
Anyway, they have been playing better, and Rafa the gaffer does deserve some of the credit. With all the crap that’s been swirling around this team, it’s a wonder they are where they are, let alone back in the battle for fourth. Contrary to popular belief, I respect Mr. Benitez, yup, respect.
This is one of those matches that it’s like two siblings fighting. Liverpool may be a little older and a little bigger and most of the time are able to put down the other with some exerted force and influence, e.g., Everton haven’t won at Anfield in over a decade.
Every now and then, however, the other sibling takes it to the rougher counterpart and is able to come out on top, raising spirits for months to come. Does my analogy make sense at all? Just how I see it, really. Everton are playing great at the moment and considering where they were earlier in the season, they have much to be proud of.
On a nine-match unbeaten run, the Toffees last lost to, you guessed it, Liverpool. Funny how that works. In the last encounter between the two, it was a big ball of Joseph Yobo’s mistakes. Two errors led to first his own goal, and then Dirk Kuyt’s finishing blow. It was a tight contest though and more of the same should be expected in this one.
Did I mention Everton have Landon Donovan now? And a reasonably healthy Mikel Arteta? Looking good for the blue side of town. Question is: will it be enough? Liverpool have tapped into the psyche of Everton and have made it clear that they cannot be beat at home. I’d like to see it happen, just for heck of it, but I don’t think this is the weekend.
TFE Prediction: Will be heated from start to finish, but in the end, Liverpool take it in a 2-1 win for the Reds.
Chelsea vs. Arsenal (Stamford Bridge, February 7th, 11 a.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Looking at the table...we see the top three teams separated by six points. Chelsea in first on 55, Manchester United in second on 53 and Arsenal in third on 49. One could argue that if Arsenal lose all three points to Chelsea in this one, their push for the title could be over. Might be a bit soon, sure, but it would also be very hard for them to get back into it.
Still reeling from their spanking given to them by Manchester United last weekend, the Gunners can simply not afford to sit around and lament their recent shortcomings. Chelsea are no joke, and in the last meeting between these two, the Blues served up a similar tush walloping on Arsenal to what United did on Sunday.
Unfortunately if you are with Arsene and his quest for 300 league wins, the odds are stacked against you. Chelsea haven’t lost at home all season. That’s 12 matches of points, with only one of them coming in the form of a draw. They are currently on a 12 game unbeaten run, across all competitions, so Carlo has his boys playing well.
To top it off, Arsenal have only beaten Chelsea twice in their last 15 matches. For a big four team, that’s not a good statistic. Gotta keep things competitive at least, right Arsene? As you may have picked up about me by now, I’m not one for numbers like this. They are excuses, not worthy of beings considered substantial evidence. At any given match, any team can win, and for the second straight week, an unprecedented run I might add...I’m backing Arsenal.
It’s rare to see a team led by Arsene Wenger play poorly two weeks in a row, and I think Chelsea are quite susceptible at the back, especially from set pieces. Arsenal are tiny, you say? Why yes they are, but they also have two center backs who eat nervous goalies for breakfast on corners. I think if the Gunners win, it comes from a goal in the box. That means you, Thomas!
TFE Prediction: Don’t make me regret this, Arsenal. 2-1
.
Tottenham vs. Aston Villa (White Hart Lane, February 6th, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Glancing again at the table (I love how it’s called the table by the way. Does anyone know why? It’s not flat like a table?), there are four teams who can grab fourth. They are on an island. Literally. Spurs are seven points behind Arsenal, and won’t catch them. Villa are six points above Birmingham, and won’t be caught. Fourth place will go to one of those two, or the other two mushed in the mess. Them being Liverpool or Man City.
Long way to go though, and this match is what is important at the moment. Spurs aren’t playing that well, having won only once in 2010, a stat that won’t please Mr. Redknapp. Villa on the other hand are taking gritty points from matches and would like to take more here, especially with Manchester United coming up midweek.
Let’s take a minute and go off on a little tangent. Two likely starters in the match are experiencing something of a renaissance lately. None other than David Beckham Jr, Mr. David Bentley, and former Boro stalwart Stewie Downing. Both wingers are playing excellent football and that should give Fabio Capello a reason for pause come May/June when he is picking his England squad. If they keep it up, we could be looking at two starters when England takes on the Colonies for round two.
I digress.
