Swansea 0-1 Liverpool: Post-Match Analysis

Liverpool weathered the storm on a ghastly Monday evening in Wales, eventually coming out 1-0 winners after somehow keeping Swansea out despite a lacklustre first half performance. The winning goal was a rare slice of fortune: a clearance deflected off the shin of Jordan Henderson, and the ball looped over Fabianski and in. While not exactly a glorious victory, the win (amazingly, given our start to the season) leaves Liverpool just four points off second.

It was immediately apparent that we weren’t going to be treated to a vintage Liverpool performance. Swansea were playing a very effective pressing game, and this was prompting multiple errors from Liverpool players. We were sloppy in possession and Daniel Sturridge looked extremely isolated when we did get forward – it was one of the worst first half performances Liverpool have put in this season, and certainly the worst in 2015. It was Swansea creating all the chances, and had they not been so wasteful then they could have been two or three up at half time. Ki in particular wasted a good chance, heading tamely to Skrtel when presented with a golden opportunity just outside the six yard box. Mignolet must also take some credit – as he has done so regularly since his upturn in form, he bailed out our defence with a couple of exceptional stops.

Other than Mignolet, the only performance of note in the first half was Allen. He was the only outfield player who looked up for it, and made a couple of key tackles as well as multiple positive passes. Lallana was abysmal at wing back and only marginally more effective when moved to the centre, Can’s performance was summed up when he got totally destroyed by the skill of the prodigiously talented Neil Taylor and Sterling was largely ineffectual. Coutinho also struggled to influence the game, but that was largely thanks to the failure of his team-mates to create some space for him with their movement.

Still, somewhat predictably, the hosts weren’t able to keep up such a high press for the full 90 minutes. Around the 55 minute mark the Swans started to ease off a little but, and Liverpool were consequently allowed to play the more expansive, exciting football we’ve grown accustomed to in recent weeks. Sterling really came into the game, getting forward a lot from the wing back position he had taken from Lallana and demonstrating some nice skill at times. His final ball was lacking, with a couple of pull-backs only picking out a Swansea defender, but he did at least get us on to the front foot with a lot of positive running. Allen continued to dominate, playing some wonderful passes and maintaining a staggering work rate. Sturridge still didn’t look quite at the races, but in fairness it was his lovely piece of improvisation that led to the only goal of the match. He dummied a ball that had been intended forwards for him, allowing it to run through to Henderson. The stand-in captain (at least until Gerrard replaced Moreno a couple of minutes prior to the goal) then struck lucky, watching on as Amat’s attempted clearance struck his shin and looped over the keeper. 

Liverpool then had enough about them to see out the remaining minutes fairly comfortably. Indeed, they almost added a second: a quick counter attack led to the ball reaching Sturridge in the box, whose cheeky curling shot smacked the post. Fortunately it didn’t matter – the whistle went moments later, and Liverpool got the three points that moved them into within just four points of second place. After the abysmal start to the season, this is frankly mind-blowing. We could finish in the same position as last season. Let that sink in. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to do, but the fact we can even discuss the possibility shows what a turnaround there’s been at the club. We’ve closed the gap on City from a staggering seventeen points at the turn of the year to a meagre four now. Perhaps more importantly than this, we’re also only two points off United in fourth. We play them on Sunday in the knowledge that a win would move us into the Champions League positions. Hopefully we can put in a better performance than the one we saw last night, but ultimately all that matters is that we get the same end result: a win. If we can maintain our excellent form (five wins from our last five!), there’s no reason at all why a Champions League place, and possibly even as high as second, can’t be achieved. As well as being the key to Europe, a top four finish would be a solid foundation upon which to push on from for next season – hopefully next time out the squad will be able to fulfil their capabilities and launch another title challenge.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 2-0 Burnley: Post-Match Thoughts

Liverpool continued their impressive run of form in yesterday's game against Burnley, coming out comfortable 2-0 winners. They looked in charge right from the outset, and goals from Henderson and Sturridge sealed the three points.

