One more game, one more hammering and Ole Gunnar Solskjear has Manchester United soaring again, this time on enemy territory. Again.
Arsenal played a good game, United just did better overall and although the gunners had few chances of their own to draw the game level in the second half, Sergio Romero conjured, first, an acrobatic save to stop Aaron Ramsey’s header before pulling stopping Lacazette with minutes later.
For five minutes, Romelu Lukaku was the best player in the world. His decision making proving to be attributes of a striker who costs United £75 million, and when any player is at that level, it’s a sign of good things to come.
The hallmark of Solskjear’s Man United has been their precision. Again, they don’t go out to dominate games like this, they simply sit back and keep it simple in attack. Against Arsenal, United registered 4 shots on target, 3 goals, and 38% of the ball.
Make that seven successive victories and a step closer to actually winning a silverware in a supposed turbulent year.
Brutal “No-joke” Djokovic Downs Rafal Nadal
Well, it turns out Manchester United are not the only one in the seventh heaven. Novak Djokovic pulled off a masterful display against 17-time grand slam winner, Rafael Nadal to win an unprecedented seventh Australian Open title and his 15th grand slam in an even more commanding manner: straight sets.
Until he tore apart the Spaniard 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, Nadal had never lost a grand slam final – and he had lost 8 before this.
However, the Spaniard deserves credit for even making it to the finals. No one expected him to go that far after what he suffered in 2018. And although he will be disappointed by the loss, it’s laudable still.
Ajax Hit a Ridiculous Low Point
The off-season games against Brazilian sides Flamengo and Sao Paulo were meant to be preparatory games for Ajax Amsterdam, but whatever they learned from those games must have been quickly forgotten.
Two games since the restart of the Eredivisie, five points dropped and 10 goals conceded. That should worry a side that was completely destroyed by a Robin Van Persie inspired Feyenoord.
Tottenham Hotspur Bottle Another Trophy
A week ago, Spurs were still competing in four fronts: The Premier League – well, can’t say they’re contenders anymore -, The UEFA Champions League, the League Cup and the FA Cup.
Fast forward, and Spurs blew the slim semi-final first leg advantage they held in the League Cup, losing on penalties to Chelsea. And then three days later Crystal Palace knocks Spurs out of the FA Cup.
Yes, Mauricio Pochettino may be a very ambitious coach, but aiming for the top trophies is ludicrous if he must continue to earn some respect he needs to win trophies, however insignificant. This fantasy has gone on long enough.
NINE Games, 5 Red Cards, Top Four Win. LaLiga
It’s matchday 21 in La Liga, all top four teams win, five red cards were issued in nine games played over the weekend, Messi inspired another Barcelona win – again we wonder what this board will do when Messi retires, Atletico Madrid scored two first-half goals and locked shop and Real Madrid win three consecutive league games for the second time this season.
Oh! Karim Benzema played arguably his best game in a Real Madrid shirt this weekend too.
Serie A Blockbuster Ends in Excitement
AC Milan and Napoli got off to an entertaining game and in all honesty, the 0-0 draw is a disservice to the quality of play.
But with that result came even more disappointing results for AS Roma, who threw away a 0-3 advantage at Atalanta. As Roma goalie, Robin Olsen’s schoolboy goalkeeping has to be regarded as the worst play of the weekend if there was a segment like that in football like it is in the NBA.
Olsen made blunder after blunder, and it must have been tough to swallow for his teammates.
Oh! Edin Dzeko ended his 3-month goal drought with two beautifully taken goals by the way.
Inter Milan lost at Torino and Juve’s hard-fought 2-1 over Lazio now ensures that the Nerazzurri are now 19 points behind the Champions who are still unbeaten in the league after playing every team in the division at least once.
