An Early Morning Saturday Cracker!
posted by The Blue Devil @ 7:19 AM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Saturday, February 04, 2017
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Contributors
Previous Posts
- Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 23 Update
- January Transfer Deadline Day 2017!
- FA Cup Fifth Round 2017
- A Tale of Two Uniteds
- Who's Up for the Cup?
- The Quest Continues!
- Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 22 Update
- Ross and Brucey in Villa Bust-up!
- A Later Start to Sunday Morning
- Saturday's Here Again!
243 Comments:
This is a must-win match for Arsenal. And Spurs. And Liverpool. And the Manchester clubs. And neutrals. If there’s to be any hope of a title race this season, Arsenal must surely beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge today. Chelsea don’t play another of the Big Six until they host Manchester City on 5 April; if they avoid defeat today they will probably be on the cusp of their sixth league championship when that match comes around.
The teams gathering in the tunnel at Stamford Bridge now:
Chelsea (3-4-3) Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard.
Substitutes: Begovic, Terry, Zouma, Chalobah, Fabregas, Willian, Batshuayi.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Coquelin; Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi; Sanchez.
Substitutes: Ospina, Gibbs, Gabriel, Maitland-Niles, Welbeck, Giroud, Reine-Adelaide.
Referee Martin Atkinson.
Arsene Wenger is banned from the touchline again today. His seat is - and you’ll like this - in with a load of Chelsea fans. What’s the worst that could happen? LOL!
Good morning, Bob and Happy Anniversary. It's great to join you for the biggie.
Hi Boys
Remember I am not around today. I am leaving for the Matchcounts competition is a couple of minutes.
Enjoy all the games
Ttfn
Morning, MUR - great to have you on board for our anniversary natter. The preliminaries are over and we're away at SB.
Thanks for checking in, mate. We'll miss you today but enjoy your trip.
Oh - an early scare for the Blues there. Confusion at the back and Iwobi had a deceptive drive deflected just wide.
Costa heads clear from the corner. And Chelski are away now. Nice bright opening to the match.
OH!!! Iwobi has a shot deflected inches wide for a corner after Ozil picked the Sideshow's pocket. Costa headed out the corner from Ozil.
Hazard wins a Chelsea corner. The corner from Pedro is headed pout then Theo clears away.
Sorry you won't be around for the biggie, UWS. Hope to chat with you tomorrow on a Manc Sunday.
Arsenal are settling on the ball after a breathless start. I expect lots of Arsenal possession today. But will it mean goals?
It is a very Manc Sunday, isn't it. I suppose we should have black pudding and mushy peas for brekkies, eh?
Cheers, Bob. This must be the lucky seventh Anniversary weekend of my first chat on the LOB where my first match was the Merseyside Derby.
Thanks for the offer, mate, but I think I will pass on that brekkies given that I will be back late from taking Melanie to Cotillion and will probably be a tad sleepy during the early match
Ozil found a nice position but couldn't find any of is teammates with the cross.
Coq Au Vin trips Moses , preventing him from parting the Red Sea,
Coq au Vin bundles over both Costa and Moses and is lucky not to pick up an early card.
LOL! Boom boom, mate. Nice Biblical pun, mate.
Cahill heads the free kick into the ground and over with a free header.
This has been a terrific start to the match, with both teams full of pep and purpose.
Cheers, mate. I'll drink to that
GOAL !!!! MARCOS ALONSO GIVES CHELSEA THE LEAD.
GOAL! Cech saves brilliantly from Costa but he can't keep out the rebound by Alonso.
Great cross over met beautifully by the Brazilian born Spaniard. His header hits Cech and crossbar together. Comes back out and Alonso buries it.
1-0 Chelski!
And now Bellerin is down getting treatment after picking up a knock challenging Alonso.
Poor defending from the Gunners as Bellerin is still down after losing out to Marcos Alonso on the challenge for the rebound.
That zonal defending does not result in the Gunners defenders being in the zone.
