Gameweek 28 of the 2024/25 Premier League season arrived with much fanfare this weekend. While Nottingham Forest grabbed a late winner against the Cityzens, Liverpool’s second-half surge helped them beat the Saints. Wolves and Everton shared the spoils, while Arsenal fell further behind in the title race after drawing away to the Red Devils.
Let’s take a look at the week’s action.
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Manchester City
Nottingham Forest grabbed a late winner against Manchester City at the City Ground this weekend.
City dominated the first half and Erling Haaland almost made Forest pay in the seventh minute when Chris Wood lost the ball in a dangerous area, but Haaland’s shot fizzed slightly wide of the far corner. Another long-range speculative strike from Nico González hit the outside of the post, but apart from that no one had any clear-cut chances and both teams went into the break goalless.
The hosts came out charging in the second half and created a flurry of chances. A minute into the restart, Anthony Elanga’s cross from the left was hit on the half-volley by Nicolás Domínguez, but Ederson made an easy save. A strike from Callum-Hudson Odoi in a crowded City box in the 66th minute almost gave Forest the lead, but Ederson again came to City’s rescue with a reflex save. However, the veteran Brazilian keeper couldn’t protect his near post in the 83rd minute when Hudson-Odoi struck a powerful shot from a tight angle, giving Forest the lead. Pep Guardiola made a host of changes to turn the game around, but the Tricky Trees held onto the one-goal lead and the three points.
Liverpool 3-1 Southampton
Liverpool came back from a goal down to beat bottom-of-the-table Southampton in an inspired second-half display.
Liverpool kept most of the possession in the first half, but apart from an early Curtis Jones chance they looked toothless and paid the price when Southampton took the shock lead in the first-half stoppage time through Will Smallbone, who capitalised on a moment of miscommunication between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.
However, the league leaders came back roaring in the second half and Darwin Núñez slotted in the equaliser from a Luis Díaz assist five minutes after the restart. The Uruguayan forward was again involved a few minutes later when he was fouled by Smallbone in the box and Liverpool were awarded a penalty, which Mohamed Salah converted. An 88th-minute handball in the box from Yukinari Sugawara resulted in another penalty, and Salah was happy to oblige again to seal the three points for the Reds.
Crystal Palace 1-0 Ipswich Town
The Eagles grabbed a late winner against relegation strugglers Ipswich Town at Selhurst Park.
It was an entertaining end-to-end affair, with both teams having decent opportunities. Eddie Nketiah was in a 1v1 position as early as the second minute, but Ipswich goalie Alex Palmer rushed forward and smothered his shot. At the other end, Dean Henderson made a superb save to deny Julio Enciso at the near post. Enciso had another opportunity when he stole the ball from Eberechi Eze and drove into the box, but his near-post strike was again saved by Henderson. The game was goalless at half-time.
In the second half, a shot from Eze was heavily deflected and looped beyond a scrambling Palmer, but to Ipswich’s relief it struck the post. At the hour mark, Ipswich failed to score from a corner in a goalmouth scramble, and it looked like it just wasn’t their day. Ismaïla Sarr then snatched a late winner from a chipped effort over Palmer in the 82nd minute to secure all three points.
For all their attacking threat, Ipswich’s lack of finishing meant they left Selhurst Park empty-handed.
Brentford 0-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa secured a victory away at Brentford in a significant step towards European qualification.
The hosts looked lacklustre in the first half, with the visitors having multiple chances to score. Jacob Ramsey’s shot on goal was first headed away by Nathan Collins, and then Villa defender Tyrone Mings had a great chance on a set piece to take the lead, but his shot was collected safely by Mark Flekken. The first half ended goalless.
Four minutes into the restart, Villa found their reward when Ollie Watkins’s near-post strike took a deflection and went away from Flekken in the net. A minute later, Watkins teed up Morgan Rogers for Villa’s second, but the goal was chalked off for offside. Brentford hardly had a sight of goal up to this point, but this was about to change. There were shouts for a penalty for an Axel Disasi foul on Kevin Schade, but it was waived off. Keane Lewis-Potter then came close with his strike from the edge of the box, but it rebounded off the post. Watkins had a golden opportunity when he raced on goal late in the game, but he couldn’t dink it past an onrushing Flekken.
Villa returned to winning ways after the loss last weekend, while Brentford were poor at home, which is rare given they are usually very competitive and difficult to beat at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Fulham
Late drama ensued at the Amex Stadium as the Seagulls snatched all three points in a comeback victory.
The first half didn’t have many clear-cut chances until after the half-hour mark, when Alex Iwobi’s driving run from the right resulted in a cross to Raúl Jiménez in the box, who took the ball on to his chest and put it into the net to give Fulham the lead. However, the lead only lasted for six minutes and Jan Paul van Hecke scored from a glancing header at the other end. The first half ended 1-1.
