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Matchweek 7: Outfoxed

Matchweek 7: Outfoxed

Welcome to This Week from Premier Skills English, a weekly review of football action for learners of English from across the globe. In This Week, Jack and Rich talk about the latest action from the Premier League and have lots of football English for you to learn.

Transcript

If the listening is a bit difficult, try listening and reading at the same time.
Read the transcript and listen at the same time.

Introduction  

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack and welcome to our weekly round-up section called ‘This Week’ on Premier Skills English.

Rich: Hi there. I’m Rich. We’ve got lots of interesting words and phrases to help you talk about football in English.

Jack: We want you to use and practise these phrases by interacting with Premier League fans from around the world in our comments section.

Rich: If you listen to us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, you can leave your comments in the review section. We do read all the reviews and would love to hear from you.

Jack: You can find all our latest content on the Premier Skills English homepage or the Premier Skills-British Council Facebook page. 

Rich: Let’s start our round-up of Matchweek seven with our headlines.

Headlines

Jack: City and Liverpool win on their travels.

Rich: The Premier League favourites both secured difficult away wins last weekend. Liverpool were fortunate to win 1-0 at Sheffield United. A howler from the home goalkeeper when he allowed a tame Geroginio Wijnaldum shot to squirm through his legs gave the Reds victory. Manchester City won 3-1 at Everton. Gabriel Jesus scored the opener but Everton equalised and City didn’t make it safe until Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling scored in the final 20 minutes.

Jack: Leicester outfox the Magpies.

Rich: Leicester City thrashed Newcastle 5-0 to move up to third place in the Premier League. The Foxes scored through a Jamie Vardy brace, an own goal, Ricardo Periera and Wilfried Ndidi. Newcastle also had a man sent off and after the match, the manager, Steve Bruce, said his team surrendered far too easily.

Jack: United and Arsenal finishes all-square.

Rich: Manchester United and Arsenal drew one all in a Monday night stalemate. United opened the scoring when Scott McTominay scored from outside the box. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got a second-half equaliser. Arsenal are up to fourth but United are down in tenth place which is their worst start to a season for thirty years.

Jack: Liverpool only just beat Sheffield United.

Rich: I know. I think it was their most difficult match of the season.

Jack: There were also good wins for Tottenham, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and ... Wolves - it was their first win of the season.

Vocabulary alert!

Rich: In our vocabulary alert, we look at some football English that we used in the headlines.

Jack: We have some interesting phrases this week. Our six phrases are: a howler, a tame shot, to squirm through, to outfox, all-square and stalemate.

Rich: Let’s start with the one that is the strangest and probably the most difficult. The phrase is to squirm through. We said the ball squirmed through the goalkeeper’s legs.

Jack: To squirm means to move from side to side in an awkward way, usually because of pain or embarrassment. It’s what a worm or a timid snake does if you pick it up. 

Rich: When a ball squirms through a goalkeeper’s legs it’s similar. The ball moves slowly and squeezes through the legs. It’s awkward and embarrassing for the goalkeeper. We could also say a ball squirmed through the hands of a goalkeeper. It’s usually used to describe a big mistake.  

Jack: A big mistake or error can be described as ‘a howler’. We spoke about a howler from the goalkeeper when he allowed a ball to squirm through his legs.

Rich: Yes, it was a very tame shot from Georginio Wijnaldum. We usually use the adjective tame to describe animals that are not wild. In football, it’s used to describe a shot with no power.

Jack: Yes, we use the word ‘wild’ to describe shots too. A wild shot is one that has lots of power but is nowhere near the goal.

Rich: The next phrase is to outfox someone.  We used this in the second headline when we said Leicester outfox Magpies. 

Jack: To outfox someone means to gain an advantage over someone by being cleverer than them. In football, this is connected to tactics. Leicester City outfoxed Newcastle, they were cleverer than them and won the game.

Rich: Of course, Leicester CIty’s nickname is also the Foxes so we were also playing with the double meaning there.

Jack: The next phrase is all-square. Arsenal against Manchester United finished all-square. This is an easy one - it means the match finished in a draw.

Rich: And the final phrase is stalemate. This also describes a match that finishes without a winner but is often also used to describe a match that was a bit boring. The phrase comes from the game of chess to describe a game where neither player can win.

Jack: I didn’t think it was boring. It was a good point for Arsenal.

Rich: Yeah, but I did and I said it.

Jack: OK, so there are our six words and phrases. Listen to this part of the podcast again if you are not sure how to use them.

Rich: The words and phrases are: a howler, a tame shot, to squirm through, to outfox, all-square and stalemate.

Football Awards

Jack: Right, every week, we give out three Matchweek awards. 

Rich: The awards are Player of the Week, Team of the Week and Goal of the Week.

Jack: In the comments section, you need to tell us if you agree with our choices.

Rich: Let’s start with Player of the Week. It’s a difficult choice this week. We won’t be picking Dean Henderson or Hugo Lloris after their goalkeeping howlers that’s for sure.

