Trollheart's Match of the Day Thread

[Trollheart]

Sunday January 5 2025

Liverpool v Manchester United
Fulham v Ipswich Town



Teams: Liverpool v Manchester United
Regions: Merseyside v Manchester
Managers: Arne Slot v Ruben Amorim
Targets: Liverpool need to maintain that gap at the top as Arsenal close in; United are still trying to make it into the top half
Expectation: Should be Liverpool
Ground: Anfield
Respective current positions (Before match): 1 & 14

Close on 14 minutes but Gakpo shot just wide of the post, then only Onana stood between McAllister and the opening goal, Liverpool applying all the pressure, as more or less expected. United then had a shot on goal, Allison thinking about coming for it but changing his mind, then Manu shot over the bar and from the resultant corner nothing happened. Allison had to be called back into action to stop a second attempt by United at scoring first, but scoreless at the break it remained. United did break the deadlock though, on 52 minutes, and you'd have to say Liverpool let them in; certainly not playing as well as they should.

Parity was restored on the hour through Gakpo, but it should never have got to this. Liverpool needed to really up the tempo and make this game safe, and when the ref denied a penalty for the home side, but was then sent to the screen that decision was reversed, Salah did what Salah does, and Liverpool were ahead with ten minutes to go. Then they threw it away with the game all sewn up as they let Man United in for their second to level the score. Another penalty could have gone Liverpool's way at the death but from a corner they almost snatched it, then Maguire missed the chance to take all three points for his team.

Result: Liverpool 2 - 2 Manchester United
Scorer(s): Gakpo, Salah (p) (LIV); Martinez, Diallo (MNU)
Penalties: 1
VAR decision(s), if any: Penalty awarded to Liverpool
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 1 & 13
Respective final positions: 1 & 13
Effects: United move up one place but remain in the bottom half; Liverpool miss the chance to widen the gap between them and Arsenal. 6 points in it still.

[Trollheart]

Teams:Fulham v Ipswich Town
Regions: London v Suffolk
Managers: Marco Silva v Kieran McKenna
Targets: A win would lift Ipswich out of the relegation zone; Fulham want to move up the top half
Expectation: I'd imagine Fulham would win it.
Ground: Craven Cottage
Respective current positions (Before match): 9 & 18

Some sustained pressure from the visitors almost had Ipswich in front early, but their keeper had to be alert as Fulham almost nicked the first goal on 20 minutes. Back came the home side, man down and then a decision for the ref. Was that a goal-scoring opportunity denied? No was the decision and so only a yellow card resulted. With 8 minutes to go before the end of the first half Ipswich took the lead, capitalising on some poor Fulham defending. On the hour the home side missed a golden opportunity to level, and Ipswich went up their end and almost added a second, only the keeper to beat, but they couldn't beat him.

A penalty appeal was then turned down for Fulham, tempers flaring, as VAR checked it, and again the ref was overruled. Jiminez thereafter equalised for his team, but with 20 minutes to go another penalty, this time for the visitors. No need for VAR to get involved as this was a stonewall and the ref gave it, Delap hammering it beyond the Fulham keeper. A free for the Cottagers with 13 minutes to go went just wide, Ipswich desperate to hang on, then almost made it safe with minutes to go, the ball coming back off the upright. Danger still though as Fulham poured forward in the first minute of added time, Jiminez went down in the box and yet another penalty! All square again, and you'd have to say Ipswich were the architects of their own downfall here.


Result: Fulham 2 - 2 Ipswich Town
Scorer(s): Szmodics, Delap (IPS); Jiminez (p) (2) (FUL)
Penalties: 3
VAR decision(s), if any: Penalty awarded to Ipswich
Red Cards: None
Controversies: Should Clark have got a red card for that tackle? Was it a goal-scoring opportunity?
Respective current positions (After match): 9 & 18
Respective final positions: 9 & 18
Effects: No movement.

[Trollheart]

Monday January 6 2025



Teams: Wolves v Nottingham Forest
Regions: West Midlands v Nottinghamshire
Managers: Vitor Pereira v Nuno Espirito Santos
Targets: Forest can go second again with a win; Wolves are just above the relegation zone on goal difference only.
Expectation: Couldn't see Wolves winning this, even at home.
Ground: Molyneaux
Respective current positions (Before match): 17 & 3

Seven minutes gone and Forest were already ahead, Gibbs-White opening the scoring after a scorching run from the halfway line. Hwang then did his best to equalise for Wolves, passing to Strand-Larsen, keeper beaten but cleared off the line, a poor miss, and not too likely the home team would get many more. Surprisingly though, they did, and again it fell to Strand-Larsen but this time the keeper stopped his header, the game still one to the good for Forest. A penalty appeal was then turned down for the visitors, though another ref could have given it, as it did look like handball. VAR ruled it was accidental though.

