Buzzin Football

In front of the lowest attendance at Anfield for a league game since 2004, Liverpool kept up their outside chance of fourth place and Champions League football next season by completely outplaying a very poor West Ham, this evening.

West Ham were absolutely rubbish.  They appeared to be zone marking instead of man marking and throughout the whole game appeared to be standing back and letting Liverpool play. Without Scott Parker, who was suspended, they had no one closing down Liverpool’s attacking midfielders Steven Gerrard or Yossi Benayoun, and they paid the price.

One of three former West Ham players, Benayoun scored the first goal with his stomach and was booed throughout by the travelling West Ham faithful. Neither Javier Mascherano, who came on as a second half substitute and Glen Johnson, who had an excellent game, appeared to get the same treatment.

Liverpool didn’t play particularly well but were rewarded with a 3-0 win, even without two clear penalties; and with only three games to go West Ham really did look like a side that had given up all hope of surviving another season in the Premier League. In particular, Carlton Cole, who I would expect to leave West Ham at the end of the season, if Gianfranco Zola doesn’t.

Another top versus bottom clash follows on Wednesday when Hull play Aston Villa.  Liverpool are back up to sixth place after tonight’s victory, but Villa will be looking to replace them again, while Hull will remain in the bottom three even if they beat Martin O’Neil’s team.

Tonight’s 3-0 win for Liverpool completes another exciting weeekend of Premier League fixtures that threw up some very surprising results to keep everyone on the edge of their seats in what is by far the most exciting Premier League season I can remember.

Tottenham thrashing Chelsea, Manchester United sneaking another victory over Manchester City in injury time AGAIN, and Arsenal losing to Wigan 3-2 after being 2-0 ahead with just 10 minutes to go.

The online sports betting markets are working overtime at this, the business end of the Premier League season; and for what it’s worth I think West Ham are going to find themselves playing in the Championship next season.

It’s true, the Premier League is the best league in the world!