England

Liverpool marched on to yet another win, scoring late and great to eventually see off last-place Norwich City 1-0 in a match that was much harder than the Reds might have expected on Saturday at Carrow Road.

Liverpool has now taken 76 points from a possible 78, which is just stupid if you think about it. If this happened in any other league in Europe (or the world), detractors would use it as proof to say the rest of the league is no good. But in England, Liverpool is hailed as one of the greatest teams of all time, and it’s hard to argue against that. 

Alexander Sørloth looked a man bereft of confidence. Just 12 months after arriving in South London in a $11.75 million deal from Denmark's FC Midtjylland, the Norwegian striker was yet to score a Premier League goal for Crystal Palace in 16 appearances. In all but four of those outings, he had come off the bench. 

The latest ad campaign from adidas comes close to greatness. It’s all centered around the release of the Predator 20 Mutator boots, which feature the striking implementation of DEMONSKIN technology. The breakthrough tech is immediately noticeable in the form of 406 spikes on the upper which work together as a textured layer to enhance grip on the ball and maximize control.

For a club that’s won the FA Cup six times and made it to the final on 13 occasions (only Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal have more final appearances), Newcastle’s abysmal recent record in the competition is astounding.

Heading into Tuesday’s Fourth Round replay with third-tier Oxford United, Newcastle hadn’t advanced to the Fifth Round (the Round of 16) in 14 years — that’s despite the club being a Premier League side in each corresponding year apart from two. 

The numbers are ridiculous. Following Tottenham’s remarkable 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday, here’s the statistical summary of the Premier League encounters between Spurs and City this campaign. 

Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, Manchester United has looked like a completely different club. On the pitch as well as in the board room it has looked like a club without a plan. The Red Devils are enduring their worst campaign since the Premier League came into existence in 1992. There is a lack of long-term vision and at the moment the club is a shell of its former self and mired in mediocrity. 

It took until the 67th minute, but it happened. Without fail, it always happens. With Liverpool leading West Ham 2-0 and supporters beginning their ascent up the stairs and out the door at London Stadium on Wednesday evening, the commentators on NBCSN began lamenting about how it all just doesn’t feel right.