Forest went the traditional route though, scoring again as their talismanic striker Chris Wood netted to double their lead on the stroke of half-time. The second half saw Forest give the ball away cheaply, allowing Strand-Larsen once again to menace their goal, but it wasn't third time lucky for the Wolves man, the ball again met by the gloves of the keeper. The game already wrapped up, Forest bagged their third to go level on points with Arsenal and six behind Liverpool. Title contenders? Don't rule it out just yet.

Result: Wolves 0 - 3 Nottingham Forest
Scorer(s): Gibbs-White, Wood, Awoniyi (FOR)
Penalties: None
VAR decision(s), if any: Penalty for Forest turned down
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 17 & 3
Respective final positions: 17 & 3
Effects: No movement, but Forest go level on points with Arsenal, now also 6 behind Liverpool.

[Trollheart]

Player of the Day: Once again I think I have to give this to Ipswich's rising star, Liam Delap.

Goal of the Day: Brooks' single goal that won it for Bournemouth: a thing of beauty

Miss of the Day: Has to be Harry Maguire, who could have won it for Manchester United at the death but blazed over instead.

Save of the Day: Any of Pickford's many against Bournemouth

VARiations: VAR overturned a fair few decisions by refs not to award penalties this weekend. Overall though, they look to have made the right call. For once.

Climb of the Day: Hardly any movement up or down, so nothing to report.
 
Drop of the Day: And same here really.

Quote of the Day: An angry and frustrated Ange Postecoglu in his after-match interview, pushed to clarify his statement: "You don't want to have an opinion. You want my opinion."

Pen of the Day: Jiminez's second for Fulham, coolness personified.

Score of the Day: Brentford's 5-0 against Southampton. The Saints must be getting used to these 5-0 defeats!

We Wuz Robbed! Not really, but Ipswich basically shot themselves in the foot, leading 2-1 at full time and then giving away a penalty that let Fulham draw in extra time.

Trollheart's Hates:

Arsenal

Only drew so not too bad; keeps pressure off Liverpool

Crystal Palace

They drew with Chelsea, which doesn't help their situation, so I suppose okay. I'd rather they weren't beaten, really, as I don't want Chelsea closing the gap on Liverpool, so overall not too bad.

Nottingham Forest

Furious that they not only keep winning, but are now mounting a pretty viable title bid! GAAHHH!!!

Manchester United

Very annoying to see them draw with Liverpool, even if it doesn't do their chances any good.

[Trollheart]

Overview

Perhaps showing how tight things are at the top, almost no movement in the table, despite big wins by some of the teams. Manchester City won for the second time in a row, but remain at sixth, while Manchester United drew with Liverpool but can't get out of the bottom half of the table. Newcastle had a great day against Tottenham yet still remain sixth, and even Forest's demolition of Wolves (Tim-berrrrr!) still keeps them third. Liverpool failed to win their match and so are now only six points ahead of both Arsenal and Forest, the former failing to win their match and close the gap, level now on points with the Nottinghamshire team.

A strange weekend indeed. But even with no real movement on the table, Liverpool now see their lead cut and must look over their shoulders at not only Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, but Chelsea and even Newcastle, the Magpies making a late bid to get into the title race, only a point behind the London team. At the other end, Leicester remain stuck in the relegation zone, while Palace seem destined to survive, now 5 points clear.

A weekend with not a single red card brandished, though some players were lucky to avoid being sent off, and with a total of six penalties, three of them coming in the one match.

[Trollheart]

[Trollheart]

Wednesday January 15 2025
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest
Everton v Aston Villa
Leicester v Crystal Palace
West Ham v Fulham
Newcastle v Wolves
Chelsea v Bournemouth
Brentford v Manchester City



Teams: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
Regions: London v London
Managers: Mikel Arteta v Ange Postecoglu
Targets: Arsenal want to take the chance to close the gap on Liverpool and widen that between them and third-placed Forest; Spurs want to get back into the top half of the table
Expectation: Arsenal at home? Has to be theirs
Ground: The Emirates
Respective current positions (Before match): 2 & 12

With the FA Cup no longer an issue, Arsenal could concentrate on making ground against the league leaders in their bid for the title. Spurs, through to the fourth round, might have their attention somewhat divided, but need to do better in the Premier League than where they are. They didn't make the best of starts, giving the ball away with the game only three minutes in, but Arsenal unable to make them pay. It was a warning though, and ten minutes later the Gunners were in again, the shot blocked but you'd fancy Arsenal to score at this rate. Another mistake halfway through the first period when the keeper was guilty of giving the ball away, but somehow they recovered and charged down field, unable to score though. They did get a corner, Kulusevski almost in for Tottenham's first, but kept out by Raya.