It was immediately apparent that Liverpool are the league's form side: straight from kick-off they were oozing confidence. One of the key differences from the start of the season is the pressing; be it Burnley or Man City, the reds aren't giving their opponents any time on the ball. This allows them to get on the front foot in matches immediately - Sturridge nearly scored within the first couple of minutes of this one, only to see his shot kept out by an exceptional stop from Heaton. Burnley looked dangerous on the counter occasionally, but it was Liverpool who looked by far the more likely to score. They did manage to make the breakthrough before half time: Henderson continued Liverpool's run of scoring screamers by smashing an emphatic half volley into the corner. It evoked memories of Gerrard and Olympiakos; indeed, it caused many fresh comparisons between the current and future captain.

These comparisons were only increased by Henderson's glorious assist for the second goal of the game midway through the second half. He whipped in a wonderful cross before Daniel Sturridge, who had endured an otherwise poor game, beat his man and headed home. It was a typically assured finish, and Liverpool fans will be hoping that it was the start of a return to full form for Sturridge. This put the match beyond doubt, and the hosts comfortably saw out the rest of the game.

It is worth noting that Dejan Lovren had an uncharacteristically solid game. While I still don't think that he'll be able to carve out much of a career for Liverpool, it's good that he's starting to prove himself as adequate backup. Coutinho, too, continued his magnificent form - he nearly netted yet another immense goal, curling one inches wide from what is fast becoming known as the Coutinho zone. In fact, everyone put in a decent shift - Mignolet perhaps looked a little shaky and Sturridge still looked off the pace, but on the whole it was a wonderful team performance.

The win saw us continue to pile the pressure on the teams above us; United's extremely lucky victory over Newcastle meant that we didn't gain on them, but if our form continues then it's only a matter of time. We play them just two games from now – if we can keep up this form then it seems not only possible but likely that we’ll be in the top four after that match. The “81 points” total that is being bandied about by fans is actually starting to look attainable: this is the total Liverpool would end up on if they won all of their remaining games. It is a points tally that has always been enough to secure at least fourth place (it is usually enough for second), and with only eight games to go the reds look capable of achieving it.
-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 2-1 City: Coutinho Magic Seals Three Points

Although this fixture wasn’t the title clash that it was last season, it lived up to similar standards in terms of excitement. Both teams still had a lot to fight for – Liverpool needed a win to keep up their pursuit of a place in the top four, while City wanted three points in a bid to keep the pressure on Chelsea. The two sides are both renowned for their easy on the eye attacking football, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. They produced one of the games of the season, with Liverpool eventually coming out 2-1 winners courtesy of wonder-strikes from Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho respectively.

It was evident from kick-off that this was going to be a hard fought affair. Immediately the game developed an end-to-end nature, with both sides looking very threatening. City perhaps looked a little more likely to score in the opening exchanges, perhaps due to their extra recovery day since the two teams’ European excursions. However, a moment of pure inspiration from Jordan Henderson after eleven minutes meant it was the hosts who struck first. Sterling passed the ball to the captain, who was in a fair amount of space outside of the box. After a touch to set himself, the ex-Sunderland man curled the ball powerfully into the top corner, leaving Joe Hart completely powerless to prevent it.

The game continued in much the same way after this, although City’s attacking play had a little more urgency about it. Aguero struck the post just two minutes after they fell behind, and then turned provider after 25 minutes to give City an equaliser. He slotted a perfect ball through to Dzeko, who made no mistake with his finish. Can could be criticised for not stepping forward and playing Dzeko offside, and Lovren was perhaps a little guilty of ball watching, but the goal largely came courtesy of Aguero’s excellent vision and technique.

From this moment on it was Liverpool who seized the initiative, playing the better football from then until the end of the game. Coutinho was instrumental in this, showcasing his amazing dribbling talents to embarrass City defenders on multiple occasions. Zabaletta had a particularly torrid time of things; Sterling and Coutinho both caused him multiple problems in the first half. To be fair to the Argentinean, he had an immense second half – he made multiple crucial tackles and drastically reduced Liverpool’s threat down the left. Allen should also be singled out for praise. Many have said that this match was his best in a Liverpool shirt: his close control and passing were both excellent, and he definitely brought a degree of composure into the Liverpool midfield. Lallana, too, was excellent. He was using his undoubted skill properly for once – rather than executing ten pointless Cruyff turns before giving the ball away, he was actually beating men and creating chances. His highlight was a beautiful piece of first time control in the second half; he took the ball down and beat his marker with a beautiful piece of trickery all in one movement.

