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I was expecting the worst with us picking the ‘b’ team. But we really played well and were unlucky not to get anything from the game. But our resources are not the same as the teams above us. We don’t have top internationals warming the bench!
Still David Moyes was right to rest the first team with a very important semi final coming up on Thursday.

I would have liked to have seen West Ham take - at the very least - a point from the game; in truth, they deserved no less. And, by all accounts, regrettable red card notwithstanding, Craig Dawson had an outstanding game.

Moreover, that is entirely aside from the fact that, as an Arsenal supporter, - and one who has no love for the former owner, or ownership model, that Chelsea bequeathed the Premier League, (for, at the time, Abramovich's arrival was a radical and revolutionary and transformational game changer in many ways, and immediately made obsolete teams - such as Arsenal, and others, who had sought to generate revenue through building large, or new, stadia), I wanted to see Chelsea squashed, which would have made chasing the third or fourth spot, easier, or rather, would have meant that their (hopefully, tenuous) grip, or hold, on third place was just a little less secure.
 
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I would have liked to have seen West Ham take - at the very least - a point from the game; in truth, they deserved no less. And, by all accounts, regrettable red card notwithstanding, Craig Dawson had an outstanding game.

Moreover, that is entirely aside from the fact that, as an Arsenal supporter, - and one who has no love for the former owner, or ownership model, that Chelsea bequeathed the Premier League, (for, at the time, Abramovich's arrival was a radical and revolutionaty and transformational game changer in many ways, and immediately made obsolete teams - such as Arsenal, and others, who had sought to generate revenue through building large, or new, stadia), I wanted to see Chelsea squashed, which would have made chasing the third or fourth spot, or rather, would have meant that their (hopefully, tenuous) hold on third place was a little less secure.
I also wanted a win. Not because we are in the race for 4th anymore, but could have done the confidence a boost before our European match. Fortunately for you, we are likely to field another weakened team against Arsenal at the weekend. Injuries and the second leg being the reason.
 
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Divok Origi torments the Toffees once again, though possibly for the last time if he leaves this summer. Everton were up for the match and made 'Pool work for it, it was not a walkover.

Everton are now genuinely staring at relegation. Burnley still have a lot to do to survive, but then again so do Everton.
 
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Divok Origi torments the Toffees once again, though possibly for the last time if he leaves this summer. Everton were up for the match and made 'Pool work for it, it was not a walkover.

Everton are now genuinely staring at relegation. Burnley still have a lot to do to survive, but then again so do Everton.
I can see Everton going down. They just look poor in so many areas.
 
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It's going to be fascinating to watch how Burnley and Everton close out the season. Just a few weeks ago, it looked like relegation for Burnley was inevitable, but they may improve just enough after sacking their manager.

The prospect of Everton going down is a pretty big shock, but they really have been poor this season — an even worse total of the sum of their parts than Man Utd.
 
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Maybe Manchester United will get something from the game against Chelsea on Thursday and do Arsenal a favour?

Everton fans must look wistfully at David Moyes's West Ham these days.
 
It's going to be fascinating to watch how Burnley and Everton close out the season. Just a few weeks ago, it looked like relegation for Burnley was inevitable, but they may improve just enough after sacking their manager.

The prospect of Everton going down is a pretty big shock, but they really have been poor this season — an even worse total of the sum of their parts than Man Utd.
Frank Lampard has not impressed me thus far as a manager. If you compare him with Rooney, Gerrard, and Arteta I think he comes out as the least successful of the group. Arteta and Gerrard have done better at similarly high-profile jobs to Frank's Chelsea experience, while Rooney has managed to come out of a very bad situatuation with some credit. Lampard didn't really show much at Chelsea, and at Everton he has inherited a demoralized squad assembled with no clear vision - not as bad as the team Rooney had to work with but far from good. How can we expect him to turn that around?

His job is clear though - outperform Burnley for the remaining games of the season. On paper that doesn't sound like a big ask, but apart from the Merseyside derby the've shown little fight. If he can get them to play like they did in that derby every week, they have a chance of staying up. If.
 
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Frank Lampard has not impressed me thus far as a manager. If you compare him with Rooney, Gerrard, and Arteta I think he comes out as the least successful of the group. Arteta and Gerrard have done better at similarly high-profile jobs to Frank's Chelsea experience, while Rooney has managed to come out of a very bad situatuation with some credit. Lampard didn't really show much at Chelsea, and at Everton he has inherited a demoralized squad assembled with no clear vision - not as bad as the team Rooney had to work with but far from good. How can we expect him to turn that around?

His job is clear though - outperform Burnley for the remaining games of the season. On paper that doesn't sound like a big ask, but apart from the Merseyside derby the've shown little fight. If he can get them to play like they did in that derby every week, they have a chance of staying up. If.
Two players who have recently transitioned to good managers are Patrick Viera and Steven Gerard. Both are doing very well.
 
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Back up to 4th...
 
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City are a much better team than Real, I expected them to win by more than a single goal. I just hope the second leg is a painful, draining affair. Soften them up.
 
For Villarreal? ?

Good luck.
In a way, the Merseyside Derby was a good rehearsal for today, because Villareal came to Anfield to slow the game down and frustrate, just as Everton did. Again the first half was a stalemate. But 45 minutes is not 90 minutes, and in the second half Villareal cracked.

The next leg is away will be even tougher in some ways, but Villareal have to come out at Liverpool now and that limits their tactical options.
 
In a way, the Merseyside Derby was a good rehearsal for today, because Villareal came to Anfield to slow the game down and frustrate, just as Everton did. Again the first half was a stalemate. But 45 minutes is not 90 minutes, and in the second half Villareal cracked.

The next leg is away will be even tougher in some ways, but Villareal have to come out at Liverpool now and that limits their tactical options.
2-0 up. I’d settle for that tomorrow night!
 
Klopp signs a new contract extension, keeping him at Liverpool through 2026. He's the single most important individual at the club, with due respect to our biggest stars like Salah. Maybe he did it to provide Mo with a good example. :D
That will be a very long tenure. But I’m sure it’s a decision many will be overjoyed with!

Now to matters at hand. A rather important first leg semi final.
Come on you Irons!
 
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I keep on forgetting that United are playing Chelsea today. Season's pretty much over in my mind, though maybe some of the promising youth on United's bench like Alvaro Fernandez or Garnacho will get in the game at some point.
 
United mostly looked... pretty bad, but their bad defending was matched by Chelsea's bad finishing. The match ended 1-1, with Ronaldo rescuing a point yet again with a nice finish. They don't have anyone else capable of scoring a goal right now.

Season can't end soon enough.
 
So, Rangnick takes the helm of the Austrian national team, but does confirm he will also be taking up the mysterious and oft-discussed 'consultant' role at Man Utd on top of that.

Tough match for West Ham, with a little added crowd trouble to boot. The tie is not lost yet, but the away leg is going to be a hard one to win.
 
So, Rangnick takes the helm of the Austrian national team, but does confirm he will also be taking up the mysterious and oft-discussed 'consultant' role at Man Utd on top of that.

Tough match for West Ham, with a little added crowd trouble to boot. The tie is not lost yet, but the away leg is going to be a hard one to win.
It is. And Arsenal a few days before. We have all our eggs in the Europa league basket now. Our excellent season could end up with nothing. The very early goal yesterday meant we were on the back foot right from the start. Not great at home.
 
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