Monday, September 1, 2014

Leicester 1-1 Arsenal


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Photo from : https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/506205406583353344/photo/1



Leonardo Ulloa's second Barclays Premier League goal of the season earned Leicester City a 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday.
Leicester's record signing headed home in the 22nd minute to immediately cancel out Alexis Sanchez's first league goal for Arsenal since joining from Barcelona.
Ulloa's intervention proved enough to earn a valuable point as the visitors failed to find a winner in an entertaining encounter at the King Power Stadium.
Arsenal headed into the match desperate to cap a good week, having qualified for the UEFA Champions League group phase for the 17th successive season on Wednesday.
Yet an inspired Ulloa proved a handful and, with Leicester also defending doggedly, Arsene Wenger's men had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Arsenal have now collected a win and two draws from the opening three Barclays Premier League fixtures of 2014-15, with Leicester taking two points from the same number of matches.
The home side began confidently, Ritchie De Laet sending in a teasing cross for Ulloa, whose attempt to control the ball flew straight to Wojciech Szczesny.
Arsenal found themselves briefly depleted when Laurent Koscielny was forced to go to the dressing room for stitches to a head wound following a nasty collision with Jeffrey Schlupp.
And Leicester almost made full use of their one-man advantage when Riyad Mahrez fired just wide following a fine one-two with Ulloa.
But, soon after Koscielny returned to the field, Arsenal took the lead through Sanchez after 20 minutes.
Santi Cazorla's wonderful lobbed pass freed Yaya Sanogo and, after the striker's effort was blocked by Kasper Schmeichel, the Chilean was left with a simple finish.
Yet Leicester found an immediate riposte through Ulloa, who met Schlupp's stunning cross with a powerful header that gave Szczesny no chance.
Koscielny, still suffering from the effects of his earlier injury, was left flat-footed for the goal and it came as no surprise when Calum Chambers replaced him.
Arsenal continued to dominate possession after half-time, but were fortunate not fall behind when Ulloa chipped into the side-netting after brilliantly turning Chambers.
The visitors fashioned a couple of chances of their own almost immediately after, Aaron Ramsey heading tamely at Schmeichel before Sanogo hit straight at the goalkeeper when clean through.
Leicester, though, were always on hand to fire warning shots of their own, David Nugent seeing a goal-bound effort blocked following good work from the outstanding Ulloa.
The game entered something of a lull thereafter as neat Arsenal football failed to bring chances.
That impasse ended when substitute Jamie Vardy came agonisingly close to grabbing a second Leicester goal, Szczesny producing a fine reactionary save.
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson: "It was another illustration of how difficult the Premier League can be. I think we have played better and been more assured in possession, but we still had flashes of the ability to create things, which is going to be pivotal this season.
"Against a very good possession side, we still felt we looked dangerous on the counter-attack and occasionally put together some decent moves.
"There is a lot of promise; it's a matter of how quickly we can learn. I do think we have more to come. We have some real ability that has not been maximised. We have come up against some pretty special sides so far and I think we have acquitted ourselves pretty well.
"We are disappointed not to win. I don't want us coming out of games happy with a point because we have to win enough to meet our objectives this season."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "We did not create enough clear-cut chances and they fought very hard.
"We missed a few opportunities but I think we lacked some creativity and sharpness.
"We have had a tough two weeks with three away games; it is not an excuse but we are a bit jaded.
"We wanted so much to win it that we lost caution and we were more open to counter-attacks and we could have lost it."
[On the transfer market] "It is finding the personnel that is the problem. We are open and are working on it but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that every time you don't win you need to buy a new player.
"It is not because you buy one player that you win. We want to and we are hoping to. But we are very active [in the transfer market].”
Source :

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Balotelli Debut Bersama Liverpool Bantai Hotspur


Foto : AFP/Olly Greewood

Liverpool menang 3-0 atas Tottenham Hotspur pada pertandingan lanjutan Premier League di Stadion White Hart Lane, Minggu (31/8/2014).

Manajer Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers, memilih langsung menurunkan penyerang anyarnya, Mario Balotelli. Dengan begitu, laga ini menjadi debut Balotelli setelah bomber asal Italia itu didatangkan dari AC Milan beberapa waktu lalu.

