Connect with us

Premier League

The 11 Matches That Made Chelsea Champions!

blank

Published

on

The curtain falls on the English Premiership this Sunday. But before then, Chelsea had become the runaway champions.  Three of the likely candidates for relegation have already been decided. But according to Fox Sport,  there’s still a little bit of drama left with two Champions League spots are still up for grabs.

Below are the 11 matches that shaped the 2016/17 Premiership season”

 

·         September 24th: Arsenal 3-0 Chelsea

Early in the season, new manager Antonio Conte was still easing into the Chelsea hot seat. Coming off a loss to Liverpool in their sixth match of the season, Conte stuck with former manager Jose Mourinho’s preferred formation, putting four at the back, and he promptly saw his team smacked in the mouth by Arsenal. That was the last straw for Conte, and he decided it was time to unveil the 3-4-2-1 formation that carried them to the title. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

Advertisement

·         October 15th: Crystal Palace 0-1 West Ham

Manuel Lanzini’s 19th minute goal was the difference for the Hammers as they beat Crystal Palace after five matches without a win to open the season. Christian Benteke’s missed penalty for Palace didn’t just save three points for West Ham — it probably saved their season. Without the win, there’s almost no doubt West Ham manager Slaven Bilic would’ve been fired, and the Hammers possibly locked in an ugly relegation battle for the rest of the season.

·         October 23rd: Chelsea 4-0 Man Utd

The Arsenal match marked the day Antonio Conte decided to change the way Chelsea lined up, but the Manchester United match truly cemented it. They ran roughshod over the Red Devils, absolutely destroying Jose Mourinho’s side and establishing the Blues as a real, legitimate contender for the title.

·         November 26th: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham

If it wasn’t confirmed against United, Chelsea put an emphatic stamp on their title credentials against Spurs. At the time, the Blues were within a point of their nearest rival, and hosted London neighbors Tottenham in what was their toughest challenge yet in the season. They passed the test with flying colors.

·         December 3rd: Manchester City 1-3 Chelsea

Coming off the match against Spurs, Chelsea traveled to Manchester for yet another early test to see if they really had what it takes to be Premier League champs. They strolled into the Etihad, pulling off a 3-1 away win against Pep Guardiola’s squad, effectively ending the Citizens’ challenge and establishing themselves as the team to beat in the league. Before long, their winning the title was foregone conclusion.

·         December 4th: Bournemouth 4-3 Liverpool

After Chelsea’s emphatic win over Manchester City, all Liverpool had to do was beat tiny Bournemouth to keep pace. Way easier said than done, especially in Liverpool’s case. They fell 4-3 in a wild match that fully showcased Jurgen Klopp’s team’s inability to handle the little guys. They never got within touching distance of Chelsea again.

Advertisement

 

·         February 12th: Swansea 2-0 Leicester

Claudio Ranieri’s last Premier League match on the Leicester City bench, this one was a six-pointer for two relegation candidates. It was a vital three points for struggling Swansea, but it all but confirmed Ranieri’s demise. Sad!

 

·         April 30th: Tottenham 2-0 Arsenal

St. Totteringham’s Day ended on April 30th, 2017. For the first time in decades, Tottenham were assured that they’d finish ahead of Arsenal in the league table. That’s kind of a big deal in North London, and it let Spurs coast into second place for the first time in more than 50 years.

 

Advertisement

·         May 5th: West Ham 1-0 Tottenham

Coming off the high of their win over Arsenal, Spurs needed a win against West Ham to have even a prayer of pushing Chelsea to the end in the title race. Unfortunately, they fell short, with Manuel Lanzini’s goal the one to confirm the dream would fail.

·         May 6th: Swansea 1-0 Everton

Fernando Llorente to the rescue! With Swansea staring relegation in the face, the Spanish striker’s single goal was good enough to take the Swans past Everton and ensure they’ll be in the Premier League for at least one more year.

 

May 21st: Arsenal/Liverpool/Manchester City’s last chance to qualify for Champions League

On the final day of the season, Arsenal (vs. Everton), Liverpool (vs. Middlesbrough) and Manchester City (at Watford) all have the opportunity to confirm a place in the top four. All three teams play at the same time, with City (in 3rd, on 75 points) best positioned to secure automatic qualification. It’s going to be a madhouse on Sunday.

 

Advertisement

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Premier League

Former Arsenal soccer player Partey charged with five counts of rape

blank

Published

on

blank
 Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - February 2, 2025 Arsenal's Thomas Partey during the warm-up before the match REUTERS/David Klein/File Photo

Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.

Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.

Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.

Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.

Advertisement

He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.

-Reuters

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Premier League

Rashford, Garnacho among five players seeking Man Utd exit

blank

Published

on

blank
Premier League - Manchester United v Newcastle United - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - December 30, 2024 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford warms up as a substitute during the match REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo

Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.

Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.

Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.

Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.

Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.

Advertisement

United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.

“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”

Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.

Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.

-Reuters

Advertisement

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

Premier League

Fernandes rejects Al-Hilal offer to stay at Manchester United

blank

Published

on

blank

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.

The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.

“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.

“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”

Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.

Advertisement

“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.

“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.

“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”

The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.

However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

Advertisement

-Reuters

   Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

Most Viewed