Premier League 2024/25 Gameweek 21 Recap

The busy period of Premier League fixtures arrives with clubs playing games after every few days now. It’s a challenging time for the big clubs as they are playing more games in comparison to the other teams. The Gameweek 21 that is being played midweek brought many exciting moments and results for the fans. 

Top of the table clash between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool ended in a feisty draw while Manchester City got stung by the Bees late on. Chelsea couldn’t get a full bite of the Cherries at Stamford Bridge while the Hammers were gifted  a home win by the Cottagers.  

Let’s take a look at the happenings from Gameweek 21 – 

Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool

Nottingham Forest’s dogged defending and an inspired goalkeeping from Matz Sels in the second half led to sharing of the spoils at the City Ground this midweek. 

The Reds arrived at the City ground trying to pull away in the title race but they were in for a rude awakening when City opened the scoring in the 8th minute through the in-form Chris Wood who received a pass in the box from Anthony Elanga and slotted home. The away side then began to grow in the game but didn’t have any clear-cut chances. At the other end, Forest defender Murillo intercepted a Ryan Gravenberch pass and almost scored from a long-range shot which narrowly fizzed past the left side of the top corner. Forest went into the break with a 1-0 lead. 

However, the visitors came charging in the second half. Murillo blocked a Dominic Szoboszlai shot on goal in the 52nd minute and then Salah pulled his shot wide minutes later. Slot introduced a double change with Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota coming on in the 65th minute and within a minute of the change, the same two players combined to level proceedings. Tsimikas’s dangerous corner-kick was headed in by Jota. Liverpool launched wave after wave of attack with Jota forcing two incredible saves in a matter of minutes from Sels. Nottingham defended stoutly to deny Liverpool a winner with Ola Aina’s goal line clearance off Salah’s near post shot late on probably the most decisive of the lot. Liverpool almost nicked it at the end though but Sels denied Cody Gakpo’s long range shot targeted at the far post late in stoppage-time. 

For all of Liverpool’s second half domination, the Reds would feel hard done by the scoreline while Forest deserved a draw for the efforts from their solid backline. 

Brentford 2-2 Manchester City

Manchester City’s defensive woes continued to haunt them at the GTech Stadium where the Cityzens relinquished a two-goal lead in the last ten minutes to drop two massive points away from home. 

The home side started with purpose and Bryan Mbuemo almost broke the deadlock in the 14th minute but his near post shot was parried off by Stefan Ortega. Brentford had another shot that went wide from Yoane Wissa. City then started to grow into the game with Matheus Nunes put through on goal by Kevin de Bruyne in the 26th minute but he tried to go around the keeper, helping the Bees to clear their lines. A minute later, De Bruyne set up Savinho who raced on goal from the left but pulled his shot over. City started to dominate with Mateo Kova?i?’s long range effort going marginally wide in the 33rd minute. Erling Haaland also struck straight at Mark Flekken who collected the ball gleefully. The two teams went goalless into the break.

The start to the second half was bright and lively and City almost went ahead on 50 minutes as Savinho picked up the ball on the left flank and drove towards the Bees box past two defenders before striking a low angled shot that hit the left post. Moments later, Nunes’ pinpoint cross found the head of Haaland who headed straight at the keeper. At the hour-mark Savinho pulled another chance wide and City could have almost been punished as Mbeumo launched a swift counter-attack releasing Wissa whose shot was timely blocked by a sliding Joško Gvardiol. 90 seconds later, City breathed a sigh of relief when Foden volleyed De Bruyne’s pin-point cross in off the post to break the deadlock. The Bees looking for an equaliser started to attack and Wissa forced a goal line clearance from Nathan Aké. However, the visitors found another goal from Phil Foden in the 78th minute to double their lead, almost certain to go home with the three points. But that’s the unpredictable nature of football and going into the last ten minutes, the home side started to pile the pressure and pulled one back when Mads Roerslev crossed into the box and Wissa had time to tee himself up and prod the ball home in the 82nd minute. Late drama ensued as two minutes into added time, Keane Lewis-Potter’s cross into the box was headed by Cristian Norsgaard to level the score. If not for another Nathan Aké goal line clearance late on, this could have been an embarrassing showing for Pep Guardiola’s men. 

