Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool - Match Report

Theo Walcott celebrates his goal
for Arsenal against Liverpool (AFP)

Two goals in two minutes gave Arsenal a fighting chance to win against Liverpool at the Emirates, but the game ended 2-2 as neither side was able to find a winning goal.

An early goal by Luis Suarez gave Liverpool the lead, and Jordan Henderson doubled it when he scored 15 minutes into the second half.

But two goals in two minutes by Oliver Giroud and Theo Walcott put Arsenal back into the game. Neither side was able to find a winning goal though, meaning the points had to be shared.

Liverpool got off to a strong start, as five minutes into the game, Suarez put his side ahead after his shot took a slight deflection from Arsenal's Bacary Sagna, past Wojciech Szczesny to the back of the net.

Arsenal had several chances throughout the first half to equalise, with Theo Walcott and Oliver Giroud having two chances each in the space of ten minutes after the first goal.

Walcott's shot ten minutes in was cleared, giving Liverpool a chance to counter-attack. Suarez obtained the ball and lofted it towards fellow striker 

Daniel Sturridge, whose shot went wide of the left post.

Podolski provided further opportunities for Arsenal to score, but these were cleared for corners which Arsenal were unable to develop further.

Liverpool had another opening to go further ahead when captain Steven Gerrard had an opportunity to score. However, his chance was stopped and cleared on the line by Podolski.

And in the second half, their second goal came as Henderson's persistency at goal during an attack paid off. His initial shot was deflected, but the ball came straight back to him, allowing him to slot it into the back of the net.

Not long after this, Arsenal earned a free kick just outside Liverpool's penalty area. Jack Wilshere crossed the ball over to Giroud who headed the ball past Liverpool's Pepe Reina into the net, reducing Liverpool's lead to one.

Two minutes later, the game was level thanks to Walcott. His belting shot from the right to the left bottom corner of the goal put Arsenal back into contention to win the game.

Arsenal had a chance to take the lead for the first time through Podolski just a minute later. His shot from a Santi Cazorla pass though went just over.

In the last ten minutes, Giroud had two opportunities to give Arsenal the win, one of these being a header which was deflected over the bar for a corner. The other was a cross by Podolski but he missed the ball completely and missed the chance to give his team the win.

This made the final score 2-2.

Arsenal now have only managed to achieve four points out of a possible 15 in their last five league games, raising further questions of Arsene Wenger's management this season.

Liverpool have earned 10 points out of a possible 15 in their last five league games, putting them in good form for their next game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on the 3rd February.

As for Arsenal, their next game is against Stoke City at home on the 2nd February. They haven't lost against Stoke since May 2011 but their last two meetings have ended in draws.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool will need to start winning consistently soon if they wish to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Match Facts

Arsenal

Line up - Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs (Santos - 37’), Wilshere, Walcott, Ramsey, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud

Unused Subs - Mannone, Koscielny, Jenkinson, Diaby, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain

Scorers - Giroud 64', Walcott 67'

Yellow Cards - Cazorla 25', Giroud 85', Mertesacker 90'

Red Cards - None

Liverpool

Line up - Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Wisdom, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Lucas, Suarez, Sturridge (Jose Enrique 71')

Unused Subs - Jones, Skrtel, Allen, Sterling, Shelvey, Borini

Scorers - Suarez 5', Henderson 60'

Yellow Cards - Gerrard 73'

Red Cards - None

twitter - @ConorJPorter

Premier League Predictions - 29th/30th January 2013

In the last Premier League fixtures, Liverpool defeated Norwich 5-0, Reading came back to win 2-1 against Newcastle, Chelsea won 2-1 against Arsenal and Tottenham’s Clint Dempsey helped his side achieve a 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Also, Mauricio Pochettino’s new side Southampton held Everton to a 0-0 draw and Arsenal rebounded from their loss against Chelsea with a 5-1 win against West Ham.

In this week’s mid-week fixtures include, Aston Villa vs Newcastle on Tuesday and Arsenal vs Liverpool, Everton vs West Brom and Fulham vs West Ham on Wednesday. Here are my predictions for this week (All kick-offs are at 7:45pm unless stated).

Tuesday

Aston Villa 1-2 Newcastle
QPR 1-3 Man City
Stoke 2-1 Wigan
Sunderland 0-2 Swansea

Wednesday

Arsenal 3-2 Liverpool
Everton 2-2 West Brom
Norwich 0-2 Tottenham
Fulham 2-1 West Ham (K.O. 8pm)
Man Utd 4-1 Southampton (K.O. 8pm)
Reading 2-3 Chelsea (K.O. 8pm)

twitter - @ConorJPorter

Superbowl XLVII Preview - 3rd February 2013

Finally, it is here once again. The Superbowl! This time, it takes place in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, and the teams are the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. Here’s my preview of the big game.