Spurs making all the running now and Son opened the scoring from another corner, somewhat against the run of play, but Arsenal were level five minutes before the break. Some controversy; a corner awarded from which the goal was scored, though on the replay it looked not to have been one (a corner, that is) while the goal, originally thought to have been scored by Gabriel, turned out to have gone in off of Solanke, so an own goal. Still, level pegging at the break. Or not quite. In the last minute Trossard scored to send the Gunners in ahead at half-time, Arsenal having turned the game around inside five minutes.

Havertz had a chance to make it three in the second half but straight at the keeper, then fifteen minutes from time Spurs had their shot but again an Arsenal defender there to block it. The Gunners were determined not to let Spurs back in, but three efforts went without reward as the final minutes ticked away, and in fact the visitors almost made it level again but for a great save coupled with the Arsenal post and the home side held on for an important win.


Result: Arsenal 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
Scorer(s): Son (TOT); Solanke (og), Trossard (ARS)
Penalties: None
VAR decision(s), if any: None
Red Cards: None
Controversies: Leveller for Arsenal came from a corner which was shown on replay not to have been a corner at all
Respective current positions (After match): 2 & 13
Respective final positions: 2 & 14
Effects: Arsenal remain in the chase, just 4 points behind Liverpool now. Spurs slide 2 places further down into the bottom half of the table.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Nottingham Forest v Liverpool
Regions: Nottinghamshire v Merseyside
Managers: Nuno Espirito Santo v Arne Slot
Targets: Almost a bid for the top; Liverpool, already there for weeks now, anxious to widen the gap, Forest's intentions the absolute reverse of that.
Expectation: You'd hope Liverpool would do it, especially after being held to a draw by Man United last weekend.
Ground: The City Ground
Respective current positions (Before match): 3 & 1

Level on points with Arsenal, Forest could only maintain that balance and shrink the gap between them and Liverpool to 3 points, but they are definitely a title prospect now. Nuno Espirito Santo's team have not lost a single game in what seems like forever, so Liverpool were going to be in for a tough time. And within 8 minutes they were behind, as Wood raced free and claimed yet another goal, his 13th of the season, certainly not unlucky for him! Two minutes later and it could have been two, had Murillo's long-range effort been held down a touch, then on the hour Salah went close but no equaliser as Liverpool began to look shaky away. But then on came two substitutes, Jota as one of them scoring the leveller 22 seconds after coming on, his team mate, also only on seconds, providing the pass.

Liverpool pushing for the win now, Salah almost worked his magic but the Forest keeper dived to keep the scores level, and again as the sands of time began to run out for Liverpool, facing their second draw on the run. The gap now down to four points, six ahead of Forest.


Result: Nottingham Forest 1 - 1 Liverpool
Scorer(s): Wood (FOR); Jota (LIV)
VAR decision(s), if any: None
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 3 & 1
Respective final positions: 3 & 1
Effects: No change in position for either but Forest are now 6 points behind Liverpool in third, and 2 behind Arsenal.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Newcastle United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Regions: Tyne & Wear v West Midlands
Managers: Eddie Howe v Vitor Pereira
Targets: Newcastle can overtake Chelsea in 4th with a win, Wolves need to make sure they don't sink back into that relegation zone. A win would take them into 16th.
Expectation: At home, Newcastle should be unplayable.
Ground: St. James Park
Respective current positions (Before match): 5 & 17

13 minutes in and Wolves were only wide of the post, Newcastle replying quickly but unable to score either. On the half-hour it looked written in the stars for Isak to score his eighth in eight, but again just shaved the post. Back he came though and this time he was not going to be denied. A long shot upfield almost let Strand-Larsen in to equalise, but a free in the dying moments of the half left Newcastle closer to taking the lead. All square at the break then, and in the second half Isak did it again just before the hour - is there no stopping this man? Wolves turned defence into attack and should have pulled one back, but the finishing was off as the Magpies went up the other end and Gordon finished it off for the home team. Wolves thought they had gained at least a consolation goal in the last minutes, but it was chalked off for handball.


