As is customary, Richard and Lawrence McKenna got together to preview the upcoming weekend in English football.  The big matches are City vs. Villa and Liverpool vs. Chelsea, but they get into plenty of discussion of other matches and the Europa League as well.

Listen to the show at EPL Talk.

There is very little Liverpool and Spain have in common (I say, having never been to either place, but also getting the most ignorant statement of the column out-of-the-way early), yet each feel the pain of Fernando Torres going under-the-knife to correct a knee injury. Even Atlético Madrid, Liverpool FC’s [...]]]>

There is very little Liverpool and Spain have in common (I say, having never been to either place, but also getting the most ignorant statement of the column out-of-the-way early), yet each feel the pain of Fernando Torres going under-the-knife to correct a knee injury. Even Atlético Madrid, Liverpool FC’s opponent in the semifinals of Europa League, may prefer seeing the Reds’ greatest threat on the pitch, deference to his eleven years at the club (if you count Torres’ youth career in with the Atleti).

Torres has 22 goals this season, four of which came in Europa League. That total is twice as many Europa League goals as the rest of Liverpool’s forwards combined, and while the Reds have had only six matches to accumulate those totals, two of those have been played without Torres. There has been time for others to score, but as is often the case with Liverpool, there are few answers beyond Torres.

Continue reading this article at Set Piece Analysts.

Listen to the show at Set [...]]]> The Friday edition of the Set Piece Analysts’ daily podcast sees Richard Farley catch-up with SPA Kartik Krishnaiyer. The duo talk about Thursday’s Europa League results, the implications of the Champions League semifinal match-ups, and the weekend’s football action: specifically, Real Madrid versus Barcelona.

Listen to the show at Set Piece Analysts.

Good, says the guy who hosts a daily podcast called English Premier League Talk.

Continue reading this article at World Soccer Digest.