Monday 28 May 2018

Season 2017/18: For the record

(1) MANCHESTER CITY W32 D4 L2 F106 A27 +79 Pts 100
Manager Pep Guardiola (since July 2016)
FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Winners Champions League Quarter finals
Top scorer Sergio Agüero (21) Clean sheets 18 Failed to score 2
Manchester City secured a record 100 points with a record 32nd win of an incredible campaign on the last day of the season against Southampton - but it wasn't just one game which left Pep Guardiola's side as the best English champions in years. For the record, Man City additionally took most away points (50), finished most points ahead of second (19), gained the most away wins (16), scored the most goals (106), had the best goal difference (+79), and recorded the most consecutive victories (18) in Premier League history. Perhaps the most amazing statistic is that Guardiola's men were only behind for a total of 153 minutes all season in the league - and, only cup defeats to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup and Liverpool in the Champions League prevented this them from achieving something truly glorious. It is undoubtedly the case, though, that this team can achieve even more next year - perhaps it has been in their interests to leave us wanting more.

(2) MANCHESTER UNITED W25 D6 L7 F68 A28 +40 Pts 81
Manager José Mourinho (since May 2016)
FA Cup Runners-up League Cup Quarter finals Champions League Last 16
Top scorer Romelu Lukaku (16) Clean sheets 19 Failed to score 8
Runners-up in the league, runners-up in the FA Cup, and tactically abysmal in Europe when trying to steal their last 16 tie from under the noses of Sevilla. Yes, it hardly needs saying that this was not a particularly fun season for José Mourinho or Manchester United. In fairness, as frontrunners, the Red Devils continued to provide the stiffest of tests for their opponents - and, in fact, they won all 21 league games in which they scored first. But, despite being able to call upon the likes of Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Romelu Lukaku, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford and Alexis Sanchez, the same Man United struggled to open up teams who were content to match Mourinho's cautious approach. Ironically, the best day of the season for the Portuguese manager came in an extraordinary 3-2 comeback victory over crosstown rivals Manchester City, a result which delayed the Blues' title celebrations. But the fact that Man City instead won the championship on the following weekend due to Man United's failure to beat bottom-placed West Brom at home could not have better summed up another frustrating campaign at Old Trafford.

(3) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR W23 D8 L7 F74 A36 +38 Pts 77
Manager Mauricio Pochettino (since May 2014)
FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Fourth round Champions League Last 16
Top scorer Harry Kane (30) Clean sheets 16 Failed to score 4
Tottenham Hotspur came, saw, but unsurprisingly did not conquer. It is now over 10 years since Spurs last won a trophy - the 2008 League Cup - and, though they have threatened ever since to win something under Mauricio Pochettino, they have never delivered. This season, for instance, Spurs were a distant third place in the league and never properly in the race after a poor autumn. In the FA Cup, they lost to a Manchester United team in the semi finals who were there for taking - and in the Champions League, they lost to a Juventus team which was also beatable. On the positive side, this is the first time Spurs had finished in the top three of the English league in three consecutive seasons since the 1960s - but a lack of trophies has undoubtedly left fans frustrated. After all, Argentine manager Pochettino must surely turn Harry Kane's outstanding goal return into some sort of tangible trophy-lifting sooner rather than later.

(4) LIVERPOOL W21 D12 L5 F84 A38 +46 Pts 75
Manager Jürgen Klopp (since October 2015)
FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Third round Champions League Runners-up
Top scorer Mohamed Salah (32) Clean sheets 17 Failed to score 7
For Liverpool in Kiev, the dream of a sixth European Cup turned into a nightmare. On a balmy night in Ukraine, the Reds best chance of winning on their seventh final appearance felt like it disappeared when top scorer Egyptian king Mo Salah went off injured on 31 minutes after a falling under a challenge by Sergio Ramos - and then it got worse just after half time as hapless goalkeeper Loris Karius literally handed the opening goal to Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema. Senegal striker Saido Mane quickly evened things up - but, in Gareth Bale, Real always had something extra up their sleeve. Welshman Bale scored perhaps the best goal ever in European Cup final history with a bicycle kick before sealing a third successive Champions League title with a 40-yard pot-shot which Karius could only palm into the net. Crestfallen Karius could not be consoled at full time - and, despite Liverpool having consolidated their position in the top four this season, another big summer awaits Anfield after yet another campaign without silverware.

(5) CHELSEA W21 D7 L10 F62 A38 +24 Pts 70
Manager Antonio Conte (since July 2016)
FA Cup Winners League Cup Semi finals Champions League Last 16
Top scorer Eden Hazard (12) Clean sheets 16 Failed to score 8
For Chelsea, this was a second lame title defence in three years as early season defeats to Burnley, Manchester City, and Crystal Palace left the  London club with next to no chance of defending their crown. From then, matters only deteriorated even further as, in interviews, Italian manager Antonio Conte did not even try to hide his dissatisfaction at what he considered to be a lack of backing from the boardroom. Naturally, the turmoil affected matters on the pitch - the Blues lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth and 4-1 at Watford amid a run of five league defeats in seven. The sequence left Chelsea in fifth place and out of the Champions League places - and, despite four wins in a row, they failed to push their way back in. Conte defiantly claimed the FA Cup Final win against Manchester United proved he was a natural-born winner. Following the last few tumultuous months, however, it really is a surprise he remains at Stamford Bridge, at least at the time of this writing.

