Sunderland are fighters and despite their recent poor record, they have been playing quite well. So, I wasn't totally optimistic of a win (when am I totally optimistic that the Bees will win?). We needed to avenge our last minute defeat at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season. We did this quite convincingly, 3-0 at the Gtech (but we could have scored 5). Things might have been different had they not missed a pen early in the second half (more about that later). We start

A game I thought we would lose (and it wouldn't have mattered because teams below us lost the previous day), but we played very well for a great 2-4 away victory. Igor Thiago's hat-trick helped us to only our third away win of the season, and we move into 7th place in the PL. The Brazilian forward produced a brilliant display, which started with him heading Tarkowski's early goal-bound header off the line at one end, then putting the Bees in front from Janelt's superb cross o

TF's first visit back to the Gtech sees us play out an unexciting 0-0 draw, with us probably just the better team. The 'experts' on the Griffin Park Grapevine had correctly predicted a draw and I think I am happy with a point. Once I knew Romero and van der Ven were playing , I didn't expect we would get much from the game. We did get the ball in the net in the first half. From a Janelt corner (that had resulted from a great long throw by Kayode), a Collins' header was pushed

Favourites to win this but I am always the pessimist. We won the game comfortably but in the second half when they pulled a goal back they were threatening to get one or two more, until we got our fourth and Schade's hat-trick. Just before that KLP missed an open goal with a header but was flagged offside so it wouldn't have counted, except had it gone in then VAR would have shown that he was onside. After all the Xmas festivities I am too tired to write my report, so I would

This was our chance to allow Wolves their first win of the season, but we played well for nearly all the game, running the midfield and strong in defence. If we had showed a bit more up front we would have won by an even greater margin. In all the games I have seen them play at Molineux, this was the best seat I have ever had. For the second game running Thiago never saw the ball, but it had no effect on the outcome. A testament to the way were were playing is that KA only ma

Goals from a great Cherki first-half strike and a Savinho second-half deflection consign The Bees to a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the pouring rain at the Etihad Stadium. We exit the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage and head coach Keith Andrews stated: "We played with a lot of courage". Well, we certainly played better than against Leeds even without Henderson, Thiago and Ouattara (AFCON) who were all not in the squad. In the first half, Jensen had a good free kick

Virtually a 6-pointer, at home to Leeds United. Yet the way we played, we didn’t deserve anything. In the first half, we had more possession but created virtually nothing, except a shot from Lewis-Potter that their keeper parried. Leeds had a least three good chances, some when we gave the ball away in our own half. We had a penalty awarded towards the end of the half, but Ouattara was deemed to be just offside before he was ‘fouled’ (IMHO it was never a pen). In the second h

KA named a strong team but I had a gut feeling that this was the game Spurs' home form would improve, and I'm sure TF was desperate to beat his old club. On the day, Spurs really didn't have much to beat as we were a bit of a damp squib. In the first 20 minutes they had numerous half chances but in the 23rd minute Thiago brought out a good save from Vicario. Then two minutes later Simons outpaced van den Berg and crossed to Richarlison to score with Collins nowhere to be seen

On paper this was a home win banker as Arsenal are top of the PL. I wasn't expecting miracles and a point would have been a fantastic result. Then I saw the team sheet with KA making five changes from the side that beat Burnley, with many of our best players e.g. Thiago, Damsgaard and Collins only named as subs. Even though we went behind in the 11th minute (Pinnock now just past his use by date) we did try to score and not always sit back, and only an amazing save in the fir

A definite must win match as Burnley are below us in the table, and we need to distance oursleves as much as possible from the relegation zone. In the first half there were chances for Collins, Thiago and Damsgaard with Kelleher having to pull off one good save. We went in at half time all square at 0-0. In the second half we started brightly and we had a few chances, but in the 77th minute a great through ball from Damsgaard played in Ouattara who was fouled in the area and