It started with Chelsea picking up a pass in midfield. Hazard passed to Moses , who played Pedro Pan down the right and his cross was headed by Costa and brilliantly saved by former Chelsea keeper, Pete Cech and Bellerin was a tad late reacting to the rebound as fellow Spaniard, Alonso headed in the rebound in a clash of heads.
Now three consecutive Gunners corners as the latest one is headed away and Coq Au Vin shoots well over from about 25 yards out.
Oh - nearly a second now as Costa pulls the trigger.
Costa cut in , but his shot came off the side netting as Cech seemed to have the near post covered.,
The battle in midfield between Coq Au Vin and Kante seems to be won by Kante in the battle between the two French tough guy middies.
Mustafi becomes the first player into the referee's book now. Martin Atkinson has run out of patience. And Hazard is down.
Mustafi fouls Hazard on the break as he beat the German-Albanian for pace. Agreed with Lee that there was no need to foul because the Belgian was headed nowhere towards goal.
The free kick is about a yard behind the left corner of the box. The free kick from Peter Pan is headed out by the Ox.
Hazard is starting to trouble Arsenal, particularly on the break. His ability to wriggle away from players is wonderful. Arsenal are still well in the game but Chelsea look more penetrative.
Moses fouls Nacho . The free kick is caught by Courtois.
Oh - Costa looked through there and could have dished it off to Alonso but Coq au Vin did well.
The Gunners have not been an attacking threat at all. Chelsea look the more likely team to score another goal.
A Spanish clash as Azpi fouls Nacho.
Cech spills a shot from Pedro for a corner off a pass from Alonso. The corner from Pedro is headed out by Kos.
Pedro wins a corner off of the Ox.
I agree, mate - the Blues just look more dangerous.
Kos heads away the corner then the Gunners are forced to head away a series of crosses from Chelsea.
Nacho wins a corner off of Moses.
Theo wins another corner off a pass from Alexis.
Oh - big chance for Gabriel but Courtois saved well. That needed to go in to change the pattern here.
OH!!!! Courtois superbly tips over a header from Gabriel off a cross from Coq Au Vin from a short corner taken by Ozil.
If Courtois has a lot of clean sheets then there must not be much action in the bedroom!
LOL! Nice one, mate!
Arsene is off to the dressing room. He will have plenty to say at the half.
Cheers, mate!
Four minutes of stoppage time.
Oh - another chance now - for Beaker. Hits it low but Courtois got down well.
Ozil has a shot easily saved by Courtois off a pass from Coq Au Vin in the longest spell of possession for the Gunners this match
The Ox fouls Hazard in midfield.
Mustafi tackles Costa for a Chelsea corner.Pedro takes it short and then slips receiving the return pass as the Blues lead 1-0 at the half.
Now it's halftime.
Half-time - off to make my brekkies.
The second half is underway
Bellerin is back on the bench after that horrible injury.
Superb last ditch tackle by Kos on Hazard.
I had a feeling that Bellerin wouldn't be able to continue.
A number of Arsenal players have to step up in this second half - we haven't seen nearly enough from Alexis Sanchez, for example.
Welcome back, mate. Bellerin was replaced by Peter Gabriel immediately after the goal.
Cech rushes out to block from Costa, who is offside.
GOAL! Outstanding goal from Eden Hazard!
GOAL !!!! HAZARD PUTS CHELSEA TWO UP.
Possibly the goal of the season as Costa headed on the clearance from the Sideshow , then Hazard went on a mazy dribble past five Gunners then shot past the on rushing Cech
Arsenal need to get a goal back quickly to give them a chance to get back into this one.
I don't know how Arsene thinks the goal are going to come when they don't have any recognized strikers on the pitch.
It was supposed to be a six-horse race this season, almost impossible to call. Chelsea have turned it into a canter.
That's a good point . I think a set piece is their best chance.
I think only the Spuds have a chance and a slim one at that.
