Premier League - Liverpool win the title
Liverpool win the title...at Chelsea
Going into the game Chelsea had the chance to knock their opposition out of the title race. And with a goal in the game’s final quarter they finally did. As Hazard curled a shot around Lloris, Tottenham heads dropped in despair. Celebrations erupted in Leicester as the Foxes were crowned champions for 2015/16.
Four seasons later Chelsea did their spoiler act again. But hardly anyone noticed it had become a club speciality. Maybe because there was a lot more to say about the new champions, Liverpool. This season was billed as another epic struggle between English football’s two most dominant teams. Only Liverpool have kept to the script. They have steamrollered the rest of the league, while City’s defensive frailties have reduced them to a dangerous cup team.
It’s often said that to become champions you have to win games when you are not at your best. Liverpool have done plenty of that this season. As they ground out results through January and February they appeared stuck in third gear. Against Crystal Palace in midweek, however, the engine was purring again.
To borrow a phrase from Rob Smyth, Fabinho combined rough house and art house. His telescopic legs were a nuisance to the Palace midfield. And his weighted pass over the top for Salah showed vision and deft technique. With the platform laid, the Liverpool front three made short work of the Palace defence. Liverpool’s fourth goal, a long range counter attack involving all three of Firmino, Salah and Mané, was emphatic.
After the game Guardiola forced out some congratulatory remarks. Liverpool visit City in their next game, but many will already be thinking about next season. Liverpool appear at the peak of their powers after a term where nearly everything went right. City, meanwhile, are licking their wounds. Frustrated at losing their mojo in the league, and furious about possible ejection from Europe.
A tough slog out of the bottom three
Both Watford and Southampton have looked destined for relegation at times this season, and both have fought back. Here Watford were in greater need of points, but it was Southampton who played with more conviction.
Early on Watford shifted the ball sideways and tried to release their wide men on the flanks. Once Sarr did find his way to the byline on the right, but his pullback evaded everyone in a crowded box.
Southampton then began to assert themselves. Unlike Watford, they found a way to advance up the middle with neat, crisp passes. A pass from Long gave Ings a decent shooting opportunity which he sliced wide from the left.
Ings did not make the same mistake a few minutes later. Again Watford were able to stroke the ball up the middle. Receiving the ball on outside the box in the left channel, he ignored the close attention of three defenders and fired past Foster into the bottom right corner. Watford pushed hard in the second half, only for Ings to latch on to a loose throw from the Watford keeper and drive into the box, this time smashing the ball into the bottom left of Foster’s goal. The final score would end 3-1. Southampton are now all but safe, Watford have it all to do.
