Premier League Gameweek 25 kicked off on Friday this weekend with the Seagulls getting the better of Chelsea twice in a week. Saturday and Sunday brought on some fantastic football as the Gunners left it late against the Foxes, the Cityzens steamrolled the Magpies and a 10-man Ipswich took away a point against the Villans.
Liverpool endured a nervy second half against Wolves while Spurs beat United by a solitary goal in the other game on Sunday.
Let’s take a look at all the action from Gameweek 25 of the Premier League –
Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 Chelsea
Chelsea took the early initiative but Cole Palmer scuffed both the chances and they paid the price in the 27th minute when Kaoru Mitoma held down the ball from a long Bart Verbruggen pass, cut inside and shot past Filip Jörgensen into the bottom far corner. Eleven minutes later, Yankuba Minteh doubled the advantage when Chelsea failed to clear their lines with great work from Georginio Rutter and Minteh capitalised on the loose ball. The first half ended in Brighton leading 2-0.
The visitors kept possession but it was the hosts who delivered the killing blow three minutes after the hour-mark. Levi Colwill’s mistake led to Danny Welbeck releasing Minteh whose shot deflected off Trevoh Chalobah into goal.
Chelsea had a disappointing game with zero shots on target till the final ten minutes and were dealt a massive blow in their top four ambitions.
Leicester City 0-2 Arsenal
A late brace from midfielder Mikel Merino saved the day for the Gunners as they beat a resolute Foxes away at the King Power stadium.
Arsenal kept the majority of possession but it was the hosts who had the best chance of the half at the stroke of half-time when Victor Kristiansen’s teasing cross was headed wide at the far post by Wilfred Ndidi.
The second half began in the same vein with the Gunners starting to assert themselves and at the hour-mark Ethan Nwaneri had a great chance but he fired his shot over the crossbar. Mikel Merino playing as a centre-forward broke the deadlock in the 81st minute when he headed home from a Nwaneri cross. Six minutes later, the Gunners put the game to bed with Leandro Trossard finding Merino at the far post and he slotted home to get three vital points.
Leicester’s poor run of form continued while Arsenal managed to get the three points putting pressure on Liverpool by reducing the gap to four points at the top.
West Ham United 0-1 Brentford
The Hammers fell to defeat against Brentford courtesy of an early Kevin Schade goal.
The Bees scored the opener inside four minutes when a long ball forward from Yoane Wissa was brought down by Bryan Mbeumo who squared Kevin Schade whose initial attempt was saved by Alphonse Areola but his second attempt had crossed the line before Areola snuffed it out. Another effort from Mbuemo in the 20th minute was saved by Areola. Kevin Schade’s shot was deflected wide off the post as it was all Bees in the first half. Wissa had two goals denied for offside as well.
The hosts improved in the second half with Mohammed Kudus missing a great opportunity to equalise but blazed his shot over the bar from an Evan Ferguson cross. Substitute Ollie Scarles almost levelled minutes later but Sepp Van de Berg was alert to the danger and headed it away. Ferguson had a chance late on but Mark Flekken was up to the task.
Despite Hammers’ best efforts, a resolute Bees held on to the three points overcoming the home defeat to Tottenham Hotspurs in their last PL encounter.
Southampton 1-3 Bournemouth
The Cherries beat the Saints away at the St. Mary’s this weekend with Ryan Christie proving vital in the South coast derby.
Bournemouth opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Christie’s inviting cross was headed home by Dango Ouattara from close range. Two minutes later, Christie turned the scorer when he unleashed a powerful strike from 20 yards out into the bottom corner past Aaron Ramsdale. The Cherries dominated the half and went into the break with a 2-0 lead.
Southampton showed little effort until Tyler Dibling came on and Kamaldeen Sulemana then cut the deficit from close range in the 72nd minute. Just when the Saints looked like getting something from the game, Marcus Tavernier struck in the 83rd minute to ensure all three points for the Cherries.
Andoni Iraola’s impressive Bournemouth side are now in 5th place, tied on points with fourth placed Manchester City who are ahead on goal difference.
Aston Villa 1-1 Ipswich Town
Aston Villa were left frustrated by a draw against a 10-man Ipswich Town at home.
Both sides were forced into early changes with Villa defender Boubacar Camara coming off and Ipswich winger Julio Enciso being replaced due to injuries. The first half was particularly uneventful except for an Ollie Watkin’s strike wide off the post in the 34th minute. But drama ensued six minutes later when Ipswich defender Alex Tuanzebe saw red for a foul on Youri Tielemans just outside the box. However, the half ended goalless.
It was the Tractor Boys forward Liam Delap who broke the deadlock in the 56th minute with a neat first-time finish from an Omari Hutchinson cross. Though Villa equalised in the 69th minute when Ollie Watkins steered the ball into the net, off a rebound from a Marcus Rashford free-kick that came back after hitting the post.
A frustrated Villans were left disappointed with the Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer making a string of super saves to ensure his side at least came away with a point.