Marcos Alonso down after his second clash of heads today.
Alonso back up and ready to continue.
Just what the doc ordered. Ollie ready to come on as the Gunners will finally have a recognized striker on the pitch even though we were expecting Alexis to be more of an attacking threat
Ollie Giroud to the rescue now - can he turn this one around?
Oliie on for Coq Au Vin , which is a much needed attacking threat
It will be an interesting walkies with Sparky after the match as a steady , light rain is starting to become a downpour.
Theo fouls Matic , who won that battle.
The midfield is Iwobi, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ozil. “How can Arsenal compete to win a league with that midfield?” says Gary Neville on British telly.
Sneaky chipped free kick there by Sideshow. Out for a corner.
The Ox heads out the free kick from the Sideshow for a Chelsea corner.
Agreed with the Neviller, which is why I did not pick them to win the title.
Wellie on for Theo as the Gunners now have two recognized strikers. Why didn't any of them start?
I responded to your post on FB about the SCOTUS nominee and used that as an opportunity to criticize Hobby Lobby.
Azpi fouls Alexis in a decent position for the Gunners
A complete waste as offside is called off the free kick.
Arlo says that Coq Au Vin is called Super Frank. He hasn't exactly lived up to his name today.
Thanks, mate - the word has to be spread about Neil Gorsuch. I'll be heading for a big rally against Trump's immigration plans and Muslim travel ban in Buffalo tomorrow.
Arsenal need one in off the bum right about now.
Oh - another excellent save by Courtois.
And then Mustafi misses a sitter - free header!
Courtois superbly turned around that header from Mustafi then the same player headed just wide off the next corner.
Glad to comment. I thought a federal judge made the ban illegal, meaning that it has been uplifted . Is that correct?
Willian on for Hazard, who posed that to the Gunners numerous times.
I thought Willian had come on earlier, but now is on for Pedro and will surely fill the same position on the pitch. Fab on for Hazard , who definitely posed one has been Fab today. Fab on against his old mates, who are looking up at the Blues in the title race.
A double change for Chelsea: Willian and Cesc Fabregas replace the excellent Pedro and the entirely magnificent Eden Hazard.
That is correct but the picture could easily change.
GOAL! To rub salt in the wound, former-Gunner Fab chips in a third. Ouch!
GOAL !!!! FAB SCORES WITH AN AUDACIOUS LOB AGAINST HIS OLD MATES MINUTES AFTER COMING ON THE PITCH
Horrible mistake by Cech, gifting it to Fab who stuck it right back in.
Cech playing against his former Chelsea mates, made a really poor clearance and Fab, playing against his former Gunners took advantage and chipped Cech , who was out of position. Chelsea three up.
Zooma is on for Moses , who drove past the Gunners like a well drilled racing car
GOAL !!! OLLIE SCORES A CONSOLATION GOAL FOR THE GUNNERS
GOAL! Ollie sticks in a consolation goal from a Nacho cross. Shame that it doesn't mean that much.
3-1.
Into three minutes of stoppage time.
The goal was scored eight seconds into stoppage time as Iwobi won a loose ball and played it out wide to Nacho , whose tasty cross was headed in by Wellie.
It's over as Chelsea comprehensively defeat the Gunners 3-1 , effectively eliminating them from the title race.
After watching the London Derby from sunny , cold London, I'm off to walk Sparky in warm, rainy Harlingen.
That's it - the Chelski fans get all bouncy bouncy celebrating with a slice of classic Madness.
Off to the shower, now, mate.
I've back from the shower - teams out on the pitches around the country.
Watching Hull v. Liverpool on NBC Sports Network.
The Chunk gives the Toffees a really early lead vs the Cherries.
A really great finish by the Chunk, but poor defending by the Cherries after the Toffees won a loose ball and the Chunk curled a left footed in the upper 90 off two one twos.