Super Mario berduet dengan Daniel Sturridge di lini depan The Reds. Super Mario langsung menyengat pada awal laga. Balotelli berhasil melepaskan tandukan keras saat laga baru berjalan tiga menit. Namun, ancaman yang dilepaskan Balotelli tersebut berhasil digagalkan kiper Hugo Lloris.

Dalam tempo lima menit, Liverpool akhirnya mampu unggul terlebih dulu berkat gol Raheem Sterling. Dari sisi kiri pertahanan lawan, Daniel Sturridge memberikan bola kepada Jordan Henderson. Henderson membawa masuk bola ke dalam kotak penalti lawan dan memberikan si kulit bulat kepada Sterling.  Sterling  langsung melepaskan tembakan keras yang gagal dibendung Lloris.

Balotelli nyaris mencatatkan namanya di papan skor saat berhasil menyundul bola dari umpan Gerrard. Sayang, bola hasil tandukan Balotelli masih melebar.

Pada menit ke-30, Balotelli memberikan umpan cantik kepada Sturridge. Penyerang muda asal Inggris tersebut dengan menggunakan kaki kirinya melepaskan tembakan melengkung. Sayang, bola dari tembakan Sturrdige berhasil diamankan Lloris.

Balotelli mendapatkan kesempatan emas dari kecerobohan yang dilakukan Lloris pada menit ke-31. Awalnya, Balotelli memberikan bola kepada Sterling. Lloris kemudian memilih meninggalkan gawang untuk membuang bola. Namun, bola sepakan Lloris jatuh di kaki Balotelli.

Saat melihat gawang lawan kosong, Balotelli langsung melepaskan tembakan. Apes, Balotelli terlihat terburu-buru melepaskan tembakan sehingga bola melenceng.

Liverpool nyaris kebobolan saat Nacer Chadli dengan bebas melepaskan tembakan keras di dalam kotak penalti. Beruntung, kiper Simon Mignolet melakukan penyelamatan gemilang dengan menepis bola tersebut. Penyelamatan gemilang Mignolet tersebut sekaligus membuat Liverpool mampu menjaga keunggulannya hingga turun minum.

Gerrard berhasil menggandakan keunggulan Liverpool berkat gol yang diciptakannya dari titik putih pada menit ke-49. Wasit Phil Dowd menunjuk titik putih setelah Allen dilanggar  Dier di kotak terlarang. Gerrard yang maju sebagi algojo berhasil menyarangkan bola ke pojok kiri bawah gawang Spurs.

Kebobolan, Manajer Spurs Mauricio Pochettino langsung bereaksi dengan memasukkan pemain baru yakni Andros Townsend dan Mousa Dembel pada menit ke-59.

Baru masuk ke lapangan, Townsend terlihat lemah saat bola di kakinya berhasil dicuri Moreno. Bek muda yang diboyong dari Sevilla pada bursa transfer musim panas tersebut menggiring bola hingga ke dalam kotak penalti lawan. Moreno kemudian berhasil menyarangkan bola ke pojok kanan bawah gawang Spurs saat berhadapan satu lawan satu dengan Lloris.

Setelah Liverpool unggul 3-0, Rodgers melakukan rotasi.  Ia memasukkan Emre Can dan Lazar Markovic untuk menggantikan Joe Allen dan Balotelli. Setelah itu, Spurs terlihat lebih banyak menguasai bola yang membuat Liverpool tampil bertahan. Beruntung, Steven Gerrard dan kawan-kawan mampu menjaga keunggulannya hingga laga usai.

Susunan Pemain
Tottenham Hotspur: 1-Hugo Lloris; 3-Danny Rose, 4-Younes Kaboul, 5-Jan Vertonghen, 15-Eric Dier; 11-Erik Lamela, 22-Nacer Chadli, 23-Christian Eriksen (Andros Townsend 59), 29-Etienne Capoue, 42-Nabil Bentaleb (Mousa Dembele 59); 10-Emmanuel Adebayor

Manajer: Mauricio Pochettino

Liverpool: 22-Simon Mignolet; 6-Dejan Lovren, 17-Mamadou Sakho, 18-Alberto Moreno, 19-Javi Manquillo; 8-Steven Gerrard, 14-Jordan Henderson, 24-Joe Allen (Emre Can 61), 31-Raheem Sterling (Enrique 85); 15-Daniel Sturridge, 45-Mario Balotelli (Lazar Markovic 61)

Manajer: Brendan Rodgers

Sumber : Kompas.com