Down the stretch they come...

[DJnVa]

Lots of talk elsewhere about Leicester's run at glory, but what about all the other slots?

Spurs are 9 points clear (plus massive GD edge) of 5th place West Ham, so they seem to be safe for Champions League--although West Ham has a game in hand.

3rd through 6th though is only separated by 7 points--can West Ham grab a spot? They still play Chelsea, Arsenal, Leicester, and Stoke.

Man City still plays ManU in what could be a massive game this weekend. Man City still has Arsenal as well. ManU, in addition to Man City, still has games against Tottenham, West Ham, and Leicester.

At the bottom, Villa is going down, and one of Newcastle, Norwich, or Sunderland will survive, as Swansea and Crystal Palace have a nice cushion.

I think the top 4 remains the same as it is now and Sunderland wins the relegation battle to stay up.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

3rd through 6th is actually only separated by 5 points. All have played 29 games.

Arsenal 52 points, +16 GD
Man City 51 points, +21 GD
West Ham 49 points, +12 GD
Man Utd 47 points, +10 GD

Plus Liverpool has 44 points and have only played 28 games, so they could be in the mix as well.

 

[coremiller]

Arsenal have a fairly easy run-in: 7 of their last 9 are against teams currently in the bottom half, and five of those are at home. They do have trips to Upton Park and then the Etihad for the Arab Airline Derby, but otherwise it's fairly easy sailing. Of course they've recently lost at home to Swansea and Watford, so who knows, but they should do their traditional take-care-of-business-in-April-to-secure-CL-place routine. The 4th spot though is really up for grabs.

At the other end, the Tyne-Wear Derby this weekend is a really massive game.

 

[Schnerres]

If Liverpool could somehow be more consistent, they could also join Top6 teams. I think 1-2 is Leicester and Tottenham and Arsenal and City should finish in 3-4, West Ham in 5th position. Manchester United has a very tough schedule, so Liverpool could finish ahead of them and with a great finish could even catch West Ham. It should definitely be a great race til the end.

 

[DLew On Roids]

As someone who watches every Liverpool match, I have no fucking clue what they're going to do or how they'll finish. If you told me they won out or that they'd finish 11th, I wouldn't be shocked.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Well, the league is now a 2 or theoretically 2.5 team race. Spurs are playing great but they are running out of time. Bookmakers still have them as heavy underdogs -- 5/2 it looks like -- which seems like too long to me. Minor benefit this weekend for them in that they have a pretty solid hold now on goal difference. It's kind of remarkable that Leicester City are 16 games over .500 with only a 23 goal difference. It's really too bad both Spurs/Foxes fixtures are done. What an event that would be. It will be interesting whether the long break cools either team off.

 

[Gunfighter 09]

I think Arsenal is more than a half in this race, they certainly have the easiest path left. All of the top three teams are down to only BPL games left.

It could be interesting on the last day, with the two North London teams playing teams that might be relegated by then in Newcastle and Villa and LCFC facing Chelsea.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

And Arsenal certainly have closed April and May well in some of the recent years. The harsh reality for them, though, is that even if they play perfectly in all 8 of their remaining games, and leapfrog Spurs, and overcome Leicester City's goal difference advantage, Leicester City can still close them out with 14 points in 7 games against a schedule where they play none of the teams chasing them. Unless and until Leicester City shows a serious deterioration in form, it's hard to view every one of those things all happening as more than a half chance at the moment.

 

[The Price Is Wrong]

Players' FA shortlist for BPL Player of the Year is out:

From Leicester: Mahrez, Vardy, Kante
From elsewhere: Payet, Ozil, Kane

Voted on by the players. I wonder if the Foxes will split the votes and one of the others will end up taking it.

 

[steeplechase3k]

Sunderland with a huge 0-3 win over Norwich. The win doesn't quite pull Sunderland clear of relegation but they are well ahead on GD and have a game in hand.

 

[fletcherpost]

everton go up a goal v the Saints and then give up the lead not much later. A fan runs on the pitch to remonstrate at players and Martinez and rips his T-Shirt and gets put in a neck lock for his troubles. Everton should watch Leicester games and learn how to close a game out. Martinez' peg gets ever more shoogly.

 

[Schnerres]

Leicester up 1-0 vs. West Ham after a counter that started from Schmeichel and after 3 stations Vardy finished it.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Vardy sent off.