This match has the potential to be a real exciting encounter and should nicely round out Saturday’s fixture list. Also, it could signal the return of Eidur Gudjohnsen to the English Premier League. Back in London on loan with Spurs, the Icelandic forward was a real treat at Bolton and Chelsea and I always enjoyed his style and professionalism. Plus, he’s wearing #17...that’s my favorite number.
My like for the player aside, I just do not understand Harry Redknapp. He’s had more forwards than a Miley Cyrus email blast and still isn’t happy. With Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe playing quite well, what’s to gain from this loan? One thing’s for sure, my second favorite Russian, one Roman Pavlyuchenko won’t be seeing the pitch anytime soon. He still plays for them, right?
Regardless who starts up front, I’ve got Villa in this one.
TFE Prediction: I really like how Villa are put together and I have serious man crush on Martin O’Neill’s bifocals...Claret and blue 3-2 to the good.
Birmingham vs. Wolverhampton (St. Andrews, February 7th, 8:25 a.m. ET, Setanta Sports)
Yes, I’m going with four matches today. This one will be short though, because seriously, how much can be said? Birmingham will win.
If they can hold off teams like Spurs, Manchester United and Liverpool, I think they’ll be able to do a number on crosstown rivals Wolves. Did you know Wolves boast a Leicester product? A man by the name of Richard Stearman. Useless pub fact, right there.
Anyway, I think Birmingham will get their first win of the year in this one, effectively starting another unbeaten run that will last for who knows how long. I find it interesting that Alex McLeish will mix things up this summer, as per his recent quotes. I guess that’s what happens when you have money burning a hole in your pocket.
TFE Prediction: Will be close, but Brum take it 2-1.
The Toast (as in Of The EPL): The “Who’s Leading England?” Edition
Fabio Capello: So Don Fabio decided to put the concrete boots on John Terry and will have him swimming with the fishes. Was it the right decision? I don’t know, I’m not in the FA’s center circle and don’t know enough of the true facts to decide. He was put in a tough place, but as usual, Capello came out looking like a winner. Hopefully that trend continues…
John Terry: Out as captain after 28 caps with the armband, Terry now comes off as the disgraced player who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Shame really. At least he was honorable in relinquishing it after Fabio thought it was best someone else take it. That’s about as moral as it gets for JT these days.
Rio Ferdinand: Probably should have been the choice after Beckham stepped down, Ferdinand is an iffy choice in my opinion. Barely able to fill the spot for his club, Ferdinand’s form has been all over the place lately and you could say his place in the England squad is tenuous at best. Having said that, he’s the obvious choice, with Gerrard, Lamps and Rooney all expressing their unwillingness to take it from Terry. In a completely (well, almost) unrelated note...I wonder if we’ll see “Rio’s World Cup Wind-ups” this year?
Leicester Update
Very pleased with the Foxes performance last week against Newcastle. They must have known I was watching because Nigel’s boys put on a show down to 10-men for two-thirds of the match. They stood up to the first-place team in the league and easily could have taken them down given the amount of chances had. A huge match against Blackpool awaits. They’re in 7th, we’re in 8th. Need to beat these boys.
And Finally...The Black Pudding of the Week
David Beckham, Omnipresent: I wonder what old Golden Balls feels about the England captaincy situation? Wearing the armband loud and proud for the better part of six years, I have to ask: will we ever see an England captain as good or as recognizable as Beckham again. Me thinks not. Could be my massive man crush talking, but Becks can do no wrong in my book. I’m sure Posh agrees.
Shane Evans is an Associate Editor of Goal.com. His feature, "The Full English" appears every Friday morning. Contact Shane at shane.evans@goal.com with questions, comments and concerns, follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/shanEvans or join the TFE/FCS Facebook fan page!
For more news on England, visit Goal.com's England section!
My oh my, what a weekend we have in store. Three matches that could easily qualify for the top billing in any other weekend, have to duke it out for my attention in this column.
It was a tough choice, but I’m going with the friendly derby to start things off, then we’ll move south to foggy London town for Chelsea-Arsenal and then to wrap things up it’s off to White Hart Lane for Spurs-Villa.
Who knows, maybe I’ll be so daring as to include the Birmingham derby at the end of things as well? That would make for a pretty intense edition of “The Full English,” for sure. So many memories through the years. I just love you guys...yes, even you Arsenal fans of the world.
Ok, moving on...let’s get cracking with this cracking weekend. Should be super. Get it? The Super Bowl is on Sunday. Witty, right? Nope, didn’t think so.
