Losers:
Sunderland
Simply, they needed a point and Brown’s silly challenge did not help. An experienced defender should not have let his emotions gotten him the way he did. You could argue that it was just a late challenge but he really should have judged the situation better.
That Tyne-Wear derby win seems so long ago doesn’t it? Newcastle, the losers now find themselves 6th on the table whiles the Blackcats find themselves firmly at the foot of the table. Given that Sunderland has already fired one manager, Poyet is the one shot they’ve got. And this ladies and gentlemen is the pressures of being a manager of a team in the EPL engaged in the relegation dogfight.
Chelsea & Arsenal
To both sets of fans, a draw might be welcomed as it ensures they’ve got 1point in the bank and it represents an important point that keeps their title hope ambitions alive. For this neutral fan, this was an uneventful sendoff into the holiday season as it was only after the 65th min that both teams begun to show some urgency but any just in case I was under any illusions that Chelsea was going all in, the Happy One brought made defensive substitutions to ensure his team did not let in a goal. During the game, I had a chance conversation with an Arsenal fan who groaned every time the ball was played towards Giroud or when he missed chances to put Arsenal ahead. Many Gooners would love for Wenger to get another forward, a much faster one perhaps.
As for Chelsea, Mourinho’s team selection hinted that he wasn’t out looking for a win. His team was solid and though they looked to break on the counter, were perfectly content to have Arsenal dominate possession. Can Chelsea win the league by drawing with the other top 4 teams? The way Mourinho is playing when his team face other title contenders, we will find out the answer to that question come the end of the season.
Cardiff City
Tan is on a quest to be the most unpopular club owner ever. Talks of him giving Mackay an ultimatum is silly and a poor decision if true. For his part, Mackay s responses and actions paint him as a responsible and consummate professional. In his post-match press conference, he suggested that he expected to be sacked after the game. Apparently, the owner changed his mind and Mackay is going to be given the rest of the season to turn the Welsh team’s fortune around. Their next 5 games feature Southampton [H], Sunderland [H], Arsenal [A], Newcastle [A] and West Ham [H]. Sunderland and West Ham look like winnable games and they should be able to make home advantage count to grab a point when they play against Arsenal. The dragons, formally bluebirds, quest to avoid the drop continues but you can bet that the Tan-Mackay saga is far from over.
Southampton
Hooiveld grabbed another own goal against Spurs and with 4 own goals from last season, you can be sure he has a couple more in him. The only bright spot for Pochettino was Lallana. He was magnificent and his play in the 2nd goal ball highlighted his appreciation of space and awareness of the players around him. To be fair, Southampton was perhaps unlucky not to grab a point but with their famed center-back partnership of Lovren & Fonte broken and no Boruc in goal, they look a mess. The rate at which they are letting in goals, they better be able to outscore their opponents and at this stage, that is not happening.
Swansea
Own goal is the leading top goalscorer with 5. I’ll leave that to that sink in.
Thanks for reading and makes sure to check next week for game week 18+19. Best of seasons greeting people!