(6) ARSENAL W19 D6 L13 F74 A51 +23 Pts 63
Manager Arsène Wenger
FA Cup Third round League Cup Runners-up Europa League Semi finals
Top scorer Alexandre Lacazette (14) Clean sheets 13 Failed to score 6
So farewell then Arsène Wenger - but sadly this was not a fairytale departure for the legendary Frenchman. The Gunners' sixth place is their lowest finish in their 22 years under Wenger and their last chance of any silverware this year was extinguished by a superior Atletico Madrid side in the Europa League semi finals. In fairness, Wenger did say adieu to the Emirates in style as a scintillating Arsenal performance crushed closest rivals Burnley in his final home league game. Then again, home form was never the problem in spite of the increasing number of empty seats - only Manchester City picked up more points on their own turf. Performances on the road, however, were another matter - and Arsenal were, in fact, the last team in England to pick up an away league win in 2018. New man Unai Emery has made all of the right noises on his arrival but the Spaniard will need to be at his inspirational best to make this team consistently competitive again. 

(7) BURNLEY W14 D12 L12 F36 A39 -3 Pts 54
Manager Sean Dyche (since October 2012)
FA Cup Third round League Cup Third round
Top scorer Chris Wood (10) Clean sheets 12 Failed to score 13
Burnley qualified for Europe for the first time since 1967 following a totally unexpected but fully deserved seventh placed finish. A seemingly difficult summer saw the departure of Michael Keane to Everton and Andre Gray to Watford, and then in early September, goalkeeper Tom Heaton suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The Clarets, to their huge credit, missed none of them. Nick Pope stepped in between the sticks with such impressive form that he has made it into the England squad for the World Cup, and defender James Tarkowski is on a stand-by for the same squad having marshalled the backline superbly. Club record signing Chris Wood chipped in with 10 goals, meanwhile, and earned his side no fewer than 12 points with his contribution - but this was a fine all-round effort from Sean Dyche's men who will certainly not be written off so quickly again in the future.

(8) EVERTON W13 D10 L15 F44 A58 -14 Pts 49
Managers Ronald Koeman (until 23 October), Sam Allardyce (from 30 November)
FA Cup Third round League Cup Fourth round Europa League Group stage
Top scorer Wayne Rooney (10) Clean sheets 10 Failed to score 11
Everton have been in a mess for the last 12 months, acting like a club without any sense of direction. Last summer, Ronald Koeman splurged the £75m which he received from the sale of Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United on defender Michael Keane from Burnley, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from Sunderland, and attacking midfielders Davy Klaassen and Gylfi Sigurðsson. However, the transfer activity left the squad horribly unbalanced, and young striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was left filling a Lukaku-sized hole up front. Koeman could not survive - and, by the end of October, he was out, seemingly to be replaced by Watford manager Marco Silva who was courted openly by the Merseysiders. The Hornets, however, immediately blocked the move - and, after Everton's options shortened, they turned reluctantly to Sam Allardyce. In truth, the Toffees were hardly in any genuine danger of relegation - their first game under Allardyce, a 2-0 home victory over Huddersfield Town, lifted them up to 10th. Eventually, the Merseysiders finished in the even more comfortable position of eighth - but most of the fans at Goodison recognised they had achieved the position in spite of playing an awful style of football, and Allardyce was unsurprisingly dumped at the end of the campaign. Oddly enough, Silva - now relieved of his duties at Watford - is expected to be the replacement.

(9) LEICESTER CITY W12 D11 L15 F56 A60 -4 Pts 47
Managers Craig Shakespeare (until 17 October), Claude Puel (from 25 October)
FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Quarter finals
Top scorer Jamie Vardy (20) Clean sheets 9 Failed to score 8
The shock 2016 champions returned to the top half after a one-season absence as Jamie Vardy became the first Leicester City striker since Gary Lineker to score 20+ goals in two separate top flight campaigns for the Foxes. As ever, Vardy was indebted to playmaker Riyad Mahrez for many of his chances - and, indeed, the pair were statistically the best combination in the division. Nevertheless, this was an irritatingly inconsistent campaign by the east Midlanders. Craig Shakespeare paid the price for a slow start - and, while there was early improvement under replacement Claude Puel, it did not last. Leicester lost five out of their last seven games, conceding 13 goals, as they eventually settled into ninth place. Mid-table mediocrity, however, is unlikely to satisfy the likes of Mahrez or Vardy - and, if he stays, Frenchman Puel now has a big job on his hands to keep this squad together going into the next season.

(10) NEWCASTLE UNITED W12 D8 L18 F39 A47 -8 Pts 44
Manager Rafael Benítez (since March 2016)
FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round
Top scorer Ayoze Pérez (8) Clean sheets 9 Failed to score 14
Rafael Benitez turned Newcastle United into a quietly competent side, with an unexpectedly solid defence, as the Magpies deservedly took a top half place on their first season back in the top flight. This was, indeed, Newcastle's first visit to the top 10 since 2013-14 under Alan Pardew but, by no means, was this a comfortable ride. As a long winter came howling in, the Magpies took just one point out of a possible 27 - and, from that point until March, the bottom three were an immediate threat. Nevertheless, a 3-0 home win against Southampton eased worries massively and prompted a season-best four-match winning run. And so, while a disappointing slump of successive losses followed, there were no concerns at all ahead of a final day 3-0 beating of outgoing champions Chelsea. Now, of course, attention switches back to owner Mike Ashley in the boardroom at St James Park, as Tyneside waits with baited breath to find out if their best manager in years will be in any way backed in the transfer market.

