Cardiff City Women came out on top, as they won 4-1 against league strugglers Aberystwyth Town Women at the Cardiff International Sports Campus.
The first chance came for Cardiff when Lisa Owen made a run through the middle and played in Kate Joanna Jeremiah but the defender was able to put her off and it rolled out for a goal kick.
A couple minutes later, Aberystwyth winger Tania Wylde found her self with space to shoot and, from range, fired a fierce shot towards goal but it was superbly saved by the diving Amelia Forkings in goal and Cardiff were able to clear.
The first goal of the game came in the 9th minute after a great bit of play. Owen made a sprinting run of the wing and was able to get a low cross into the box which fell to the feet of Jeremiah who simply tapped it in to make it 1-0 to the hosts.
The chances continued to come for the home side. A shot from Jeremiah was just over the bar and a minute later they had a shot cleared off the line.
Zoe Atkins’ run from the halfway line resulted in her low driven shot to be saved well by the feet of Aberystwyth’s Ffion Ashman and Owen was unable to finish the rebound, putting it over for a goal kick.
Despite having very little of the possession, Aberystwyth found themselves on level terms at the 34 minute mark. A sublime ball over the defence was latched on to by a fast Emily Thomas who, one on one with the keeper, dispatches it expertly in to the corner.
It wasn’t long until Cardiff had a chance to take the lead again as a good passing play gave Jeremiah the chance to play in Atkins at the far post but she scuffed her shot and missed the open goal.
Just before the half time whistle, Cardiff had their final chance of the half when a cross in to the box by Owens fell to Jasmine Simpson who volleyed over the goal, the whistle was blown after the miss.
The sides came back from the break and it was Cardiff who had the chance to take the lead first as Jeremiah has her shot blocked.
In the 56th minute, Cardiff took the lead through an absolute rocket. After an attempted clearance from the defender but it comes to Kanisha Underdown and she fires a shot in to the top corner leaving the keeper stranded.
The home side had more chances to extend their lead but were unable to until the 73rd minute of the game. Substitute Danielle Green, running towards goal, finished it past the keeper to make it 3-1.
It wasn’t long until Cardiff got their fourth.
After a number of chances to finish it off, forward, Alana Murphy, expertly placed it into the bottom corner. Stamina levels began to show from the away side.
Cardiff had chances to score a fifth but the game ended 4-1 with the home side coming out on top. Aberystwyth remain without a win in the league.
Wales Women’s manager, Jayne Ludlow, watched on as the USW Women’s 1st Team drew 0-0 against local college team, the Coleg y Cymoedd Women’s Team, in a friendly match, on the brand new 4G pitch at the USW Sports Park.
The game finished 0-0 in a tight affair, with both sides having opportunities to win it. Despite Coleg y Cymoedd having slightly more of the possession, USW had the greater chance to score, it was Lauryn Lyons who’s shot was just wide of the post.
After the game, Jayne Ludlow stated that the friendly game was a “good training exercise” and that’s how the teams saw the game going into it. Despite the heavy intervals of rain, Jayne said that she, the staff and the players “really enjoyed it”.
When asked about the game being played on the Sports Park’s brand new 4G pitch, she mentioned that it’s “far better than some of the pitches the girls get to play on, week in and week out”. This was the women’s team’s first outing on the pitch since it’s opening.
Finally, Jayne was questioned about the use of friendly fixtures and how they can benefit the players and their fitness after the Christmas break. Jayne said that she saw it more as a “development tool”. She and the other coaches were able to step onto the pitch and coach the game live, which she says is “different to a training environment” and allows them to give more detailed instructions.
The USW Women’s 1st will play the Southampton Solent University Women’s 1st on the 29th January in their first league match since their return from the Christmas break.
The Premier League champions were only one trophy off winning the unspoken quadruple last season, having won the league, the FA Cup and the League Cup. Pep Guardiola has turned this team into one of the most feared in all of Europe. So why are Liverpool currently 16 points clear at the top?
Guardiola has managed City for coming up on four years and in that time has won: two Premier League titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup. As well as this, he has achieved the highest points tally in Premier League history, two Manager of the Year awards and has shown, in his time at the club, why many consider him the best manager in the world.
In a season where Liverpool won the Champions League and got 97 league points, Manchester City still managed to finish top of the league and although they were still not able to get to the final of the Champions League, they still showed just how incredible they can be.