Jack: What about Willian for Chelsea? He had a good game. Or maybe Man City’s Riyad Mahrez?

Rich: They had good games but we’re going to go with Leicester City’s Ricardo Pereira. A clean sheet and a wonderful goal for the defender.

Jack: Good choice. Our next award is for Team of the Week.

Rich: Another easy choice this week. Leicester City were superb in their 5-0 win against Newcastle.

Jack: Finally, our Goal of the Week. We’re going to leave this one to you. We’re going to give you three options and you need to tell us which you think was best. Rich.

Rich: Goal number one: Ricardo Pereira for Leicester City against Newcastle. A brilliant run and finish with his weaker foot.

Jack: Goal number two: Riyad Mahrez for Manchester City versus Everton. A stunning free-kick into the bottom corner.

Rich: Goal number three: Andriy Yarmolenko for West Ham v Bournemouth. A well-taken goal and a third in six for the Ukranian forward.

Jack: OK. Those are our three options. Did you see them? Which do you think was the best? Let us know your choice and if you agree with our other weekly awards in our comments section on the Premier Skills English website.

Matchweek Prediction 

Rich: Every week, I predict the result of one Premier League match and we want you to make your prediction, too.

Jack: And, before you look at this week’s match, you want to read out something from last week’s prediction, don’t you?

Rich: Yes.

Jack: Go on then.

Rich: I just want to say that I predicted Manchester United against Arsenal would finish in a 1-1 stalemate and Aubameyang would score.

Jack: Yes, you were spot on. Everybody gets one right now and again. I’ll be more impressed if you get two right in a row.

Rich: This week’s prediction is first against third. Liverpool against Leicester City. The Foxes have surprised a few already this season and the ex-Liverpool manager, Brendan Rogers, will want to beat his old team. I think Leicester will take a shock lead at Anfield, probably Jamie Vardy, but Liverpool will come back in the second half and win. Final score: Liverpool 2-1 Leicester City

Jack: Let’s wait and see. 

Rich: You can make your predictions on the Premier Skills English website in the comments section and talk about the big match at the same time!

Jack: Remember we also have some questions for you to answer that give you a chance to use this week’s vocabulary.

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for. I hope you have enjoyed this football round-up. Join the discussion at the bottom of the page on the Premier Skills English website. 

Jack: If you listen to us on Apple Podcasts, don’t forget to leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you.

Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football.

Results

Matchweek 7:

Chelsea 2-0 Brighton

Aston Villa 2-2 Burnley

Sheffield United 0-1 Liverpool

Crystal Palace 2-0 Norwich City

Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham

Wolves 2-0 Watford

Leicester City 5-0 Newcastle

Tottenham 2-1 Southampton

Everton 1-3 Manchester City

Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal

Headlines

City and Liverpool win on their travels

The keeper can only watch in horror as the ball goes into the net!

The Premier League favourites both secured difficult away wins last weekend. Liverpool were fortunate to win 1-0 at Sheffield United. A howler from the home goalkeeper when he allowed a tame Geroginio Wijnaldum shot to squirm through his legs gave the Reds victory. Manchester City won 3-1 at Everton. Gabriel Jesus scored the opener but Everton equalised and City didn’t make it safe until Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling scored in the final 20 minutes

Headlines

Leicester outfox the Magpies

Leicester are up to third place in the Premier League table.

Leicester City thrashed Newcastle 5-0 to move up to third place in the Premier League. The Foxes scored through a Jamie Vardy brace, an own goal, Ricardo Periera and Wilfried Ndidi. Newcastle also had a man sent off and after the match, the manager, Steve Bruce, said his team surrendered far too easily.

Headlines

United and Arsenal finish all-square

Aubameyang was on target again but it finished all-square.

Manchester United and Arsenal drew one all in a Monday night stalemate. United opened the scoring when Scott McTominay scored from outside the box. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got a second-half equaliser. Arsenal are up to fourth but United are down in tenth place which is their worst start to a season for thirty years.

Vocabulary Alert

Football English

We looked at six pieces of football English that you can learn to improve your English. Take a look at the phrases in bold. Do you understand what they mean?

A howler from the goalkeeper allowed Liverpool to score. A howler is a very bad mistake or error.

It was a tame shot from Georginio Wijnaldum. The goalkeeper should ahve saved it. A tame shot is a shot with no power.

The ball squirmed through the keeper's legs. The ball went from side to side and slowly through the goalkeeper's legs.

Leicester outfox the Magpies. To outfox someeone means to win by being more intelligent. Leicester's tactics were better than Newcastle's.

Manchester United against Arsenal finished all-square. All-square means the scores were level and the match finished in a draw.

It was a Monday night stalemate at Old Trafford. Stalemate is usually used in chess when neither player can win. It is used in football when a matc is drawn and is also a bit boring.

Raheem Sterling scored for City against Everton.

Can you use the words in bold in a different sentence? Write a sentence at the bottom of the page. If you're not sure, listen to the audio for more explanations and examples.

Matchweek Awards

Do you agree with our choices?