(11) CRYSTAL PALACE W11 D11 L16 F45 A55 -10 Pts 44
Managers Frank de Boer (until 11 September), Roy Hodgson (from 12 September)
FA Cup Third round League Cup Fourth round
Top scorer Luka Milivojević (10) Clean sheets 9 Failed to score 14
Palace scored their first Premier League goal on 14 October. Aptly, it was an own goal but they then scored another for a remarkable 2-1 win over defending champions Chelsea. Those three points were the Eagles' first of the campaign after a run of seven successive losses, which also featured a goal drought of 731 minutes. The statistics verged on the embarrassing - and, even early on, Palace looked like an obvious candidate for the drop. Yet they then appointed a battle-scarred Roy Hodgson to save their season. In the circumstances, Hodgson did an excellent job, and has recovered his own reputation as a manager following the debacle as England boss against Iceland at Euro 2016. In fact, since the start of October, only the top six have taken more points per game than Palace - and only seven teams have scored more times than one which failed to score in any of its first seven matches of the season. For the record, Palace eventually finished 11th, 11 points clear of the bottom three - a genuinely remarkable position considering their start.

(12) AFC BOURNEMOUTH W11 D11 L16 F45 A61 -16 Pts 44
Manager Eddie Howe (since October 2012)
FA Cup Third round League Cup Quarter finals
Top scorer Callum Wilson (8) Clean sheets 6 Failed to score 12
There was no top half finish for Bournemouth this season but this still modest club should hardly be judged by that standard. Instead, Eddie Howe deserves credit for securing a fourth successive top flight campaign at Dean Court, and having done so without having suffered anywhere near the same sort of stress as south coast rivals Southampton. That said, this season was not without its difficult moments for the Cherries who, in fact, fell behind in more Premier League matches (27) than any other side. On the other hand, though, Bouremouth also recovered the most points (21) from a losing position. Such statistics should perhaps come as no surprise given Howe's well-renowned open style of play - but, for now, at least, Bournemouth have shown they possess enough firepower to counter the threat.

(13) WEST HAM UNITED W10 D12 L16 F48 A68 -20 Pts 42
Managers Slaven Bilić (until 6 November), David Moyes (from 7 November)
FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Quarter finals
Top scorer Marko Arnautović (11) Clean sheets 10 Failed to score 9
West Ham United have clearly still not fallen in love with the London Stadium. The 2017 World Athletics Championships in August left the Hammers without a home game until after the first international break - and so they opened with three away defeats, conceding 10 goals. The malaise continued deep into the autumn, and a heavy 4-1 home defeat against Liverpool - perhaps mercifully - brought the curtain down on the era of fan-favourite Slaven Bilić. Replacement David Moyes steadied an ailing vessel after his own poor start - but his limited expectations meant he never curried favour with an understandably frustrated set of supporters. Instead, former Premier League winner Manuel Pellegrini has taken the job - but, before he achieves anything, the Chilean must instill some discipline into a defence which conceded an eye-watering 42 away goals last season - only Stoke City conceded more on the road.

(14) WATFORD W11 D8 L16 F44 A64 - 20 Pts 41
Managers Marco Silva (until 21 January), Javi Gracia (from 21 January)
FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round
Top scorer Abdoulaye Doucoure (7) Clean sheets 9 Failed to score 14
Watford finished in 14th place, their lowest position all season - a sign that at least they got the hard work done early. Indeed, the Hornets secured a third consecutive season of top flight football - their best run since the 1980s - with six wins in their opening 13 games. From that point onwards, though, it started to go wrong. Marco Silva, with a decent record behind him at Hull City as well as at Vicarage Road, had his head turned by the vacant position at Everton - and Watford then took four points out of the next 27. Silva was sacked and, on the same day, another little-heard-of manager Javi Gracia took charge. Spaniard Gracia ensured safety with 10 points in his first five matches, including a 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea - but his subsequent sequence of only five points from the last nine games has left genuine questions over his overall quality.

(15) BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION W9 D13 L16 F34 A54 -20 Pts 40
Manager Chris Hughton (since December 2014)
FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Third round
Top scorer Glenn Murray (12) Clean sheets 10 Failed to score 17
Brighton & Hove Albion stayed up in their first top flight season since 1982-83 and commendably hit the magic 40 points mark. Without doubt, though, the Seagulls are home birds. Chris Hughton's men scored only seven away league goals all season and took just 11 points - and their only two away wins came in a two-week period in the autumn. Thankfully for them, though, their home form was far better - and it was no surprise that they reached their safety target at the Amex Stadium. Perhaps it was a surprise that Premier League status was secured in a match against Manchester United but such victories can only serve to encourage even better results from the likeable Hughton and his squad in 2018-19.

(16) HUDDERSFIELD TOWN W9 D10 L19 F28 A58 -30 Pts 37
Manager David Wagner (since November 2015)
FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Third round
Top scorer Steve Mounié (7) Clean sheets 10 Failed to score 21
Once again, Huddersfield Town massively defied the odds as they stayed up in their first season of top flight football since 1971-72 with a game to spare. Last year, the Terriers became the first team to be promoted to the highest level of English football in spite of holding a negative goal difference. And now, this season, David Wagner's men have survived despite scoring a paltry total of 28 goals having failed to find the net in 21 of their 38 matches. Of course, away draws at Manchester City and Chelsea inside the final week of the campaign underlined the fine job which Wagner's has done. However, the west Yorkshire club simply cannot sit back and expect to be able to rely on yet another season of statistical improbability happening again in 2018-19.