Coming into this new season, you’d have thought that Guardiola would like to go for a third league title in a row and, despite it being some task, build upon their previous year. However, despite still remaining in the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Champions League, they currently sit 16 points behind Liverpool. They’ve lost five games already this year, two of which to Wolves, the others against Norwich, United and the league leaders Liverpool.
It’s been a frustrating start to the season for Manchester City fans, although, that’s not to say City have not continued to give us some spectacular performances. An 8-0 win against Watford in September, a top placed finish in the group stage of the Champions League and have currently scored more goals than Liverpool with 62.
Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling have continued to score piles of goals, following on from last season and Kevin De Bruyne is undoubtedly showing why he is the best midfielder in the league, if not the world. Already 14 assists to his name and numerous displays of brilliance this season. After missing a lot of the previous year, he’s back to his best.
In the summer, Guardiola had to look at his squad and think, what changes do I have to make? A difficult question given how well they performed last year, but people will suggest that the age of a number of the City first team is starting to creep up, with both David Silva and Fernandinho still consistently making the squad. Silva has revealed he will be moving on from the club he has established himself as one of the great Premier League midfielders and Fernandinho’s future is also unclear. Guardiola chose to bring in exciting, young, defensive midfielder Rodri from Atletico and promising Portuguese full-back Joao Concelo from Juventus. Both of whom are beginning to find more minutes in the team, despite some difficult competition for places.
Looking at this, City are currently 16 points behind Liverpool and fans may ask whether or not the club will look to bring anyone in during this January transfer window. The team is still incredibly impressive but defensive issues haven’t helped and so perhaps a defender may be the only position that could do with a little strengthening this window. City have been linked with Nathan Ake and Caglar Soyuncu. Of course, because of the money the club possess, they have also been linked with other players such as; Jack Grealish, Adama Traore, Houssem Aouar and Todd Cantwell. It looks unlikely and perhaps even unnecessary for them to spend big this window and so I believe they should wait for the summer if there’s any changes that may need to be made.
For moments this season there has also been doubt over how long manager, Pep Guardiola would remain at the club. It’s not a secret that the trophy that the club desire above all is the Champions League and winning the trophy is perhaps even the reason the owners brought Guardiola in, in the first place. They will play record-winners Real Madrid in the round of 16, in late February. It will by no means by an easy task but this could be the year. Plenty of top quality teams and players stand in there way but we all know that City, on their day, are unplayable.
It would also be unsurprising to see City win both domestic cups once again too. They already have a 3-1 lead over neighbours Manchester United in the League Cup semi final and if hang on to win the second leg fixture, will meet either Aston Villa or Leicester in the final. It’s looking virtually impossible to catch up with Liverpool in the league at the moment so their main aim this season will most definitely be, the Champions League.
City possess some of the world’s best stars and can win any game they want on their day, they have a long way to go to turn this season into another successful one but it is very possible. Most football fans will say that City are only where they are and only have the players they do because of the vasts amounts of money pumped into the club, but it’s one thing having the best players, they still have to play well together and in this team, they certainly do. I’m very interested what silverware they possess at the end of season.
MANCHESTER CITY’S BEST STARTING 11: Ederson, Walker, Fernandinho, Laporte, Mendy, D. Silva, B. Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling, Sane, Aguero.
Cardiff and Swansea were forced to share the points in the second South Wales derby of the season. The game finished 0-0 with both sides having good chances to win the game.
The game started quickly with Swansea getting the first chance. The ball was played through to Wayne Routledge who’s shot was saved by a rushing out Alex Smithies, however, it was then ruled offside.
A few minutes later, a throw in from Swansea was awkwardly flicked on by Curtis Nelson in the defence and it fell on the volley to Routledge, but his shot was put over the bar from close range.
The home side, Cardiff, then experienced a few good chances with Robert Glatzel and Nelson both having efforts at goal but neither found their way past Freddie Woodman in the Swansea net.
It was again Swansea’s turn to create chances with Bersant Celina having the best of the lot. A counter attack from the away side led to Celina being played through and his whipped shot was denied by the far post.
Into the 34th minute, an altercation took place. Swansea defender Ben Cabango came in hard on Glatzel causing him to react, from this, both sides came to the aid of their player. After some pushing and shoving, the referee handed out a yellow card to both Cabango and Glatzel.
Both sides continued to create chances before the half-time whistle blew but ultimately both sides went in at the break feeling they could be ahead.