Although Liverpool had really begun to dominate by the hour mark, their inability to pick out a final ball meant that it looked like the match could be heading for a draw. Coutinho had other ideas. If there was any doubt that he deserved man of the match, he ended it by scoring an absolute peach of a goal to win the match for the hosts and hugely bolster their chances of finishing fourth or higher. Henderson watched on as his goal went from goal of the season contender to not even goal of the game: Coutinho struck one from even further out, and it curled in a remarkably similar way straight into the top corner. The Brazilian is making a habit of scoring exceptional goals – everyone’s been saying for a while that he would be scarily good if he added goals to his game, and two in two matches speaks for itself. He is fast becoming the complete package, to the point where I’d now rather lose Sterling than Coutinho.

To sum up, both sides deserve credit for an all-round excellent game of football. Neither team was perfect defensively - Liverpool clearly missed Sakho – but that just added to the spectacle. In the end it took two moments of magic to see Liverpool take all three points, and continue on the right track for a top four finish. Their next game is against Burnley; we’ve beaten the big team, but getting the results against the minnows is just as important. Hopefully Liverpool can retain their unbeaten league record in 2015 and pile even more pressure on Arsenal and United.

 -James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Southampton 0-2 Liverpool: Post-Match Thoughts

In a week of upsets that saw Spurs draw against West Ham and United lose to Swansea, Liverpool travelled to St Mary’s knowing that a victory would see them move to within just two points of fourth. Although the team didn’t exactly put in a vintage performance, they came away with the three points they needed – Liverpool now face Manchester City next week with a little less pressure on them, and with the chase for fourth place well and truly on.

A fair few eyebrows were raised when the team news was released – Sakho missed out through injury meaning Lovren started on his return to his former club, Moreno was rested and Sturridge started from the bench as part of the cautious approach to his return. The wisdom of starting Coutinho again was also questioned by many; this questioning didn’t last long! After just three minutes he gave Liverpool the lead, curling the ball perfectly into the top corner off the underside of the bar from 25 yards out. It was a contender for goal of the season – the extra shooting practice he’s been doing is clearly paying off, and he really does seem to be becoming the real deal. That said, the lead wasn’t deserved by any means; Southampton had shown their attacking intent right from the outset, and had a good case for a penalty after just 20 seconds.

The theme of poor refereeing decisions influencing proceedings continued throughout the match. Not long after Liverpool had brilliantly taken the lead, Southampton had a second, better penalty appeal turned down. Joe Allen lunged in to try and dispossess Djuricic, but missed the ball and went crashing into the new Saints midfielder. Kevin Friend, however, waved the strong appeals away. The injustice was partially righted midway through the half – Jose Fonte sent Raheem Sterling crashing to the floor with a clearly reckless challenge. Admittedly he made contact with the ball first, but to call the challenge controlled would be a stretch.

Friend’s reluctance to penalise blatant fouls did have one positive effect: the game was certainly free-flowing, with the play being end-to-end at times. While this was trying on the nerves, it did make for a good spectacle. Liverpool clearly missed Sakho; the defence, who have been extremely solid of late, were an absolute shambles for much of the first half. Simon Mignolet, who has gone from out-of-favour to key asset in the space of a couple of months, made a few vital stops to keep the lead intact. At the other end, Matt Targett was being absolutely tormented by Jordon Ibe. However, the other attacking players were posing less of a threat: Sterling had a very quiet half, Lallana’s sole job seemed to be to shuttle the ball five yards to Ibe, and other than the wonder-goal Coutinho’s impact was very limited. In truth, Liverpool were lucky to reach the break with a lead.

Things settled down a little after the break; the decision to bring Moreno on for Markovic was a key factor in this. Clyne had looked dangerous throughout the first period. This was unsurprising, as Markovic is a right winger and not a left wing back. The whole Liverpool defence seemed to pull themselves together – Skrtel in particular had an excellent game after the shaky start, dominating in the air. Sturridge was introduced midway through the half, and while he didn’t have the game of his life he did improve the team as a whole. His coming on for Lallana seemed to liven up Sterling, whose movement had been uncharacteristically poor prior to this change. It was Sterling who put the game to bed: he played a lovely ball into Moreno after Schneiderlin had given it away cheaply, then capitalised on a slip from Targett to slot past Forster.

