FIRST SILVERWARE OF THE SEASON: February has been an excellent month for me thus far, now lets close it out with a strong weekend. I have certainly been turning a good profit over the past few weeks, if you have been lucky enough to follow then you will have made yourself some money as well. An exciting weekend lies ahead, as the first trophy of the season is up for grabs. We also have some integral games in the title race, so here’s a guide of what you need to know for this weekend:
KLOPP TO TASTE CUP SUCCESS IN FIRST YEAR
Up until this week, this may not have been the most exciting prospect of a final when you were watching Man City and the poor run they were experiencing. They seemed more like their usual selves in the Champions League during the week however, so it will be interesting to see if they can carry this into the weekend. Lets not forget the opposition during the week, City were playing a Kiev side that have been out of action since the last of the Champions League group games last year. And they certainly looked the cut of a team who hasn’t played in a couple of months.
I fell Man City’s troubles are not passed yet, they played a team that had no match fitness and they looked good. But when we look at them domestically lately they have really struggled against teams who play with a high intensity. They were outplayed and outclassed by Leicester City, lost out to Spurs and are out of the FA Cup after playing an inexperienced side against Chelsea. Liverpool play the style of football that has really bothered Man City lately, we already saw this earlier in the season as Liverpool comfortably beat this City side.
I don’t see Liverpool getting too many draws under Klopp the rest of this season. They will either win well or not perform in my opinion. I have said it before, they are extremely up and down under Klopp, this often happens when managers come in throughout the season. This will be one their up weeks, I think they will be on a high after progressing in the Europa League and getting Man United in the next round. It should be a good game as Man City try to win any silverware in Pelligrini’s last year, and Klopp chases a successful first campaign on English soil. Verdict – Liverpool Win
LACK OF BUZZ IN RIVAL MATCH
Man United versus Arsenal, this fixture would generally spark something in most people, it is still a huge game but I can see this one being a bit of a dud. Man United have been involved in very few exciting games under Van Gaal this season, and I see this one as having a serious lean towards tactics over creativity. It doesn’t help that Arsenal have been struggling for goals lately, normally you would expect them to play through United’s defensive style, but they haven’t been great at breaking teams down in recent weeks.
I’m not too sure of Wenger’s tactics during the week. Sure they were good in the first half, holding Barcelona at bay, but they were never going to be able to sustain the game plan he st out. Eventually Barca began to pick them apart, and I think the style Arsenal played will have taken a lot out of them. I can see them being a bit flat this weekend, which is a time they really can’t afford to be as Leicester have a very winnable game to extend their lead at the top of the league.
All these factors point towards this one being a low scoring affair. I would almost go for a 0-0 draw, but with tired teams goals can always be scored even if strikers aren’t on top form. Man United are coming off two wins against far inferior opposition in the past few days, but it will be a big change this weekend. Arsenal will look to sit back a bit from Man United to conserve energy, and Man United are not exactly a team that will go all out attack against quality opposition. To me it has low scoring affair written all over it. Verdict – Under 2.5 Goals
CHELSEA THE REAL DEAL AGAIN
I definitely see Chelsea winning this one well. They are back playing with energy again, even in what seems like a lost season for them. They are keeping the pressure up in the league so they can build momentum for other competitions. They are up against it in the Champions League, but they are certainly in with a chance. And they are still in the FA Cup, so they have a chance at some European football next season.
They are as close to last year’s team as they have been all season. There is energy in the team, they seem to be playing like an actual team again, and Willian and Costa have been immense. Southampton on the other hand have fallen off a small bit. It is tough to be in their position at this stage of the season. They have enough points to be comfortable, but not enough to seriously contend for Europe, so the rest of the season just seems to be going though the motions for them.
This is a good Southampton side, but coming up against a rejuvenated Chelsea side who look to have a purpose again spells trouble for the Saints. Hiddink has done an excellent job since coming in, just as he did a few years back and I see Chelsea being strong until the end of the season. Their prices are slowly returning to the norm, so it would be good to get on them while there is still a shred of value left, as it certainly won’t continue. Verdict – Chelsea Win