Result: Newcastle 3 - 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Scorer(s): Isak (2), Gordon (NEW)
VAR decision(s), if any: Wolves goal disallowed for handball
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 4 & 18
Respective final positions: 4 & 17
Effects: Newcastle go 4th and are now challenging, not only for Europe but an outside bet on the title race too. Wolves slip into the relegation zone but rise one place above it after Ipswich's game yesterday.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Everton v Aston Villa
Regions: Merseyside v Birmingham
Managers: David Moyes v Unai Emery
Targets: Everton need to move up the lower half of the table, while Villa could do with climbing the top end
Expectation: Hard to say; always go for Villa though, I do
Ground: Goodison Park
Respective current positions (Before match): 16 & 8

Having parted company with Sean Dyche last week, normally this would be in the minds of the players and might affect their performance negatively, but then, David Moyes is not a new face but a returning familiar one, so perhaps he could provide the spark the Toffees have been lacking under Dyche? Well Villa were on the attack early, five minutes and had it not been for an acrobatic Pickford the visitors would have been ahead. Three minutes later and only an excellent tackle stopped them racking up the first goal, the Everton defence being cut apart. A third lucky escape on 16 as a poor pass let them in and Watkins beat Pickford but not the post.

The same deal for Calvert-Lewin just before the half-hour, the Everton striker squandering the opportunity. A poor and weak shot then was easily cleared off the line, but neither team seemed to be able to beat the vertical stick of white wood, as Ramsey also blasted past the post as the first half drew to a close. Watkins finally shot the ball the right side of the stick in the second half to put Villa ahead six minutes gone. Calvert-Lewin had a chance to grab a share of the points in injury time but scuffed it over the bar. Same old same old for Everton, and work to do for Moyes, no happy return for him.

Result: Everton 0 - 1 Aston Villa
Scorer(s): Watkins (AST)
VAR decision(s), if any: None
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 16 & 7
Respective final positions: 16 & 7
Effects: Villa move up one place, Everton remain static.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Leicester City v Crystal Palace
Regions: Leicestershire v London
Managers: Ruud van Nistelrooy v Oliver Glasner
Targets: Leicester need to get out of the relegation zone, Palace want to put more distance between it and them
Expectation: Probably expect Palace to win it
Ground: The King Power
Respective current positions (Before match): 19 & 15

Vardy had a speculative shot on 2 minutes, but the Foxes weren't taking the lead that way, nor indeed on 17 when the Leicester striker was through one on one with the keeper, the Palace man coming out best of that match. A bad pass via a bounce didn't allow Palace to profit, the ball over the top, then in injury time Hughes had a great chance but shot too high. In the second half Mateta rounded the keeper seven minutes in and scored the first goal. 20 minutes to go and Leicester went on the attack, only short of a goal by the width of the crossbar as the Leicestershire fog began to roll in again, and through that fog with 12 minutes to go Palace took their second, and surely all three points.


Result: Leicester City 0 - 2 Crystal Palace
Scorer(s): Mateta, Guehi (PAL)
VAR decision(s), if any: None
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 19 & 14
Respective final positions: 19 & 15
Effects: Leicester remain one place off the bottom; Palace climb to 14th but slip back to 15th after yesterday's match.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Brentford v Manchester City
Regions: London v Manchester
Managers: Thomas Frank v Pep Guardiola
Targets: Brentford need to get back into the top half, Man City need another win to see if that magic is coming back.
Expectation: Not calling it
Ground: The G-Tech Community Stadium
Respective current positions (Before match): 11 & 6

After their 8-0 demolition of Salford in the FA Cup, City might feel the sparkle is coming back to their season, but Brentford are always tricky at home. Mbeumo nearly put them ahead on 15 minutes but just wide, then Haaland's header also shot past the post on the wrong side. Hesitation in the box prevented City from taking the opening goal in the first half, then Savinho's shot came back off the post in the second, but Foden's shot just after the hour, also bouncing, went the right way, hopping off the post and in, to give City the lead. That lead looked very fragile when Wissa almost levelled but for a great goal-line clearance four minutes later. Foden made it safe with 12 minutes to go, though Wissa didn't think so and netted with 8 minutes of normal time to go, to make it a nervy finish for the visitors. It was even nervier when Norgaard scored in the second minute of extra time, robbing City of their third victory and, crucially, three points reduced to a single one. A late late show from Brentford that made them a thorn in the side of Manchester City. It could have been worse though as the home side went on the attack and almost took all three points, just barely kept out. City lucky really.


Result: Brentford 2 - 2 Manchester City
Scorer(s): Foden (2) (MNC); Wissa, Norgaard (BRE)
VAR decision(s), if any: None
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 10 & 6
Respective final positions: 11 & 6
Effects: Brentford make it into the top half only to slip back down after Brighton's win yesterday. City remain in 6th.

