Football Focus

[SCSB79]

West Ham 1 v Chelsea 1

Arsenal 2 v Swansea 0

Fulham 0 v Tottenham 0

Liverpool 2 v Southampton 0

Man City 3 v Everton 1

QPR 1 v Aston Villa 1

West Brom 2 v Stoke 1

Reading 0 v Man Utd 2

Norwich 1 v Sunderland 1

Newcastle 3 v Wigan 1

[Alan Medic]

West Ham 0 v Chelsea 1

Arsenal 2 Swansea 1

Fulham 1 Tottenham 2

Liverpool 3 Southampton 1

Man City 1 Everton 1

QPR 1 Aston Villa 0

West Brom 2 Stoke 0

Reading 1 Man Utd 3

Norwich 2 Sunderland 1

Newcastle 1 v Wigan 2

[????]

I am pretty sure the top 4 will be the usual suspects. I think spuds are the most likely to break up that cosy quartet.

[red devil]

West Ham 1 Chelsea 1

Arsenal 2 Swansea 2

Fulham 1 Tottenham 2

Liverpool 2 Southampton 1

Man City 2 Everton 1

QPR 2 Aston Villa 0

West Brom 3 Stoke 1

Reading 1 Man Utd 4

Norwich 1 Sunderland 0

Newcastle 2 Wigan 2

[????]

:)

[Otta]

Bloody Hell, it was 0-1 when I looked at about 2:05. Fair play the hammers!

[red devil]

Irons! :)

Great 2nd half performance...Rafa out by teatime?

[maxxi]

:)-D

[maxxi]

:)-D

ETA- as the only one to predict a home win I am technically at the top of today's leader board* B)

*For the next 90mins anyway - I take it where I can get it

[Otta]

BBC Website saying there was a Garath Bale "dive" whichg replays are inconclusive about, and ask was it a dive or not?

If that was Suarez, everyone would immediately say it was a dive. Bale IMO has got as much previous as Suarez when it comes to diving, but he'll probably get the benefit of the doubt.

Anyway, on a brighter note, great to see Lucas back for the pool!

[red devil]

Oh to be a fly in the Utd half-time dressing room...

*Lies down in darkened room...*

[Ladygooner]

Bad day at the Emirates but well down to West Ham and fingers crossed for Reading!

[Alan Medic]

LadyG, do they serve sherry at the Emirates?

[Ladygooner]

No just overpriced beer

[maxxi]

Ladygooner Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> No just overpriced beer

Bitter presumably.

Good Saturday night - Irons won't be last on MOTD for a change!

[Alan Medic]

Bale booked for diving again. I didn't think he did but what puzzled me from watching the highlights is that the ref appeared to stop play and give a free kick against him. What law/rule covers that?

[Otta]

I've not seen it yet, but surely if a dive is a bookable offence, then it's a foul, so a freekick can be awarded against it. No?

[Alan Medic]

Not all bookable offences are fouls though. Think of abusive language for eg. I'd have though the ref would have let play continue and at the next break in play go back and book the player.

[red devil]

Unsportsmanlike conduct?..

[Alan Medic]

Still not a foul though. A foul has to involve another player. There was no question of Bale having fouled the Fulham player.

[Otta]

Yeah but bad language / Dissent are about a player's behaviour, whereas a dive like a foul has an effect on the actual game, so maybe that is the difference. (I don't know by the way, I am just guessing)

[red devil]

The referee stopped play to book Bale for what he interpreted as unsportsmanlike behaviour, a bookable offence.

Play was then restarted with an indirect free kick to Fulham...

If play is stopped to administer a caution or dismissal:

If a foul has occurred as well as misconduct, play is restarted according to the nature of the foul (either an indirect free kick, direct free kick or penalty kick to the opposing team);

If no foul under Law 12 has occurred, play is restarted with an indirect free kick to the opposing team

[Alan Medic]

Well that explains it. In this case Spurs still had the ball so he stopped play to punish them and Bale. If Fulham had the ball I presume he could have waited to give the card.

[red devil]

I don't think Bale is a blatant diver, he travels at speed and likes to cut across players, so that he's bound to lose balance/go over with the slightest of touches, but his falls are on the dramatic side which don't help his case...

[Otta]

He has swan dived at least twice that I can think of.

Suarez has dived plenty, so please don't think I'm saying he hasn't. But equally "he travels at speed and likes to cut across players" could also be said of him, and he has been accused on plenty of occasions when I think that some minimal contact has been enough to send him over because he's at full tilt.