If you’re left to two shots in injury time by a center back as the best scoring chances of the day, and both of those go untouched up to the stands, then losing 0-1 at home should not be a surprising result. Losing at home to a team in the relegation zone without scoring a goal or even seriously challenging the goalie but once is a shocking result. Not picking up even a point when the team you need to catch for the last and only attainable Champions League spot are down 1-0 themselves until an injury time equalizer is horrendous.
Rafa Benitez must have said to himself that his second level players need to prove they deserve roster slots and a game against the Londoners ahead of Wednesday’s CL match at Chelsea is the time to let them sink or swim. Xabi Alonso, just back from injury, was rested with John Welsh instead partnering Steven Gerrard in central midfield, Steve Finnan and Djimi Traore were on the wings instead of Luis Garcia and John Arne Riise, and Anthony Le Tallec was a third striker in a 3-4-3 formation Benitez had never previously shown. If the changes were fish we’d be flushing the loo about now.
Three EPL games left now, nine possible points: home to Middlesborough, at Arsenal and home to Aston Villa. Boro won 4-0 today against West Brom but otherwise their recent form hasn’t been good, a draw to Fullham and before that losses to Arsenal, Southampton and 0-1 to this same Palace squad; if there’s not too much hangover, whatever the midweek result, three points are reasonable to look for. Away to a team fighting ManU for the second spot and therefore automatic CL qualification is another matter and though we did beat Arsenal on our turf in November a draw is the best prediction even if scoring maestro Thierry Henry is still out injured. Villa is possibly the key match, a mid-table team we ought to beat at home and yet haven’t regularly this season.
Bolton moved into a fifth place tie with their draw today but have Everton, Portsmouth and Chelsea remaining and seem unlikely to push us down to sixth. Sam Allardyce has managed some surprises so can’t rule them out entirely but fifth or six place are equal for next season’s European play.
Everton have four to play and a four point lead: Fullham, Newcastle, Bolton and Arsenal (not yet scheduled but must make up the game postponed last weekend because the FA Cup semifinal). Six points seems attainable, either a win and three draws or two wins, and that means no chance for the Reds to pass their crosstown rivals.
Away and home to the league leaders for a spot in the CL final–the opponent on May 25 in Istanbul is likely to be AC Milan, though I’d be thrilled to see Damarcus Beasley’s PSV Eindhoven pull off the upset–thus becomes massively important. Roman’s boys have all but technically won the league running away, today’s 3-1 trashing of Fullham exposing their prime weakness as disinterest with no question of skill or creativity, and have topped Liverpool 1-0 in the league and 2-3 in the Carling Cup. Winning Europe, however, is now the only way back and anything less means UEFA Cup.
BillSaysThis 