 

[cromulence]

Whoa, who was it who called the Vardy red recently? Dead on.

 

[Zomp]

Vardy with an obvious dive already on a yellow. Gets sent off. Ref gets it spot on.

 

[Schnerres]

That is not a dive and not a yellow. And it´s not a foul, either.

 

[tbrep]

That is not a dive and not a yellow. And it´s not a foul, either.

How is it not a dive? He absolutely hurled himself to the ground. Great gutsy call from the ref.

 

[Zomp]

That is not a dive and not a yellow. And it´s not a foul, either.

He literally threw himself into the player to try and draw a foul. It was simulation and a warranted card.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

He moved off the ball to initiate contact with the defender for the sole purpose of being able to dive.

 

[SocrManiac]

I can't take credit for that- I thought his temper would get the best of him.

I'd argue he's been doing this a lot and inconsistency in refereeing got to him there. He's been awarded pens and he's had it waved off. I think he initiated contact and made a meal. I'm torn between "probably right" and "harsh." I don't think many referees play it that way but Moss is a spotlight whore.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

If the punishment for diving is just the lack of a foul being called, you'll never get players to stop diving. A yellow card was the right call, not harsh at all and he put himself in that situation with the first yellow.

 

[SocrManiac]

Well, Ogbanna just went to ground in the box and grabbed his shin after losing the ball. No yellow.

I don't disagree at all. The consistency is the problem.

 

[Schnerres]

You never see such a situation called for a dive and a yellow.
The defender ran next to him, both ran full speed for at least 30meters and had his arm touch him, while they already played for 60minutes. I say even a minimum contact brings you out of your running rhythm. This is nowhere near a foul, nowhere.

But, i bet it, if this is the other way around, if Vardy would be the defender in this situation, gets touched in the slightest way on his shoulder and falls to his opponents feet, he gets a free-kick called in at least 90% of the time.
For me, it´s not a foul and it´s not a dive, as you easily lose your ground in that situation.

 

[SocrManiac]

I think you're missing the piece where he initiated contact with the intent of drawing a penalty.

 

[SocrManiac]

Okay, that is absolutely Moss being a whore.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

Vardy changed his path and actually ran away from the ball in order to initiate contact. It was completely unnatural.

 

[JimBoSox9]

HOLY SHIT Cresswell

 

[CodPiece XL]

Wheels come off.

 

[Zomp]

Wow.

 

[SocrManiac]

That's not the wheels coming off. That's a top 10 goal of the year.

 

[cromulence]

Yikes....

 

[CodPiece XL]

Meaning being in the lead a goal up, having a guy sent off and giving up two late goals.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Finally broke through.
West Ham have been the better team all morning.

 

[cromulence]

If they end up blowing the league title, I'm gonna be really sad.

 

[Clears Cleaver]

These announcers are quick to call for the demise of LC

 

[tbrep]

Wow. That decision may well have tilted the title race. 3 point swing and Leicester still have Man U, Everton and Chelsea to go. Wow

 

[SocrManiac]

Wheels coming off implies they're doing something different.

Vardy was sent off for something that's rarely called.

Morgan gives up a penalty on something that is rarely called.

Cresswell hits a once in a lifetime shot.

I don't think LC are doing anything wrong or different. It's a shot of bad luck and referee whoring.

 

[PedroSpecialK]

Jon Moss is horrendous

 

[swiftaw]

How's that not a penalty?

 

[SocrManiac]

Okay, this is absolutely on Moss now. That's absurd.

 

[brienc]

Ok, now I'm putting on the tin foil hat and crying fix. How was that not a penalty?

 

[CodPiece XL]

Thing have gone wrong in a short space of time. Semantics.

 

[CodPiece XL]

The ref is a crook

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

These announcers are quick to call for the demise of LC

Arlo White was born and raised in Leicester. He's probably gutted.

 

[cromulence]

WHAT IS GOING ON

 

[cromulence]

Makeup call?

 

[Zomp]

LOL

 

[PedroSpecialK]

Andeh giveth, and the good Andeh he taketh away

 

[SocrManiac]

Moss is such a fucking whore.

 

[tbrep]

Worth mentioning that Tottenham is 9 goals ahead on goal difference. So if the teams are tied on points, Leicester almost certainly lose the title