Liverpool score five of the best but concede twice to sink AS Roma in the UCL semi finals

Liverpool light up the stage at Anfield

Mo Salah, scores and sets up a couple each against his former side

Roberto Firmino scores a brace, Sadio Mane also on the scoresheet

Roma's Edin Dzeko and Diego Perotti get crucial away goals

The Reds have been all but confirmed a place in the final

Roma will have to do what they did to Barcelona

Former AS Roma and Liverpool's man of the moment Mohamed Salah put in a brilliant performance by scoring a brace and setting up another couple to secure a 5-2 victory in the 1st Leg of UCL semi-finals.

Despite losing Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain early on to injury and Romal fullback Alexandr Kolarov strike the post, Liverpool began getting momentum in the match which saw the 2017/18 PFA Player of the Year score a stunning curler from the edge of the box to give Liverpool the lead.

Just before the end of the 1st half, Salah was once again picked out by a delicious through ball as he flicked in his second on the night over the head of Roma goalkeeper Alisson, scoring his 43rd goal in all competitions this season along with his 10th UCL strike.

The second half saw Liverpool enjoy a large part of the half till the 70th minute which saw their players score 3 to hand the Reds a 5-goal lead.

Salah turned creator by first picking out Sadio Mane and then Roberto Firmino as the latter went on to head his second through a corner. Both Mane and Firmino have now scored 8 and 10 goals respectively.

Roma was shellshocked but the last 20 minutes of the match was when they really began to play their best football. 

It was Edin Dzeko, who like he did at the Nou Camp score a crucial away goal giving Roma some hope for the 2nd Leg.

In no time, Roma was handed a penalty which was calmly dispatched by substitute Diego Perotti, as the game ended 5-2.

Liverpool was breathtaking as they always are in attack by scoring 5, but did let in 2 away goals which didn't please their manager Jurgen Klopp. This very moment shouldn't come back to haunt them in the 2nd Leg.

Defensively, Roma was awful on the night and now find themselves in a similar position as they did in the quarter-finals, needing to score 3 goals at home but have 2 away goals in the bag. Last time out, the dispatched the mighty Barcelona at Rome and who knows what will happen this time around.

Whatever you do, do not miss to tune into the 2nd Leg next week on Wednesday, the 2nd of May.

Chelsea win the FA Cup with a 1-0 result over Manchester United

Eden Hazard first-half penalty sealed the win

The former EPL Champions have won eighth FA Cup

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte may still depart regardless of the victory

Manchester United finish the season without silverware

Jose Mourinho has suffered his 3rd loss as United manager against his former side 

FA CUP FINAL 2018

Tonight, Wembley Stadium plays host to another classic FA Cup final as fierce Premier League rivals Chelsea take on Manchester United with both sides looking for their first and only piece of silverware this season.

Chelsea, the former PL Champions haven't had the best of domestic campaigns this season, finishing 5th and failing to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League. Without any trophy, their hope now rests on the FA Cup, a competition last won by the Blues in 2012 and now enter their second straight final.

Chelsea's last FA Cup triumph in 2012

Manchester United have also failed to win silverware this season but have finished second best in the PL to rivals Man City. They too are looking to win the FA Cup since their trophy-winning campaign back in 2016. This win will be important for everyone associated with the club and one man in particular.

Man United last winning the FA Cup in 2016

Jose Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager will take on his former side for the 6th time as Man United manager and looks to get one better over them once again. He has previously won the competition with Chelsea in the year 2006/07.

Predicted Formations

(Older Posts)
Semi-Final results

Chelsea Vs Southampton

Chelsea booked a place into their 2nd successive FA Cup final with a 2-0 victory over a resilient Southampton side. This also sets up a historic final against Manchester United and former manager Jose Mourinho.

With only the FA Cup left to play for, manager Antonio Conte got the correct response from his side despite a goalless first half.

With Chelsea creating the fair share of chances, a goal was soon to arrive and it did when Cesc Fabregas played a long ball which was brilliantly controlled and brought down by Eden Hazard, feeding it into the path of Olivier Giroud.

The French forward then showed neat feet, tip-toeing past 4 Southampton players to slot in the long due opener.

Giroud was then brought off for Alvaro Morata and the Spaniard didn't take too much time to settle in as he doubled Chelsea's advantage with a brilliant header which was enough to gain them progress.

Southampton came into this game as underdogs and they did play well as it was a good distraction for them from their on-going relegation battle. Perhaps, this fixture could give them the motivation they require to beat the drop.

The FA Cup is Chelsea's only chance to earn silverware this season and have now set-up a historic final with Manchester United, who are also chasing their only piece of silverware.

Mark your calendar for the 19th of May for this epic encounter!

