Match Week 22 Recap & 23 Preview

EPL Match Week 22 - CleanSheet Recap & 23 Preview

In Today’s CleanSheet:

• Headlines 📌

• Current Situation📈📉

• Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- Infamous Records

• Off Island 🏝️ - January Transfer Window

• Best Bets 💰

Headlines 📌

Match Week 22 Recap

• Best result of Match Week 22. Tottenham 3-2 Brentford. This match was all that is good with the EPL - scoring, skill, in game jawing, post-game smack talk, brilliant managers, and high energy play and environment. Hope the description below can do it justice.

  • Thomas Frank. Has a reputation for getting the most out of his players and tactics, and that’s what he did early on in the match confusing a young Spurs team and getting in their head by slowing the game down. Once the Bee’s went up 1-0, they basically turned the game into a slog completely getting the Spurs out of their high-octane attacking. Brentford controlled the play in the 1H.

  • Ange Postecoglou. Was happy to get his young club into halftime and adjust how they were playing to counter the Bee’s tactics. Spurs made 2 substitutions coming out of the break adding more attackers to an already high attacking line. It paid off immediately.

    • 8 min, 3 goals. Spurs take over the 2H. (X 90s) Udogie, Johnson, Richarlison.

    • Oops. Up 3-1 and with all the momentum at the 67’, Spurs made a significant error (X 35s) and Ivan Toney pounced to make it 3-2.

• Living Rent Free In Your Head. Things got interesting when Brentford’s Neal Maupay scored early to make it 1-0.

• Mock Celebration. Maupay proceeded to mock James Madison’s (not patented) goal celebration. Goal, celebration and fan reaction in background. (X 35s).

• Maddison Immediate Reaction. “F&(% You” (I’m guessing) (X 15s)

• Maddison’s response. “He hasn’t scored enough goals to have his own celebration”.

• Maupay’s response. “Went a bit early this that one (the celebration - Gutted we couldn’t get the win. More goals and ess relegations in my career than James Maddison. We go again Monday Bees”.

• Reminder. Maddison is a mid-fielder (82 career goals) and Maupay is a striker (100 career goals). Maddison has more EPL goals.

• UFC. “If they’re that brave about things, get them in a UFC cage and I’ll see how brave they are”. 45s of Ange’s press conference. (X)

• Spurs Goalkeeper Has Something To Say.

CS Commentary - More of this in sport, less Taylor Swift.

• 200. Jurgen Klopp got his 200^th PL win, Liverpool 4-1 Chelsea.

  • It took Klopp 318 matches, good for second fastest to 200 all-time.

  • Third on the list, Sir Alex Ferguson (Man United) 322 matches.

  • First on the list, Pep Guardiola (Man City) 269 matches.

• That wasn't’ the only highlight for Liverpool fans.

  • Fulfilling Dreams. Conor Bradley, from County Down in Northern Ireland, trained at Liverpool’s Northern Ireland development center starting at 9 years old. He joined The Red’s youth academy in 2019 and singed his first professional contract in 2020. He made his first appearance for Liverpool a week ago. The 20-year-old scored his first goal for the club to make it 2-0 (X 29s - sound on).

  • More Firsts. Only two defenders under the age of 21 have contributed to three goals in a single PL match - Both play for Liverpool now - Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley.

  • They Love Klopp. Post Match Klopp, pure joy. (X 23s)

• Premier League Record. Darwin Nunez (Liverpool) has become the first player on record to hit the woodwork FOUR times in a PL match. Here they are, and some other misses. (X 18s). Check Hot Topic 🔥🔥 below for more on infamous records.

• Best Surprising Result. No one told Luton Town they were destined for relegation. In dominating fashion, they beat BHA at Kenilworth Road 4-0, with two goals (X 50s) in the first 3’, the first at 18 seconds. Elijah Adebayo scored a hat trip for the Hatter’s and the win moved them out of relegation. Only one time has a team scored 2 goals faster to start a match.

• This is what CS wrote as the last match of Week 22 hit the 75’ mark.

  • Wolves 1-3 Man United. Great start to the mini break for United. 2 1H goals, looked fresh, crisp and inspired. Marcus Rashford, coming off a week of controversy (BBC), started and scored at the 5’ mark (X) and United took it to a Wolves side that has been playing at a high level. McTominay entered the match at 73’ and scored at 75’ to make it a 2 goal lead.

• This is what CS quick wrote 25 minutes later. - A Second Best Result of the Week.

  • Wolves 3-4 Man United. Wolves look energized at home even after being down 2, and the pressure ratcheted up on united when Kilman scored at 85’. Then things got crazy, with a Neto goal making it 3-3 and a United response from 18-year-old Mainoo at 97’. United dominated 75’ of play yet needed last minute brilliance (X) to get all three points.

