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

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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

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