Leicester's Ricardo Pereira is our Player of the Week.

Player of the Week: Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City)

Team of the Week: Leicester City

Goal of the Week: Look at the three options from Matchweek 7 and let us know which goal was best in the comments section!

Goal 1

Ricardo Pereira for Leicester City against Newcastle.

Goal 2

Riyad Mahrez for Manchester City versus Everton.

Goal 3

Andriy Yarmolenko for West Ham v Bournemouth.

The Big Match

Liverpool v Leicester City

The big match this weekend is Liverpool against Leicester. Rich thinks Liverpool will find a way to win. Do you agree?

What are your predictions? Have a listen to what Rich says and then make your prediction and talk about any of this weekend's matches below.

Football Chat

What do you think?

Andriy Yarmolenko celebrates his goal for West Ham.

Jack and Rich have spoken about Matchweek 7 in the Premier League. Now it's your turn! Have a look at the questions and write your answers in the comments section below.

  1. Rich and Jack chose Leicester City's Ricardo Pereira as Player of the Week. Do you agree? 
  2. Jack and Rich selected Leicester City as their Team of the Week. Do you agree?
  3. Rich and Jack picked three goals for the Goal of the Week award? Did you see them? Which do you think was best?
  4. Use this week's vocabulary: What's the biggest goalkeeping howler you remember?
  5. Can you use 'all-square' and 'a tame shot' in a sentence?

Don't forget to make your prediction for this week's Big Match!

Let's get the conversation started and create a community!

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Komentar

hsn's picture
hsn
12/01/2022
TR
5560
points

Football chat
4. An awkward movement of goalie is to go far away from the goal close to centre circle when her/his team on the counter-attack. Opponent player suddenly get the ball and has a shoot directly to the goal. The goalie starts to run backward unfortunately it would be too late.
Phrases
• When the fish kept in the water, it came to life and started squirming.
• What is the best way of making a tame shot is, to soften ball by the chest firstly .
• The fox outfoxed crow by grabbing the cheese which was in the its mouth. (From a tale of La Fontaine)


hsn's picture
hsn
12/01/2022 14:19
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5560

Football chat
4. An awkward movement of goalie is to go far away from the goal close to centre circle when her/his team on the counter-attack. Opponent player suddenly get the ball and has a shoot directly to the goal. The goalie starts to run backward unfortunately it would be too late.
Phrases
• When the fish kept in the water, it came to life and started squirming.
• What is the best way of making a tame shot is, to soften ball by the chest firstly .
• The fox outfoxed crow by grabbing the cheese which was in the its mouth. (From a tale of La Fontaine)

Khaldoun83's picture
Khaldoun83
03/10/2019
DZ
325
points

Yes, I agree with your choices and I chose a Riyad Mahrez's free kick goal against Everton as the goal of the week.

I predict an all squar finish for Liverpool &Leister city match. 

the finanl result will be 2-2 draw.


Khaldoun83's picture
Khaldoun83
03/10/2019 15:37
Algeria
Liverpool
325

Yes, I agree with your choices and I chose a Riyad Mahrez's free kick goal against Everton as the goal of the week.

I predict an all squar finish for Liverpool &Leister city match. 

the finanl result will be 2-2 draw.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
02/10/2019
UA
6578
points

Leicester 1 : 1 Liverpool


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
02/10/2019 09:54
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

Leicester 1 : 1 Liverpool

elghoul's picture
elghoul
01/10/2019
DZ
3988
points

1. First appearance for Ricardo Pereira as player of the week. It sounds good and unusual as he is a defender.

2. Leicester is improving his rank since the beginning of the season. They thrashed Newcastle and gained the fourth top position in the table.

3. Mahrez scored a beautiful free kick from just outside the box in his right. We never know if he would choose the top oppositeof the net or the bottom. The ball bounced on the pitch just near keeper's hand. Pickford who has been put in the same discomfort in the first haĺf when he succeded to clear off the Mahrez's first attempt on playing was beaten in the second half.

4. Pickford is well known for his fowlers.

5. Liverpool were ended all-square were not the Wijnaldum tame shot squirming between the Sheffield keeper legs

 

Prediction Leicester 3 Liverpool 2

 


elghoul's picture
elghoul
01/10/2019 16:12
Algeria
Manchester City
3988

1. First appearance for Ricardo Pereira as player of the week. It sounds good and unusual as he is a defender.

2. Leicester is improving his rank since the beginning of the season. They thrashed Newcastle and gained the fourth top position in the table.

3. Mahrez scored a beautiful free kick from just outside the box in his right. We never know if he would choose the top oppositeof the net or the bottom. The ball bounced on the pitch just near keeper's hand. Pickford who has been put in the same discomfort in the first haĺf when he succeded to clear off the Mahrez's first attempt on playing was beaten in the second half.

4. Pickford is well known for his fowlers.

5. Liverpool were ended all-square were not the Wijnaldum tame shot squirming between the Sheffield keeper legs

 

Prediction Leicester 3 Liverpool 2

 

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