Premier League 2024/25: Gameweek 26 Recap

Gameweek 26 of the 2024/25 Premier League season turned out to be another round of exciting fixtures.

Brentford thrashed an abysmal Leicester City, while ten-man Arsenal suffered a shock defeat against West Ham United. Tottenham Hotspur decimated Ipswich Town, while Manchester United came back to rescue a point against Everton. Newcastle United’s defensive frailties almost let them down against Nottignham Forest, while Liverpool did the double over Manchester City. 

Let’s take a look at all the action from the Gameweek. 

Leicester City 0-4 Brentford

Leicester veteran Jamie Vardy had an early chance from a long ball sent forward, but Brenford keeper Mark Flekken thwarted his attempt. However, it all went downhill for the Foxes after that. Bees winger Yoane Wissa latched onto a teasing outside-of-the-boot pass from Mikkel Damsgaard in the 17th minute for the opener. Ten minutes later, Damsgaard picked out Bryan Mbuemo, whose curling shot from the right ended into the top-left corner for Brentford’s second. Five minutes later, Leicester conceded again from an Mbuemo free kick as Christian Nørgaard headed home. 

The second half saw Facundo Buonanotte come on and try to create something, but to no avail. Substitute Fábio Carvalho added a late fourth in the 89th minute to give his side an emphatic away win. 

With this home loss, the Foxes look destined for the drop, while the Bees continue their winning form from the last weekend. 

Everton 2-2 Manchester United

Manchester United rescued a point against a dominant Everton side at Goodison Park on Saturday. 

Everton started brightly and Beto opened the scoring from close range in the 19th minute when United failed to clear the ball from a corner routine. The Toffees then doubled their lead in the 33rd minute through Abdoulaye Doucouré’s header from close range as he latched onto a ball from André Onana’s parried save from Jack Harrison’s shot. Everton led into the break with a comfortable 2-0 lead. 

However, United weren’t to go down fighting and got one back from Bruno Fernandes’s free kick in the 72nd minute. They restored parity eight minutes later from a Manuel Ugarte effort off another set-piece routine. Everton looked like they would secure all three points when referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot for a foul on defender Ashley Young in the United box in stoppage time. However, the penalty was controversially denied after a VAR review and the game ended in a draw, much to the consternation of Everton players and fans. 

Ipswich Town 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs beat a lacklustre Ipswich side at home courtesy of two goals each either side of the half-time whistle. 

Spurs opened the scoring with the help of a long ball launched forward. Captain Son Heung-min drove forward into the box and passed to Brennan Johnson for a tap-in in the 18th minute. The two players combined again eight minutes later to double Spurs’ advantage, with Johnson getting his brace. Ipswich then halved the deficit in the 36th minute from an Omari Hutchinson left-footed shot into the right corner. Spurs went into the break with a 2-1 lead.

The home side couldn’t find any clear-cut chances in the second half and Spurs reclaimed their two-goal lead in the 77th minute when fullback Djed Spence’s shot was deflected off an Ipswich defender into the net. The visitors killed the game in the 84th minute when Dejan Kulusevski curled the ball into the far corner. 

While the Tractor Boys’ woeful form continues, Spurs have turned a corner with three consecutive wins in the league. 

Arsenal 0-1 West Ham United

Arsenal’s title chances suffered a major blow with a defeat at home to West Ham. 

Playing at home, Arsenal couldn’t create many clear-cut chances and West Ham looked to threaten. Riccardo Calafiori and Jarrod Bowen had the early chances for their respective sides but couldn’t take advantage. It was the West Ham forward, though, who broke the deadlock just before the break with a diving header from an inviting Aaron Wan-Bissaka cross into the box from the right. 

Leandro Trossard forced a superb low save from Alphonse Areola as Arsenal started to look dangerous. However, things got worse for the hosts as Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off for denying Mohammed Kudus a clear goalscoring opportunity in the 73rd minute, making it even more difficult for the Gunners. Arsenal did threaten briefly, but West Ham defended well and held onto the three points under pressure. 

Arsenal failed to take advantage of title rivals Liverpool dropping points at Aston Villa in the midweek, while West Ham gained a massive three points away from home after two straight defeats.

Fulham 0-2 Crystal Palace

Fulham suffered a shock defeat to Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage. 

It was the visitors who took the early initiative with forward Jean-Phillipe Mateta and midfielder Eberechi Eze, who forced saves from Fulham goalie Bernd Leno. The home side barely threatened as Palace surged forward and were rewarded with the opener from a corner routine, with the last touch coming off Fulham defender Joachim Andersen in the 37th minute. 

Palace had a goal chalked off for Mateta in an offside position shortly after the break. However, they managed to double their lead in the 66th minute through Daniel Muñoz after Mateta’s drove through the Fulham midfield and passed to the Colombia international, who rifled the ball into the roof of the net. The Cottagers couldn’t find a response. The only chance they managed came in stoppage time, when Raúl Jiménez headed the ball straight into Palace keeper Dean Henderson’s hand from a set-piece.