(17) SOUTHAMPTON W7 D15 L16 F37 A56 -19 Pts 36
Managers Mauricio Pellegrino (until 12 March), Mark Hughes (from 14 March)
FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Second round
Top scorer Charlie Austin (7) Clean sheets 8 Failed to score 14
Southampton scraped their way somewhat fortunately to safety after securing only seven league wins all season. The Saints - who had finished in the top eight in each of their previous four campaigns - did not appear to be in too much bother in the opening months, and in fact a 4-1 home win over Everton in late November sent them into the top half. Astonishingly, though, the south coast club then won only one of their next 21 matches. Before the end of that run, former Saints forward Mark Hughes had replaced Mauricio Pellegrino as manager - and Hughes himself similarly struggled at first to seal a leaky defence. Fortunately for Southampton, their form returned just in time, as wins against Bournemouth and at Swansea kept the bottom three at arm's length. Hughes has now signed a three-year contract at St Mary's and he will be dearly hoping to reintroduce some spark into the Saints' often tepid performances.

(18) SWANSEA CITY W8 D9 L21 F28 A56 -28 Pts 33
Managers Paul Clement (until 20 December), Carlos Carvalhal (from 28 December)
FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Fourth round
Top scorer Jordan Ayew (6) Clean sheets 9 Failed to score 18
The relegation of Swansea City felt as if it became inevitable as soon as a they started messing around at the top. Indeed, the trouble for the Swans can be traced as far back at least as last season when their saviour from the 2015-16 campaign Francesco Guidolin was replaced by the hopeless Bob Bradley. The American lasted just 11 games before Paul Clement steered the South Wales club to safety. Clement, however, could not maintain Swansea's form into the new season and he left with Swansea in bottom place just before Christmas. New manager Carlos Carvalhal inspired a short-term improvement but the form failed to last and the return of Andre Ayew in January from West Ham United turned into a goalless disaster. Ultimately, the Swans picked up 14 fewer points in Carvalhal's final nine games in charge (3) compared with his first nine matches (17). However, to be fair to him, the club had badly lost its way long before the involvement of the Portuguese.

(19) STOKE CITY W7 D12 L19 F35 A68 -33 Pts 33
Managers Mark Hughes (until 6 January), Paul Lambert (from 16 January)
FA Cup Third round League Cup Third round
Top scorer Xherdan Shaqiri (8) Clean sheets 6 Failed to score 13
Stoke City meekly surrendered their top-flight status after nine years following a series of terrible recruitment decisions on and off the pitch. On-loan Spanish striker Jesé was the biggest flop - and, though it became increasingly difficult to make a case for manager Mark Hughes to stay, Paul Lambert was clearly never going to be the answer to the Potters problems. Surprisingly, this was the first relegation actually suffered by Lambert as a manager. However, his unconvincing periods in charge of Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, and Wolverhampton Wanderers should have been enough warning to ward off any Stoke advances. Indeed, the Scotsman delivered just 13 points in his 15 games, and new appointment Gary Rowett now has a huge job on his hands to overhaul a squad of players largely well past their sell-by date.

(20) WEST BROMWICH ALBION W6 D13 L19 F31 A56 -25 Pts 31
Managers Tony Pulis (until 20 November), Alan Pardew (until 2 April), Darren Moore
FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Third round
Top scorers Jay Rodriguez, Salomón Rondón (7) Clean sheets 10 Failed to score 13
The Hawthorns will forever wonder what might have been. Perhaps another great Premier League escape would not have been beyond West Brom if one-man managerial disaster zone Alan Pardew had been ditched a bit earlier. Despite the best efforts of Darren Moore, though, the Baggies had left it far too late. Remarkably, Moore as a caretaker gained more points (11) in his five games than Tony Pulis (10) in his 12 games or Pardew (8) in 18, and he has now deservedly been awarded with the role permanently. A tough rebuilding job awaits but his fine late season run will give some much-needed confidence to him - and to the club as a whole.

⚽️
ROLL OF HONOUR 2017-18

ENGLAND
Premier League
ChampionsManchester City
Runners-upManchester United
Champions LeagueTottenham Hotspur, Liverpool
Europa LeagueChelsea, Arsenal, Burnley
RelegationSwansea City, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion

Championship
ChampionsWolverhampton Wanderers
Runners-upCardiff City
Playoff winnersFulham (won 1-0 v Aston Villa)
RelegationBarnsley, Burton Albion, Sunderland

League One
ChampionsWigan Athletic
Runners-upBlackburn Rovers
Playoff winnersRotherham United (won 2-1 v Shrewsbury Town, after extra time)
RelegationOldham Athletic, Northampton Town, Milton Keynes Dons, Bury

League Two
ChampionsAccrington Stanley
Runners-upLuton Town
Also promotedWycombe Wanderers
Playoff winnersCoventry City (won 3-1 v Exeter City)
RelegationBarnet, Chesterfield

National League Premier
ChampionsMacclesfield Town
Playoff winnersTranmere Rovers (won 2-1 v Boreham Wood)
RelegationWoking, Torquay United, Chester FC, Guiseley

National League North
ChampionsSalford City
Playoff winnersHarrogate Town (won 3-0 v Brackley Town)
RelegationGainsborough Trinity, Tamworth, North Ferriby United

National League South
ChampionsHavant & Waterlooville
Playoff winnersBraintree Town (won 4-3 on pens v Hampton & Richmond Borough, after 1-1 aet)
RelegationPoole Town, Whitehawk, Bognor Regis Town