What 2 Look 4 👀- Match Week 23

• 5.4.1. 5 Saturday, 4 Sunday, 1 Monday.

• Pencil This One In. Arsenal v Liverpool Sunday, 1030am cst on Peacock. A Liverpool win at The Emirates would give The Reds an 8-point lead over the Gunners, and also a ton of momentum. Arsenal needs all 3 points if they want to make a run at the title. Could they still contend with a point, yes, but it’s realistic to think Liverpool and City will be tough to overcome. Liverpool has been on better form, but Arsenal have 7 goals in their last two and will be desperate.

Win🔥v Win🔥

• Arsenal v Liverpool Sunday, 1030am cst on Peacock. See Above.

• Newcastle v Luton Town. Sat 9am Peacock. - One team has 10 points in the last 5 and the other 3. Surprisingly it’s the Hatter’s with 10, but can they take that momentum to St James’ Park and get a result as The Magpies are coming off an unexpected win at Villa.

Loss❄️ v Loss❄️

• Sheffield United v Aston Villa Sat 1130am USA. - The Blades have been in 1 goal games 6 of the last 7, winning 1 losing 4 and drawing 2. They just can’t get out of their own way. Villa is coming off a surprising home dud and will hope to get all 3 in Sheffield.

• Chelsea v Wolves Sun 8am USA. - The Blues were completely outplayed at Liverpool and look uninspired. Wolves played hard and with emotion but fell after a mad scramble in extra time. A win for Wolves would move them ahead of Chelsea.

Win🔥v Loss❄️

• BHA v Palace Sat 9am USA. - Both sides played relegation sides mid-week and looked poor. One found a way to win, Palace, while BHA looked uninterested. Suspect BHA to light a fire and play better at home.

• Brentford v City Sun 8am USA. - Out of the frying pan and into the fire for the Bee’s. Will be tricky for City heading into Community Stadium. Maupay and Toney have found the scoring touch. It’s been short moments of lost focus costing Brentford. City continue to be City, and with KDB and Haaland back, will be significant favorites.

Draw🌦️ v Loss❄️

• Burnley v Fulham Sat 9am Peacock. - Time is running out for The Clarets and they are going to need a strong run of games if they want to delay relegation. Fulham sit 13th in the table but feel like they should be in better position. Only 6 points above relegation means they need points against teams below them in the table.

• Bournemouth v Forest Sun 8am Peacock. - Big point for The Cherries at West Ham that stopped their 2 match slide. Forest have been playing better but sit 16th in the table and are only 2 points above relegation. The Trees will need to play better than they have on the road to get any points in this one.

Current Situation 📈📉

Clean Sheets Counter

Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥

Infamous Sports Records

• Reggie Jackson. (Wiki)

  • All-time strikeout batter leader in MLB - 2,597

  • Reggie had 5 World Series Championships and, famously, in Game 6 of the World Series he homered in 3 consecutive at bats against three different pitchers all on the first pitch - that earned him the nickname Mr. October.

• Brett Favre. (Wiki)

  • Most career fumbles in NFL history - 166 (81 lost).

  • Most career interceptions in NFL history - 336.

  • That’s what happens when you play a record 299 consecutive games.

• Kobe Bryant. (Wiki)

  • Most missed shots in a career - 14,481.

  • If only the 5-time NBA player had missed fewer shots.

  • Remember, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

• Tommy Armour. (Wiki). The original, not the grandson.

  • Highest score on a hole in a PGA event - 23.

  • After winning 3 majors (US Open, PGA, British Open) he wrote a book, How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time. (I guess except on the 17^th at the Shawnee Open).

• Ben Foster. (Wiki)

  • Most goals conceded in the Premier League - 521 (in 364 games).

  • That is quite the record given second most is Tim Howard with 385 goals allowed in 399 games.

  • Foster played from 2001-2024, playing for several teams including the England National team, Man United, Watford, Birmingham city and West Brom and Wrexham.

  • If you follow Wrexham, you may recognize him. Foster was Wrexham’s keeper when they were promoted into League 2. You can watch the story in the series Welcome to Wrexham Season 2.

  • You can also follow Foster on YouTube - They Cycling GK - where he has over 1.5M followers. Or, you could follow his Podcast - “Fozcast - The Ben Foster Podcast”. Or, you could follow “The Golfing GK”.

• Ricky Vaughn.

  • Most wild pitches in one inning in the American League - 4. (Source Harry Doyle)

Off Island 🏝️

January Transfer Window - Closed at 5pm CST

Sure there are some key signings that will help clubs, and also some transfers out that will help with Financial Fair Play however for the most part things stayed pretty quiet, here is an up-to-date tracker. (NBCSports. One interesting move to note, Gio Reyna, USMNT Midfielder, moved to Forest from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund on loan.

Best Bets 💰

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