Manchester United Vs Tottenham

Manchester United put in a dominant performance to come from a goal down and claim a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, booking a place in the FA Cup finals at Wembley. This is their 2nd final in three years.

United fell behind as early as the 11th minute when Dele Alli was unmarked in the opposition box and tapped in the perfect cross from Christian Eriksen and it seemed like United were once again in for a tough challenge.

But, the response came in the 24th minute when Paul Pogba brilliantly won the ball in the opposition half and crossed the ball onto the head of Alexis Sanchez, who scored his 8th career goal at Wembley.

Both teams had equally good chances as the first half came to a close and the same went on back and forth in the second half until the 62nd minute where United played brilliant football.

Alexis Sanchez fed the ball into the path of Romelu Lukaku who cushioned the ball into an on-rushing Ander Herrera who comfortably slotted the ball past Michel Vorm to hand United the advantage and hung on as the game came to a close.

Man United manager Jose Mourinho did what he does best, once again win a big game against big-name opposition despite the surrounding criticism. This season he has beaten Tottenham twice, and the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Man City once, which is phenomenal!

The big name players did perform at their highest level. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones kept Harry Kane silent for the whole game, Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera all put in an excellent performance on a night where they had to perform at their best.

Sadly for Tottenham, this ends another season without a trophy which will now make it 10 consecutive seasons. For the football Mauricio Pochetinno's side brings, it always seems that they can't just make it over the line when it comes to title-winning games.

Man City's 5-star display against Swansea gets their title party started in style

Man City are 2017/18 Premier League Champions

City's 5-0 thrashing of Swansea City gets their title party started

They are on 90 points in the PL table aiming for the 100 point mark

Gameweek 35

Review

The 2017/18 soon to be PL Champions Manchester City kicked-off their title party in style with a 5-0 demolition of struggling Swansea City.

The newly crowned PL Champions were given their first guard of honor by the visiting side, a humble gesture by Swansea but City showed no mercy in their performance.

David Silva kick-started the celebration in the 12th minute, which was later doubled by Raheem Sterling who scored a career-high 18th league goal this season.

City continued their momentum in the second half as their player of the season Kevin De Bruyne drilled home a fierce drive, scoring their 3rd.

Man City was handed a penalty in the 63rd minute when Raheem Sterling was brought down by Federico Fernandez, but Gabriel Jesus' shot was saved onto the post by Lukasz Fabianski, only for the ball to fall into the path of Bernardo Silva who scored.

Benjamin Mendy, the Man City left-back also made his long-awaited return to the first team after his lengthy knee injury, as another substitute Yaya Toure fed the ball perfectly for Jesus to head in City's 5th on the night and his 11th PL goal this season.

It was more or less a one-sided game, and City who has made the habit of breaking league records have done it yet again.

• They had 83% ball possession, the highest ever recorded in a 90-minute PL game.
• They completed a stunning 1015 passes, another highest ever recorded in a 90-minute PL game.
• Another standout stat was a 93% pass accuracy rate.

They are stunning side to watch whenever they've kicked a football this season and are now chasing a record-breaking points tally to make it to the 100 point mark. 3 wins and a draw would do it, but they would want to make it 4 wins out of 4 to take their points tally to 102.

Preview

Manchester City has finally conquered the English Premier League for the 3rd time in their last 7 seasons and has achieved it in quite sublime fashion, with 5 games still to spare.

They will now focus on finishing the season on a high note and pick up maximum points from their remaining 5 games, which begins with a visit from Swansea City who are fighting relegation.

Man City manager Pep Guardiola will be proud of his side on achieving the PL title with 5 games to spare and will want to give most of his youth team players a chance to impress.

Swansea too has 5 games to play and are 4 points clear of the relegation places and if they manage to win at Etihad, could hand City back-to-back home defeats this season.

Team News:

Man City will be without Sergio Aguero (knee) and Fernandinho (suspended), along with John Stones (muscle injury) who isn't yet ready.

But Benjamin Mendy (knee) could be included in the 18-man squad for the first time since September and may be included in the starting XI, after appearing in the PL2 game on Friday.

Swansea City will be without former Man City striker Wilfried Bony (knee), along with Renato Sanches (hamstring) and Leroy Fer (calf), all long-term injuries and Luciano Narsingh (ankle) have also been ruled out.

But, Sam Clucas may have a chance and return from a knee injury.

Predictions

Man City (3-1) Swansea City

With Aguero ruled out for the remainder of the season, Gabriel Jesus will be the man responsible to find the net, after scoring 10 league goals this season.

Raheem Sterling is also closing in on his best ever season in the PL after already finding the net 17 times this season and would look to make it a phenomenal 20 goals in the remaining games.

Guardiola may also give a first-ever PL start to youth midfielder Phil Foden and start Aymeric Laporte at LCB, a position he would thrive at in the years to come.