The day’s first goal in the Premier League, and Everton have it. Thirty-one seconds gone, and that’s a lovely finish from Romelu Lukaku. Could be a long afternoon for Bournemouth.
BUGGER! THE Evil Blades take an early lead vs the Real Dons.
The Chunk is now level on 13 with Harry Kane.
welcome back, mate. I have the PLE goal rush and Palace vs the Black Cats on CNBC
Shame - I've been reading all about Sheffield Utd in the 1970s in the birthday book about Tony Currie that my bruvver gave me.
Is Fred watching, too?
Hennesssey is forced to make a close range save from Dafoe on a Black Cats break
Jim Morrison opens the door for the Baggies scoring off a through ball from Matty Phillips vs Stoke City.
I'm afraid not. Fred is hiding somewhere after watching part of the early match and pestering me part of the early match
It sounds like Morrison broke on through to the other side of the Stoke defense for that goal.
Boom boom!
Burnley with that horrible away form don't help their cause as Jeff Hendrick is sent off for an x rated tackle on Holebas at Vicarage Road.
Troy Deeney puts the Hornets in the lead vs Burnley , scoring against them for the fourth consecutive match between the teams at Vicarage Road.
Manolo Gabbiadini scores a debut goal for the Saints vs the Hammers off a through ball that beat the offside trap and blasted a near post int the upper 90. Andy Carroll tied it up for the Hammers a minute later.
BOOM BOOM, MATE. He sure did.
Not it's Soton with an early goal against West Ham. Manolo Gabbiadini.
Fred and I missed Fat Sam's former Black Cats players score against him at Selhurst Park. Kone headed on a free kick from Serb Larsson . Another player fouled Wayne Hennessey and Kone blasted home from close range. A controversial goal that will surely irk Fat Sam
Andy Carroll tied it up for the Hammers a minute later.
The Tangerines take the lead vs Colchester
How is the new book? Surely , comedic behavior from the Gooner!
Twenty minutes gone, and no goals yet in the Championship. Suits me just fine.
I'm loving it. Loads of fun details about the game in the 70s.
Struggling Ross County take the lead at Ibrox
McCarthyism at Goodison Park as James McCarthy puts the Toffees two up vs the Cherries. Great footwork by the Chunk , who goes past two Cherries and passes to McCarthy. His shot is blocked then bounces off his leg for an easy goal
Posh take the lead at Port Vale while Colchester tie it up at the Tangerines.
Those were the good old days in some ways.
A Federal Judge puts Morecambe and Wise in the lead at Donny Trump.
Tom Heaton superbly tips over a long range effort to prevent the Hornets from going two up.
The rout is on as the Chunk scores his second to put the Toffees three up vs the Cherries. He was gifted the goal from a horrible back pass.
The first goal in the Championship today as the Toon take the lead vs the Rams on Wally's return to SJP. That will suit Bob.
That's 14 goals now for the Chunk - he's level with Zlatan.
Lee Grant , in the Stoke goal, does well to turn around a shot from Runned on , who did that from a through ball as the Baggies attempted to go two up.
He's catching up to Alexis and Costa.
That does suit me. I'm not convinced that we can reach the top two. Confirming our playoff spot is job number one.
Matip heads wide from a Pool corner with a free header.
BUGGER!!! The Evil Lions take the lead at struggling Coventry.
I'm watching the wrong match, for sure.
Pool have a free kick and it's into the wall by Coutinho. Trump would have been proud of that,
Milner is booked for hand ball just outside the Pool box.
Agreed I wonder if we should switch over to the match at Goodison
The sun just came out , meaning that it will be muggy after the rain earlier this morning.
GOAL !!! NDONG PUTS THE BLACK CATS TWO UP AT SELHURST PARK
GOAL! Hull score the opener! A terrible mix-up for Liverpool at the corner!
What on earth was Minnie doing there patting the ball down? Good grief!