Domestic Cup Finals
FA Cup FinalChelsea 1-0 Manchester United
League Cup FinalManchester City 3-0 Arsenal
FA Community ShieldArsenal 1-1 Chelsea. Arsenal won 4-1 on penalties.
EFL TrophyLincoln City 1-0 Shrewsbury Town
FA TrophyBrackley Town 1-1 Bromley, aet. Brackley Town won 5-4 on penalties.
FA VaseThatcham Town 1-0 Stockton Town

SCOTLAND
Premiership
ChampionsCeltic
Runners-upAberdeen
Europa LeagueAberdeen (runners-up), Rangers (third place), Hibernian (fourth place)
RelegationPartick Thistle, Ross County

Championship
ChampionsSt Mirren
Runners-upLivingston
Playoff winnersLivingston (won 3-1 on agg v Partick Thistle (2-1h, 1-0a))
RelegationDumbarton, Brechin City

League One
ChampionsAyr United
Runners-upRaith Rovers (not promoted)
Playoff winnersAlloa Athletic (won 2-1 on agg v Dumbarton (0-1h, 2-0a aet))
RelegationQueen's Park, Albion Rovers

League Two
ChampionsMontrose
Runners-upPeterhead (not promoted)
Playoff winnersStenhousemuir (won 2-1 on agg v Peterhead (2-0h, 0-1a))

Domestic Cup Finals
FA Cup FinalCeltic 2-0 Motherwell
League Cup FinalCeltic 2-0 Motherwell
Challenge Cup FinalInverness Caledonian Thistle 1-0 Dumbarton

WALES
Welsh Premier League
ChampionsThe New Saints
Europa LeagueConnah's Quay Nomads (third place), Bala Town (fourth place), Cefn Druids (playoff winners)
RelegationBangor City, Prestatyn Town
Welsh Cup Finals
FA Cup FinalConnah's Quay Nomads 4-1 Aberystwyth
League Cup FinalThe New Saints 1-0 Cardiff Metropolitan University

NORTHERN IRELAND
Irish Premiership
ChampionsCrusaders
Europa LeagueColeraine (runners-up), Glenavon (third place), Cliftonville (playoff winners)
RelegationCarrick Rangers, Ballinamallard United
Irish Cup Finals
IFA Cup FinalColeraine 3-1 Cliftonville
League Cup FinalDungannon Swifts 3-1 Ballymena United

EUROPE
UEFA Finals
Champions LeagueReal Madrid (Spa) 3-1 Liverpool (Eng)
Europa LeagueAtletico Madrid (Spa) 3-0 Marseille (Fra)
Super CupReal Madrid (Spa) 2-1 Manchester United (Eng)

Major European league champions
SpainBarcelona
ItalyJuventus
GermanyBayern Munich
France Paris Saint-Germain
PortugalPorto
NetherlandsPSV Eindhoven
BelgiumClub Brugge
GreeceAEK Athens
TurkeyGalatasaray

Saturday 12 May 2018

Clucking-mad Israel win marred by SuRie stage invader

ISRAEL won the Eurovision Song Contest for the fourth time in history on a night marred by a stage invasion during the British entry.

Netta Barzilai netted the Israeli victory in Lisbon with her gimmicky song Toy which bizarrely featured clucking chicken noises as part of its lyrics.

The competition was tight - and, thrillingly, it was not at all clear who had actually won until the final few seconds of voting.

For many British viewers, though, Netta's otherwise enjoyably quirky success was overshadowed by a shock stage invasion during the performance of United Kingdom entrant SuRie.

Nothing particularly unusual had happened at the Altice Arena until SuRie - appearing ninth in the running order - launched into the second chorus of her song, Storm.

Then, out of nowhere, a rather unkempt man assailed the Essex singer, stole her microphone and shouted some totally unintelligible diatribe.

It was later transcribed as: "Nazis of the UK media, we demand freedom. War is not peace".

The culprit - a London-based Greek national called Konstantin Bouki - goes by the name of DrACactivism on social media. He has previously interrupted The Voice and the National Television Awards.

Far from advancing his cause, though, the actions of this tiresome attention-seeker only serve to alienate himself from the popular support which he presumably craves.

For SuRie, the whole experience must have been absolutely petrifying. For all she knew, the idiot could well have been carrying a knife.

Considering that, she remained amazingly calm on stage, clapping to the beat before immediately picking the lyrics back up once she had a microphone back in her hands.

Nevertheless, her Eurovision experience had been irredeemably tarnished.

In fairness, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) officials offered SuRie the chance to perform again at the end of the running order. Having recovered so well, though, the 29-year-old was perhaps sensible to decline.

The show must go on, after all - and, before long, it was time to tot up the tallies.

Sadly, SuRie finished in 23rd place with 23 points from the jury voting which was announced first and based upon a Jury Rehersal held on Friday evening.

In the public vote, meanwhile, she fared only a little better, placing 20th with 25 points.


Consequently, her overall points total (48) left her in 24th place out of 26, ahead only of Finland's former X Factor contestant Saara Aalto (46) and rock-bottom hosts Portugal (39).

Elsewhere, Norway (144) and Ireland (136) will also be disappointed by their mid-table finishing positions. 

Norwegian representative Alexander Rybak - a former winner in 2009 with Fairytale - was hugely underwhelming this time around and made little impact.

By contrast, the Irish - in a first Grand Final since 2013 - qualified having caused quite a stir in China with its entry Together by Ryan O'Shaughnessy.

Indeed, Ireland was edited out of the Chinese broadcast of the first semi-final on Mango TV because of its representation of a homosexual couple by its on-stage dancers.

