Serien - Torrents » matches were draws and Atletico

On paper it looked like an expected result. Aston Villa 0 Manchester City 2. Yes, it was yet another home loss for Aston Villa and they certainly have had far too many of those in recent years, yet there was something rather different going on at Villa Park on Saturday. The pulse was back. Ultimately, the team ended up with nothing; running out losers courtesy of goals from two world class stars, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero, yet this was not a familiar story for Villa fans. They, more than most, know too well what woeful looks like. They have certainly sat through enough of it the last three campaigns. House of Horrors It has been three difficult seasons for the West Midlands club, both on and off the field. Massive financial cutbacks were required following the Martin ONeill era, a time many look back at as being a successful period for the club based on three straight 6th place finishes, yet it was a time of great turmoil financially. By the end of the 2009-10 season, the clubs turnover reached 90 million pounds, of which an incredible 88 per cent (80m) was being spent on players wages, an unsustainable figure for any business. It was time for them to pay for the relative success they achieved on the field. Villa plummeted from 9th to 15th in the 2011-12 season winning just four home matches, the lowest in club history. The crowds also dropped as the fans had no connection to manager Alex McLeish, a former Birmingham City boss who many in the area despised. 2010-11 attendance - 706,685 at an average of 37,194 (8th highest in the PL) 2011-12 attendance - 643, 590 at an average of 33,873 (9th highest in the PL). Paul Lambert arrived as manager in June of 2012 and with it came a new direction as many young, cheaper players from the lower leagues in England were signed. Lambert gambled on youth and it almost cost Villa their Premier League status. Home form wasnt much better than the previous year as they won just five matches, yet the fans returned coming closer to the figures in 2010-11 than in 2011-12. 2012-13 attendance - 666,135 at an average of 35,060 (10th highest in the PL). Villa were equally poor at home last season. Under Lambert they showed no progress in taking over games, struggling to keep the ball and being forced into a counter-attacking side that many said they were better suited to play away from home. Although that was true it was actually an indictment on the team rather than it being a positive system by design. Far too often they simply couldnt control games against inferior teams. They managed to reach six home wins last season but for the third successive season they were in a relegation fight into the last month. Still the crowds came, remarkably improving on the year previous. 2013-14 attendance - 685,535 at an average of 36,081 (9th highest in the PL). Of the 14 teams who played in each of the three seasons (2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14) Villa were last in terms of league home wins (57 games played): Man City 49 Man Utd 40 Chelsea 39 Arsenal 36 Everton 35 Tottenham 35 Liverpool 31 Stoke City 24 Fulham 22 Norwich 21 Swansea 20 West Brom 19 Sunderland 17 Aston Villa 15 Results and poor performances at Villa Park alone were not the reason for Villas struggles but they were one of the main reasons why many of the loyal fan base had grown tired of Paul Lambert as manager. He certainly didnt help his case losing cup matches to lower league opposition at Villa Park, also. Lambert, however, was rewarded with a four year extension last month after the club raced to 10pts through the first four games. Predictably, they have now lost three straight matches to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City as they continue on a run where they play five successive matches against the teams that finished in the top five last season. They were already behind in the first halves against Arsenal and Chelsea but it took Man City 82 patient minutes before they tipped the balance at Villa Park. Yet, this was not a game where Villa simply sat deep and invited pressure on. Naturally Citys talent shone and they were able to dictate much of the possession but Villa showed real signs of progression that will certainly help them improve against much weaker teams than Man City this season. An English Triangle Lambert deserves credit for addressing an alarming lack of experience (and quality) in his squad this summer and bringing in (and back) some senior players, but one area he didnt need to make many adjustments to was central midfield. Many young players simply didnt progress under Lamberts tutelage but two that did were midfielders Ashley Westwood and Fabian Delph. Both were excellent for much of the last two seasons but the Scots insistence to often play them in a 4-2-3-1 very often left them exposed. At the end of the transfer window in August, he added a third English midfielder, signing Tom Cleverley on loan from Manchester United. When healthy, the three have played every minute together since and already have a tremendous understanding of their roles. Westwood, who captained the team against Manchester City with Ron Vlaar and Gabriel Agbonlahor unavailable, sits slightly deeper of the three, centrally, but is far from a midfield destroyer. He presses well and reads the game well but his greatest assets are his passing and ability to find space. These are crucial when Villa start transitions. Delph, rightfully rewarded with an England call-up last month, covers much more ground than Westwood, is more comfortable on the ball and can penetrate into the final third with his endless amount of energy. He doesnt have Westwoods passing but he is much more dangerous when in possession. Cleverley has been a superb addition that the pair needed. He operates to the right of Westwood, is a good passer but, like Delph, is intelligent in pressing and can make runs in behind defenders. The trio had an excellent match against a Man City team that once again experimented in midfield and still didnt get their balance right as they flipped from Toure and Fernandinho to Toure and Frank Lampard and eventually settled on Toure, Lampard and Fernando, a combination that was on the field for their goals but is still far from their best. Pass Completion Rate vs City Ashley Westwood 41/47 - 87 per cent Fabian Delph 40/45 - 89 per cent Tom Cleverley 53/56 - 95 per cent Total - 134/148 - 91 per cent Westwood to Delph (14) was the top pass combination for Villa in the game with Cleverley to Westwood (11) and Westwood to Cleverley (10) not far behind. The trio also combined for 10 interceptions. Statistics tell only part of the story. Their collective pressing was intelligent and rarely did they allow creators like David Silva and Toure in behind them. It was no coincidence that both City goals came from when they finally found the key to the space vacated behind the trio. In possession they switch the play well while Delph and Cleverley can break away on the break and create overlaps out wide with full backs or wingers. Star striker Christian Benteke returned for 30 minutes against Man City and linked up well with the three Englishmen in behind him. Results may have not gone their way lately but there is certainly many reasons for the Villa Park faithful to be optimistic once the team returns following the international break. With three rare intelligent English midfielders together there should be no reason why they cant finally dictate home matches against teams not challenging for the top six. Max Pacioretty Jersey . Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas appeared to be on track to gain election from the Baseball Writers Association of America on Wednesday, and Craig Biggio could join them. William Karlsson Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.officialgoldenknightspro.com/...knights-jersey/. Wheeler scored two goals, including the winner, as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 6-4 on Friday in a game that featured a seven-goal first period. Paul Stastny Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the New York Rangers winger skated with extras and goalies today. Deryk Engelland Jersey . Hes just beginning to get similar results. The right-hander struggled after winning the honour in 2008 and 2009, but a retooling of his game has begun to pay off and has the San Francisco Giants thinking about the Lincecum of old.BARCELONA, Spain -- Atletico Madrid dramatically secured its first Spanish league title in 18 years by rallying for a 1-1 draw at Barcelona on Saturday. Atletico lost Diego Costa and Arda Turan to injury inside 22 minutes, and Barcelona seized control at the Camp Nou in the 34th minute when Alexis Sanchez drove an unstoppable shot into the near corner. Despite the setback, Atletico emerged from the break determined to get back in the match. David Villa hit the post, then Diego Godin fiercely headed home Kokes corner in the 49th. Atletico needed to avoid defeat to secure the title, and it weathered Barcelonas pressure in a frantic finish to cap an improbable domestic success. Atleticos 10th title meant a club besides Barcelona or Real Madrid was Spanish champion for the first time since Valencia in 2004. "Today we could make history," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. "Not at any moment did I feel that the game was getting away from my team. I know them. I knew they could respond, and the bigger the challenge, the better." Even the 90,000-strong Camp Nou crowd appreciated the feat as it rained cheers of "Atleti" on the players as they celebrated a title triumph that looked uncertain after it lost two of its best attacking players. Atletico finished the 38-game season with 90 points. Barcelona finished second on 87, the same tally as Real Madrid after it closed the season with a 3-1 win over Espanyol. "We fought all season long, hanging on against difficult teams, and against Real Madrid and Barcelona," Godin said. "We felt the pressure, a lot of things were going against us. But the coach told us just to be confident, and believe in ourselves, and the goal would come." It was only the third time the championship was decided by two challengers on the final day, and the first time since 1951. Atletico did it the first time in 1946. Atletico contained Lionel Messi for the sixth time this season as the Argentina forward had a seccond-half goal ruled offside to keep him off the scoresheet.dddddddddddd Not since Espanyol in 1939-40 has a club gone unbeaten in six games in a season against Barcelona. Five of those matches were draws and Atleticos lone victory knocked the Catalan side out of the Champions League. As expected, coach Gerardo Martino said he was stepping down after Barcelona finished the season without a major trophy for the first time since 2008. "We tried it until the end with dignity and we met an opponent that was better than we were," Martino said. "I want to congratulate the great rival Atletico has been during the entire season." Real Madrid will be Atleticos next challenge as the city rivals face off in the Champions League final next Saturday. Both Diego Costa and Turan wept on leaving the pitch after Diego Costa came up lame following a sprint in the 14th, and Turan went out after knocking his right hip. Alexis undid Atleticos defence with a powerful strike from a tight angle after Messi chested down Cesc Fabregas pass and smartly stepped aside for Alexis to smash the ball inside the post. Instead of collapsing, Atletico showed characteristic toughness by finishing the half well with a flurry of corner kicks that Barcelona barely defended. Simeone, who was playing for Atletico the last time the club won the title in 1996, said he told his team at halftime that they were still in it despite trailing and missing two of their most important players in attack. After his pleas for the referee to blow the final whistle were at last answered, several Atletico players collapsed to the ground while Simeone, his staff, and reserves rushed out to join them. Simeone was tossed in the air by his players before the Argentine went into the stands to embrace his father. Earlier, Gareth Bale helped Madrid beat Espanyol after Cristiano Ronaldo apparently aggravated a leg muscle problem during pre-game warmups and didnt play. Valencia also beat Celta Vigo 2-1. Wholesale USA Soccer Jerseys discount uswnt jersey Wholesale AC Milan Jerseys Wholesale Arsenal Jerseys Wholesale A.S. Roma Jerseys Wholesale Atletico Madrid Jerseys Wholesale Chelsea Jerseys Cheap Barcelona Jerseys Bayern Munich Jerseys For Sale Cheap Borussia Dortmund Jerseys Cheap Inter Milan Jerseys Juventus Jerseys From China Leicester City Jerseys For Sale Discount Liverpool Jerseys Wholesale Manchester City Jerseys Manchester United Jerseys For Sale Wholesale Paris Saint-Germain Jerseys Real Madrid Jerseys From China Cheap Sevilla Jerseys Authentic Tottenham Hotspur Jerseys ' ' '