A S Steve Parrish and Mark Bright were looking on gloomily, Joe Ledley had the ball nicked off him as the Beardy was put off the the electrical shocked fake blonde hair of the Frenchman. . He scored with a long range effort to match his haircut as it was a rocket off the inside of the post.
GOAL !!!! DAFOE PUTS THE BLACK CATS THREE UP AT SELHURST PARK. A GOAL ON THE BREAK AS THERE ARE TWO MINUTES OF STOPPAGE TIME.
Wow - the bottom two clubs score in the same minute!
This result will drag Swansea back down into the relegation mire!
A long clearance from the Black Cats deep in their box made it to Larsson. He found Jan all alone in the box and he passed to Dafoe to score from a narrow angle.
Bloody hell - Defoe scores again as the NBC cameras go to the match. Fat Sam not happy.
GOAL !!! DAFOE WITH HIS SECOND AS HE PUTS THE BLACK CATS FOUR UP.
"You're not fit to wear the shirt," the Palace fans sing as the half-time whistle goes at Selhurst.
Halftime as the boos are well heard at Selhurst Park.
Meanwhile , some goals in the Championship with the East Anglian clubs scoring. Bob will be pleased that the Tractor Boys have scored against the Reading Railroad while the Canaries have scored at Evil Cardiff and Wolves have scored at slumping Richard Burton.
BUGGER! The Evil Blades are now two up vs the Real Dons.
Goals flying in late in the first half. Three in just under five minutes for the Black Cats. Johnno will be pleased that the Hammers came from behind to lead 1-2 as Pedro Obbiang scored with a long range effort as stoppage time was about to begin. Njiang headed in a cross from Holebas just before halftime to put the Hornets two up vs Burnley.
The second half is underway from the KC
Argyle took a late lead at Cambridge.
The Tigers have a free kick, but it comes to nothing
The second half is underway as Andros Townsend is on for Damien Delaney, who was approached by a supporter ,who ran on the pitch as the teams were walking to the dressing room at the beginning of halftime.
Pool twice came close to scoring . Matip ha d a shot blocked for a corner then Tigers keeper, Jakupovic fumbled the corner, but gathered the rebound.
Back after the break - Liverpool trying to exert some pressure now.
MacArthur is well wide from long range off a Palace free kick.
A moment's applause from Palace fans for a fan who passed away from cancer at the age of 49. You would think that Palace players would want to do more to honor his memory.
Jack Rodwell down injured . He hasn't won any of his last 39 Premier League starts. The worst run in Premier League history. Surely, that run is about to end.
Rodwell is off injured and on in his place his Darren Gibson for his Black Cats debut.
Bob's Argyle still lead at Cambridge.
Bolton take the lead at the Fake Dons while the Gils score to make it Desmond at Bradford City
Lescott looks set to come on for a Black Cats as he's on for the injured O'Shea. Lescott last played for AEK Athens on October 2nd as they were thrashed at Olympiakos.
The goal rush didn't show it, but the Hammers now lead 1-3 at St. Mary's as Steven Davis scored an OG.
Jaap's Chaps tie it up at PR. Not good news.
Big shout for a pen - nothing doing for Pool this afternoon. I can't put my finger on what's happened to Klopp's side. They were flying in the fall - now they can't score for toffee.
Josh King pulls one back for the Cherries as he scored with a great finish off a great pass. They trail 3-1.
Not good news at all, mate.
Another Palace debut as Loic Remy is on for MacArthur, who gets a mixed reception, coming off the pitch
BOOM BOOM! Nice analogy.
Palace nearly score as Mannone saves a header from a corner, but Beneteke blasts the rebound well over.
Loic Remy is back in the Prem? Crikey!
Sturrdige to the rescue now for Pool.
Struggling Richard Burton tie it up vs Wolves.
UWS will not be pleased that Wycombe Wanderers have taken the lead vs Pompey in a L2 promotion playoff battle.
Klopp is having a moan to the 4th Official now about Hull's time wasting tactics.
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