[horsechoker]

I didn't see the match.

How Aladeen was the performance?

 

[Siorac]

Antony moving the ball on to his weaker foot instead of shooting directly just pissed me off there..

It was baffling. I wasn't even angry, just surprised - like, why? He usually does everything to avoid having to use his right foot!

 

[TwoSheds]

Stonewall pen not given, should have been comfortable. Made a pretty decent side look very ordinary in the first half and coped pretty well with the pressure they managed to apply in the 2nd.

 

[TwoSheds]

It was baffling. I wasn't even angry, just surprised - like, why? He usually does everything to avoid having to use his right foot!

He just took a shit first touch, he didn't mean to.

 

[Sandikan]

Tough home win against an in-form side. Can't take for granted how big that is mentally.

Simple as this.
Excellent win nailed off, just to close that door every so slightly more on Liverpool who are having a late season surge.

 

[Rake]

We were great for ~60 minutes. Then some of the starters got tired and there wasn't adequate cover.

Eriksen, at least currently, seems incapable of playing 90 minutes at high pace. He really should be the backup player to the starter we sign in the summer.

Once again we were very wasteful in attack and almost paid of it in the end.

Overall, a comfortable win but we should have scored more.

 

[pogbasformerbarber]

Yes we need to get better, but this many clean sheets in a season is impressive no matter where we are in the rebuild.

 

[Cloud7]

Big win. Much needed three points. Almost there

 

[DJ_21]

Decent win against one of the in form teams. Sometimes it’s gonna be ugly.

 

[Nogbadthebad]

Its been a long season, and we saw the result in the second half.

We really need to get top 4 secured as quickly as possible so some of those key players can have a rest before the FA cup final. A drop off in performance of th elevel we keep seeing will have us embarrased by city if we don't.

 

[DutchSerb]

Great win for top 4 but we were so bad in front of goal. That one attack where we were 3 v 1 and Eriksen just smashes it against Mings his heel.. They need to do better.

 

[Jeffthered]

A huge result, fantastic. Aside from City, Villa are the form side. I didn't see the game, or follow online etc, but just fantastic work to ETH, coaching staff, fans, and all the players. Brilliant.

 

[RK]

Beating Brighton in the FA Cup semis and Villa at home following the disappointment in midweek vs Spurs is a good week, and you still have to commend the job EtH has done.


Especially when you consider the key players we are missing and how that impacts our overall game, having to reshuffle Shaw and play others ar full-back etc.

Top 4 looking pretty secure.

Good summary. Undefeated week, cup final reached, home league win. Not losing away to a top 5 (at the time) team.
We've played an unbelievable amount of games for our squad. To win in a relatively controlled fashion against one of the best form teams in the league is something to feel very positive about.

 

[Lights Out]

What the hell has to happen for us to get a penalty?!

If that’s Grealish then the ref points to the spot.

 

[kafta]

Got the three points, against a decent side.

But honestly, i thought it was a very infuriating performance. We had lots of energy and pressed well. Completely overran them in the first half.

But on the ball, we were awful. The amount of runs bruno and marcus made that were not spotted, sabitzer too.

The amount of bad decisions and bad passes in the final third. The amount of bad first touches,

This is the type of game that we should be up 3-0 at halftime. We cant keep letting teams back in. Get a world class striker who can take the early chances and this team will go up levels.

 

[siw2007]

Good win against a good opponent. We lacked the ruthless streak but we saw put the game with our resilience, control and solidarity.

Shaw, Sabitzer and Bruno were fab. Still want a little more from Malacia and Sancho.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Yes we need to get better, but this many clean sheets in a season is impressive no matter where we are in the rebuild.

Get that striker and cut out the wallopings.

 

[julianfr]

We're limping our way towards the end of the season

That's hardly something to be surprised by though. We're involved in more competitions (therefore more matches) than any other top team in Europe last time I checked. Add to that the fact that we have squad depth worth sh!t and you have a tired group of regular players.

 

[bosnian_red]

Big win. Villa are decent, we were much better throughout the whole game but final ball let us down a bit, while the end of course will always get scrappy when it's just 1-0. Deserved win though, and gives us breathing room where when we lose to Brighton and maybe drop points to west ham it won't be a big deal.

6 games to go, we can lose 3 of them and still make it.

 

[Oranges038]

A slog. But a big 3 points. Solid enough performances all round.

 

[manichester]

Lindelof, Shaw and Casemiro were excellent. Not a great performance but a very valuable 3 points.

 

[cyberman]

We're limping our way towards the end of the season

We’ve won 4 of our last 5 league games (should be 5/5 to be honest) and reached a FA cup final against a side everybody on here told me we’d lose to in between?
Since we lost v Newcastle we have been very good League wise

 

[wangyu]

They could not handle us but in the end we got nervous as usual. Our attack is below par, we should do better if the opponent gives us acres of space. Lindelof man of the match?