While the Bees salvaged a draw, it looks like Guardiola has his work cut out with his team still looking defensively fragile.

Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth

A stoppage-time equaliser saved Chelsea the blushes against the Cherries at Stamford Bridge. 

The hosts started the first period with intent and opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Nicolas Jackson stole the ball in the midfield from Milo Kerkez and set up Cole Palmer who coolly slotted home in front of an already dived Mark Travers. In the 36th minute, Robert Sánchez’s poor pass was intercepted by Justin Kluivert and he hit the post with his shot. Seconds later, Jackson hit the post at the other end. Jackson had another chance when Palmer’s curling cross found him in the box but his header forced a superb diving save from Travers near post. The Blues went into the break with a 1-0 lead. 

The visitors came out of the straps in the second half and five minutes later, Antoine Semenyo was fouled from behind in the box by Moisés Caicedo and a penalty was correctly awarded to Bournemouth. Kluivert stepped forward and converted the spot-kick to restore parity. In the 54th minute, there was a controversial call for a possible red card for David Brooks for his foul on Marc Cucurella. However, Rob Jones didn’t think it was so and brandished a yellow for Brooks. Jackson continued to be a threat and he had a shot just go wide after Travers was unable to make clean contact on the save. For all of the Chelsea pressure thus far, it was Bournemouth who took the lead on 68th minute when Semenyo was given the ball just inside the Blues area and he fired a shot into the near top corner. Jackson looked like he might grab an immediate equaliser when he got  the ball deep inside the Bournemouth penalty area but Dean Huijsen produced a brilliant last-gasp diving block. Bournemouth might have added a third had it not been for a great last-ditch block by Tosin Adarabioyo from a Kluivert shot. Chelsea then grabbed a late equaliser in stoppage time through Reese James’s curling free-kick to the relief of the home fans. 

Enzo Maresca has work to do as Chelsea seemed to have lost their way after a brilliant run till mid-December while Andoni Iraola’s men continue to impress with their fearless performances. 

West Ham United 3-2 Fulham

Life at the London Stadium started on a positive note for coach Graham Potter as the Hammers earned the three points at home against a formidable and slightly unlucky Fulham. 

The visitors took the early initiative and dominated proceedings with some great chances to take the lead. Harry Wilson rattled the crossbar from close range from an Alex Iwobi cross but it was the Hammers who took the lead against the run of play. In the 31st minute, courtesy of a poor pass from Andreas Pereira in the box which Carlos Soler gleefully accepted and rifled past Bernd Leno. Things got worse for the Cottagers two minutes later when the Hammers exchanged a flurry of passes in the Fulham box and Aaron Van Bissaka’s pass found Tomas Soucek who turned the ball in the roof of the net to the delight of the home fans. But, Marco Silva’s side weren’t the ones to lie down and Alex Iwobi drove forward with the ball and put in a teasing cross but Raúl Jiménez headed into the crossbar at the far post. The hosts took a two-goal lead into the break. 

Fulham reduced the deficit, six minutes after the interval, it was the dangerous Iwobi whose curling cross aimed for Jiménez deceived West Ham goalkeeper ?ukasz Fabia?ski and went straight in. But Fulham self-destructed again in the 67th minute as keeper Leno was caught in possession by Danny Ings, who turned the ball to Lucas Paquetá to fire into an empty goal. Iwobi again reduced the deficit in the 78th minute with his second of the evening, an almost identical effort to his first one. Fulham completely dominated possession in the late stages to restore parity but the Hammers defended deep to secure the three points. 

A frustrating error riddled game for Marco Silva’s side while Graham Potter wouldn’t mind the three points on his coaching debut at West Ham.