The win was far from vintage Liverpool. In places, it was downright poor. However, the key thing is the victory – it means we’re just two points off fourth, and only three away from Arsenal in third. It was also a fifth consecutive away clean sheet, a feat not achieved by the club since 1985. Hopefully we can keep up this excellent defensive form when we host City this weekend: the win at St Mary’s takes a lot of the pressure off what is bound to be a tough game, but a win would obviously be excellent in our hunt for a Champions League spot.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 1-0 Besiktas: Post-Match Thoughts

In the opening game of their Europa League campaign, Liverpool got off to winning ways by narrowly beating Turkish side Besiktas. The visitors had their chances on the breakaway – Ba nearly scored a very similar goal to the one he netted at Anfield in Chelsea colours last season but was denied by a great stop from Mignolet – but the reds were largely on top. This didn’t, however, translate into too many clear cut opportunities: it wasn’t until the 85^th minute that Liverpool could break the deadlock. The goal came from the spot – after some bickering over who should take it, the Italian showed his supreme composure to dispatch the penalty and give Liverpool a deserved lead going into the away leg.

Many people felt that Balotelli should have been given a place in the starting eleven. In his last two games he had come on and got the winning goal and assist respectively, but Rodgers opted to start him from the bench once again. After scoring the winner yet again in this match as well as putting in an excellent all-round performance after coming on, the manager will be under even more pressure to start him for our crucial game against Southampton on Sunday. The striker has a deadly combination of skill and power; he shields the ball from defenders exquisitely, and seems to be able to either skip past them or win free kicks with ease. I have maintained from the start that, given a proper opportunity to play with a strike partner, Balotelli could definitely still come good for us – his talent is, to my mind, unquestionable. Although the media like to make a big thing of his attitude and will consequently focus on his “stolen” penalty, I actually loved to see him take charge from the spot. He’s undoubtedly the best taker in the team, and his desire to get the winning goal for Liverpool shows his hunger for success with our club. I sincerely hope that Rodgers now gives him a proper run of starts with Sturridge; they provide a lethal combination of pace and power that oppositions simply won’t be able to handle.

I now have to fight my instinct to devote this entire article to how much I love Balotelli and move on – to not mention Jordon Ibe in this match report would, after  all, be nigh on criminal. The youngster was exceptional once again, picking up yet another man of the match award. I will freely admit that I was dubious when Rodgers recalled him; young players need to be managed well and given time to develop properly, and McLaren seemed to be handling him well at Derby. That’s why I’m not manager! The decision has proved inspired: his pace, skill, tenacity and confidence above his years have made him a deadly addition to this Liverpool side. He caused his full back all sorts of problems all evening, and eventually won the penalty off him. He has a scarily bright future if he continues the way he’s going at the moment, and while the main reason for recalling him was likely the Europa League he’s certainly staking his claim to be regularly picked ahead of (the also very talented) Lazar Markovic.

Rodgers will certainly not be complaining about the selection headache he’s being given. The fact that there are so many form players having to vie for a place in the first team shows just how well every single Liverpool player is doing at the moment: even Dejan Lovren has looked competent after coming on in the last couple of games! Admittedly the only real stand-out performers in the Besiktas game were Ibe and Balotelli (Can had a shocker, Henderson tried way too many ambitious long balls and Sturridge appeared to have forgotten how to get his head up), but in general the picture is exceptionally positive. One man who certainly isn’t having to fight for his place any more is Simon Mignolet: his form of late has been better than that of almost any other Premier League keeper. His save when Demba Ba got through one on one was a defining moment of the match, and while it won’t be remembered as such it could well be the save that gets us through to the Europa League last 16. His turnaround in form is, in many ways, surprising. Whilst I have maintained for ages that he is a very talented shot-stopper who will be world class once he improves his claiming of the ball and authority in the box, I certainly didn’t think that he would add these qualities to his game overnight. I’m certainly not complaining about it though, and I’m sure Rodgers isn’t either!