Fulham 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Fulham defeated Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage this weekend.
Fulham scored the opener in the 15th minute from Adama Traoré’s whipping cross into the far post that was headed in by Emile Smith Rowe. The hosts dominated the first half with Traoré being a constant threat throughout the game. Raúl Jiménez had two decent chances to double the advantage but Matz Sels came to Forest’s rescue with two big saves, keeping the score at 1-0. Forest got their equaliser in the 37th minute from a long ball forward that was brought down by forward Chris Wood whose shot took a minor deflection off Calvin Bassey and away from Bernd Leno into the left bottom corner.
The hosts kept on pushing though and got their reward in the 62nd minute when Jimenez met Saša Luki?’s delivery and flicked a header to Bassey at the far post and his looping header went into the net. It was still one-way traffic with Fulham being denied by a rock-solid Sels who kept Forest in the game but Forest couldn’t create any chances and Fulham held on to the three points.
With two losses in their last three games, Forest’s top four chances were dealt a massive blow with this defeat.
Manchester City 4-0 Newcastle United
Manchester City came back to form in the PL with a superb performance at home, thanks to a first-half hattrick by new signing Omar Marmoush.
The Magpies were steamrolled by the Cityzens in a frantic passage of play that gave Marmoush his first PL hattrick. The first goal came in the 19th minute when Ederson’s long forward pass was intercepted by Marmoush who went past Kieran Trippier and lobbed over Dúbravka into the net. Four minutes later, Marmoush made it 2-0 with a pass from ?lkay Gündo?an. City were attacking in waves now and Marmoush completed his hattrick in the 32nd minute running on to a Savinho pass into the box and putting it into the net.
The Magpies were already down in the first half and tried to find a response but couldn’t conjure up many clear-cut chances. James McAtee finished off the game in the 83rd minute when he connected with a flicked header from Erling Haaland to make it four.
With this win, City got back into fourth place while the Magpies’ top four chances took a beating with this massive defeat.
Crystal Palace 1-2 Everton
The Eagles lost to Everton at home with a late winner from the new January signing Carlos Alcaraz.
The hosts had a string of opportunities early on but couldn’t capitalise with Marc Guehi’s shot being saved superbly by Jordan Pickford and then Ismaila Sarr hitting the crossbar. They were punished for their errors with Everton taking the lead in the 42nd minute through Beto who was played in by Carlos Alcaraz and he netted the opener past the onrushing Dean Henderson.
Two minutes into the second half, Palace equalised through Jean-Phillipe Mateta to make it 1-1. Everton found a late winner though with a Carlos Alcaraz strike from close range in the 80th minute to take all three points to Merseyside.
Everton have hit a rich vein of form with four wins and a draw in their last five games now while Palace failed to take initiative at home after the win away at Old Trafford in their last PL game.
Liverpool 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Liverpool endured a nervous second half to secure the three points at home against Wolves.
The hosts started the first half well, keeping most of the possession but clear chances were far to come by until the 15th minute when Mo Salah’s pass into the box wasn’t cleared by Wolves and Luis Diaz threw his body on the loose ball to put it into the net. Liverpool doubled their advantage in the 37th minute from a Salah spot-kick when Wolves goalkeeper José Sá was penalised for a foul on Diaz in the box. The first half ended 2-0 to the hosts.
However, Wolves almost cut down the deficit early in the first half but Alexis Mac Alister put in a great tackle to deny Matheus Cunha. Liverpool was awarded another penalty for a foul on Diogo Jota but VAR denied it as there wasn’t a touch from the defender. Wolves started to pile the pressure after that and were rewarded with a goal when Cunha curled into the left corner from the edge of the box in the 67th minute. Liverpool had to dig deep and defend well to hold on to the three points amidst great pressure from the Wolves.
Three massive points for Liverpool who remained top with a seven-point gap to second placed Gunners while a feisty Wolves continue to struggle in the relegation zone.
Tottenham Hotspurs 1-0 Manchester United
Spurs took all three points against Manchester United at home thanks to a solitary first half James Maddison goal.
The Red Devils had the first real chance in the 10th minute when Alejandro Garnacho’s shot from the edge of the box was parried off by the returning Guglielmo Vicario on the stretch but Diogo Dalot on the far post couldn’t capitalise from the rebound. Five minutes later, Maddison did score from a rebound when André Onana’s parried save fell in his path to make it 1-0. Garnacho had a glorious chance to equalise in the 22nd minute but blazed it over the bar. New signing Mathys Tel had a shot on target too but Onana made a comfortable save.
Spurs continued to trouble early in the second half but Tel couldn’t make it count. Garnacho had a couple more shots on target but Vicario in goal was up to the task. Late on, an unmarked Joshua Zirkzee headed a Noussair Mazraoui cross wide off the post and that was their last big chance. Spurs could have wrapped up the win with Tel in a one-on-one situation but Onana saved United the blushes.
A second consecutive win in the PL might have lessened the pressure on Ange Postecoglou while Amorim has to turn around his injury-ravaged side.
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