Arsenal win the bragging rights, City march on and The Theatre of Horrors for Manchester United

Here is the round-up to a fairly negative game-week for Manchester United and Chelsea fans, but a joyful game for Liverpool and Arsenal. Several monumental games took place over the weekend, most notably Manchester United at home to Liverpool, Tottenham against Arsenal and a vital relegation clash between Sunderland and Crystal Palace.

Hull v City

The early game that featured on BT Sport took place between title contenders Manchester City and Hull City who are precariously close to the drop zone. An early professional foul from Vincent Kompany resulted in City going down to 10 men. This seemed to give the hosts a glimmer of hope, before this was dashed by a stunning strike from City's little maestro, David Silva. Edin Dzeko made the score look more comfortable with a goal in the dying minutes. If City can squeeze results such as these out, while others drop points, then they definitely will be up at the top come the end of the season. After all, the best teams grind out results even when they are a man down.

Everton v Cardiff

It took a late, late winner from Irishman, Seamus Coleman on this St Patricks Weekend to seal the points for the Toffees and heap more misery on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Cardiff manager. A skilful turn from Barcelona loanee, Gerard Deulofeu beat Gary Medel, before bearing down on goal and side footing it past the Cardiff keeper. Juan Cala equalised off a Peter Wittingham free kick to level the game once more. Cardiff thought they were leaving Merseyside with a point before Coleman scuffed a shot past Cardiff keeper, Marshall, from a cushioned header from Gareth Barry. Cardiff are lying perilously in 19th spot, 3 points of safety, while the win lifted Everton above United in the table.

Fulham v Newcastle

A win for Fulham ends a poor run of form for the Cottagers. Although they remain rooted to the bottom of the table, this victory against top half opposition will give them the confidence to escape the drop. A poor piece of goalkeeping from Tim Krul gifted Dejagah the winner for Fulham after superb build-up from Lewis Holtby. Fulham were pressured by an onslaught of attacks from the Toons and Howard Webb dismissed a penalty shout when the ball appeared to hit the hand of Johnny Heitinga. This loss will hinder Newcastle's attempts at securing a mid table finish after an indifferent season.

Southampton v Norwich

The Saints and The Canaries contested the highest scoring affair of the weekend. Morgan Schneiderlin scored the opener in the 5th minute before Ricky Lambert scored a very calm goal by slotting it passed John Ruddy. Lambert was also involved in their third goal as he assisted Jay Rodriguez for his 12th BPL goal of the season. Goals from Johan Elmander and Robert Snodgrass brought Norwich back into the game but a late Sam Gallagher winner eased the nerves for the fans and sealed the points for the Saints.

Stoke v West Ham

The tall figure of Andy Carroll rose highest to nod in Mark Noble's cross to give the Hammers the lead. 2 goals from Peter Odemwingie helped Stoke to overturn the deficit. Odemwingie found himself in the right place at the right time to deflect in an acrobatic shot from Peter Crouch for his first goal while a nutmeg from Arnautovic on Winston Reid allowed him to poke it passed Adrian. Referee, Craig Pawson, rebuked the protests of Andy Carroll over a suspected handball from Stoke centre-back Muniesa. Replays show that the Englishman may have had a case. Odemwingie netted his second and secured the points for the Potters after a swift counter attack to smash home in a better fashion than his first. Safety seems almost secure for both teams, but both will be aiming to make their finish a bit more respectable.

Sunderland v Crystal Palace

The Stadium of Light witnessed the only draw of the weekend between 2 teams were a victory would have gone a long way to secure their presence in the league next season. Liverpool loanee, Fabio Borini, rattled the Palace woodwork in the best opportunity to break the deadlock in the second half. A nudge from Cameron Jerome to Kagisho Dikgacoi opened up space for the Palace man to have a crack but sent the shot to the left of the upright. In a game that lacked any quality a dull nil-nil draw was probably deserved result for 2 teams battling relegation.

Swansea v West Brom

Pepe Mel was able to bring to an end a dismal opening record by recording his first victory as West Brom manager at the 8th time of asking. Roland Lamah put the Swans in front with a neat finish after latching onto a through ball from Wilfried Bony. Swansea will rue the chances they had to double the lead in the first half, before Mel regrouped a lacklustre West Brom side at the break. A higher pressure in the second half resulted a much better display from the Baggies. Stephane Sessegnon smashed West Brom an equaliser before Mulumbu sealed the points for the Baggies. Swansea are slowly slipping down the table while West Brom cannot risk being slow starters in the last 10 games. 