Swansea would look to put in their best defensive performance and try to catch City on the counter-attack. But if they wish to go for it, they have to start with 3 of their best attackers in the squad namely Tammy Abraham & the Ayew brothers.

UCL Quarter Finals 2017/18: Manchester City Vs Liverpool (2nd Leg) PREVIEW

After Liverpool's handsome 3-0 drubbing of Premier League leaders Manchester City at Anfield, the two go head-to-head once again in the 2nd Leg of the UEFA Champions League tonight.

After Liverpool's mesmerizing first-half display in the 1st Leg; Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Sadio Mane all but confirmed a place into the semi-finals.

But when the pair last met at The Etihad, it was Man City who put 5 past their opponents after Mane was sent off and Liverpool played with 10-men for nearly the entire game. So, if there is a team who can beat Liverpool if the odds are stacked against them, its Man City.

MANCHESTER CITY

Manchester City has to win this game and have to outscore their opponents by 4 goals or more if they want to progress through. 

Their manager Pep Guardiola is going through his most difficult spell as a City manager after conceding 3 goals each in his last 2 games, most recently in their 2-3 defeat against rivals Man United.

But, this is a whole new game and the manager will have all the shackles off and ensure that his team puts in their best-attacking performance this season, irrespective of the end result.

Most of the first team players namely; Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker, John Stones & Sergio Aguero were rested from starting the derby defeat and are all fit to feature tonight.

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool is in the driving seat as anything less than a 3-goal deficit will guarantee them a place in the semi-finals. 

Their manager Jurgen Klopp will have the team ready to put in their best ever defensive performance of the season and will be ready for all threats that City will pose in front of goal.

Most of their first team players were also rested for their 0-0 draw against their rivals Everton in the PL. But most importantly, they will be thrilled to welcome back their injured lot.

Mohamed Salah (groin) who limped off from the 1st leg victory is expected to start along with left-fullbacks Andrew Robertson (calf) and Alberto Moreno (thigh).

Roberto Firmino was also rested but came on as a substitute is also expected to start.

Liverpool's absentees include Emre Can (back), Jordan Henderson (suspension), Adam Lallana (muscle), Joel Matip (thigh) and Joe Gomez (ankle)

Match Statistics:

Manchester City has lost just one of their last 13 UCL home games.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has picked up 6 victories against Pep Guardiola in his managerial career, more than any other manager.

Man City have won just once in their 9 encounters against Liverpool, but notably, it was the 5-0 victory earlier this season at The Etihad in the PL.

Liverpool is undefeated on the road in the UCL this season with 2 wins and 2 draws in their 4 away games this campaign.

Guardiola has lost in both UCL knockout ties just once, in the 2013/14 semi-finals as Bayern Much manager against Real Madrid.

But, Liverpool has been prolific in front of goal this season, outscoring all sides with 32.

Liverpool's fab 3 of Salah-Firmino-Mane have managed to score 21 UCL goals this season with each player getting 7 a-piece.

Man City's highest scorers are Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling, both tied with 4 goals a-piece in the UCL but tonight it will be down to the crucial goals scored.

FORMATIONS

Manchester City

City's best chance of picking up a win is if the manager begins with both Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero up front and the best way to do it is through the 3-5-2 formation.

The three most important players in that formation to supply the creativity would be Leroy Sane, David Silva, and Kevin De Bruyne.

Sane can supply the width down the left and will be supported by Aymeric Laporte who is naturally left-footed to assist defensively which could also transform the formation to a 4-4-2 if needed.

Liverpool

Liverpool executed a new-look 3-5-2 in the PL this weekend to perfection managing to keep the Everton attack at bay and can do the same tonight.

Firmino will start after being rested along with Salah who will make his comeback from injury. 

Mane should be kept among the substitutes to accommodate a defensive or midfield player at the back.

The main test will once again come for young right fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold against Leroy Sane. He managed to keep Sane quiet at Anfield but it would be entirely different at The Etihad. 

He needs to have support either through the returning Nathaniel Clyne or center back Ragnar Klavan who was decent on Saturday. Clyne's inclusion could see Arnold doubling up on Sane to keep him at bay.

Prediction:

Manchester City (3-1) Liverpool

This is one contest where anything can happen, Liverpool can turn by putting in their best defensive performance of the season and withstand Man City's attack or City could take Liverpool apart by their dazzling display.

It will be extra motivation for Liverpool who will look to make it to the semi-finals in nearly a decade and attempt to win it all!

City's big match stars will have to rise up to the occasion if they wish to progress into the semi-final and achieve what now seems the impossible!

By far, this is going to be the most exciting UCL fixture since last season when Barcelona overcame PSG to chase them down from 4 goals down to win 6-5 on aggregate. Can Man City do it?