SG League - GW16 Results

GW16 Results!

Southampton 0 - 3 West Ham
Eriksen, Robinson, Santa Cruz; -

West Ham dominated this match, and the win will hopefully boost a changing side up the league. Managerless Southampton slip further down the league, anyone remember when they were battling at the top?

Eriksen was West Ham's key man (again!) and he's capping off a fine season in style at the moment. Scoring early following a neat one two with Santa Cruz who acted as an attacking pivot from which WH built their attacks. Santa Cruz's strength and skill could be important to Lubo's style later on.

Eriksen operated well in that No.10 role, and when he saw Robinson bombing down the left he slipped him in behind Clyne. Robinson then whipped it in looking for Santa Cruz, but the ball in was poor. However, it swung over the head of Forster, and into the top, far corner of the net. Freak goal, but WH won't be complaining.

Southampton rallied a little after the break, but Agger dominated their attack, and the young, perhaps out of place, Chalobah defended well. A superb save from Krul showed why clubs like Sunderland were looking into his availability, as he kept WH on the front foot.

The game was capped off when Santa Cruz slammed in a header after Fischer swung a ball into the area. It was a well taken goal, but Albiol and Southampton's defence will be asking questions of the young fullback, Shaw, who let Fischer come inside far far too easily. All in all though, WH deserved this match, and though the new look side might be too late in coming to save them this season, they could be a handful next season round!

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Fulham 2 - 0 Villa
Isco, Lamela; -

Back to winning ways for 21 after seeing his side slip to fourth below a resurgent Norwich. A strong performance from Fulham saw them sweep aside Di's charging Villa. Funnily enough, Villa had the vast majority of the possession, but despite new signing Aguero, brought in to add a bit of an edge upfront, they couldn't capitalise.

The first half saw no goals, but a late challenge from Gundogan on Xavi saw a bit of a fracas, with the Spaniard no to happy with the 'tackle'. Di and 21 exchanged some words, but Mark Clattenburg told them both to go sit in a corner with a dunce cap on which saw the incident blow over... for now! Dun dun dun duuuuuuuuuh!

Fulham came out late for the second half, psychological ploy by 21? Or was this purely because 21 likes to let the half time tea brew slightly longer (21 time)? Anyway, Isco got on the ball straight from kick off, and a threaded ball to Lamela allowed the youngster to blaze away, showing off that sheer pace he possesses, before pulling it back to Martinez. Martinez scuffed the shot, it rebounded off the post, Isco picked it up... Goal! Not the prettiest goal about, deflected in off Vertonghen but like WH's second, they all count!

The second goal, and in reality the killer blow, came as Villa started putting on pressure searching for an equaliser. Kolarov got caught high up the pitch after a pass from Iruttaspe sold him short, Lamela picked it up and sped towards goal. Beating Vertonghen with pace alone he found himself one on one, and it was a simple finish in truth. The DM for Villa was to blame, but bar that he had a good game.

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QPR 3 - 2 Wigan
Lewandowski, Lewandowski, Kagawa; Ben Arfa, Diaby

This was the high scoring game of the week, and what a game. QPR, the ficklest team in the league going off results! Has all the talent, all the skill, but just seem to produce strange results. New manager Loyal sorted that out today though. GMW looked a little flustered, with his team sheet coming to the commentary box a little late, a little scruffy, and written on a napkin stained with ketchup, but his Wigan side showed some real fight at the death.

The first two goals were near carbon copied of each other. Kagawa picked up the ball, and space seemed to open up before him. A ball in to his former Dortmund teammate Kuba led to a whipped in cross which Lewandowski nodded in to the far post. The second, again scored by Lewandowski came in from Kuba, but this time slightly lower, and from about ten yards out Lewandowski smacked it home. With a striker as talented as he is, QPR won't struggle for goals. He was on the war path looking for his hattrick today!

It never came though, QPR's third came from the Japanese wizard Kagawa. Ghosting into space around the D the ball fell to his feet, a quick turn, one two with El-Sharawaay, back to Kagawa who turned and spun the ball around a defender, unsighting Weidenfeller, and in. Had it not been for his blocked view, Weidenfeller may well have got to it.

Relegation battling Wigan would have been forgiven for packing up and going home. Most of their fans did... But for those loyal few who stayed, and the infirm who had no choice, they were rewarded with some good spirited football Wigan. Carrick found Ben Arfa who jinked in, out, and all about, before guiding a fast tidy shot into the bottom corner. Nothing more than a consolation surely?

No! A last minute freekick for an innocuous challenge on Cazorla, saw the Spaniard rattle a freekick off the wall into the charging path of substitute Diaby who smacked it, hopefully more than skillfully, on a huge arc which dipped in perfectly. Lovely goal, but I'd like to see if he could actually repeat it...

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Swansea 3-0 Norwich
Bale, Miranda, Achtung Schweinsteiger; -

This was the Bale show, the Welshman scored once, set up the other from a corner, and won a penalty for Schweinsteiger. Superb performance. Norwich come into the game following a rise in the league, but a dramatic departing from their strong manager Daws.

A late challenge on De Jong from the talented but inexperienced Phil Jones opened up the game because it gave Bale the chance to curl one in from 25 yards. The goal shows how good Bale is, no longer the 'kick and rush' player he was accused of being, he has it all in his locker. Definitely destined for bigger and better things than Swansea Is a move to Sunderland in the offing? The fans of football want it, will Tranq give everyone what they want?

The first half rather petered out, but the second half started with a bang. Tricky Uruguayan Suarez weaved in and out of the marking of Norwich's CBs, and upon receiving the ball early on found he was in several yards of space. He turned quickly, before unleashing a stinging strike at goal. Lloris dived and parried it around the net, with the help of a lick of goal paint to keep it out. Bale trotted over to take the corner, and with an unusually short run up whipped the ball in with a lot of spin on it. Miranda won the aerially battle, and powered the ball through the splayed arms of Lloris and into the goal bag.

The third and final nail in Norwich's shoddy coffin was confirmed after Kaboul dragged down a speeding Welshman. Then the brilliant Schweinsteiger stepped up, and fulfilled the archetypal German stereotype by boringly scoring the penalty. It summed up the game really, the result was never in doubt following the Bale freekick, the result was known by all before the second half kicked off.

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Sunderland 3-0 Stoke City
Gotze, Villa, Kroos; -

(Just a short one, CEF's on a break for now So it's only me involved in the match so it'd be a bit pointless to write up a review for me )

Gotze got the early goal after picking up on a Villa lay off before R1ing the shot around the defenders and into the far corner.

Reus was charging forward just before half time before he was chopped down by a poorly timed challenge on the edge of the box. Was it inside? Ref said yes, but replays suggest maybe not. That didn't put Villa off though, smacking the penalty home with aplomb.

A freekick sealed the deal, keeping Sunderland in touch of leaders Swansea, could be a thrilling GW18! Kroos was the scorer after a well worked routine pulled the wall this way and that before laying off the German to hammer home.