Superbowl Sunday

Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ers – Ravens win

For the first time in a Superbowl, two head coaches, that are also brothers, will go against each other. Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers and John Harbaugh of the Ravens will go against each other for the first time since the 2011 Thanksgiving game, which the Ravens won 16-6. I’ve got a feeling the Superbowl will create a similar result.

If it does, what a way it would be for Ravens OLB Ray Lewis to retire. He’s already got a Superbowl ring from back when the Ravens won it in their first and only trip to the Superbowl in the 2000 season. This however, will be his last game ever and to go out with another Superbowl ring on his finger is the script of a Hollywood movie. This possibility will drive the rest of the Ravens squad to help him achieve it.

Ravens OLB Ray Lewis - 

Doug Pensinger/Getty Image

However, the 49ers have a 100% record in the Superbowl, winning five out of the five times they have been there. Their last Superbowl win though was back in the 1994 season, when NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young was QB. If they win their sixth Superbowl title, they’ll match the Pittsburgh Steelers with the most ever Superbowl wins.

One man who will want to win the Superbowl more than ever, is Ravens QB Joe Flacco. He can prove to his critics that he should be in the class of elite QBs with a win on the big stage on Superbowl Sunday. He will be hoping he can add more touchdowns to the eight he has already earned in his last three playoff games, therefore WRs Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith need to be on form. RB Ray Rice will also need to be on form too, to make sure the offense line stays aggressive.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco celebrating 

- AP Photo-Charles Krupa

The 49ers defense trio of Patrick Willis, NaVarro Bowman and Aldon Smith will do everything they can to stop Flacco from releasing the ball. If Flacco manages to get the ball off though, the 49ers secondary including CB Tarell Brown, DB Chris Culliver and FS Dashon Goldson will be the last line of defense to stop the Ravens getting any 21 unanswered points like they did against the New England Patriots.

49ers ILB Patrick Willis (no. 52)
 - Kevin C. Cox-Getty Images

On the offense side for the 49ers is QB Colin Kaepernick. The 2^nd year QB has been fantastic since taking over QB Alex Smith as starter earlier this season. Expect him to use the option plays which came alive against the Packers earlier in the playoffs being used once again. RB Frank Gore, WR Michael Crabtree and TE Vernon Davis will be helping him out, as the 49ers will want to catch out the Ravens defense anyway possible.

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick (no. 7)

 - Kevin C. Cox-Getty Images

In Kaepernick’s and the 49ers way though, is a Ravens defense that wants to give Lewis the best sending off for retirement ever. FS Ed Reed and CBs Cary Williams and Corey Graham will be hoping to stop anything coming into the secondary. Hoping to stop the ball from ever reaching the secondary are Lewis, ILB Dannell Ellerbe and OLB Terrell Suggs. Collectively the whole Ravens defense will want to repeat a similar performance like they did against the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.

AFC Champions: Baltimore Ravens

Four out of the last five Superbowls have been won by six points or less (only exception is Superbowl XLIV where the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts by 14 points), so expect another tight and exciting game.

This is also the first time since Superbowl XXXVII that a Manning, Brady or Roethlisberger hasn’t featured in the Superbowl, showing the rise of a new era of QBs.

My score-line prediction:

Baltimore Ravens 28-21 San Francisco 49ers

The Superbowl will kick off at 6:30pm ET (11:30pm GMT) on 3^rd February. Alicia Keys will be singing the national anthem and Beyoncé will be performing in the Pepsi Superbowl Half time show. Watch out for the Superbowl commercials too.

twitter - @ConorJPorter

FA Cup Round 4 Predictions - 25/26/27th January 2013

The FA Cup is back this weekend with some exciting ties including Millwall vs Aston Villa, Stoke vs Man City, Man Utd vs Fulham, Brighton vs Arsenal, Leeds vs Tottenham and Oldham vs Liverpool. Here are my predictions. (All kick-offs are at 3pm unless stated)

Friday

Millwall 2-1 Aston Villa (K.O. 7:45pm)

Saturday

Stoke 1-3 Man City (K.O. 12:45pm)
Bolton 1-4 Everton
Brighton 1-2 Arsenal
Derby 1-1 Blackburn
Huddersfield 0-3 Leicester
Hull 1-1 Barnsley
Macclesfield 2-1 Wigan
Middlesbrough 3-0 Aldershot
Norwich 1-1 Luton
QPR 3-1 MK Dons
Reading 3-2 Sheff Utd
Man Utd 3-1 Fulham (K.O. 5:30pm)

Sunday

Brentford 0-4 Chelsea (K.O. 12pm)
Leeds 1-2 Tottenham (K.O. 2pm)
Oldham 0-2 Liverpool (K.O. 4pm)

twitter - @ConorJPorter

Swansea 0-0 Chelsea - Capital One Cup Semi Final Second Leg - Match Report

Michael Steele-Getty Images

Swansea will join Bradford City in the Capital One Cup Final after holding Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at the Liberty Stadium, defeating them 2-0 on aggregate, but the game will be overshadowed by Hazard's sending off for kicking a ball boy.