As a result of the censorship, the EBU terminated its partnership with the Chinese broadcaster, a decision which pleased O'Shaughnessy himself.

Back to the results - and it was Austria (271) who emerged as the front-runner following the verdict of the jury ahead of Sweden (253) and Israel (212). Cyprus (183) took fifth place behind Germany (204).

However, it was all change when the public vote was announced. Leading nation Austria (71) could only manage 13th place, Germany (136) was sixth - while Eurovision stalwart Sweden (21) surprisingly finished way down in 23rd.

As such, it became a straight contest between two eastern Mediterranean countries - Israel and Cyprus.

Clumsily, it became apparent that Cyprus had come second overall after picking up 253 points in the public vote.

And so, Israel - with 317 votes - could celebrate a momentous victory on the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Middle East state.

Next year then, the Contest will most likely be held in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv - but the stage invasion in Lisbon surely means an unprecedented amount of security will be required whichever city is chosen.

After all, it is not as if Israel keeps a low profile on the international stage.

Of course, in likeable winner Netta, there was a little random joy on Saturday in these troubled political times.

At the same time, though, her victory has left the Eurovision apparatchiks with the sort of headache which will take more than a few painkillers to remove.

2018 EUROVISION FINAL SCOREBOARD


SongArtistPoints
01IsraelToyNetta529
02CyprusFuego (Fire)Eleni Foureira436
03AustriaNobody But YouCesár Sampson342
04GermanyYou'll Let Me Walk AloneMichael Schulte340
05ItalyNon mi avete fatto niente
(You haven't done anything to me)
Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro308
06Czech RepublicLie to MeMikolas Josef281
07SwedenDance You OffBenjamin Ingrosso274
08EstoniaLa forza (The Force)Elina Nechayeva245
09DenmarkHigher GroundRasmussen226
10MoldovaMy Lucky DayDoReDoS209
11AlbaniaMall (Yearning)Eugent Bushpepa184
12LithuaniaWhen We're OldIeva Zasimauskaitė181
13FranceMercyMadame Monsieur173
14BulgariaBonesEquinox166
15NorwayThat's How You Write a SongAlexander Rybak144
16IrelandTogetherRyan O'Shaughnessy136
17UkraineUnder the LadderMélovin 130
18NetherlandsOutlaw in 'EmWaylon121
19SerbiaNova deca (New Generation)Sanja Ilić & Balkanika113
20AustraliaWe Got LoveJessica Mauboy99
21HungaryViszlát nyár (Goodbye, summer)AWS93
22SloveniaHvala, ne! (No, Thanks)Lea Sirk64
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24United KingdomStormSuRie48
25FinlandMonstersSaara Aalto46
26PortugalO Jardim (The Garden)Cláudia Pascoal39

Thursday 10 May 2018

Family man Williams turns back the clock

WORLD SNOOKER FINAL 
(5) John Higgins 16-18 Mark Williams (7)
Session one (3-5)
23-75, 15-65, 35-72, (55) 60-70, (119) 120-4, 0-133 (95), (52) 98-0, (59) 82-21
Session two (4-5)
46-81 (72), (51) 75-31, (127) 127-8, 12-76, (56) 85-9, (117) 123-15, 0-123 (118), 35-64 (64), 43-80
Session three (3-5)
5-98 (61), 19-73 (56), 0-126 (69, 56), 7-63 (52), (67) 92-29, (72) 76-65 (65), (80) 80-0, 43-80
Session four (6-3)
(131) 131-1, (67) 68-58 (58), (82) 82-47, 91-0, (62) 67-47, 0-74, 14-104 (100), (65) 65-63 (63), 0-71 (69)

MARK WILLIAMS won an incredible third world snooker title - 15 years after his last Crucible triumph - as he beat fellow veteran John Higgins 18-16.

The final was notable for the fact that Welsh Potting Machine and the Wizard From Wishaw both turned professional in the same year - back in 1992.

Yet remarkably, a quarter of a century on, here they both were in the world snooker final, producing the closest contest - in terms of scoreline - since Shaun Murphy beat Matthew Stevens in 2005.

In truth, Williams would have kicked himself if he had not taken the best-of-35 encounter.

After all, the 43-year-old from Ebbw Vale won the first four frames on Sunday afternoon, and was never behind at any stage of the two-day final.

However, far from being one-sided, this was a classy affair throughout from two experienced players - and, in all, there were six centuries with four of them coming from the defeated Higgins.

The 42-year-old Scotsman stroked his first ton home in the fifth frame of the match to get on the board in his seventh final.

But Williams responded with a run of 95 - and, though Higgins then took the last two frames of the first session, he was generally held at arm's length throughout the first three periods of play.

In fairness, Higgins did make it 7-7 on Sunday evening after compiling two centuries in four frames either side of the mid-session interval.

Once again, though, Williams quickly found an answer with a 118 - and his first ton of the match prompted him then to take the last two frames on Sunday as well.

Parity for Higgins had gone in a flash as Williams took a 10-7 overnight lead into Bank Holiday Monday.

In the third session on Monday afternoon, matters only improved further for Williams as again he took the first four frames of the day to increase his lead to a seemingly impregnable 14-7.

Higgins subsequently stopped the rot by winning three of the next four - but the truth was that his Welsh opponent had dominated proceedings in each of the first three sessions.

Trailing 15-10 heading into Monday evening, the four-time champion knew he was going to have to produce something special.

Higgins, of course, obliged. A 131, two fine clearances when under scoreboard pressure, and a shut-out all contributed to an incredible 99% pot success rate in the four frames up to the mid-session interval.

