The Premier League title race is set to soon reach its exciting conclusion, while the incredible Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen refuse to accept defeat. Gary Lemke highlights a few talking points ahead of the weekend’s football.
REPLAYS TO DISAPPEAR FROM FA CUP
From next season the ‘Romance of the FA Cup’ dims a bit more with the decision to scrap replays. Those replays have thrown up some historical upsets and also proved a cash lifeline to smaller clubs getting a replay at the home of one of the heavyweights in the League. Had it not been for an FA Cup replay I would never have started following Chelsea.
It might have been Leeds. When I was old enough to realise that football existed and I chose to support a club, it was based on the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leeds. It went to a replay, which Chelsea won 1-0. Of course, it could have been worse. It could have been a Manchester United vs Arsenal final
The #EmiratesFACup quarter-final TV picks have been selected! 📺
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 1, 2024
QUIET BEFORE EPL TITLE RACE STORM
You know it’s been a fairly slow news week in English football when the Daily Mail produces stories headlined ‘Erling Haaland visits his dad’s new stunning £2.5m Marbella home’ and ‘Man United stars head out for dinner ahead of Liverpool clash’ and even more depressing is when you see the current number of viewers reading those stories. However, with just four games on the EPL calendar for this week, it does all feel like the quiet before the storm of the big title run-in.
"This is why Premier League is the best in the world!" 🤩
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 14, 2024
Hear from Premier League pundits as they reflect on @afcbournemouth's incredible 4-3 turnaround win ⤵️
KEANE’S ‘ASSAILANT’ STATES HIS CASE
I told you it’s been a slow week, but a follow-up on last week’s item is that 43-year-old Essex “businessman” Scott Law was in court for alleged assault of Roy Keane following Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat of Man United at The Emirates last September. Law appeared in court this week to confirm his identity, but his lawyers told the court he will argue he was acting in “self-defence” against the 52-year-old Keane when he “headbutted” the football pundit. Now, here’s an idea. Put both of them in a locked room and whoever comes out with the key wins. I know who my money would be on.
19 years ago today, Roy Keane scored his final goal for #MUFC ❤pic.twitter.com/cgY5YV83Io
— UnitedReds (@UnitedRedscom) March 12, 2024
GREAT EXPECTATIONS – AND NOT
We all know that stats blur the lines of reality and that the expression “there are lies, damn lies and statistics” exists for a reason. According to “research” conducted by Swiss-based CIES Football Observatory, which feeds all sorts of “expected goals” ratios, chances scored and missed, the most clinical side in the EPL is Arsenal.
These stats exclude penalties. So, apparently, there are six teams who “over-perform”. Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham, Newcastle and Luton score more than they have been expected to based on the way their games have gone, Man United and Everton.
We are The Arsenal ✊ pic.twitter.com/sICuv7geMu
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 12, 2024
LEVERKUSEN REFUSE TO ACCEPT DEFEAT
Don’t rub your eyes, but Bayer Leverkusen are 10 points ahead of Bayern Munich at the top of the German Bundesliga. That situation means Thoms Tuchel is leaving the German giants (Bayern, not Bayer) at the end of the season, and we all know that German sides are dangerous when it comes to the Champions League.
Only thing is that Leverkusen are competing in the Europa League this season and they’ll be in the Champions League in 2024/25. However, they sure have character. On Thursday they were trailing Qarabag FK (I’ll save you the trouble of Googling, they’re an Azerbaijan club) 2-1 when the fourth official raised his board for six minutes added time after the 90 minutes. Goals in the 93rfd and 97th minute turned things and Leverkusen won 3-2. They are now unbeaten in 37 matches across all competitions this season. In the Bundesliga, they have won 21 and drawn 4 of their 25 matches.
He just knows. 😮💨⚫️🔴#B04QAR | #Bayer04 #UEL #aCROSSeurope @XabiAlonso pic.twitter.com/JQQhUB9hfx
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) March 14, 2024
SALAH IS LIVERPOOL’S SEVENTH WONDER
Mo Salah is the gift that keeps on giving for Liverpool fans. He was in the scoresheet again this week against Sparta Prague and created club history. The Egyptian became the first Liverpool player in 131 seasons for the club to score 20-plus goals in all competitions in seven consecutive seasons. Build the man a statue!
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) March 14, 2024
