Match Week 36 Recap

Congrats to Tim Howard on his induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

If interested, this was a really good Hall of Fame Speech (YT 22min) from this weekend. Great messages. “If Manchester United is the biggest football club in the world, then Everton without a doubt is the greatest.”

In Today’s CleanSheet:

• Headlines 📌

• Current Situation📈📉

• Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- Tractor Boys

• Off Island 🏝️ - Europe Finals on the Line

• Best Bets 💰

Headlines 📌

• No Movement at the top or bottom.

  • Arsenal and City both win.

  • If the Gunners (2 matches) and City (3 matches) both win out, City win the title.

• Moyes Out. Within a couple days of Tim Howard praising David Moyes for really shaping his career, West Ham decided to part ways with Moyes at the end of the PL season and it looks like Julen Lopetegui (the manager who left Wolves the week before this season started) will be his successor. West Ham fans seem happy. Clean Sheet has some question marks. Yes, Lopetegui has had great success in Spain but why did he really bail on Wolves the week before the season? Do I want a manager who would do that?

• Ho Hum. Every PL Match Week has amazing, exciting moments, but, on the energy-o-meter this last weekend it was pointed towards “ho-hum”. Obviously, high energy for the winners, but 8 of the 10 matches had great action but no late drama.

  • 7 of the 10 matches were basically blow outs. 5-1, 3-0, 3-1, 4-1, 4-2, 5-0. 4-0.

  • 1 of the 10 matches was an uninspired 0-0 draw, surprising considering it was a West London Derby.

• Chelsea Into Europe. As it stands now, Chelsea has jumped over West Ham. The race for Europe positioning will be exciting over the next 2 weeks.

• Haaland. You can see more below, but Haaland staked his claim to a scoring title with 4 goals and a hat trick in the 1H.

• 64. Man United’s lowest point total in a season is 64. They currently sit on 54 with 3 matches to play, this season will be their lowest point total ever.

• 100 Goals. That’s 100 goals allowed for Sheffield United. One more and it’s a record, and with 2 games to play and only 1 clean sheet on the season for the Blades the question is what will they set their new record at.

• Stats Leaders - Players. Haaland jumps way out with 4 goals on the weekend.

Match Week 36 Recap - Organized by 🏇🏇Races🏇🏇

• Declan Rice is looking worth every penny/schilling/quid (pick your term) and the Gunners are the real deal, but will it be enough as they need City to slip up one time in their final three matches and win out themselves.

  • 1-0. Saka, again from the spot and the Gunners have some breathing room.

  • 2-0. Rice to Trossard, a beauty at 70’.

  • 3-0. A late one for Rice for good measure.

• City looked uninspired at forest a week ago. What a difference a week can make. They look like they will roll through their final there matches to claim the title.

• 4 Goals for Erling Haaland, and he is now out in front to take the leading goal scorer of the season.

  • 1-0. Haaland with PK one.

  • 2-0. LOOK AT THIS VERTICAL from Haaland!

  • 3-0. 1H hat trick for Haaland on PK two.

  • 4-0. Haaland with the speed and then power.

Chelsea make their move into the top 7.

Biggest Winners: Chelsea, Newcastle.

Biggest Losers: Man United, West Ham, Tottenham.

Lost, but most likely in CL: Villa.

• Villa Slumping. BHA 1-0 Villa. The Seagulls have been slumping and not scoring but Villa has hit a slump of their own over their last 3 drawing to Chelsea and losing to Olympiacos at home and now not scoring at BHA.

  • 1-0. BHA gets the Penalty and Pedro finishes it.

• Spurs Need More. Liverpool 4-2 Tottenham. This was all Liverpool for 60’ but maybe Spurs found something to build off of scoring at 72’ and 77’. Spurs should be safely in the Europa League next season unless they completely fall apart the last 3 matches. Was a refreshing Liverpool performance, playing with energy and finding ways to finish.

  • 1-0. All is well with Salah at 16’.

  • Gotta avoid turnovers, Liverpool rolling.

  • Harvey Elliott with a rocket.

  • Here is 90s of Klopp’s analysis. “We are outstanding - until we are not.

• Just Better. Burnley had been playing well and it seemed they were primed to take a big step away from relegation at home, but Newcastle had other plans, they scored early and often and took a 3-0 into the half and made it 4-0 before Burnley got one back at 86’. A big match 5/15 at Old Trafford may decide the fate of both United and Newcastle.

  • Anthony Gordon became only the third Newcastle player to ever record double digit assists and goals in a single season.

  • 1, 2, 3-0. Wilson, Longstaff, Buimaraes - and this one was over.

• All Chelsea. Chelsea 5-0 West Ham. Just a pounding in the London Derby and Chelsea are making their move into a Europe position. 3 goals in the 1H and a brace in the 2H by Nicolas Jackson and the route was on.

  • 1-0. Cole Palmer gets things going at 15’.

  • 2-0. Gallagher off the ricochet at 30’

  • Check out @NBCSports on X for more.

• By Far Not Good Enough. Palace 4-0 Man United. Those were Erik ten Hag’s comments post-match, and he’s right. Really stunning. Yes, Palace is playing great under their new manager Oliver Glasner - but there was just no fight in United. Yes, they have injuries, and yes Bruno Fernandes makes a difference, but this is United. It just wasn’t close.

  • Way Too Easy. Olise taking advantage of a wide open lane.

  • Direct. Always take a direct route, and its 2, this time Mateta.

  • HT Adjustments. No. Mitchell with number 3.

  • The Brace. Olise wide open and another dart.

It’s a 3-team race for 1 spot. Here’s the remaining schedule with a potentially BIG final match day meeting between Forest and Burnley.

Goal differential is in Forest’s favor. There is also the possibility that Forest could get a point back from their point deduction appeal. Either way, 32 points will get it done for Forest, 3 more to get.

Biggest Winners: Forest.

Biggest Losers: Burnley.

Point is a Point: Luton Town.

Current Situation 📈📉

Clean Sheets Counter

Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥

After 132 years, Bromley (The Ravens) have made it to League 2, their first time in the EFL (the top 4 leagues in England). They did so by winning on Penalty Kicks at Wembly Stadium.

We have our second team promoted to the Premier League for next year - Ipswich Town. This is their SECOND STRAIGHT promotion - having been promoted from League 1 to the Championship last season.

On the other end of promotion is relegation - and for Tom Brady his first year in ownership saw his team Birmingham drop from the Championship to League 1. Bill Belichick, his former coach at the New England Patriots, with the mic-drop.

The final Promotion spots for the Championship, League 1 and League 2 are determined by a 4-team play-off, here are the teams and schedule.

League 2 - Semi-Finals Home & Away May 6/7 & 9/10, Finals May 19.

• Crawley Town v Milton Keynes

• Crewe v Doncaster Rovers - Doncaster lead 2-0 and host Crewe May 9.

League 1 - Semi-Finals Home & Away May 3/4&7/8, Finals May 18.

• Barnsley v Bolton Wanderers - Bolton lead 3-1 and host Barnsley May 7.

• Oxford v Peterborough United - Oxford lead 0-1 and travel to Peterborough May 8.

Championship - Semi-Finals Home & Away May 12 & 16/17, Finals May 26.

• Norwich (last in PL in 2021/22) v Leeds (2022/23).

• West Bromwich (2021/22) v Southampton (2004/05).

Off Island 🏝️

Semi-Finals In Europe - Winner’s to the Finals

All matches are the SECOND of home and away aggregate goals.

Champions League

Europa League

Europa Conference League

Best Bets 💰

Coming down to the wire, like the Run for the Roses.