Then, in the 30th frame, Higgins drew level for the first time since the middle of session two with a break of 62 in yet another comeback frame.

Effectively, the final had become a best-of-five. Higgins held all of the momentum but there cannot be anyone who is more relaxed on the snooker circuit than Williams.

Unsurprisingly, he did not panic - even if he took two bites at the cherry to take frame 31. It was almost as if he knew it was going to be this tough.

Nevertheless, the Welshman made it look easy in frame 32 as his 12th century of the tournament - an exact 100 - took him within a frame of the title.

In the next frame, Williams indeed was one ball away - but, after a missed pink, Higgins made yet another nerveless comeback clearance.

Williams, though, was ultimately not to be denied, as he kept Higgins off the table with a match-winning break of 69.

The 2000 and 2003 champion celebrated his third world title by conducting a naked press conference, fulfilling a promise he had made before the championship in the event of victory.

"This was one of the most enjoyable matches and it was always going to be tough against John," he said, while attempting to cover his modesty.

"The occasion was brilliant and the crowd got involved too. It was an emotional experience that I did not think I was going to get again. Twice is brilliant but three times is unbelievable."

Williams then celebrated with an all-nighter before eventually falling asleep on the couch.

But, despite his merry high jinks, the Welshman is a down-to-earth, family man who is appreciated among the professional snooker ranks at large.

Throughout the tournament, his middle son of three, Kian, has accompanied him in his interviews, probably not quite realising what he was witnessing.

Indeed, none of the Welshman's three sons - Connor, Kian or Joel - were alive when he previously won the world title.

But, even if Williams never wins on the baize again, his sons will have now seen something truly historic.

For, no one ever has won a world snooker title after a 15-year gap until Williams this year. His victory is an incredible achievement.

2018 WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS
FULL RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
Best of 19 frames


(1) Mark Selby4-10Joe Perry

(16) Mark Allen10-5Liam Highfield

(9) Kyren Wilson10-3Matthew Stevens

(8) Shaun Murphy9-10Jamie Jones





(5) John Higgins10-7Thepchaiya Un-Nooh

(12) Stuart Bingham7-10Jack Lisowski

(13) Luca Brecel6-10Ricky Walden

(4) Judd Trump10-9Chris Wakelin





(3) Ding Junhui10-3Xiao Guodong

(14) Anthony McGill10-8Ryan Day

(11) Marco Fu5-10Lyu Haotian

(6) Barry Hawkins10-7Stuart Carrington





(7) Mark Williams10-5Jimmy Robertson

(10) Neil Robertson5-10Robert Milkins

(15) Ali Carter10-8Graeme Dott

(2) Ronnie O'Sullivan10-7Stephen Maguire

SECOND ROUND
Best of 25 frames


Joe Perry8-12Mark Allen (16)

(9) Kyren Wilson13-5Jamie Jones





(5) John Higgins13-1Jack Lisowski

Ricky Walden9-13Judd Trump (4)





(3) Ding Junhui13-4Anthony McGill (14)

Lyu Haotian10-13Barry Hawkins (6)





(7) Mark Williams13-7Robert Milkins

(15) Ali Carter13-9Ronnie O'Sullivan (2)

QUARTER FINALS
Best of 25 frames


(16) Mark Allen6-13Kyren Wilson (9)

(5) John Higgins13-12Judd Trump (4)





(3) Ding Junhui5-13Barry Hawkins (6)

(7) Mark Williams13-8Ali Carter (15)

SEMI FINALS
Best of 33 frames


(9) Kyren Wilson13-17John Higgins (5)

(6) Barry Hawkins15-17Mark Williams (7)

CENTURIES (84)
12Mark Williams140, 135, 118, 114, 113, 113, 110, 103, 102, 101, 100, 100
11John Higgins146, 136, 134, 131, 127, 119, 117, 104, 101, 100, 100
9Barry Hawkins133, 132, 129, 129, 128, 124, 117, 113, 103
7Kyren Wilson140, 126, 125, 124, 121, 106, 105
5Ding Junhui126, 124, 113, 102, 102
5Judd Trump103, 103, 101, 100, 100
4Lyu Haotian127, 125, 122, 100
4Ali Carter126, 115, 108, 106
4Ronnie O'Sullivan121, 118, 110, 105
3Shaun Murphy137, 102, 101
3Joe Perry120, 109, 103
2Ryan Day145, 141
2Mark Allen133, 122
2Jack Lisowski128, 105
2Jamie Jones124, 114
2Ricky Walden122, 105
2Thepchaiya Un-Nooh121, 112
2Marco Fu120, 102
1Chris Wakelin141
1Stuart Bingham123
1Stephen Maguire101
HIGH BREAK John Higgins (146) v Jack Lisowski, R2

Friday 4 May 2018

Labour left limited as Tories hold ground

SCOREBOARDCouncils+/-Seats+/-Share
Labour74-2350+77  35%
Conservative46-21332-3335%
Liberal Democrats9+4536+7516%
Independent--97--
Residents' Association--46-2-
Green--39+8-
UKIP--3-123-
Liberal--1-1-
No Overall Control21-2---

LABOUR struggled to make much headway on a mixed night for the two major parties in the English local elections held on Thursday.

Jeremy Corbyn's party gained a net total of 77 seats and took control of three more councils - but also lost control of three local authorities and failed to get near to taking many of its targets.

The Conservatives - as a governing party - had some unexpectedly bright results, taking Redditch directly from Labour as well as Barnet, Basildon, and Peterborough from no overall control.

