Sporting Week in Review:
Posted by Rob Shepherd on Friday, April 14, 2017
So, the temperature may have dropped in the UK this week but not the sporting action! In the Grand National, ‘One For Arthur’ romped in at 14-1 ahead of 16-1 shot ‘Cause of Causes’ and 25-1 shot, ‘Saint Are’ took third place in an exciting race.
Hope you did well, me? When it comes to the Grand National, I’m the most consistent inconsistent bettor that the world has ever known. I think I backed every single horse that fell before the 10th fence, I wonder what the odds were on that happening?
In the football world, the games are coming thick and fast and I’m loving it, despite the fact I know the season is in its final furlong (to keep with the Grand National theme going) and I intend to enjoy every second of it while I can.
Spurs Keeping up the Pace
Tottenham are still trying to keep the pressure on Chelsea and their 4-0 early Saturday win against Watford meant that Chelsea had the pressure piled on before their game against a rejuvenated Bournemouth. Chelsea duly obliged with a 1-3 victory.
Another team who had seen green shoots of recovery are Hull but Manchester City ended a four-game winless streak by beating the Tigers 3-1 and strengthened their hand for a vital Champions League spot.
Liverpool Stoke their Champions League fire
Liverpool had to fight back from being a goal down against Mark Hughes’s Stoke. Liverpool, so often strong against the “bigger” team looked like this could again be a surprise result but Brazilian duo, Coutinho and Firmino kept the Merseyside club sitting in third.
Super Sunday
You often wonder when watching Manchester United this season, were would they be without Zlatan Ibrahmovic? It wasn’t just his amazing 20-yard goal but his all-round play is just a joy to watch. His goal in the 30th minute was his 17th in the league and the weight on the aging striker’s shoulders is intense but a good team performance saw them demolish bottom team Sunderland 3-0. This result sees Sunderland 10 points behind 17th placed Hull. Time is running out for former Manchester United manager, David Moyes.
The last game on Sunday saw Everton take on Leicester at Goodison Park. What a cracker this one was! Everton’s Tom Davies set the tone of the game when scored after 30 seconds and the action barely died down after that. In a six-goal spectacular, Everton registered their seventh straight home league win with this 4-2 victory over champions Leicester. Lukaku who has recently turned down Everton’s offer of a new contract, scored his 22nd and 23rd Premier League goals, you must wonder how long he will remain with the Merseysiders.
Monday Mauling for Arsenal
If there were murmurings of discontent at Arsenal, these turned into full on vocal warfare after a limp Arsenal display in a shock 3-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace. Palace were sitting in 16th place before this game and Arsenal needed a win to reduce the gap of three points on 5th place Manchester United.
Making Rugby News Headlines in the Past Week
Lions Watch –
A nervous weekend for Warren Gatland with Sam Warburton and Mako Vunipola forced off. Saracens’ director of rugby Mark McCall insisted it was just a precaution in Vunipola’s case, with a Champions Cup semi-final looming. While it is understood that Warburton, who will have a scan on his knee, is not expected to have a lengthy lay-off.
Sam Warburton, the frontrunner by some distance to be named as captain of the Lions next week, was yesterday ruled out of the remainder of the regular domestic season with a knee ligament injury.
Warburton is expected to be back and fit to make the tour but it now looks likely that he will not have played again before May 29, when the Lions squad fly to New Zealand.
Lions Contenders –
Anthony Watson (BATH v Leicester Tigers): Matt Banahan has been on the end of preposterous amounts of criticism over the years for the limitations to his game; the way he makes this try is one delicious response. It’s not just the softness of the pass to Watson, and the understanding between the pair of them, it’s the intelligence of his run which occupies the minds of four Tigers defenders as Watson loops round him into space.
Chris Ashton (SARACENS v Harlequins): There are a lot of working parts behind this one which just exhibits how smooth are the working parts of the Saracens attack: the no-look link between Brad Barrett and Owen Farrell, the one-handed release of the pass from Duncan Taylor, the weight of the grubber from Alex Goode for Ashton to run on and score. There were understandable complaints from Quins about Ashton taking out Mike Brown off the ball, but it is still an impressive piece of work.
Christian Wade (WASPS v Northampton Saints): A real typical something-from-nothing here from Wade, the kind of try he has been scoring all season. There is not a lot on, just Jamie Gibson and George North twice the size of him and standing in front of him – so he chips and chases and catches North completely flat-footed.
Other News
Announced this week – Bilbao will host the European Champions Cup final next year, becoming the first city outside Britain, Ireland and France to host the event.
St James’ Park, Newcastle, will stage the 2019 final this after receiving much praise for their hosting of a World Cup match in 2015.