Swansea came out in the second half clearly the more energetic of the two. A snap shot from George Byers took a deflection on its way through and went out for a corner.
Again both sides had chances to break the deadlock and Cardiff’s best chance to win it came later on, in the 77th minute. Substitute Josh Murphy ran up the line and was able to get his cross in which found the head of fellow sub Callum Paterson who’s header was against the bar.
The two teams showed they still had energy left in the late stages of the game but neither team was able to find a way through and it ended 0-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Both teams will feel they could have taken all three points from that game but Swansea will be the happier of the two sides playing away from home. Cardiff travel to Carlisle for their FA Cup replay on Wednesday, while Swansea’s next game will be at home to struggling Wigan.
There’s no arguing that Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and over the years have won numerous trophies and titles. They’ve had some of history’s greatest players put on their shirt and have won the Premier League title, a record 13 times. So why is it that, since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, they have struggled?
United come into this season finishing just 6th the year before. With former player, Ole Gunar Solskjaer managing the side, United have a win percentage of 49%. For a team of their history many would expect that be higher. United have won every trophy there is to win but have shown that the quality in their side has decreased significantly since the departure of Sir Alex.
They had a disappointing previous campaign, not winning any trophies and not even progressing past the quarter-finals in any of their cup competitions. This season, Solskjaer and his squad hoped to right their wrongs and have a far more successful season.
Currently, Manchester United sit 5th in table with 31 points after 21 games, 7 points less than this point last year but still a place above where they were. They have 8 wins, 7 draws and 6 losses. Marcus Rashford is their top scorer this season with 17 goals and is already having one of his best goal scoring seasons for Man U, just past the halfway mark.
In August 2019, they signed Harry Maguire for £80 million, making him the most expensive defender in history. As well as him, they signed young prospects Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £45 million and Daniel James for £15 million. Maguire has kept just 3 clean sheets in 21 appearances and Wan-Bissaka keeping 2 in 18 appearances in the league. Despite this underwhelming stat, the two have shown that they can be great servants for the club and they do require time. James has scored 3 goals and managed to get 6 assists, also in the league. He’s shown just how fast he is and I believe, he can only get better. These were three big signings and at the moment, their stats suggest their not quite hitting the levels they were expected to but I believe each of them has shown real potential.
The Red Devil’s finished top of their group in the Europa League and will meet Club Bruges in the round of 32 at the end of February. Domestically, at this moment in time, they remain in both the FA Cup and the League Cup. Although, they will meet Wolves in an FA Cup replay after a 0-0 draw away and are 3-1 down on aggregate in the League Cup semi-final against their rivals Manchester City.
Since the start of the current Premier League campaign, they have failed to beat a number of the lower placed teams such as; West Ham, Bournemouth and Newcastle but have managed to get big wins against Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea. Even managing to get a point against unbeaten Liverpool. Few would have guessed that United would need to pick up their form against the teams outside the top 6 rather than those within.
Their team have disappointed at times this season and now that the transfer window is open, I’m sure Solskjaer will look to offload some of his players and if not this window then in the summer. Players like: Ashley Young, who is currently linked with a surprising move to Inter Milan, Marcos Rojo, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and, of course, star man Paul Pogba.
Despite it looking like Pogba would be leaving in the summer, he stayed and this season has spent a lot of his time watching from the stands. Injuries have forced him out of a lot of games and there are still signs that clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are looking to bring Pogba in. Whether he will still be there next season does seem unlikely.
One player who has seemed to have broken into the team is 18 year old Mason Greenwood. With 8 goals and 2 assists this season, Greenwood has shown he could be one for the future. Solskjaer himself has stated that, his finishing is one of the best he has even seen. Big praise from a man who has played with the likes of Cantona, Beckham and Rooney.
Back to the transfer window, the club have made it clear they are looking to recruit during this window and have been linked with a big number of players, as they are every window. There’s Kalidou Koulibaly, who’s looked as if he would be leaving Napoli for some time now. There’s also, Emre Can, Edinson Cavani, James Maddison, Samuel Umtiti, Arturo Vidal and Donny van de Beek. As well, as more being mentioned all the time. All of these players could improve the United team but I believe the one position they need strengthening is their striker. Despite Rashford and Martial contributing with 28 goals between them this season, I don’t personally see them as out and out strikers and would therefore be looking to someone such as, Edinson Cavani, who has made it clear he’s looking to move on from PSG. He’s a constant goal threat and is PSG’s current top goalscorer, I believe he’d be perfect for Man United.
