Premier League 2024/25 Gameweek 29 Recap

Premier League weekend arrived with excitement and energy after European football midweek. While Nottingham Forest continued their superb form with a win over the Tractor Boys, the Seagulls remained unbeaten against Manchester City this season. The Toffees continued their unbeaten streak with a late draw while the Cherries lost a massive chance to get closer to the Top four by losing to Brentford at home. Arsenal sunk Chelsea at the Emirates as Fulham downed Spurs at the Craven Cottage this weekend. 

Let’s take a look at all the action from Gameweek 29 – 

Manchester City 2-2 Brighton and Hove Albion

The Cityzens’ poor defending continued to trouble them as they drew to an in-form Seagulls. 

The visitors scored through Kaoru Mitoma from a curling Jack Hinshelwood cross in the 7th minute but the goal was disallowed for a foul on City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega by Mitoma. The host then opened the scoring in the 11th minute with Erling Haaland scoring from the spot-kick after City was awarded a penalty for an Adam Webster foul on Omar Marmoush in the box. However, the Seagulls were level ten minutes later with a Pervis Estupiñán free-kick that went in off the right post beating Ortega. 

The hosts kept attacking but couldn’t create clear-cut chances until the 39th minute when Marmoush was given too much space and time on the edge of the box and he fired in a powerful shot for City to take the lead. The first half ended 2-1 to City.

Looking for European places themselves, the Seagulls came out fired up and equalised within three minutes of the restart. From a corner-routine, Jack Hinshelwood found himself inches in front of goal and his shot was deflected in by City defender Abdukodir Khusanov. 

The game could have gone either way with both teams missing golden opportunities to get a winner, most of all Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba who blazed an easy chance into the stands from a counter-attacking move. 

A draw was probably a fair result but it now puts Manchester City under immense pressure in their quest for Top four places. 

Ipswich Town 2-4 Nottingham Forest

Ipswich did score two late goals but couldn’t deny a dominant Nottingham Forest the three points this weekend. 

Forest scored three first half goals to kill the game. The visitors broke the deadlock five minutes after the half-an-hour mark when Nikola Milenkovi? found a loose ball in the box from a corner and lashed it into the net. An Anthony Elanga brace in the next five minutes almost ensured the three points. First, he drove forward with the ball on a counter and placed it in the far corner. For his second, Elanga capitalised on poor defending to power the ball in from the edge of the box in the 41st minute. 

Ipswich came back with intent and cut the deficit with a superb individual goal from Jens Cajuste in the 82nd minute. Looking for another, they left their defensive line too high which gave Forest the chance to break on the counter with Morgan Gibbs-White assisting Jota Silva for Forest’s fourth killing all Ipswich’s hopes. Ipswich did get a late consolation with George Hirst’s header late in stoppage time but that wasn’t enough to get any points from the game. 

Forest edge closer to European qualification with this win while Ipswich are destined for the drop. 

Everton 1-1 West Ham United

Everton left it late at the Goodison to ensure a point against the Hammers this weekend. 

If not for Jordan Pickford’s top saves in the first half to deny Jarrod Bowen twice, Everton would have been in major trouble as West Ham dominated proceedings in the first half. Everton were also awarded a penalty for a foul on Beto in the box but denied post VAR review. Both teams went goalless into the break. 

However, the enterprising Jarrod Bowen drove forward with the ball and teed up Tomáš Sou?ek who shot into the far corner to break the deadlock in the 67th minute. Everton kept trying to find an equaliser but couldn’t break through until the first minute of stoppage time when poor defending led to Jake O’Brien heading from close range to restore parity. Charlie Alcaraz had a late chance to find the winner but shot wide to the relief of the away fans. 

Everton’s unbeaten streak continued with this draw while the Hammers would rue taking away all three points from Goodison. 

Southampton 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

The Saints fell to a home loss against Wolves, almost confirming their relegation in a dismal season. 

Two goals from Wolves striker Jørgen Strand Larsen on either side of the half gave Wolves a much-needed win. The hosts were the better side in the opening period but Wolves opened the scoring against the run of play in the 19th minute when Strand Larsen headed in from a pin-point cross from Jean-Ricner Bellagarde on the right. The visitors went into the break with a one-goal lead. 

Two minutes into the restart, Strand Larsen and Bellagarde combined again to double the advantage. The Norwegian striker shot into the bottom left corner for his brace. 

The Saints didn’t give up and still attacked after two goals down and their persistence paid off in the 75th minute when Tyler Dibling’s shot deflected off the post and Paul Onuachu helped it into the net. 

However, Wolves defended well in the later stages to hold on to a massive three points as they created a nine-point gap with the bottom three. 

Bournemouth 1-2 Brentford

The Cherries fell to a home defeat to Brentford, hampering their pursuit of European places this season. 

The hosts went ahead in the 17th minute through a Vitaly Janelt own goal when the ball looped off his back into the far corner from a Milos Kerkez cross into the box. Yoane Wissa restored parity in the 30th minute, rising highest to head home from a Bryan Mbuemo corner-kick. The half ended 1-1. 

Both teams came out looking for a winner but Bournemouth dominated proceedings and were unlucky not to score from an Antoine Semenyo header that hit the woodwork from close-range. However, the Cherries defending left a lot to be desired as they didn’t defend their box in the 81st minute when Ryan Christie found Christian Nørgaard in the box for an easy finish. 

With a vital away win, Brentford responded well after last weekend’s loss while the Cherries Top four ambitions were dealt a massive blow. 

Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Arsenal returned to winning ways at home after a loss and two consecutive draws in the last three PL games. 

The hosts started with intent and put pressure on the Chelsea backline and opened the scoring from a set-piece routine that has come to Arsenal’s rescue time and again this season. In the 20th minute, an unmarked Mikel Merino glanced a header from a Martin Ødegaard corner into the far corner. Arsenal also had a penalty shout denied for a Marc Cucurella handball in the box prior to their opener. The Gunners had a scare when David Raya had a momentary lapse in concentration and almost spilled Cucurella’s volley into his own net in Chelsea’s only proper attacking move of the half. 

The second half started on a positive note for the Gunners with Chelsea’s Robert Sánchez coming into action to deny Merino a second goal and then saved from an Ødegaard shot too. Chelsea did frustrate Arsenal with possession but couldn’t create any significant chances as the Merino goal in the first half proved enough for the Gunners to get all three points. 

With this win, Arsenal are now 12 points behind Liverpool in the title-race. 

Fulham 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Two second half goals ensured a Fulham victory over Spurs this weekend. 

Fulham created the early chances but couldn’t really manage a shot on target. Timothy Castagne had a golden opportunity when Ben Davies’s tame clearance fell in his path in the box but he shot straight in the hands of Guglielmo Vicario. Spurs hardly had a sniff at goal. The first half ended goalless. 

Spurs looked the most likely to break the deadlock as the second half went on as Dominic Solanke spurned several chances, especially missing an open goal from five yards. In the 65th minute, they had their first shot on target through Ben Davies. The game started to stretch and Fulham finally got the opener in the 75th minute from substitute Rodrigo Muniz firing into the bottom corner from an Andreas Pereira assist. Ten minutes later, Ryan Sessegnon overpowered the Spurs defender and curled one into the far post to give Fulham the likely three points. 

Fulham’s European ambition got a boost with this win while Spurs’ dismal season continues to haunt them.