Hopefully the players can all continue to perform on Sunday, when we play a crucial game in our pursuit of fourth place. Southampton currently occupy the final Champions League spot, and if they were to beat us then we would move seven points adrift of them. A win, however, would put us within a point of them; a good result at St Mary’s is imperative if we want to somehow make up for our abysmal start and make this season a success. If we are able to continue our scintillating form then I have no doubt that we can not only get the win, but also finish in fourth or even third place.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

            

Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool: Casting Out the Selhurst Demons (An Exorcise in Patience)

Yesterday’s FA Cup clash saw Liverpool return to a ground that has been a real problem for them in recent times. As well as being the site of a 3-1 defeat earlier in the season, it was also the venue for our capitulation that totally ended our chances of the title last season. As such, it was all the more sweet to get the win that saw us advance into the quarter finals – the team showed excellent character, as Rodgers would say, to come from behind and seal a 2-1 victory.

Despite the narrow margin of victory, Liverpool looked in charge for almost the entire game. After putting on a lot of earlier pressure but failing to convert any of the multiple chances, they went behind to Palace’s first real chance of the game. Dwight Gayle was quick to pounce on the short header of Skrtel; though he was denied by an excellent stop from in-form keeper Simon Mignolet, Frazier Campbell was on hand to slot home on the rebound. From this point onwards Palace created almost nothing. They sat deep and invited pressure, an invitation that Liverpool took up eagerly. The rest of the half was a series of half-chances, with the most clear cut opportunity falling to Adam Lallana. After a nice passage of intricate passing play, he found himself in the box with space to shoot. He hit it well enough, but Speroni was on hand to deny the visitors an equaliser.

The start of the second half marked the start of something that a lot of fans have been craving ever since we got a taste of it at Spurs towards the start of the season: the Sturridge-Balotelli partnership. It certainly didn’t disappoint; within 15 minutes of kick-off, Sturridge had bagged the equaliser and Balotelli had assisted what turned out to be the winning goal. The Italian, as predicted, looked a different player with a strike partner – his movement, so often criticised, was good. He also looked very dangerous with the ball at his feet; his close control and trickery enabled him to win the free kick that Liverpool’s second goal came from. Hopefully Rodgers will give this partnership a chance to flourish – both strikers are undoubtedly very talented, and if Sturridge can draw the best out of Balotelli then we will have a deadly duo on our hands.

The strikers weren’t the only positive of the half. Another highlight was the level of control the team had. With about twenty minutes to go they eased off the gas going forward a little, but rather than sitting much too deep and allowing the opposition to pile on pressure as usual, they played a very effective possession game. Despite being the home team, it was Palace who were being forced to do all the chasing of the ball, and most of the time they were just chasing shadows. For this, Joe Allen must take some credit. While he may not be living up to the “Welsh Xavi” tag that Rodgers somewhat unwisely placed upon him, his composure on the ball and excellent technical passing definitely played a part in allowing Liverpool to control the game. He also showed another element to his game, one very rarely seen: at 1-0 down his ferocious half volley was inches away from finding the corner.

So where does this result leave us in terms of our cup chances? In short, this is our best chance in years of winning the thing. Chelsea and Manchester City have both already been knocked out, meaning the only other “big” teams left in the tournament are Arsenal and United, who both play today. We are now in the quarter finals – the draw takes place on Monday evening, and if Liverpool can keep up the sort of form they’re in currently then they can be confident of a result whoever they get drawn against.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Seeing is Believing: Liverpool 3-2 Spurs

As has been the trend in modern times, Liverpool vs Spurs once again treated us to a multitude of goals. The reds have developed a nice habit of comfortably cruising past Tottenham of late, but that was never going to happen in this match – as the two sides on the best form in the league, this was always going to be a cracker. It did not disappoint; Spurs came back from behind twice but were eventually beaten by a goal from Mario Balotelli of all people.

The whole game felt like it had been scripted for maximum entertainment value. Right from the off the game had an exceptionally high tempo to it, with both teams eager to press the ball and stop their opponents from gaining the upper hand. Liverpool looked the better of the two sides though; their pace on the break made the side look very dangerous indeed, and chances were coming thick and fast thanks to multiple sloppy passes from Spurs in dangerous areas. 15 minutes in the reds opened the scoring – Lazar Markovic received the ball after Daniel Sturridge had done well to hold it up, then fired across Lloris (who should probably have done better) to get his first Anfield goal. Two excellent chances for Sturridge followed soon after, but the striker looked understandably rusty and the hosts failed to extend their lead. Barely 10 minutes after the Markovic goal it was level again; Harry Kane decided to get his obligatory goal out of the way nice and early, slamming it through Mignolet’s legs.