It will be difficult to come back from a 3-1 defeat against Man City in the League Cup, but with a win against Wolves in their FA Cup replay and some decent results in Europe, there’s no reason they can’t win a trophy this year, but it will not be easy. I don’t see them getting a Champions League spot either, I may be wrong but unless they do some really good business this window, I just feel as if their team lacks enough quality. You never know with United, they could shock us all, as they have done in the past.
I feel it is also worth briefly mentioning the board. Ed Woodward has been blamed for their form by a number of fans this season, his decision to appoint the inexperienced Solskjaer and his use of transfer funds.
To finish, there’s been talk all season about how long Solskjaer would remain as manager after some terrible performances this season and unless he can win a trophy this year or at least get a top four spot, I don’t see him being there next season. I’d like to see Mauricio Pochetino manage the team in the near future…
MANCHESTER UNITED’S BEST STARTING 11: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw, McTominay, Pogba, Perreira, James, Rashford, Martial.
In the 2018/19 Premier League season, Liverpool finished on 97 points, the third highest points achieved in the league’s history but still managed to finish second behind Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp’s turnaround at Liverpool in the nearly four years he’s been their manager has been remarkable.
The champions of Europe came into this season, off the back of their sixth Champions League, knowing they needed to make a statement this year by winning the trophy that has alluded them for so long. Liverpool started their season by winning the UEFA Super Cup, beating Chelsea and setting themselves up for another successful campaign.
After their superb performances last season, the fans expect no less than the Premier League title, as they hope to prevent Manchester City winning the trophy for the third successive year. There’s no doubt that at the start of the season that Liverpool had one of the best teams in the world so there was no concern for the quality of player at the club. No, the concern at the start of the season came due to the sheer number of games that Liverpool would be playing this year.
As well as the domestic competitions that they would be playing in, there was also the added fixtures that came with, the UEFA Super Cup and also, the Club World Cup and, of course, another Champions League campaign. This is far more games than most other Premier League sides and it seemed as if this could’ve been an issue.
However, despite this worry, Liverpool currently reside at the top of the Premier League table, 13 points clear of Leicester City in second place. A remarkable start to the season with the term currently unbeaten. Klopp’s side has already shown their ambition having won the Club World Cup, making them world champions and now they aim for more trophy’s.
Their notorious front three of Salah, Mane and Firmino have picked up from where they left off last season, between them scoring 35 league goals already. The defence that helped them win the Champions League last season has also continued to get them results, conceding just 14 goals and keeping 7 clean sheets.
They will feel confident that they can continue their winning ways and finally win the Premier League trophy, the one competition they have craved above the rest. Now that the January transfer window is open, the team may feel as if they can add a little more depth to their ranks. The club have already bought Takumi Minamino from RB Salzburg who adds cover for their pacey forwards.
The odd few players such as, Dejan Lovren and Nathaniel Clyne may look for moves away with this window but other than that, it’s clear that Jugen Klopp is happy with his side. Liverpool have been linked to some high profile players this window, whether they will manage to bring them in during this window is unclear but names such as Jadon Sancho and Kylian Mbappe are being thrown about. Also, others such as Leon Bailey and Allan have been mentioned. There’s no doubt that Liverpool can attract the big names but it’s whether they will in the current transfer window.
I feel confident that from this point on that Liverpool can get the job done and win the Premier League. There’s no reason why they can’t also go on to win other trophies also. They still remain in the FA Cup after their recent Merseyside derby win and also have Atletico Madrid to play in the round of 16 in the Champions League. I can foresee more than one trophy at the end of their current campaign.
Who knows how far this Liverpool side can go…
LIVERPOOL’S BEST STARTING 11: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Sitting 10th in the table, a brand new manager and a transfer window allowing him to improve his squad and help them get back to the Arsenal we all remember.
Arsenal’s season up until this point hasn’t been pretty. They started the season with Spanish manager Unai Emery, who in his previous season, had gotten them to the Europa League final. However, he would not even make it till Christmas as Arsenal manager in the current season. With just 8 wins in 20 games, Emery’s time was up. The fans had turned against him and a change had to be made.
