ARSENAL ARE SECOND, behind City on goal difference, after battering Swansea 3-0 today.
The Gunners remain hot on City’s heels as they bounced back from their shock League Cup exit with a stroll at Swansea.
Beaten by second tier Sheffield Wednesday in midweek, the Gunners took the lead when Olivier Giroud headed home in the 49th minute for Arsenal’s 2000th goal under Arsene Wenger.
Laurent Koscielny got the second in the 68th minute when Swansea’s former Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski dropped a corner and the French defender slotted in.
Costa Rica forward Joel Campbell completed the victory with his first goal for Arsenal, four years after joining the Gunners, in the 73rd minute.
Watford halted West Ham’s impressive run as Nigeria forward Odion Ighalo struck twice in a 2-0 win at Vicarage Road.
Ighalo converted Nathan Ake’s cross from close-range in the 39th minute and netted again three minutes into the second half for his seventh goal of the season.
West Ham defender James Collins was sent off for a nasty challenge six minutes from full-time.
Leicester climbed to third place as Jamie Vardy scored for the eighth successive league game to clinch a 3-2 win at West Bromwich Albion.
Venezuela striker Salomon Rondon headed Albion into the lead in the 30th minute.
But Leicester’s Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez equalised in the 57th minute.
Mahrez put Leicester ahead seven minutes later before England forward Vardy netted in the 77th minute for his eighth in a row — a superb run that only Ruud van Nistelrooy and Daniel Sturridge have surpassed in Premier League history.
Rickie Lambert’s 84th minute penalty for Albion came too late to rescue a point.
Newcastle missed a chance to move out of the relegation zone after a 0-0 draw against Stoke at St James’ Park.
On Sunday, Everton host Sunderland and Southampton face Bournemouth, while managerless Aston Villa travel to Tottenham on Monday.
Great goal in the “Nightmare Final “……..great servant to hurling. Hopefully na piarsaigh do the business at the weekend. Keep Canning quiet and they should progress!
Easier said than done , my friend with the patriots name, easier said than done…
Back to the main story. Best of luck to Damien and Na Piarsaigh. With such young talent in the club they are sure to win a club title. Hope it is not at Portumna’s expense though.
Exactly. Na P are a good young team with the ability to get goals. If Portumna can stop that goal threat I think they can win. Here’s hoping for a good tight game (and better weather)
Mike my main point is that with the club Joe can offload the ball to other players and create more space for himself. The club team work as one. With Galway this does not happen for some reason.
Because as I said intercounty level is a different class to club level. There was talk a few years ago that Portumna was as good as a county team. I always found that bull. Portumna would have been easily beaten by most county teams.
It’s easy for Canning and other Galway players to look good at club level but when they step up to intercounty level a lot of them are found out.
Think you’ll find niel that player of the year normally goes to a player on the AL winning team. He was fantastic when Galway got to the AL final two years ago. He had a bad year last year. What bout it. Remember he’s won 3 all stars playing for a team that’s only reached one AL.
Waterford players twice won hurler of the year without even playing in an All Ireland. Canning played in two in 2012 and still couldn’t win hurler of the year. If he was good enough he would have won it that year. He’s wasn’t and still isn’t.
John Mullane won 5 and only reached one All Ireland. Canning played in two. I can’t see Canning winning as many All Stars as Mullane in his career.
The big difference I see between Portumna and the Galway team is the work ethic. Most of the Portumna players have played against and bettered at club level some of the top players in the country. Ballyhale Newtown’ James Stephens. Portumna as a team ” work like dogs” as written on their arms in the AL club final a few years ago.
O yes the good oul messages written on body parts. You only ever hear about things like that when teams win. I’m sure they had something written on some body part when they lost All Ireland club finals and semi finals.
Oh go away mike Neil , you are depressing the place, I think you lost most peoples interest when you tried to compare joe , and John Mullane, are you American by any chance.
Do you not rate Mullane?
Don’t read my comments Gerry if you don’t like what I have to say. I wouldn’t want you getting upset
Upset not atall, how would a man be upset an he heading to thurles for another all Ireland club semi-final. Happy days .
You are obviously still reading my cimments so. Glad to have a fan
I suppose club games gives Galway people a taste of what it is like to be successful
Good point mike on one side the hope of galway hurling was put in a young player who was for most of the game isolated and double marked. Management have to take the blame for that not a young 23 year old.
From my recollection of the two finals he wasn’t double marked but man marked by JJ Delaney. Young players are often entrusted in winning big games. Clare won last year with teenagers guiding them. Kilkenny won in 2002 with a 23 year old Henry Shefflin leading the way and ending up hurler of the year that year. Youth is nothing got to do with responsibility. 23 these days is not that young considering the amount of teenagers and U21 players leading their teams. Canning just doesn’t have the temperament or nerve to guide Galway on the biggest stage. He suffered with stage fright in the All Ireland replay.