Swansea came into this tie with a two goal advantage, after winning 2-0 in the semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago, thanks to goals by Michu and Danny Graham.

Swansea also haven't lost at home in the last five games in all competitions, winning two and drawing three including draws against Arsenal and Manchester United.

Under Rafa Benitez though, Chelsea have won six out of seven away games, with 17 goals in their last five away games in all competitions.

Not far into the game, the first penalty appeal occurred. Chelsea’s Demba Ba went down inside the box after a challenge by Swansea’s Ben Davies but a penalty was not given.

The first chance of the game came moments later, after Swansea went on the counter-attack after a Chelsea corner. Swansea’s Wayne Routledge shot was tipped away by Chelsea’s Petr Cech.

Routledge was involved in Swansea’s next opportunity at goal, as his good ball to Michu allowed him to shoot across goal but it was saved by Cech.

Then it was Michu’s turn to set up a chance, as his header from an Angel Rangel long ball, gave Jonathan De Guzman a chance at goal, but it was blocked by Chelsea’s Gary Cahill.

Chelsea finally got their first quality chance, when a Cahill header was goal-bound, only to be cleared off the line by Rangel.

From the clearance, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard had a shot but it was saved by Swansea’s Gerhard Tremmel.

Oscar then had an opportunity to give Chelsea a goal, but once again Tremmel was on top as he was able to cover the ball before Oscar got a shot away.

Ba had a chance just before half time from inside the box, but unfortunately his shot went over the crossbar.

Second half commenced the same way the first end with another Demba Ba shot from the edge of the area, but it went wide of the post.

A quick flick by Mata on a free kick gave Lampard and Chelsea another stab at goal, but Lampard’s shot from about 30 yards out flew over the crossbar.

Mata then had a chance of his own as he had a shot from outside the area that was travelling towards the left corner of the net, but Tremmel was able to stop it.

Although Chelsea dominated possession for most of the second half, they were unable to break the deadlock.

Swansea came close to breaking the deadlock near the end of the game, when Nathan Dyer had two opportunities to score in added time. However, these shots where both cleared.

Unfortunately though, the game will be overshadowed by an incident that happened ten minutes before the end of the game.

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard was sent off for violent conduct after he kicked a ball boy. Hazard felt the ball boy was wasting time by not giving the ball immediately to Tremmel.

It appears that Hazard kicks the ball boy in the ribs and then takes the ball away from him, which infuriates the players and fans that saw the incident.

Referee Chris Foy made the right decision by sending Hazard off for violent conduct, leaving Chelsea to play with ten men for the remainder of the game.

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard being sent off
(Andrew Yates-AFP-Getty Images)

The game ended 0-0, with Swansea winning 2-0 on aggregate, meaning they will advance to play Bradford City at Wembley in the Capital One Cup Final on Sunday 24^th February.

Line Ups

Swansea – Tremmel, Chico, Williams, Rangel, Davies, Britton, Michu, Pablo, Routledge (Dyer - 65’), De Guzman, Ki Sung-Yeung

Unused Subs – Vorm, Monk, Tiendalli, Graham, Lamah, Shechter

Chelsea – Cech, Ivanovic (David Luiz - 68’), Cole (Bertrand - 86’), Cahill, Azpilicueta, Ramires, Lampard, Mata, Oscar (Torres - 81’), Hazard (sent off – 80’) Ba

Unused Subs – Turnbull, Ferreira, Terry, Marin

Referee – Chris Foy

Man of the Match – Ashley Williams

twitter - @ConorJPorter

Baltimore Ravens 28-13 New England Patriots - Match Report

AP Photo-Charles Krupa

Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens put Ray Lewis' retirement on hold as they earn themselves a place in the Superbowl, after a second half comeback of 21 unanswered points gives them a win against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game at the Gillette Stadium.

The Ravens won the coin toss, but they decided to allow the Patriots to receive the ball first.

As this game is Patriots QB Tom Brady 24th postseason start, he now ties Brett Favre for the most post season starts ever by a QB.

The game got off to a slow start though, as both teams had to eventually punt on their first possessions.