Aston Villa v Chelsea

A deft flick from Fabien Delph off a Marc Albrighton cross was enough to see off the might of Mourinho's Chelsea. Chelsea had an early Nemanja Matic goal disallowed for handball in the first half, before a risky challenge from Brazilian hotshot Willian resulted him in receiving his marching orders for a second bookable offence. Things went from bad to worse for the Londoners when Ramires was shown a straight red from Chris Foy for a reckless challenge on El Ahmedi. Rightly deserved in my opinion. To add salt into the wounds, Mourinho was sent to the stands after an altercation on the sidelines prior to the Ramires red card. The result was a blow to Chelsea's title ambitions but a warmly welcomed one for Villa as they win successive home games for the first time since August 2010 and distance themselves from the drop zone.

Man United v Liverpool

Possibly the headline result of the weekend saw Manchester United get humiliated at home to their North-West rivals, Liverpool. A game which saw 3 penalties, 2 of which were converted by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, while Suarez added the third to inflict pain on the United faithful. In addition to this Nemanja Vidic was sent off for what seemed a innocuous challenge where there was non-existant contact on Daniel Sturridge. The debated penalty was probably justice for the blatant foul in the box by Carrick. Liverpool march on and seem to be the dark horses for this year's title, while Moyes and United have to pick themselves up after another poor result and performance.

Arsenal v Tottenham

The North London derby. A game in which the time stops for fans in the city. Arsenal were looking to keep in the running for the title chase, while a win would be necessary if Spurs were to keep their top 4 aspirations flowing. In contrast to previous clashes, a solitary goal was the difference between the teams in this episode. A terrific shot with impeccable technique from Tomas Rosicky after a fortuitous touch from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sealed the points. For the majority of the game, particularly the second half, Tottenham were on top with excellent chances from former Gunner, Emmanuel Adebayor and Nacer Chadli, but were unable to level the game.

Next week fixtures:

22 Mar 12:45 Chelsea v Arsenal

22 Mar 15:00 Cardiff City v Liverpool

22 Mar 15:00 Everton v Swansea

22 Mar 15:00 Hull City v West Brom

22 Mar 15:00 Man City v Fulham

22 Mar 15:00 Newcastle v Crystal Palace

22 Mar 15:00 Norwich v Sunderland

22 Mar 17:30 West Ham v Man Utd

23 Mar 13:30 Tottenham v Southampton

23 Mar 16:00 Aston Villa v Stoke City

Can the Black Cats Defy the Odds?

Sunday will witness the first piece of silverware up for grabs this calendar year. The Capital One Cup does not rate highly amongst most Premier League managers, or me, however the competing teams are situated in the top tier of English football.

The Capital One Cup will provide an escape for the Wearside club from the tense, energy-sapping relegation battle. Battling for their lives, a win in the Capital One Cup will bring a bit of elation to a very frustrating season for the Sunderland fans.

Route to the Final

A 2-0 victory over Peterborough kicked off the tournament, but harder tests were to come. The 1st of 4 Premier League battles commenced in the 4th round. Southampton lay await, but an 86th minute winner from Seb Larsson sent the Saints packing with their tails between their legs. Mourinho's Chelsea were the next opponents. A late 88th minute equaliser from Liverpool loanee Fabio Borini, secured extra time, before Ki popped up to provide the winner and evade the tense penalty shootout. The semi final saw The Black Cats heap more misery upon David Moyes and it took a penalty shootout to secure a trip to Wembley. The quarter, semi and possibly even the match against Southampton, will give Sunderland the confidence that they can compete with the 'giants'.

On paper, this seems a very one sided affair, but not many matches are won on paper. Sunderland are battling for their lives at the foot of the table while Manchester City are flying high in third place, challenging for the title with a game in hand on the others. I am under no doubt that the FA. Cup Final of last year will be in the back of the City minds and they will be out to rectify this, even if the Cup is not a main priority. As for Sunderland, they have never won the competition, but did reach the final in 1985. 

Can they Stun the Blue Side of Manchester?

Honestly, I think they have a chance. The motto of 'anything can happen in the cup' or 'form goes out the window' ring loud in my ears, particularly after the escapades of Bradford in the trophy last year.  However, the thought of a domestic treble for City - and possibly even a Champions League - will encourage them to try and win this trophy. In my opinion, it will not be a one sided affair, Sunderland will have more chances than most people think, but whether they convert them will be the difference between lifting the trophy and going home empty handed. In order to seize the victory, Gus Poyet will need to be tactically astute as well as disciplined. Sitting back and absorbing pressure will not work due to the attacking prowess of the Citizens. If the Black Cats have this as their gameplan, then the potent striking threat of City will eventually unlock their defence. An early goal would be ideal as it would rattle City and a high pressure game will put them on the back foot.

On the outside, both teams will pretend not to care about the competition, but deep down, they will be itching for that elusive victory and the trophy to add to the cabinet. This will make it twice as hard for a plucky Sunderland side, who will have to bring their A-game. If Sunderland do defy the odds, the triumph will give them much needed confidence and will bode well as we approach the climax of what has been an action-packed campaign.