The Bacon (as in Bringing It Home)
Liverpool vs. Everton (Anfield, February 6th, 7:45 a.m. ET, ESPN2)
The friendly derby. Not so much anymore. Lots of red cards, lots of action, lots of anger. Should be quite the match, especially when you consider the resurgence Merseyside has been experiencing over the last month or so.
Quietly, oh so quietly, Liverpool are back playing solid football, not having lost in six matches and are steadily mounting their assault on fourth place. Kinda sad when you put it like that, but it’s the truth unfortunately. Reaching fourth is the ultimate goal at this point. Yikes.
Anyway, they have been playing better, and Rafa the gaffer does deserve some of the credit. With all the crap that’s been swirling around this team, it’s a wonder they are where they are, let alone back in the battle for fourth. Contrary to popular belief, I respect Mr. Benitez, yup, respect.
This is one of those matches that it’s like two siblings fighting. Liverpool may be a little older and a little bigger and most of the time are able to put down the other with some exerted force and influence, e.g., Everton haven’t won at Anfield in over a decade.
Every now and then, however, the other sibling takes it to the rougher counterpart and is able to come out on top, raising spirits for months to come. Does my analogy make sense at all? Just how I see it, really. Everton are playing great at the moment and considering where they were earlier in the season, they have much to be proud of.
On a nine-match unbeaten run, the Toffees last lost to, you guessed it, Liverpool. Funny how that works. In the last encounter between the two, it was a big ball of Joseph Yobo’s mistakes. Two errors led to first his own goal, and then Dirk Kuyt’s finishing blow. It was a tight contest though and more of the same should be expected in this one.
Did I mention Everton have Landon Donovan now? And a reasonably healthy Mikel Arteta? Looking good for the blue side of town. Question is: will it be enough? Liverpool have tapped into the psyche of Everton and have made it clear that they cannot be beat at home. I’d like to see it happen, just for heck of it, but I don’t think this is the weekend.
TFE Prediction: Will be heated from start to finish, but in the end, Liverpool take it in a 2-1 win for the Reds.
Chelsea vs. Arsenal (Stamford Bridge, February 7th, 11 a.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Looking at the table...we see the top three teams separated by six points. Chelsea in first on 55, Manchester United in second on 53 and Arsenal in third on 49. One could argue that if Arsenal lose all three points to Chelsea in this one, their push for the title could be over. Might be a bit soon, sure, but it would also be very hard for them to get back into it.
Still reeling from their spanking given to them by Manchester United last weekend, the Gunners can simply not afford to sit around and lament their recent shortcomings. Chelsea are no joke, and in the last meeting between these two, the Blues served up a similar tush walloping on Arsenal to what United did on Sunday.
Unfortunately if you are with Arsene and his quest for 300 league wins, the odds are stacked against you. Chelsea haven’t lost at home all season. That’s 12 matches of points, with only one of them coming in the form of a draw. They are currently on a 12 game unbeaten run, across all competitions, so Carlo has his boys playing well.
To top it off, Arsenal have only beaten Chelsea twice in their last 15 matches. For a big four team, that’s not a good statistic. Gotta keep things competitive at least, right Arsene? As you may have picked up about me by now, I’m not one for numbers like this. They are excuses, not worthy of beings considered substantial evidence. At any given match, any team can win, and for the second straight week, an unprecedented run I might add...I’m backing Arsenal.
It’s rare to see a team led by Arsene Wenger play poorly two weeks in a row, and I think Chelsea are quite susceptible at the back, especially from set pieces. Arsenal are tiny, you say? Why yes they are, but they also have two center backs who eat nervous goalies for breakfast on corners. I think if the Gunners win, it comes from a goal in the box. That means you, Thomas!
TFE Prediction: Don’t make me regret this, Arsenal. 2-1
.
Tottenham vs. Aston Villa (White Hart Lane, February 6th, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Glancing again at the table (I love how it’s called the table by the way. Does anyone know why? It’s not flat like a table?), there are four teams who can grab fourth. They are on an island. Literally. Spurs are seven points behind Arsenal, and won’t catch them. Villa are six points above Birmingham, and won’t be caught. Fourth place will go to one of those two, or the other two mushed in the mess. Them being Liverpool or Man City.