It wasn't till the Patriots second possession did we see the first points being scored, as the Patriots had to settle for a 31 yard field goal by K Stephen Gostkowski.

It was during this drive though, that Brady broke an NFL postseason passing yards record, surpassing Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning for the 3rd all-time passing yards in a post season record.

Three drives later, the Ravens punted the ball back to the Patriots, which WR and return specialist Wes Welker returned the ball for 28 yards, giving his team good field position on their own 47 yard line.

However, they were unable to capitalize on this good field position as the Ravens defense forced them three and out. During this drive by the Patriots though, Ravens DE Paul Kruger had a chance to earn an interception, but he was unable to haul the ball in.

Nevertheless, the Ravens received the ball back and on the ninth play of their drive, their QB Joe Flacco threw a deep left pass to WR Torrey Smith for 25 yards.

Four plays later, the Ravens had their first points on the board as their RB Ray Rice earned a two yard touchdown run, the first touchdown of the day.

On the next Patriots possession, they travelled 80 yards in 11 plays, topping it off with a one yard touchdown pass from Brady to Welker, giving the Patriots the lead again.

The first sack occurred on the next Ravens possession, as Flacco was sacked by Patriots DE Rob Ninkovich, causing the Ravens to punt the ball as they went three and out.

The Patriots took advantage of this by adding another three points to the board just as time expired in the first half. The points came through a 25 yard field goal by Gostkowski.

This made the half time score 7-13 to the Patriots.

The Ravens received the ball at the start of the second half and on the third play of their drive, Flacco passed the ball deep left to WR Anquan Boldin for 26 yards to the Patriots 48 yard line.

Despite this big play, they were unable to benefit any further, as they were forced to punt three plays later. They did however force the Patriots start with the ball from their own nine yard line.

Brady produced a big play of his own on the fourth play on the Patriots next drive with a 24 yard pass to Welker.

A penalty was caused by Ravens SS Bernard Polland according to the referees, which added another 15 yards to the Patriots drive, allowing the Patriots to start their next play on the Ravens 36 yard line.

However, a drop by Welker on the seventh play of the drive caused the Patriots to punt the ball back to the Ravens.

On the tenth play of the Ravens next drive, Flacco passed the ball to TE Dennis Pitta for a five yard touchdown, giving the Ravens a one point lead.

The Patriots were then forced three and out, making them punt the ball back to the Ravens. On the tenth play of the Ravens drive at the start of the fourth quarter, Boldin added another touchdown to the Ravens score through a 3 yard pass down the middle by Flacco.

Patriots got the ball back on the next kick-off and on their fourth play, WR Brandon Lloyd performed a good spin move to the right, to get away from Ravens defenders and run out of bounds at the Patriots 39 yard line.

On the next play, the first turnover of the game occurred as Patriots RB Stevan Ridley fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Ravens DE Arthur Jones.

Thanks to this turnover, the Ravens asserted their authority on the game four plays into their drive, with an 11 yard pass to Boldin for a touchdown, giving the Ravens a two possession lead.

The Patriots were forced to turn the ball over again on the tenth play of their next drive as Brady was unable to complete a pass to WR Deion Branch on fourth down, causing the second turnover of the game.

The Patriots defense redeemed the Patriots offense mistakes by forcing the Ravens three and out.

It looked like the Patriots would profit from this as Brady managed to connect with Welker for a 36 yard pass. After this though on their next play, Brady's pass for TE Aaron Hernandez was tipped by Ravens DE Pernell McPhee and intercepted by ILB Dannell Ellerbe, the third turnover of the game.

Nine plays later and the Ravens were forced to punt the ball back to the Patriots, but they managed to run down the clock by just under five minutes, just before the two minute warning.

After the two minute warning and on the ninth play of the Patriots drive, a pass by Brady intended for Lloyd was intercepted by Ravens CB Carey Williams in the end zone.

This made the final score 28-13 to the Ravens.

Not only does this win mean the Ravens are the AFC Champions, but it also means they will be going to the Superbowl, to play against the San Francisco 49ers on 3rd February at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

This game will also be the first time that two head coaches that are brothers, Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers and John Harbaugh of the Ravens, have gone against each other in the Superbowl.

twitter - @ConorJPorter

San Francisco 49ers 28-24 Atlanta Falcons - Match Report

Streeter Lecka-Getty Images

A nine yard touchdown run by Frank Gore means the San Francisco 49ers will go to their sixth Superbowl, thanks to a 28-24 win against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game at the Georgia Dome. 

The Falcons were the team though that got off to the best start. On the seventh play of their opening drive, QB Matt Ryan was able to find WR Julio Jones in open space down field for a 46 yard touchdown.