The hosts came out firing in the second half, with the Cottagers having to defend for most of the period. João Pedro and Danny Welbeck spurned some easy chance before Brighton delivered the telling blow with almost the last kick of the game when Pedro was fouled in the box and converted the spot kick.
Brighton are in red-hot form and have won all of their last four games, while Fulham have now lost two out of their last three games.
Also read: Premier League 2024/25 Sponsors
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Everton
A point here slightly increased Wolves’ gap from the relegation zone.
Everton were the brighter side in the opening exchanges of the game, with Abdoulaye Doucouré’s near-post strike being saved by José Sá’s outstretched foot and Beto missing a huge goalscoring chance from close range via a corner routine. Wolves then had a chance of their own, but Jordan Pickford made a decent save. Everton found the opener from Jack Harrison’s deflected shot into the far corner in the 33rd minute. Seven minutes later, Wolves equalised from a well-crafted move converted by Marshall Munetsi.
The game opened up after the restart as both Wolves and Everton started to look for a winner. Jørgen Strand Larsen’s shot was saved by Pickford, while Beto’s strike on the counter was saved well by Sá late on to keep the game tied at 1-1.
Everton have now drawn three of their last five encounters, while Wolves finally have some breathing space, especially given Ipswich Town, Southampton, and Leicester all lost this weekend.
Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Bournemouth
Spurs came back from two goals down to salvage a point against Bournemouth at home.
The Cherries were the more attacking team in the first half and had a chance inside the first minute due to a Spurs defensive error, but Marcus Tavernier’s shot was thwarted by Guglielmo Vicario. Bournemouth had another opportunity with Justin Kluivert, but he too was denied by Vicario. However, Bournemouth found their opener in the 42nd minute from a teasing Milos Kerkez cross into the box that was lashed in by an onrushing Tavernier at the far post.
Bournemouth kept attacking in the second half and doubled their lead in the 65th minute from another well-worked goal—this time from Evanilson off a Kluivert assist. However, Spurs halved the deficit two minutes later from Pape Matar Sarr’s long-range looping shot. Kluivert should have doubled his side’s lead when he had a chance on the counter, but his shot missed narrowly, bouncing out off the far post. Bournemouth paid the price when Spurs were awarded a penalty as Kepa Arizzabalaga fouled Son Heung-min in the box in the 84th minute; the Spurs captain duly converted to earn his side a point.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester City
Chelsea huffed and puffed against a struggling Leicester side but managed to get the three points with a solitary goal.
The Blues dominated proceedings for much of the first half. Chelsea had a chance to score the opener when Jadon Sancho was fouled in the box midway through the first half, but Cole Palmer’s spot kick was saved by Mads Hermansen. The rest of the half was fairly uneventful.
Leicester continued to frustrate Chelsea in the second half, but at the hour mark Marc Cucurella found time and space and scored from 20 yards to put his side ahead. Without much effort from the visitors, the 1-0 lead proved enough for Chelsea to secure all three points.
Even though it was a struggling performance against a relegation-threatened side, Chelsea would have gained a bit of confidence ahead of a crucial derby game against Arsenal at the Emirates next weekend.
Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal could only draw against a struggling Manchester United and dropped points in a must-win game, failing to put pressure on league leaders Liverpool.
The first half was particularly uneventful, with not many clear-cut chances. Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard came close to breaking the deadlock, but it was United who drew first blood when Bruno Fernandes scored from a free kick at the cusp of half-time to give the hosts the lead.
The goal gave United the impetus and Noussair Mazraoui almost doubled their lead early in the second half, but David Raya managed to make amends after the Fernandes goal. The Arsenal keeper was again in the thick of it as he saved Joshua Zirkzee’s goal-bound flick from close range. United then paid the price for not killing the game when Declan Rice equalised in the 74th minute with a strike into the far top corner. However, neither side could find a winner.
With this draw, Arsenal have dropped seven points in their last three games, falling further behind in the title race while United continue to impress against the top sides.
West Ham United 0-1 Newcastle United
The Hammers suffered a narrow home defeat at the hands of the Magpies.
Both sides had clear-cut scoring opportunities in the first half. Mohammed Kudus made a driving run from the left side and crossed into the box, but Tomáš Soucek skied the ball from close range with the goal gaping at his mercy. Harvey Barnes on the other end was a massive threat for West Ham as he wasted one superb opportunity and then forced a decent save from Alphonse Areola in goal. The first half ended goalless.
Newcastle were getting close, though, and managed to break the deadlock in the 63rd minute when Bruno Guimarães poked in from a Barnes cross in the box. However, there were protests from the West Ham players as they thought Alexander Isak had pushed defender Max Kilman in the box as the ball came in, but the goal stood.
West Ham could hardly create any chances as they fell to a defeat after two wins in a row, while Newcastle’s Champions League qualification chances were boosted by this massive win.
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