Mike you have made one very good point in explaining Joe’s lack of success at inter county level. With Portumna Joe has other quality team mates who play to a plan that maximises Joe’s threat. When Joe came on the scene I feared Galway would not be able to replicate this type of game. My fear has proven true.
It’s easier for Portumna to try put everything through Canning as it’s only club level. When Galway try it they realise it’s a completely different story as Canning has had more bad games than good games in his intercounty career. Maybe Galway would be better off remembering that there are 5 other forwards who can score too!
The better players that are a threat for Portumna are also playing with Galway so I don’t get your point. The Galway team is better than Portumna but Joe plays better for Portumna because it’s not as high a level of hurling as intercounty level.
Funny how in another article you were critical of tony Kelly now your saying he’s better than joe canning. Any GAA article and you come on and be negative.
Also in 2012 joe lost out to Henry for Player of the Year. A man who probable won the AL for KK that year.
Where did I say Tony Kelly is better than Joe Canning? All I said is Kelly has won an All Ireland and player of the year in one year at senior intercounty level. When Canning came on the scene we all had to hear how he was not only going to be as good as players like Shefflin but better than him. That was laughable at the time and absolutely hilarious now.
Cormac that’s a point well made about the 2012 All Ireland final. On one side you had a 33 year old who had battled back from 3 career threatening injuries and who had already won 8 All Ireland medals inspiring his team to victory whilst on the other side you had a young and fit 23 year old who never had a serious injury and had never won an All Ireland who could only do very little to help his team, especially in the replay when he was anonymous and would have been held scoreless only he started knocking over a few points at the end when Galway were well beaten so he wouldn’t hold that record. I always thought that showed the true character of him. He would prefer to score a few points so he wouldn’t be remembered as been held scoreless instead of trying to get through for a goal to fight until the end for Galway.
By God but you are a bitter pill Mike! Canning played with a knee injury in the 2012 replay, that’s well known. He didn’t have the best of days but neither did anyone in a maroon shirt.
I get the feeling he could score 3-10 and you still wouldn’t give him any credit.
O yeah that devastating knee injury that required a band aid to help. Come on we all know that was a psychological thing for Canning. I doubt a proper knee injury could be helped by a band aid. I remember when the camera zoomed in on it and everyone in the pub started bursting out laughing.
That was a relatively poor Kilkenny team and Galway and Canning couldn’t play well enough to beat them.
No such thing as a poor Kilkenny team and Galway beat them by 10 in the Leinster final.
That sounds like a poor Kilkenny team to me Eamonn. A bit of a hypocritical comment there
Awful from Galway to absolutely hammer Kilkenny out the gate in July and then turn around a few months later and get hammered in the All Ireland replay. I think that shows the Leinster final win was a fluke
Portumna have more threats than just Canning. I wouldn’t get obsessed by Canning if I was involved with Na Piarsaigh as he has not been in good form for over a year now. His career hasn’t taken off like everyone thought it would 6 years ago. He’s 25 now and has only won a couple of All Stars and no All Ireland medal or Player of the Year. So much for him being the next Shefflin. Tony Kelly has more personal success in one year than Canning has in 6-7 years.
JC has 2 minor All Ireland’s , an U21, 3 Club All Ireland’s , a NHL & 3 All stars Mike, don’t think young Kelly has that just yet.
You sound just a little bit sour.
Why would I be any way sour over Joe Canning?
I’m sure Canning would swap all those medals for the All Ireland medal Kelly has.
Lots of players have numerous underage medals but it doesn’t mean they delivered at senior level.
How often have you heard players say that the all Ireland won with the club is the sweetest of all? JC has 3 of them, not to be sneezed at in my book.
I have no idea why you would be sour but you come across that way.
Yea I’ve heard that but always questioned it.
mike Neil your blowing up Mullane over canning, how many all ireland medals has Mullane none, Canning has minor, under 21, and club, i seem to recall Mullane playing in two all irelands again Kilkenny the year he asked the ref for another ball as kilkenny were playing with the other one, and the club final with De La Salle who were also bet after 20 minutes wasn’t that again Cannings portumna what was in it 22 points like the final again kilkenny, John Mullane goes missing on the big day thats two i have jog your memory on.
I never said John Mullane was better than Canning did I? I’m comparing the two because they both tend to go missing and don’t have any success at senior intercounty level.
Goes back to mikes first point. Portumna have more in attack than just Joe. With galway it is not as effective.
And this goes back to my point that it’s not as effective for Galway as intercounty level is completely different to club level. Sure Loughiel Shamrocks won an All Ireland club title yet their county team gets nowhere. Crossmaglen have won numerous All Ireland club titles but yet Armagh only won one All Ireland.
Don’t read my comments Gerry if you don’t like what I have to say. I wouldn’t want you getting upset.