All we can do now, is sit back, relax and watch another frantic Wembley episode unfold.

The Pantomime Villain

Recent events at Cardiff City have sparked the BBC to label club owner, Vincent Tan as the 'Pantomime Villain.'

In the middle of December, Cardiff coach was shocked to find an email from Tan telling him to resign or else face getting the sack. The riff between Tan and Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay started after Tan publicly criticised the manager for announcing his intentions on buying 3 new players in the transfer window as he felt it was 'unfairly raising the expectations of the supporters.'

During the match against Liverpool on Saturday, Cardiff City supporters voiced their disgust at owner Vincent Tan, with chants of "Mackay in Tan out" ringing around Anfield. The Liverpool fans acknowledged the efforts of the Cardiff supporters with a round of applause. The support from the fans wasn't enough to save their beloved Cardiff City from a 3-1 defeat.

Mackay guided his Cardiff team to their first ever season in the premier league and has appealed for peace between the owner and himself, saying that this dispute could lead to his Cardiff side being relegated at the end of the season. There is sense in the Cardiff manager's words in that it couldn't of happened at a worse time with the January transfer window approaching. Having only scored 13 goals, it seems apparent that the club will need to recruit another striker, in order to bolster their attacking threat. Only Crystal Palace have scored less goals (12), while Sunderland have scored 13 too.

The Boxing Day results didn't do Cardiff any favours by losing 3-0 at home to Southampton as well as Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Fulham all winning. This leaves Cardiff lying precariously in 17th position, a single point clear of the relegation zone. As it stands, Tan has withdrawn his 'resign or be sacked' order against Mackay and he will remain in charge for the foreseeable future, but he himself is expecting to be given the boot before the New Year.

Before the season commenced, I predicted a 14-16th placed finish, but this is looking increasingly unlikely, especially with the recent events. With Mackay standing firm and refusing to walk, it is down to Vincent Tan to make ultimate decision regarding the future of their manager.

Champions League Last 16 Draw

Earlier today, the knockout 1st round draws for the Champions League and Europa League and, as always, it has thrown up some exciting ties.

City v Barcelona

Last year produced Manchester United and Real Madrid as the marquee tie of the last 16. This year, however, it's the other Manchester club and Real's arch rivals Barcelona that are in the spotlight. We all know of City's majestic home form this year netting seven past Norwich and six past Spurs, although not to the same degree of difficulty as Barcelona. Their away form has not been so hot. Losing to Cardiff, Aston Villa and Sunderland, the 'Noisy Neighbours' will be hoping to score goals galore at the Etihad in order to pile the pressure all on the Blaugrana at the Camp Nou. City have every reason to be confident.

Olympiakos v Man United

The other side of Manchester find themselves away to Greek side Olympiakos in the first leg. Olympiakos finished second in their group behind French Champions, Paris Saint Germain, and narrowly pipping Benfica to the post on goal difference. On the other hand, Manchester United came through their group with only conceding 3 goals, the joint lowest this year with Chelsea and Athletico Madrid. They polished off their campaign with a 5 star performance against a lacklustre Leverkusen side and also finished unbeaten. The table clearly shows that their below par league performances this season are not impacting their Champions League form...yet.

Galatasaray v Chelsea

The Galatasaray Chelsea game sees Didier Drogba face his old team mates from West London. On paper, I would think that Chelsea would do well against them, but on grass, this plucky Galatasaray side could prove a stumbling block for the boys in blue. The Turks lost 3 games in the group stage - more than any other team in the last sixteen - and finished on seven points behind Real Madrid. On the optimistic side of things, they did send Italian giants Juventus packing into the Europa League. Chelsea lost two matches in their group, but I expect them to scrape past this Galatasaray side.

Arsenal v Bayern

Piers Morgan could not of wished for a worse tie. Arsenal will be looking for revenge after Bayern dumped them out of the last sixteen the previous campaign on away goals. Just two goals separated Arsenal from finishing top of their group behind Borussia Dortmund, even though they pinched a win away at Dortmund. Bayern narrowly beat City to top spot recording only one loss on the last game-week against the Manchester club. However their commanding victory in the opening game against City, shows that the reigning European Champions are the best club team in the world. With both top of each table, this promises to be a fast paced match with attacking football played all round the park.

Other notable ties sees an erratic AC Milan side take on dark horses Athletico Madrid, while PSG clash with Leverkusen, Schalke meet Real and Zenit take on last year's runner up, Borussia Dortmund.

My prediction -

Man City to beat Barcelona

Man United to beat Olympiakos

Chelsea to beat Galatasaray

Bayern to beat Arsenal

Athletico Madrid to beat AC Milan

PSG to beat Leverkusen

Real Madrid to beat Schalke

Borussia Dortmund to beat Zenit.