[Trollheart]

Teams: Chelsea v Bournemouth
Regions: London v Dorset
Managers: Enzo Maresca v Andoni Iraola
Targets: Chelsea have lost touch with the top three and need to reestablish that position, while Bournemouth could take their place at 4th if they win.
Expectation: I don't know; Chelsea are on a bit of a losing streak recently and Bournemouth are doing very well, eight games unbeaten.
Ground: Stamford Bridge
Respective current positions (Before match): 4 & 7

Is it becoming inevitable to hear the words "Palmer scores early"? Well, he did again, only 12 minutes gone. That wouldn't matter though if Chelsea lost, and Bournemouth were very nearly level just after the half-hour when the home keeper made a terrible kick out, his own team rattling the post down the other end, then with the last minutes of the half running out the home side got a corner, allowing Jackson in to, um, miss again. A penalty for the visitors in the first few minutes of the second half gave Kluivert the chance to draw his team level, a chance he did not spurn. And Bournemouth had soon turned the game around as Semenyo put them ahead on 68, a lead they held until added time when Chelsea got a free and James equalised to allow them to take a share of the points.

Result: Chelsea 2 - 2 Bournemouth
Scorer(s): Palmer, James (CHE); Kluivert (p), Semenyo (BOU)
VAR decision(s), if any: None
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 5 & 8
Respective final positions: 5 & 8
Effects: The draw does neither team any favours, both slipping one place.

[Trollheart]

Teams: West Ham v Fulham
Regions: London v London
Managers: Graham Potter v Marco Silva
Targets: West Ham need to move up the bottom half, Fulham are in the top half and want to go higher
Expectation: You'd think Fulham would do it
Ground: The London Stadium
Respective current positions (Before match): 14 & 9

After their exit from the FA Cup at our hands, West Ham played at home for the first time under their new manager, and took a half hour to open the scoring for him after a catastrophic error by the Fulham striker, and like the buses, you wait 30 minutes for one and then two come along at once - Soucek doubling West Ham's lead a mere two minutes later. Fulham were nearly in for one of their own a few minutes later but clipped the bar, but six minutes into the second half Iwobi had halved that lead. A real test for the Hammers now: could they hold on to that lead?

Well, yes, in fact they restored it, thanks to a really awful error by the Fulham keeper, and Paqueta took full advantage to bury the ball in his net for West Ham's third. Iwobi however was on sparkling form and reduced the deficit again as he scored his second on 78 to get Fulham back into the match. They kept pushing, and in the first minute of additional time a frantic scramble almost got the ball across the line for the equaliser, but not quite, as West Ham hung on for Potter's first win.

Result: West Ham United 3 - 2 Fulham
Scorer(s): Soler, Soucek, Paqueta (WHU); Iwobi (2) (FUL)
VAR decision(s), if any: None
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 12 & 9
Respective final positions: 13 & 10
Effects: West Ham's victory lifts them into 12th but they slip back to 13th after last night's match; Fulham rise to 9th but also slip one place after yesterday's match to 10th.

[Trollheart]

Thursday January 16 2025
Ipswich v Brighton
Manchester United v Southampton




Teams: Ipswich Town v Brighton & Hove Albion
Regions: Suffolk v East Sussex
Managers: Kieran McKenna v Fabian Hurzeler
Targets: Ipswich want to leave the relegation zone, Brighton want to move up the top half.
Expectation: You'd have to imagine Brighton would take this.
Ground: Portman Road
Respective current positions (Before match): 18 & 10

The home side gave it a go, Liam Delap, in sparkling form (and surely being courted by other, less relegation-threatened teams?) almost opening the scoring with a bullet strike, the Brighton keeper though able to keep it out. Back came Ipswich, another fine strike, this time from Hutchinson, met by the man in the net, the Tractor Boys unable to get past him but the advantage seeming to be with the hosts. That was it for the first half, but things really livened up in the second when Joao Pedro crashed into the keeper and sent him sprawling to the ground, earning a card for his troubles that matched his strip, i.e., yellow. From the resultant corner Ipswich again could have scored but wide of the post and scoreless it remained.

On the hour it was Brighton who changed that situation, perhaps somewhat against the run of play, as Mitoma latched onto the pass from O'Reilly to hammer it under the Ipswich keeper. Joao Pedro could have made it safe soon after but the keeper able to claw it away, then eight minutes from time Rutter made it two to give the Seagulls the away victory and condemn Ipswich to another weekend in the bottom three.

Result: Ipswich 0 - 2 Brighton
Scorer(s): Mitoma, Rutter (BHA)
Penalties: None
VAR decision(s), if any: None
Red Cards: None
Controversies: None
Respective current positions (After match): 18 & 9
Respective final positions: 18 & 9
Effects: Ipswich remain in the zone while Brighton climb a place to 9th.