On the first 49ers drive, they were forced three and out as a pass by their QB Colin Kaepernick intended for TE Vernon Davis was broken up by Falcons FS Thomas DeCoud, forcing them to punt the ball.

Jones then caught a 27 yard pass on the Falcons eighth play on their next drive, putting him on 100 yards for the game, with five minutes remaining in the first quarter.

However, the Falcons had to settle for a 37 yard field goal by their K Matt Bryant, on the twelfth play of their drive.

The first sack of the game occurred on the next 49ers drive as Falcons DT Corey Peters was able to get to Kaepernick, forcing another three and out and another punt by the 49ers.

At the start of the second quarter and on the fourth play of the Falcons drive, Jones added another touchdown to the Falcons score with an amazing catch in the left hand corner of the end zone thanks to a 20 yard pass by Ryan, giving the Falcons a 17 point lead.

The 49ers finally entered the RedZone for the first time in the game on the tenth play of their next drive, thanks to a 27 yard pass from Kaepernick to Davis.

Two plays later, RB LaMichael Jones gave the 49ers their first points of the day with a 15 yard run into the end zone for a touchdown, reducing the Falcons lead to ten.

After the Falcons were force three and out, the 49ers entered the red zone again after a 25 yard pass from Kaepernick to Davis, who was then forced out of bounds at the Falcons four yard line by Falcons CB Asante Samuel.

Davis then finished off the drive one play later, catching a four yard pass for a touchdown, reducing the Falcons lead to three.

Gonzalez restored the Falcon's ten point lead on the fifth play of their next drive, with a great catch for a touchdown in the middle of the end zone, from a 10 yard pass by Ryan.

This made the half time score, 14-24 to the Falcons.

The 49ers started with the ball in the second half and added more points to the board thanks to a five yard run by their RB Frank Gore, completing a seven play drive of 82 yards.

Five plays into the Falcons next drive, Ryan was sacked for the first time in the game by 49ers NT Isaac Sopoaga. On the next play, Ryan was picked off by 49ers CB Chris Culliver, the first turnover of the game.

On the first play of the 49ers resulting drive, Kaepernick completed another deep throw to Davis for 31 yards, who was pushed out of bounds at the Falcons 25 yard line by DeCoud.

The 49ers were given a chance to level the game four plays later, but K David Akers field goal attempt hit the left upright, keeping the score 21-24 to the Falcons.

Nine plays into the Falcons next drive, Ryan fumbled the snap, which 49ers OLB Aldon Smith jumped on, giving his team the ball on their own 37 yard line, the second turnover of the game.

On the fourth play of the 49ers drive in the fourth quarter, WR Michael Crabtree plucked the ball out of the air for a 33 yard pass to the Falcons 33 yard line.

Two plays later though, Crabtree fumbled a pass on the Falcons one yard line, eventually recovered by Falcons SS William Moore for no gain.

However, the 49ers got the ball back straight away, as they forced the Falcons three and out for the second time in the game. A poor punt by the Falcons, allowed the 49ers to start their next drive on the Falcons 38 yard line.

Six plays into the 49ers drive, Gore ran for a nine yard touchdown, giving the 49ers the lead for the first time in the game.

On the fourteenth play of the Falcons drive, on a 4th down and 4, a pass intended for Falcons WR Roddy White was broken up by ILB NaVarro Bowman, resulting in the third turnover of the game.

The Falcons defense then forced the 49ers three and out for the third time in the game, giving the Falcons one last opportunity to win the game from their own 41 yard line.

Sadly, it wasn't to be. Ryan managed to complete a 24 yard pass to Jones, but he was stopped on the 49ers 35 yard line by 49ers CB Carlos Rogers, making the final score 28-24 to the 49ers.

This win means the 49ers are the champions of the NFC, but more importantly, they will be competing in the Superbowl for the sixth time in their history on 3rd February, in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, against the Baltimore Ravens.

This game will also be the first time that two head coaches that are brothers, Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers and John Harbaugh of the Ravens, have gone against each other in the Superbowl.

twitter - @ConorJPorter

NFL Predictions - Conference Championship Previews - 20th January 2013

Last weekend was one great weekend, filled with lots of outstanding NFL action. The Baltimore Ravens were able to defeat the AFC number one seed Denver Broncos, the San Francisco 49ers outplayed the Green Bay Packers for the second time this season, the Atlanta Falcons became the top 'bird of prey' by winning against the Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots won their divisional match up against the Houston Texans for the second year in a row.

These results have set up two fantastic Conference Championship games for this Sunday, including one rematch from last year’s playoffs. The 49ers will play against the Falcons at the Georgia Dome and the Ravens will travel to Gillette Stadium to play against the Patriots. Here are my previews and predictions of this Sunday's action.