 

[Teja]

And at times we pinned them back with very good counter pressing after losing the ball.

Yup I agree. Some good build up play too. The bones are there.

 

[JustinC00]

Our final pass selection is shocking, could have had 4 or 5, Villa were begging us to score

If Martial and Antony play instead of Sabitzer and Sancho we would have had 5-6

 

[lex talionis]

We ground out a lot of ugly 1-0 wins like this under Ferguson. I’m afraid it’s part of the price of admission, mates.

 

[Siorac]

This is the type of game that we should be up 3-0 at halftime.

I miss those games. I really miss easy wins. Seems like they never happen any more, it's always a battle.

 

[Rightnr]

I miss those games. I really miss easy wins. Seems like they never happen any more, it's always a battle.

We don't do easy games anymore. Even the game where we absolutely dominated LCFC, it was due to a great 2nd half.

We never play a good 60, let alone 90 minutes and it is more difficult to do so in the PL nowadays

 

[Eastdog]

Great win today. Needed that one especially after dropping points midweek against Spurs.

Cmon United!

 

[honirelandboy]

Good win, would have taking Four points before the Spurs and Villa games. We look absolutely shattered. Striker and a top quality possession midfielder have to be priority for next season. Thought Dalot was good at right back today.

 

[FootballHQ]

Flat/tight match which you did enough to get the 1-0. We had a few moments here and there. Actually first league game we've failed to score in under Unai which must be a 20 match streak or near enough.

Would say Casemiro was MOTM, he quickly realised if you get tight to Buendia/Ramsey they'll start losing the ball and Watkins will be starved of service and so it pretty much played out.

Brighton will give you far more issues back to front so I think you were happy enough to grind today out and save a bit extra for that match, certainly help us if you stop them winning anyway!

 

[downunder red]

Lacked a bit of composure a lot of times through out the game. The cb's and Case where outstanding. At this time of the year grinding out wins like that will get you top 4.

 

[Lost bear]

That's hardly something to be surprised by though. We're involved in more competitions (therefore more matches) than any other top team in Europe last time I checked. Add to that the fact that we have squad depth worth sh!t and you have a tired group of regular players.

Yep. It’s to be expected, and there it is.

 

[Todd]

I thought we were generally good. Shaw and Lindelof continue to look good paired together. Malacia was good. Casemiro looking like Casemiro again.

This was the home fixture that I was most concerned about, so to get all 3 points is a big hurdle to clear.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Good win, would have taking Four points before the Spurs and Villa games. We look absolutely shattered. Striker and a top quality possession midfielder have to be priority for next season. Thought Dalot was good at right back today.

Yeah 4 points was my aim from the two games so glad we have it now (even though really it should have been six!).

Aimiming now for 2 wins from the next 3. Can afford a loss at either Brighton or West Ham as long as we win the other, then beat Wolves at home. Then it's just one win needed from the last 3 games.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Strange refereeing decisions. I thought the assault on Rashford should have been a penalty, and what in hell is the ruling for kicking another player (Shaw) in the head? None apparently, play on!

Malacia giving away that free kick right at the death sums up his game. He was turned like a child and had no option but to bring the player down.

Shaw and Lindelof CB pairing has been fantastic. Glad to see Lindelof playing well and being applauded for it.

 

[11101]

That man being?

Jarred Gillet

 

[Brightonian]

Same problem we've consistently had for a month or more now; not enough clear-cut chances from the attacks we put together, and not enough goals from the clear-cut chances we do make.

Sancho most at fault for this today. On the ball a lot but unambitious, passive, slow, broadly ineffective. He didn't do nothing - one or two better moments - but he didn't do enough with all the service he received, often in the transitional moments which are meant to be his strength.

Eriksen uncharacteristically sloppy, showed signs of why he's so important to us but also scuppered a few good attacks and chances. Prefer him deeper, nearer to Casemiro, with Bruno ahead of them both.

Rashford struggled up front but absolutely ran his arse off to be fair to him. Villa often playing very negatively and when they weren't he wasn't getting good service. Not worried about it, if we could have started Martial up front and Rashy on the left, he'd have done three times as much with all the ball Sancho saw.

Shaw perfect, Lindelof good, Casemiro good, Malacia one of his better games. DDG not bad, you have to say. Bruno direct and creative but erratic and occasionally stupid.

Common thread here is a few key players out of position because once again we didn't have a proper striker fit enough to start the game.

 

[Siorac]

it is more difficult to do so in the PL nowadays

Teams do it to Spurs every week these days.

 

[glazed]

job done. I think we're good for top 4 now

Yeah I think top four is looking pretty good right now. Not nailed on by any means.