Also read: Premier League 2024/25 Sponsors

Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea

Aston Villa came back from conceding an early goal to beat a struggling Chelsea side at home. 

Eight minutes into the game, Enzo Fernández put Chelsea ahead with a tap-in from an enterprising Pedro Neto’s pass into the box. Villa started to grow in the game after going a goal down, with Ollie Watkins testing the Chelsea keeper with a shot. Cole Palmer also scuffed a decent chance before the break.

Chelsea started the second half well, with Neto coming agonisingly close to grabbing the Blues’ second goal of the evening. However, Villa equalised in the 57th minute through a Marco Asensio tap-in from a Marcus Rashford pass. The goal was initially given offside, but VAR deemed it legit. Palmer missed two glorious opportunities at the other end and Chelsea soon paid the price as Villa went on to grab all three points in the 89th minute, when Asensio’s shot was fumbled by Filip Jörgensen into his own goal. 

Chelsea’s top-four ambitions have suffered another setback with this defeat. 

Bournemouth 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

In a frantic start to the game, Wolves threatened early on, with Nélson Semedo’s shot hitting the post and Kepa Arrizabalaga producing a brilliant reaction save off the rebound from Jean-Ricner Bellagarde. At the other end, Justin Kluivert’s shot was smothered by José Sá. It was an end-to-end encounter until Cherries defender Illia Zabarnyi was sent off for a reckless challenge on Rayan Aït-Nouri just after the half-hour mark, which tilted the balance in Wolves’ favour. Five minutes later, Wolves forward Matheus Cunha broke the deadlock when a pass inside the box couldn’t be dealt by the Bournemouth defence. 

The second half also saw Wolves attacking with intent as Marshall Munetsi squandered a golden opportunity in front of goal. Wolves youngster Pedro Lima also tested Kepa from distance. Bournemouth couldn’t find a response. 

Southampton 0-4 Brighton & Hove Albion

Southampton look destined for the drop after suffering a thrashing at the hands of Brighton. 

Three second-half goals from the Seagulls put the game beyond the Saints, who did have a chance after conceding first in the first half. João Pedro opened the scoring for the visitors in the 23rd minute as he drove forward unchallenged and chipped it over an onrushing Aaron Ramsdale. Brighton went into the break with a 1-0 advantage. 

A flurry of goals in a frantic second half saw the visitors pull away. Brighton’s second came from Georginio Rutter, who was unselfishly squared to by Yankuba Minteh in the 56th minute for a close-range finish. Fifteen minutes later, Pedro laid off Kaoru Mitoma, who drove forward and dinked the ball over Ramsdale for Brighton’s third. Defender Jack Hinshelwood completed the rout in the 82nd minute when he rifled home from a corner routine. 

Newcastle United 4-3 Nottingham Forest

The Magpies edged out Forest in an entertaining seven-goal affair at St. James’ Park. 

Forest opened the scoring through Callum-Hudson Odoi in the sixth minute as he capitalised on Jacob Murphy’s error and rifled the ball into the bottom-left corner. Newcastle took control from thereon, however, with Lewis Miley equalising in the 23rd minute with a fine far-post finish. Two minutes later, Newcastle had the lead through Jacob Murphy, who touched the ball at the near post from Lewis Hall’s deflected pass. Seven minutes later, they had a penalty for an Ola Aina handball, which Alexander Isak converted. A minute later, Isak put the game past Forest with a lobbed finish over Matz Sels. 

It looked like a job done, but Forest weren’t to go down without a fight. They cut the deficit to two goals from a Nikola Milenkovic close-range finish in the 63rd minute. Newcastle had to endure a nervy final period when Ryan Yates scored Forest’s third in the 90th minute but held on to the three points.

Manchester City 0-2 Liverpool

Liverpool beat Man City away from home in the league after a decade to further boost their title credentials. 

The hosts kept most of the possession, but the Reds were a big threat on the counter. Phil Foden had an early chance but shot straight as Alisson Becker made a comfortable save. Liverpool then started to threaten and scored the opener from a superbly-crafted corner routine in the 14th minute. Alexis Mac Allister’s near-post kick was put into a dangerous area by Dominik Szoboszlai for Mohamed Salah, whose shot went in off Rico Lewis. A few minutes later, Omar Marmoush thought he had equalised from a tight angle for City, but he was offside in the buildup. Salah and Szoboszlai were involved again in the 37th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s long ball forward was taken down by Salah and passed to Szoboszlai in the box, who didn’t make a mistake and doubled Liverpool’s lead. 

City kept most of the possession in the second half as well, with Jérémy Doku a constant threat on the left wing, but a resolute Liverpool defence kept them at bay. Pep Guardiola made several changes to affect the game, but his team couldn’t create many goalscoring opportunities and lost at home yet again.