NFC Championship

San Francisco 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons - Falcons win

Yes ladies and gentlemen, the Falcons will be going to the Superbowl for the first time since the 1998 season. In my opinion too, they should be able to defeat the 49ers with ease. Falcons WRs Roddy White and Julio Jones won't be going against a CB like Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman this Sunday, so they might be able to get into more open spaces, giving QB Matt Ryan more options. The 49ers Linebacker trio that will be trying to stop him any way possible though, are Pro-Bowlers Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith.

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick will be looking to continue his good form from the Packers game last week. With the success of the option plays last week, expect to see the option plays being run a lot in this game. It's important not to forget the inclusion of RB Frank Gore in the rushing game and WR Michael Crabtree in the passing game as well. Don't be surprised though if you see Falcons DE John Abraham stopping Kaepernick ever allow this to happen. Falcons DT Jonathan Babineaux will be hoping he can play the same way he did against the Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch, to stop any 49ers inside running game. There are still some errors though in the Falcons secondary as shown by the Seahawks and their 21 points in the fourth quarter. Falcons FS Thomas DeCoud and CB Asante Samuel will need to recapture their regular season form though if they want to stop Crabtree and 49ers TE Vernon Davis from getting any passes this game. Falcons to win by a touchdown.

AFC Championship 

Baltimore Ravens vs New England Patriots - Patriots win

This is a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game, which the Patriots won and which was also at Gillette Stadium. I think they will do the same this weekend as well. However, the Ravens and the Patriots have already met each other this season back in Week 3, which the Ravens won 31-30 at M&T Bank Stadium with a fourth quarter comeback. Therefore, although the Patriots may have home-field advantage which is a big factor in games of this magnitude, they must make sure they don't get complacent when they have the lead. Patriots QB Tom Brady is on fine form as he always is, and is also the perfect leader to make sure his team is focused on the task at hand. He has an equal counter-part in this field though in the form of Ravens OLB Ray Lewis, who will be doing everything he can to stop Brady, to make sure his last game before retirement is at the Superbowl.

Brady will once again be looking to hand off to RB Stevan Ridley and connect with WR Wes Welker this Sunday. Usual TE target Rob Gronkowski though is out due to injury, so the likes of TE Aaron Hernandez and WR Brandon Lloyd will be receiving a lot more of the ball. Lewis along with OLB Terrell Suggs and CB Ed Reed will be looking to stop him, but also CB Corey Graham will be looking to add more interceptions to his stats along with the two he earned against the Denver Broncos last week. Ravens QB Joe Flacco still has to prove to some critics that he is an 'elite' QB and one way he can do this is going one step further than last year and get the Ravens to the Superbowl. WR Torrey Smith and RB Ray Rice will be there to assist him. However, if the Patriots defensive line of DTs Vince Wilfork and Brandon Deaderick and DEs Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones can perform the same way they did against Houston Texans RB Arian Foster, they'll force the Ravens to pass the ball, applying more pressure on Flacco to perform. Patriots to win by a touchdown.

twitter - @ConorJPorter

Premier League Predictions - 19th/20th/21st/23rd January 2013

Last weekend's Premier League fixtures produced some shocking action including an amazing comeback in the last ten minutes of the game by Reading to beat West Brom after going 2-0 down, two own goals by Stoke's Jon Walters to help Chelsea win 4-0 and end Stoke's 17 game undefeated run at the Britannia and three 0-0 draws!

This weekend will hopefully be even better with match ups of Man City vs Fulham and West Brom vs Aston Villa on Saturday, Chelsea vs Arsenal and Tottenham vs Man Utd on Sunday and Southampton vs Everton on Monday. Arsenal will also play again in a midweek fixture on the following Wednesday when they host West Ham at the Emirates.  Here are my predictions:

Saturday

Liverpool 3-1 Norwich
Man City 3-0 Fulham
Newcastle 2-1 Reading
Swansea 2-0 Stoke
West Ham 1-1 QPR
Wigan 1-1 Sunderland
West Brom 3-1 Aston Villa

Sunday

Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal
Tottenham 1-3 Man Utd

Monday

Southampton 1-2 Everton

Wednesday

Arsenal 3-0 West Ham

twitter - @ConorJPorter

Seattle Seahawks 28-30 Atlanta Falcons - Match Report

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

21 points in the fourth quarter wasn't enough for the Seattle Seahawks, as the Atlanta Falcons defeat them at the Georgia Dome, 28-30, to advance to the NFC Championship game.