Whilst the board began their search for a new manager, former player, Freddie Ljungberg took over as their interim manager. He was in charge for six games, winning just one of them! Clearly he wouldn’t be the man to take over as permanent manager and so the search went on. A few names were thrown about such as; Massimiliano Allegri, Nuno Santo, Mauricio Pochetino, but the man they were targeting was former player and Pep Guaridola’s assistant at Man City, Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal secured their man on the 20th December and he promised to change the way that the team play. He explained this would not be an easy job and it would not be an overnight change but acknowledged the talent his new squad possess and believes that he is the man for the job.
In his first two games in charge Arteta drew to Bournemouth and lost to Chelsea, conceding two late goals. Not a terrific start, however, since then, they have beaten Manchester United 2-0 and despite a rocky performance, beat Leeds 1-0 in the FA Cup. Arsenal are still 10th in the league and so Arteta does have a big job to do in the second half of the season.
Arsenal’s best player this season so far has got to be their top scorer, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. In a team currently under achieving, Aubamyeang is still their player they can depend on. With 15 goals currently, in all competitions, he still remains their main man.
The transfer window is currently open and this is what I think, new boss, Mikel Arteta should do with his current Arsenal squad to get them back on track. Firstly, there are a few players who just need to be sold, they aren’t helping the team and just need to move on, there’s, Granit Xhaka, at one point this season was their club captain but since then has really gone down hill and is currently linked with a move away to Hertha Berlin. Next, Shkodran Mustafi, has never really fit into the squad and I think the club simply need to thank him for his service and ask him to look for a new club. Also, I’m not too sure about Arsenal’s current two centre backs, David Luiz and Sokratis. I’d keep a hold of them for the time being but they should be looking for suitable replacements for them I believe.
Who should Arsenal bring in? It’s clear their defence has been one of their main issues so far this season and so I’d be looking at players such as, Dayot Upamecano, Daniele Rugani, Jerome Boateng and Lewis Dunk. Rumours suggest that Arsenal have made contact with Boateng about a possible signing, as well as, strong interest in Upamecano.
Their midfield also needs some changes if they really want to start moving up the table. Mesut Ozil’s performances since Arteta has taken over have suggested he could be getting his form back. Therefore, players such as, Arturo Vidal and Sami Khedira could do a decent job at playing that defensive midfield role, a position the club should be looking to strengthen. The full return of Dani Ceballos could also improve their midfield but I do think that Arsenal do need to sign one decent holding midfielder to really improve the squad.
Although I believe Arsenal’s attack isn’t their main issue, with players such as; Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Nicholas Pepe and the young of Gabriel Martinelli and Reiss Nelson. However, players like, Edinson Cavani, Hakim Ziyech and Thomas Lemar are looking for new clubs so there could be an opportunity for Arsenal to swoop in and bring in a talented attacker under the radar.
Just to finish, now that Arteta is manager and he has a transfer window to try and booster his squad for the remainder of the season, I think that Arsenal can push up the table. It’s very unlikely that they will get a top four spot but finishing in a Europa League spot could show serious improvement. I’d guess that they’ll finish in sixth, one spot down from where they finished last season but once Arteta has a full summer transfer window to really change his squad, as well as having had half a season to work with the players currently in the squad, I see no reason why next season can’t be a huge turning point for Arsenal Football Club.
Waiting till next season may not be what the fans want to hear but giving Arteta time is going to be the main point I’d like to end on. Give him time to show off what he has learnt, working with Pep Guardiola for three years. This transfer window will determine where Arsenal finish this season.
It’s the start of 2020 and that means that more content will be added to this site more regularly. Here’s what you will be seeing in the coming weeks:
University of South Wales (USW) sports reports coming directly from the USW Sport Parks. This will be either a match report of one of the games covered or a quotes piece with one of those involved in one of the games covered. As well as this, the photography from one of the games may also be uploaded. To see more of the USW sport news, check out the official website – Expo Sport.
I will consistently be uploading the results from games in the Premier League and also, the Champions League (round of 16 games begin on February 18th). Uploading the results of the games will help me keep my uploading regular and consistent.
Match reports from select games from around the world. I will try and upload as many as I can. My most recent comes from the Brighton v Tottenham on Boxing Day. To check it out go to the ‘Football’ tab in the menu.
Also, I will, for the next couple of weeks, be uploading a review of some of the top teams in the Premier League. This will involve discussing how their season has gone so far, my thoughts on their current team, what business I believe they should do during this January Transfer Window, where I think they’re going to finish and just a little more information I think may be worth mentioning.
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