The rest of the first half continued in much the same vein – both teams looked properly up for it, and the game was very much end to end. However, it wasn’t until eight minutes into the second half that Liverpool struck again. It was from the penalty spot: Gerrard just managed to squeeze it into the corner beyond Lloris after Sturridge had been brought down by a clumsy challenge from Danny Rose. Phil Dowd, who had an awful game, did his best to deny us the pretty blatant penalty kick – fortunately the assistant was competent, and flagged for the foul. Sadly the same cannot be said of the other linesman, who’s error cost us a goal just nine minutes later. The first mistake came from Phil Dowd; Gerrard won the ball cleanly and fairly, but the referee blew for a foul. The resulting

free kick was taken brilliantly by Eriksen, but the Dane was denied by an excellent save from Mignolet, who had a brilliant game. The ball then fell to Kane, who was standing in an offside position – this was missed by the assistant referee, and the subsequent Dembele goal stood.

Credit must go to Rodgers for the response to this second equaliser. His three switches were an unmitigated success. Firstly, Gerrard (who had a slight hamstring issue) was taken off for Lovren, allowing Can to move into midfield. The German was already a man of the match contender for his performance in the back three, but was arguably even better in his preferred role in the centre of the park. After this, with 15 minutes to play, Sturridge – who still isn’t quite ready for a full 90 – was replaced by Mario Balotelli. This change was quickly followed by a tactical switch that saw Markovic make way for Lallana. It was Balotelli and Lallana who combined for the winning goal: with seven minutes to play, Ibe showed immense skill to beat his man and then flick it into Lallana. The ex-Southampton man then drilled it across the box with excellent precision, and then the fairytale moment that has been threatening to happen for so long finally came to fruition. Balotelli made a nice run in behind his man, and coolly guided the ball into the far corner of the net from close range. What a moment.

The result is great for Liverpool, as it sees us move to within a point of Tottenham and just three points of fourth place (although United and Southampton wins tonight would increase that to a gap of five). However, just as pleasing as the result was the performance. Everyone played well, but there are a few main positives that I want to highlight. The first is the exceptional performance of Jordon Ibe – despite being just 19, I voted him my man of the match for the second game running. He terrorised Danny Rose throughout the match, and showed great positivity with his multiple cut-ins and direct runs. The fact that his performances are good enough to prompt people to draw comparisons with Sterling says it all; whether or not he does have equal or better potential to Sterling is of course debatable, but he certainly has a very bright future ahead of him. The second positive was the performance of another young player, Emre Can. He made a couple of vital blocks and tackles while in defence, and then showed his exceptional power and pace with some bursting runs from midfield. He was voted man of the match by LFC fans on Twitter. For me, he’s the most exciting of our summer signings – he has all the hallmarks of a potentially special player. Thirdly, Sturridge is closing in on a full 90 minutes; although he wasn’t at his sparkling best in this game, he still managed to get two assists. If you can do that on an off day, that pretty much says it all. Fourthly, Balotelli! He’s finally got his first Premier League goal for Liverpool, and at a wonderful time. Hopefully that will give him confidence, and also give Rodgers the motivation to reintroduce him to the team regularly – I’d love to see him given a chance up top with Sturridge. Fifth, the first Anfield goal for Markovic: he’s another summer signing with huge potential, and hopefully he can kick on having scored his first home goal against one of the league’s best keepers. Finally, Mignolet deserves a special mention. I’ve been defending him all season – although he had a definite dip in form, he was never the root of our problems – but now he doesn’t need me to defend him. He’s drawing praise from even his most ardent of critics by not only continuing to show off his excellent shot stopping abilities, but also suddenly showing confidence and authority when claiming crosses. It’s a big claim, but I think he’s been one of the league’s best goalkeepers since Christmas.

To sum up, this win is huge for Liverpool Football Club. As well as properly putting ourselves into the intensely close race for a top four spot, the multiple amazing individual performances were extremely encouraging. Even if we do miss out on fourth place this season (which, for the record, I don’t think will happen), we’re certainly building a formidable outfit for the near future. Don’t be surprised to see us back competing for the title next season – for now, let’s get that Champions League spot.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013