The Falcons started off with the ball and they got into a good position to score the first touchdown of the game. Seahawks CB Richard Sherman had other ideas as he broke up a pass on the 10th play of the drive from Falcons QB Matt Ryan intended for WR Roddy White, forcing them to settle for a 39 yard field goal.

When Seattle got the ball for the first time in the game, they were forced three and out so they were forced to punt. However, Seahawks P Jon Ryan punted the ball only as far as the 50 yard line, giving the Falcons good field position.

Despite this field position, the Falcons were unable to capitalize. On the third play of their drive, the first turned over of the game occurred as a pass by QB Ryan intended for TE Tony Gonzalez, was intercepted on the Seahawks 29 yard line by Seahawks MLB Bobby Wagner, for a gain of four yards.

Three plays later though, the second turnover of the game occurred as Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch fumbled the ball on Atlanta's 39 yard line and it was recovered by the Falcons DT Jonathan Babineaux.

Falcons took full advantage of Lynch's mistake as on the 9th play of their following drive, Ryan threw a one yard pass to Gonzalez who managed to squeeze both of his feet in the back of the endzone for the first touchdown of the day.

On the next Falcons drive, just before the end of the first quarter, Falcons RB Jacquizz Rodgers ran an amazing 45 yard run to the Seahawks 42 yard line, breaking several tackles along the way.

The Falcons could not exploit the Seahawks defense for maximum points after this play and they had to settle for a 37 yard field goal kicked by Falcons K Matt Bryant, just inside the 'RedZone'.

Four plays later on the Seahawks next possession, they came one yard shy of another first down and they were stopped twice by the Falcons defense on third and fourth down, causing the third turnover of the game.

For both of these plays, Lynch was never used. You would think in a situation like this, Lynch would be the first guy the Seahawks would turn to, to help them achieve the first down but he was not on the field.

Falcons White increased his team's score by scoring a 47 yard touchdown pass from Ryan, getting the better of Seahawks Sherman.

Near to the end of the half, the Seahawks came close to scoring their first points of the game, but then Babineaux earned a 9 yard sack on Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, giving the Falcons their first sack of the game.

This stopped the Seahawks from scoring, making the half time score, 0-20 to the Falcons.

In the second half, the Seahawks started with the ball, but on the 7th play of their drive, Wilson was sacked for the second time in the game by Falcons DT Vance Walker.

Two plays later, the Seahawks finally scored for the first time in the game thanks to a 29 yard pass from Wilson to WR Golden Tate for a touchdown, making the score 7-20.

The Falcons responded by chewing up a lot of time on the clock and scoring another touchdown on the 14th play of an 80 yard drive. The touchdown was a five yard pass from Ryan to RB Jason Snelling, which allowed the Falcons to regain their 20 point lead.

When the Seahawks started with the ball in the fourth quarter, they added more points on the board as Wilson scrambled to the left to score a one yard touchdown, reducing the score difference to 14 points with just over 13 minutes remaining.

Three plays into the Falcons next drive, Ryan had a pass intended for White intercepted by Seahawks FS Earl Thomas on the Seahawks 38 yard line.

On the following drive after this interception, Seahawks added points to the board through a three yard touchdown pass from Wilson to TE Zach Miller, reducing the score difference to six points with just over nine minutes to play.

The Seahawks defense, the number one defense in the NFL, then forced the Falcons three and out, making them punt the ball back to the Seahawks.

However, five players later, the Seahawks had to punt back to the Falcons, giving them another opportunity to extend their lead.

Another outstanding stand by the Seahawks defense though, made the Falcons punt the ball back to the Seahawks, leaving them three minutes to score a touchdown to win the game.

They managed to score a touchdown through a one yard run by Lynch, making the score 28-27 to the Seahawks. This gave the Seahawks the lead for the first time in the game.

However, they left 31 seconds left on the clock for the Falcons to possibly snatch the game.

The Falcons responded by putting Bryant in good field position for a 49 yard field goal, restoring their lead and making the score 28-30, but they still gave enough time for the Seahawks to win the game.

On the kick-off, the Falcons squib kicked the ball and the Seahawks recovered it on their own 46 yard line, giving them the chance to perform a hail mary to win the game.

They executed the hail mary play one play later, but Wilson's pass intended for Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin was intercepted by Falcons WR Julio Jones, which gave the Falcons their first ever playoff win with QB Matt Ryan.

This now means the Falcons will host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game on the 20th January.

twitter - @ConorJPorter

Baltimore Ravens 38-35 Denver Broncos - Match Report

Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens advance to the AFC Championship game and take another step on the road to the Superbowl with an overtime win of 38-35 against the Denver Broncos at the Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

The game got off to one of the liveliest starts you'll ever see in a playoff game.

