Tag Archives: Harvey Barnes

Premier League Game of the Week: Leicester 1-3 Leeds United

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One could have expected Leicester to have roared on in their surprise quest for a 2nd Premier League title in 5 years, after all the Foxes have done so well this season and came into this game having won 12 of their 20 so far. But Leeds United are the team that keep on asking questions after the school bell has sounded. The team that keep pressing when you feel lethargic and the team that are here to stay in the Premier League.

Former Leeds great Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink noted a month ago that he felt his former side would be relegated this season and one has to wonder how wrong can a player turned media pundit have been? Yes you may argue that hindsight is a wonderful thing, though when he claimed this Leeds had 23 points and we were not even at the half way stage of the season- unless Leeds were about to record the mother of all collapses there was next to no chance that Marcelo Bielsa’s team were going down this season. One almost feels that Leeds heard the words of their former player and are partly playing on a level just to prove him wrong.

That was the case in keeping as Leeds surprised Leicester at King Power Stadium by coming away with a 3-1 victory. By far the man of the match was the ultra talented Patrick Bamford. He scored one and assisted in the other two.

But it would be the home side who would take the lead through the impressive Harvey Barnes his precision shot was set up by James Maddison and Leicester looked well on their way to victory. However in the 15th minute and only three minutes after the Foxes took the lead Leeds were level. A great counter attacking move was finished off sweetly by Stuart Dallas who scored his 4th goal of the season. Indeed the equaliser had many similarities to Leicester’s opener.

The half ended 1-1 at no one could complain we had seen a fast paced and equal game and the score seemed to fit the duel we were watching.

Both sides came close in the 2nd half but the third goal of the game had to wait until the 70th minute. Raphinha set the ball up but this was all Bamford’s doing and he scored a peach of a goal, perhaps the best of the weekend to put Leeds into the lead. It didn’t feel like a surprise to see Marcelo Bielsa’s side take the lead but before the game Leicester were the favourites.

Perhaps the Foxes were missing Jamie Vardy and Ndidi two huge players for the club of course and Vardy had to miss the game because of his recent hernia operation although he hopes to be back this weekend.

As time ran out so did Leicester’s ideas and they were caught on the break- Leeds are one of the best sides in the Premier League for quick counter attacking- and Jack Harrison made it 3-1 after being set up by Bamford.

It was a fantastic win for Leeds who are now in 12th place with 29 points. They are at home to Everton next in midweek. As for Leicester they are still 4th and have 39 points and have a 4 point safety cushion to 5th. But manager Brendan Rodgers will be counting down the days until Vardy returns. Leicester’s next game is against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

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Premier League Game of the Week: Leicester 2-2 Manchester United

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For entertainment you can go to Las Vegas but at the weekend the King Power Stadium would run the city of sin very close. Leicester and Manchester United shared the points and the goals in a game blessed by attacking football which eventually ended 2-2.

For Manchester United their incredible away start to the season ended where they had won their previous six games in a row. United had taken the lead twice in the game only to be pegged back. But on the face of it getting a draw away to Leicester shouldn’t be seen as a bad result but United would have left the game thinking that they had just lose 2 points and gained one.

It was a game borne out of brilliant skill and a swashbuckling never say die attitude and it felt like a very English game of football. There were only 10 goal attempts overall, 5 for each side, so we have seen better games in that respect this season but this was still an intriguing duel that you couldn’t keep your eyes off of.

A cross into the area started the scoring, and a quite brilliant assist from Bruno Fernandes getting his toe to the ball which caught out Leicester’s defenders and pinged it to an unmarked Marcus Rashford set the striker up for an easy opportunity that he wasn’t going to miss and United led the game.

Manchester United’s lead would only last eight minutes though as Harvey Barnes expose De Gea in goal and lashed a beautiful shot thundering into the net from the edge of the area.

In the second half Antony Martial’s goal was ruled offside by VAR and then everything changed once Edinson Cavani was introduced in the 75th minute. It took the attacker just four minutes to set up United’s 2nd goal after his assist to Fernandes who scored his 10th goal of the season. But soon after it was 2-2 as Jamie Vardy came to the rescue and scored a rather simple goal that De Gea and United’s defence must have been concerned about.

In the end whilst United held the technical skill cards Leicester had the back bone not to give up and a draw seemed like a fair result.

These two teams, for some will be the pretenders to Liverpool’s title this season but both have shown they have a lot of quality and are able to put points and wins together. It would be no surprise this season if both clubs finished in the top 4.

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Premier League Best 11 Players of the Weekend: Matchday 2

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Heung-min Son scored four as Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Southampton 5-2 and Dominic Calvert-Lewin grabbed a hat-trick as Everton beat 10 man West Bromwich Albion by the same score.

Clean sheets were hard to come by in the Premier League last weekend, with only Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and Aston Villa keeping one.

Here’s a look at the players who made a real difference in the fantasy football last weekend:

Goalkeeper: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa) – 7pts
Aston Villa’s new signing introduced himself to the fans by saving a penalty and keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Sheffield United on his debut. Emi Martinez was one of only three goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet on matchday 2.

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