ded on our lineup," said Therrien
in Mariah Carey Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:06 amby gf1234566 • 150 Posts
With just four games standing between Leicester or Tottenham and an historic first Premier League crown, we analyse the run-ins as the title race nears a tantalising climax. Whod have thought it? Leicester and Tottenham fighting for their first Premier League title, with the so-called top flight superpowers out of the running with four games to go.Leicesters annus mirabilis shows no sign of relenting, despite West Hams best efforts in the thrilling 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium on Sunday, but Spurs made a real statement of intent at Stoke in the Monday Night Football - leaving a firm reminder that this title race is anything but over. Premier League table Team Games played Goal difference Points Leicester 34 26 73 Tottenham 34 39 68 Harry Kane could spearhead a late Spurs comeback Mauricio Pochettinos men are five points behind the Foxes, but more importantly have real momentum behind their title push after the 4-0 demolition of the Potters in Staffordshire, and their breathtaking late show against Manchester United last week. Can Spurs break Foxes hearts? We take a closer look at the run-in to decipher who has the best chance of snatching glory. Remaining fixtures Leicester Tottenham Swansea (h) West Brom (h) Man Utd (a) Chelsea (a) Everton (h) Southampton (h) Chelsea (a) Newcastle (a) With the gap still formidable, the title is still Leicesters to lose. Their remaining fixtures are tough, but theyve overcome plenty of obstacles to get this far.While not being the force of old, Manchester United (a), Everton (h) and Chelsea (a) will be no pushovers, with United especially with everything to play for in pursuit of a top-four spot.Swansea represent a perfect opportunity to get some points on the board in this weeks Super Sunday clash, as Francesco Guidolins men are all but safe and were swept aside by imperilled Newcastle last time out.Spurs also play two of their final three games on the road, with trips to Chelsea and Newcastle sandwiching their home clash with Southampton.Newcastle could well be fighting for their lives on the final day as they look to secure a spot in next seasons most lucrative of Premier Leagues.Three appearances on Monday Night Football has its pros and cons. The pressure increases week on week, as Spurs know the consequences of a result more clearly playing after the Foxes, but that intensified scrutiny didnt seem to be an issue at the Britannia. Is it Tottenhams time? Mauricio Pochettinos Tottenham could dominate English football AbsenteesBoth sides have been fortunate with injuries of late, with no big-name stars out for a lengthy period - unusual towards the business end of a grueling campaign. Options without Vardy How will Leicester City cope without suspended Jamie Vardy? However, the fate of Jamie Vardys disciplinary hearing into his actions towards referee Jon Moss at the weekend could be a deciding factor in the title race. The England striker has been one of the standout performers for the Foxes, and should his one-game ban be extended, then Leicester could lack a real element of dynamism that is crucial when it matters most. Watch Delle Allis terrible miss and Mauricio Pochettinos fist-thumping reaction during Tottenhams 4-0 win at Stoke What they sayAfter seeing his side put in one of their best showings of the season at Stoke, Pochettino could not hide his delight, insisting his players would fight to the finish.I have a squad that feels the passion for the game and they deserve the praise and full credit for the season, Pochettino said. We are still fighting. Our dream is to fight and put pressure on Leicester. Pochettino says Tottenham will fight to the wire Claudio Ranieiri has kept his cool throughout and did not change tack amid the controversy of Sundays draw with the Hammers.If some players dont play well or make mistakes, Ranieri said. I speak with them and we try to improve their performance. The referee is not my matter. [My team were] fantastic, fantastic. We play every match with our soul - blood, heart and soul and it was magnificent.Jamie Carragher tried to put into context the magnitude of what an achievement it would be for Leicester, but also waxed lyrical about a vibrant Spurs. Jamie Carragher believes Tottenham are more than capable of winning Premier League titles under Pochettino The top four was normally set in stone, certainly when I was playing, Carragher said. No one ever made a fist for that. This, to think where theyve come from, could be the biggest story in football weve ever seen.I was expecting Spurs to go back to being challenging for top four [next season], but the more I watch this team, I think in terms of years to come, this is going to be a side thats challenging for the title.ConclusionThe cliched foregone conclusion has reared its ugly head in recent weeks, with Leicester holding such a commanding lead, but even after just one draw and a super Spurs riposte, the title race is hot topic yet again.It is obviously still very much in Leicesters hands, needing eight points from four games to guarantee the title, but with Vardys pending absence and some imposing fixtures to come, it is far from over. Leonardo Ulloa (right) celebrates after scoring Leicesters equaliser against West Ham In reality, with so much at stake, both will likely drop points along the way, so expect plenty of twists and turns, but with the holy grail in sight, it will take a seismic shift for Leicester to be caught from here.Who do you think has the toughest run-in? Let us know using the message boards or by tweeting @SkyFootball, and dont forget youll see every match of the race on Sky Sports. Also See: Is it Tottenhams time? Premier League predictor Table Live on Sky Wholesale Giants Jerseys . Louis Blues brought in the premier unrestricted free agent centre, and did it without breaking the bank. Giants Jerseys 2019 . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (5) – He had good saves on Giroux, Akeson, and Hartnell tonight. https://www.cheapjerseysgiants.us/. - The Mavericks built a 12-point lead with 2:50 to play, gave away all but two points of it, and still managed to hang on. San Francisco Giants Pro Shop . -- Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo is going to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Stitched Giants Jerseys . Altidore strained his left hamstring in the Americans opener against Ghana on June 16 and didnt play in their next two games. "We dont know how much because we need to see how hes going, but hes available," U.MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens are wondering where their power play has gone. What used to be their best weapon has mostly been firing blanks for the last month or so. And while they didnt need it much to sweep the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of NHL playoffs, it could come in awfully handy when they face the Boston Bruins in an Eastern Conference semifinal later this week. The Canadiens went 0-for-23 over the final eight regular season games with the man advantage and scored on only two of 13 chances against the Lightning, although one was Max Paciorettys series-clinching goal with 43 seconds left in Game 4 in Montreal. It has got to where they dont talk about scoring goals so much as building "momentum" off the power play. "We worked on the power play (Monday) and well work on it more," coach Michel Therrien said this week. "We want to create momentum on the power play and were working with that in mind." The Canadiens have spent a lot of time in practice over the past month trying to find answers. Early in the season, they were scoring regularly until opponents started keying on P.K. Subbans big point shot. Since then, the Canadiens have had trouble finding a winning formula. They will need it to keep the bigger, more physical Bruins honest and to match the Boston power play, which went 6-for-16 in a five-game win over the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round. The Bruins used to labour on the power play. They beat Montreal in seven games in a 2011 first round series despite going 0-for-23 with the man advantage. But that was before they picked up slick point man Torey Krug, which allowed them to move towering Zdeno Chara into a much more effective position in front of the opposing teams net. Subban looks to the 2011 Bruins as proof that a team can win even if the power play is struggling. "The year they won the Cup, I dont think that had many power play goals," he said. "The power play is one thing, but I think the most important thing is generating momentum on a power play.dddddddddddd "Youre not always going to score, especially when you play a team with a good penalty kill. But you try to create opportunities and generate momentum and really grind down their forwards and defence." They hope to catch fire against the Bruins. In the first round, there were times they had dazzling puck movement, and other times when they looked like marionettes following a choreographed routine. It may just be taking more time than expected for trade deadline acquisition Thomas Vanek to make his mark on the first power play unit with Pacioretty and centre David Desharnais. Vanek has had a big impact on their even-strength play, and facing Boston may be just what he needs to help the power play get going as well. The Austrian has 30 goals and 62 points in 55 career regular-season games against the Bruins, most while he played for the Buffalo Sabres. Penalty killing is also a concern. The Canadiens were fourth best in the NHL this season with an 85.1-per-cent kill rate, but gave up two goals on only seven chances to Tampa Bay (71.4 per cent). Boston killed 90 per cent of Detroits advantages. The penalty killing units should be bolstered by the return of Travis Moen from a concussion. The left-winger missed the last nine games of the regular season and the first round of playoffs after he was injured in a March 24 game against the Bruins. He has been skating on the fourth line with Daniel Briere and Dale Weise. Rookie Michael Bournival played well in that spot in the first round. "I havent decided on our lineup," said Therrien. "To prepare Travis, Ive got to have him practice with players who might have a chance to play. But hes a guy with experience. Hes a big body and he kills penalties." The Canadiens will face the Bruins for a record 34th time in the post-season. Montreal has won 24 series, but the Bruins have won seven of the last 11, including the last two. ' ' '
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