It started off with the Ravens going three and out, forcing them to punt the ball. Broncos WR and Return Specialist, Trindon Holliday produced the first playoff magic of the day by returning the punt for a 90 yard touchdown.

Four plays later, Ravens QB Joe Flacco showed his critics why he should be considered 'elite' by completing a 94 yard drive with a 59 yard touchdown pass to WR Torrey Smith, evening up the score.

When Broncos QB Peyton Manning was finally on the field, he didn't get off to a good start as his pass intended for WR Eric Decker, was picked off by Ravens CB Corey Graham and it was returned for a 39 yard touchdown.

Broncos got the ball back and they scored their first offense touchdown with a 15 yard pass by Manning to WR Brandon Stokley, completing a 74 yard drive in 11 plays. This was Manning's 30th post season touchdown in his career.

In the second quarter, both teams went three and out before the Broncos offense continued the scoring with an eight play drive for 86 yards. They finished it off with a 14 yard touchdown pass from Manning to Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno.

Ravens went three and out again, giving the Broncos another opportunity to add points to the board. However, this opportunity wasn't taken as Broncos kicker Matt Prater missed a 52 yard field goal, giving the Ravens the ball on their own 42 yard line.

The Ravens took advantage of this missed field goal and added another seven points to the board through another Smith touchdown. This time out, the touchdown was a 32 yard pass from Flacco to Smith, capping off a three play drive of 58 yards.

This touchdown made the half time score, 21-21.

The Broncos started the second half with another piece of magic as Holliday was able to return a 104 yard kick-off return for a touchdown, his second special teams’ touchdown of the day.

This was also the first time any player had returned a punt return and a kick-off return for touchdowns in a post season game.

On the seventh play of the Ravens next drive, Flacco fumbled the ball on their own 43 yard line and it was recovered by Broncos MLB Keith Brooking, the second turnover of the game.

Two drives later, it was Manning's turn to make a mistake as he fumbled the ball on his own 43 yard line and it was recovered by Ravens OLB Paul Kruger.

On the second play of the Ravens resulting drive, RB Ray Rice completed a 32 yard run to put the Ravens in the 'RedZone' for the first time in the game. He then finished off the drive three plays later with a one yard touchdown run, tying up the game for the fourth time.

Broncos started off with the ball in the fourth quarter and on the third play, the first sack of the game occurred as Manning was sacked by Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs, forcing the Broncos to punt.

The Ravens were forced three and out, giving the ball back to the Broncos who took full advantage of possession.

They added another touchdown to their score through a 17 yard pass from Manning to WR Demaryius Thomas. This gave the Broncos a 28-35 lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the game.

Ravens were unable to score on their drive as they tried to convert a 4th and 5 but Flacco was unable to connect with TE Dennis Pitta, causing the fourth turnover of the game.

The Ravens defense forced the Broncos to punt, giving the Ravens offense a chance to level the game again, which they did.

Flacco connected to WR Jacoby Jones for a 70 yard touchdown pass, tying up the game for the fifth time and giving the Broncos 31 seconds to possibly win the game.

However, Manning and the Broncos offense decided to take a knee to take the game to overtime. The Broncos fans booed immediately as they were surprised their team didn't try to win the game in the remaining seconds of regulation time.

Ravens won the overtime coin toss and decided to receive the ball.       

If the Ravens scored a touchdown, they would win the game. If they could only manage a field goal or not score at all, the game would enter sudden death, meaning any score by any team would result in a win for that team.

The Ravens were unable to score as during their first drive of overtime, Flacco was sacked for the first time in the game by Broncos OLB Von Miller, causing the Ravens to punt the ball.

With Broncos now with possession, the game entered sudden death, meaning the next team to score would win the game.

However, they were unable to score as well, causing them to punt back to the Ravens who were forced to start on their own six yard line thanks to a good punt by Broncos punter Britton Colquitt.

The Ravens were given a second chance to win the game but they were forced to punt the ball again. This time though, they managed to stop Holliday from returning the ball as he was stopped on the Broncos seven yard line.

On the seventh play of the Broncos second overtime drive though, Manning was picked off for the second time in the game by Graham. He intercepted the ball on the Broncos 45 yard line, giving possession back to the Ravens.

This gave the Ravens a third opportunity to win the game, which they took to full advantage as they set up their kicker, Justin Tucker, for a 47 yard field goal which he converted to make the final score 38-35 to the Ravens.

With this win, the Ravens advance to the AFC Championship game on 20th January.

They will find out who their opponents will be this Sunday as the New England Patriots host the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium in the other AFC Divisional game. The winner of this game will host the Ravens in the AFC Championship game.

twitter - @ConorJPorter