However, the Tories lost control of Plymouth directly to Labour and lost three councils directly to the Liberal Democrats - including Kingston upon Thames and Richmond upon Thames in London.

Labour's own anticpated London surge never really materialised - there were gains in Wandsworth and four seats changed hands in Westminster.

But, in Hillingdon and in Barnet, Labour actually lost ground to the Conservatives - and, in Barnet, where there is a significant Jewish population, it was enough for the Tories to take control.

Prime Minister Theresa May thus emerged relatively unscathed in what was her first electoral test since her botched attempt to increase her majority in last year's early general election.

It did not seem to matter that, in the intervening 12 months, there have been no fewer than four major ministerial resignations with the most recent of them occurring less than a week ago.

Amber Rudd's decision to step down as Home Secretary over the Windrush scandal was not a surprise.

Indeed, it became inevitable once she had admitted to “inadvertently” misleading Parliament over the existence of deportation targets.

Out of all the resignations from this ramshackle government, however, the departure of Ms Rudd will have hit Mrs May hardest.

After all, many of the problems at the Home Office are historic in their nature and date back to when the current PM was Home Secretary herself.

Meanwhile, the Brexit negotiations continue to be a mess. As it stands, Britain is still no closer to knowing what relationship it will have with the customs union or indeed what will happen with the border in Ireland.

Time is running short. There are now just 328 days until Britain formally leaves the European Union on 29 March 2019 - although even this does not appear as black-and-white as it seems.

One thing which can be said for certain as a result of these elections - UKIP, having already achieved its aim of removing Britain from the EU, is now finished as a political force.

Four years ago, when the vast majority of these seats were last contested, UKIP was riding high and in fact took the most votes in the European elections held on the same day.

On Thursday, however, the Eurosceptic party took only three seats - including two in Derby - but it also lost 123 councillors, a year after having lost 145.

In a remarkable interview, the near-wipeout led Paul Oakley, the general secretary of UKIP, to liken the party to the Black Death, a pandemic which claimed millions of lives in the 14th century.

And there certainly can be no more definitive end than that.

Of course, the Conservatives have been the main beneficiaries of the collapse in the UKIP vote - but this is effectively just the right-wing of the Tory party returning to the fold.

Indeed, neither major political party seems able to break outside of its comfort zone.

For instance, there are still no Conservative councillors in Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester, Liverpool, or Sheffield.

And, within the capital, Labour now holds all the seats in the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Lewisham, and Newham, and all-but-one of the councillors in Islington.

Outside of the big cities, though, Labour continues to struggle to break through.

There was little progress, if any, in the likes of Dudley, Swindon, Carlisle, or Walsall - and Mr Corbyn admitted he was "disappointed at any places where we lost a bit of ground".

But, if anything, Mrs May should be more worried. For, even with the support of the voters returning from UKIP, the Conservatives' lack of appeal in London and the big cities appears to leave them without a clear path to a majority.

It was quite appropriate that, after all the votes were counted, the national projected share of the vote calculated both parties to be sat on 35%.

Yes, these elections were the definition of political stalemate.
  
Results in full
Labour Conservatives Liberal Democrats No overall control
  
LONDON
Barking and DagenhamBarnetBexley
BrentBromleyCamden
CroydonEalingEnfield
GreenwichHackneyHammersmith and Fulham
HaringeyHarrowHavering
HillingdonHounslowIslington
Kensington and ChelseaKingston upon ThamesLambeth
LewishamMertonNewham
RedbridgeRichmond upon ThamesSouthwark
SuttonTower HamletsWaltham Forest
WandsworthWestminster
Note: Bolded areas show party has gained control

METROPOLITAN AND UNITARY COUNCILS
BarnsleyBirminghamBlackburn with Darwen
BoltonBradfordBury
CalderdaleCoventryDerby
DudleyGatesheadHalton
HartlepoolKingston upon HullKirklees
KnowsleyLeedsLiverpool
ManchesterMilton KeynesNewcastle upon Tyne
North East LincolnshireNorth TynesideOldham
PeterboroughPlymouthPortsmouth
ReadingRochdaleSt Helens
SalfordSandwellSefton
SheffieldSloughSolihull
SouthamptonSouthend-on-SeaSouth Tyneside
StockportSunderlandSwindon
TamesideThurrockTrafford
WakefieldWalsallWigan
WirralWokinghamWolverhampton
Note: Bolded areas show party has gained control

NON-METROPOLITAN DISTRICT COUNCILS
AdurAmber ValleyBasildon
Basingstoke and DeaneBrentwoodBroxbourne
BurnleyCambridgeCannock Chase
CarlisleCastle PointCheltenham
CherwellChorleyColchester
CravenCrawleyDaventry
EastleighElmbridgeEpping Forest
ExeterFarehamGosport
Great YarmouthHarlowHarrogate
HartHastingsHavant
HuntingdonshireHyndburnIpswich
LincolnMaidstoneMole Valley
Newcastle-under-LymeNorth HertfordshireNorwich
Nuneaton and BedworthOxfordPendle
PrestonRedditchReigate and Banstead
RochfordRossendaleRugby
RunnymedeRushmoorSt Albans
South CambridgeshireSouth LakelandStevenage
TamworthTandridgeThree Rivers
Tunbridge WellsWatfordWelwyn Hatfield
West LancashireWest OxfordshireWinchester
WokingWorcesterWorthing
Wyre Forest

Note: Bolded areas show party has gained control

MAYORAL ELECTIONS
HackneyLewishamNewham
South YorkshireTower HamletsWatford