Long way to go though, and this match is what is important at the moment. Spurs aren’t playing that well, having won only once in 2010, a stat that won’t please Mr. Redknapp. Villa on the other hand are taking gritty points from matches and would like to take more here, especially with Manchester United coming up midweek.
Let’s take a minute and go off on a little tangent. Two likely starters in the match are experiencing something of a renaissance lately. None other than David Beckham Jr, Mr. David Bentley, and former Boro stalwart Stewie Downing. Both wingers are playing excellent football and that should give Fabio Capello a reason for pause come May/June when he is picking his England squad. If they keep it up, we could be looking at two starters when England takes on the Colonies for round two.
I digress.
This match has the potential to be a real exciting encounter and should nicely round out Saturday’s fixture list. Also, it could signal the return of Eidur Gudjohnsen to the English Premier League. Back in London on loan with Spurs, the Icelandic forward was a real treat at Bolton and Chelsea and I always enjoyed his style and professionalism. Plus, he’s wearing #17...that’s my favorite number.
My like for the player aside, I just do not understand Harry Redknapp. He’s had more forwards than a Miley Cyrus email blast and still isn’t happy. With Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe playing quite well, what’s to gain from this loan? One thing’s for sure, my second favorite Russian, one Roman Pavlyuchenko won’t be seeing the pitch anytime soon. He still plays for them, right?
Regardless who starts up front, I’ve got Villa in this one.
TFE Prediction: I really like how Villa are put together and I have serious man crush on Martin O’Neill’s bifocals...Claret and blue 3-2 to the good.
Birmingham vs. Wolverhampton (St. Andrews, February 7th, 8:25 a.m. ET, Setanta Sports)
Yes, I’m going with four matches today. This one will be short though, because seriously, how much can be said? Birmingham will win.
If they can hold off teams like Spurs, Manchester United and Liverpool, I think they’ll be able to do a number on crosstown rivals Wolves. Did you know Wolves boast a Leicester product? A man by the name of Richard Stearman. Useless pub fact, right there.
Anyway, I think Birmingham will get their first win of the year in this one, effectively starting another unbeaten run that will last for who knows how long. I find it interesting that Alex McLeish will mix things up this summer, as per his recent quotes. I guess that’s what happens when you have money burning a hole in your pocket.
TFE Prediction: Will be close, but Brum take it 2-1.
The Toast (as in Of The EPL): The “Who’s Leading England?” Edition
Fabio Capello: So Don Fabio decided to put the concrete boots on John Terry and will have him swimming with the fishes. Was it the right decision? I don’t know, I’m not in the FA’s center circle and don’t know enough of the true facts to decide. He was put in a tough place, but as usual, Capello came out looking like a winner. Hopefully that trend continues…
John Terry: Out as captain after 28 caps with the armband, Terry now comes off as the disgraced player who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Shame really. At least he was honorable in relinquishing it after Fabio thought it was best someone else take it. That’s about as moral as it gets for JT these days.
Rio Ferdinand: Probably should have been the choice after Beckham stepped down, Ferdinand is an iffy choice in my opinion. Barely able to fill the spot for his club, Ferdinand’s form has been all over the place lately and you could say his place in the England squad is tenuous at best. Having said that, he’s the obvious choice, with Gerrard, Lamps and Rooney all expressing their unwillingness to take it from Terry. In a completely (well, almost) unrelated note...I wonder if we’ll see “Rio’s World Cup Wind-ups” this year?
Leicester Update
Very pleased with the Foxes performance last week against Newcastle. They must have known I was watching because Nigel’s boys put on a show down to 10-men for two-thirds of the match. They stood up to the first-place team in the league and easily could have taken them down given the amount of chances had. A huge match against Blackpool awaits. They’re in 7th, we’re in 8th. Need to beat these boys.
And Finally...The Black Pudding of the Week
David Beckham, Omnipresent: I wonder what old Golden Balls feels about the England captaincy situation? Wearing the armband loud and proud for the better part of six years, I have to ask: will we ever see an England captain as good or as recognizable as Beckham again. Me thinks not. Could be my massive man crush talking, but Becks can do no wrong in my book. I’m sure Posh agrees.
Shane Evans is an Associate Editor of Goal.com. His feature, "The Full English" appears every Friday morning. Contact Shane at shane.evans@goal.com with questions, comments and concerns, follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/shanEvans or join the TFE/FCS Facebook fan page!
For more news on England, visit Goal.com's England section!
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