Gameweek 36 of the 2024/25 Premier League season arrived this weekend after the European competitions in the midweek.
The fight for the top five spots continued to enthral as the Cityzens dropped points against the Saints, while Aston Villa managed a narrow win against the Cherries. Everton damaged Fulham’s European ambitions with a comeback win, while the Seagulls won away from home against Wolves.
Let’s take a look at all the action from Gameweek 36.
Southampton 0-0 Manchester City
Manchester City missed a massive opportunity to go second in the table by only managing to grab a point against the relegated Saints.
City started brightly and dominated the opening period. Kevin De Bruyne was awarded a free kick in the eighth minute but his cross—swung at the far post—was defended well, with Joško Gvardiol lurking to get a header in. At the half-hour mark, the outgoing Belgian had another free kick just outside the box, but his direct effort blazed over the bar. Southampton hardly got a look-in, with City keeping possession but unable to create clear-cut chances.
City had another free kick fifteen minutes into the second half, awarded for a foul on Phil Foden, which the Englishman took. His in-swinging cross could not be headed in by anyone, though, and went wide off the post. Three minutes later, Jérémy Doku’s cutback from the byline found Bernardo Silva, but his effort on goal was cleared off the line by Jack Stephens. Erling Haaland produced a perfect pass in the box in the 75th minute, but neither Nico O’Reilly nor Rico Lewis could get a touch on it. Rúben Dias also had a header saved, while Omar Marmoush could only rattle the crossbar in stoppage time.
Ipswich Town 0-1 Brentford
Championship-bound Ipswich lost at home to Brentford.
Kevin Schade sent in a looping header from a corner kick to give Brentford the lead in the 18th minute. Yoane Wissa had an opportunity to double the Bees’ lead, but his goal-bound effort was saved by Alex Palmer. There weren’t many clear-cut chances for Ipswich to score, while Bryan Mbuemo missed an opportunity to score at the near post when he received an inch-perfect cross. Brentford went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson hit the post at the other end. Late on, a strike from Cameron Burgess from point-blank range was saved by Mark Flekken.
Brentford managed to hold on to the one-goal lead to take three massive points away from home.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
The Seagulls beat Wolverhampton Wanderers away to keep their chances of European qualification alive.
Wolves started brightly, with Matheus Cunha creating chances for the hosts. One of his crosses found Gonçalo Guedes in the box, but the Portuguese forward’s strike missed the target before he missed another half-chance. The visitors found the net in the 23rd minute through Danny Welbeck’s volleyed finish, but the goal was chalked off for a marginal offside. Moments later, though, Brighton found the opener—Cunha’s lunging tackle in the box on Mats Wieffer was adjudged a foul, and Welbeck stepped up and converted from the spot as José Sá dove to the wrong end.
Wolves upped the ante in the second half. Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen first denied Cunha from far out before palming away a dangerous cross by Jørgen Strand Larsen. However, Brighton secured all three points in the 85th minute when Simon Adingra played through Brajan Gruda, who dinked it over an onrushing Sá to score his first goal for the Seagulls.
Fulham 1-3 Everton
Fulham’s European dream suffered another major blow as they lost to Everton at home.
The hosts started the game well and scored the opener through forward Raúl Jiménez’s header from an Emile Smith Rowe cross in the 17th minute. Harry Wilson was then denied by Jordan Pickford when he tried to make room for himself at the edge of the box before attempting to find the near post with his strike. Everton equalised with a fortuitous deflection from a Vitalii Mykolenko effort from outside the box at the cusp of half-time.
The Toffees looked much improved in the second half and Michael Keane gave them the lead with a thumping header at the far post from a corner-kick routine in the 70th minute. Four minutes later, Beto made it three for the visitors, finding the far corner with a neat strike after quick interplay with Carlos Alcaraz. Fulham tried to find a response as Adama Traoré’s cross hit Mykolenko’s outstretched arm in the box. The hosts appealed for a penalty but both the on-field ref and the VAR denied it.
Bournemouth 0-1 Aston Villa
After the win against Arsenal last weekend, the Cherries lost their way at home against the Villans.
Villa were out of the blocks quickly in the first half as Marco Asensio’s strike hit the post. A Lucas Digne cross was headed by Boubacar Kamara, but Kepa Arrizabalaga made a superb reaction save and then again from Matty Cash off the rebound. However, Villa were rewarded just before half-time when Morgan Rogers’ long pass was turned in by Ollie Watkins into the far post.
Kamara had a great opportunity at the start of the second half but pulled his shot wide of the far post. Bournemouth hardly had a sight of goal until Jacob Ramsey was sent off with a second yellow card in the 80th minute. Antoine Semenyo was a menace in the final minutes and almost getting an equaliser when his shot on the turn whizzed close past the far post, then his cross couldn’t be turned in by Daniel Jebbison at the far post. The ten-man Villans held on for all three points.
Newcastle United 2-0 Chelsea
The Magpies gained a massive advantage in the top-five race as they beat direct competitors Chelsea at St James’ Park this weekend.
Newcastle scored the opener inside two minutes as Sandro Tonali caught on to Jacob Murphy’s tantalising pass into the box that just needed to tap in. It got worse for the visitors when their striker Nicolas Jackson was sent off in the 35th minute for a dangerous foul on Sven Botman. Newcastle went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
With numerical advantage, Newcastle dominated the proceedings but couldn’t find a second goal against a resolute Chelsea defence. In the 81st minute, Nick Pope denied Enzo Fernández with a vital touch. Six minutes later, the Blues had a golden opportunity as an unmarked Reece James headed over the crossbar from a Malo Gusto cross. In stoppage time, though, Newcastle put the game to bed when Bruno Guimarães’ deflected shot found the net as a flailing Roberto Sánchez looked on helplessly.
With this win, Newcastle United have climbed up to third in the table, one point ahead of Manchester City and three ahead of Chelsea.
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Leicester City
Nottingham Forest’s great run this season has come undone over the past month. It’s unlikely the Tricky Trees will qualify for the UCL, especially after a draw against the relegated Foxes last time out.
Chris Wood scuffed an easy chance for a header when he hit it over the bar from an Anthony Elanga cross. Leicester took the shock lead in the 21st minute when Bilal El Khannouss’ strike was parried by Matz Sels, but Conor Coady headed in the rebound. Morgan Gibbs-White drew Forest level four minutes later with a header from an Elanga cross off a free kick.
Wood completed the turnaround in the 56th minute when he headed home from an in-swinging long cross from Gibbs-White to the delight of the home fans. However, Forest couldn’t put daylight between themselves and Leicester and paid the price in the 81st minute when Facundo Buonanotte made a driving run in the box and stroked the ball into the far corner to level the proceedings. Buonanotte could have delivered another blow in stoppage time, if not for a brilliant save from Sels.
Forest now rely on results out of their control to have any chance of making the UCL.
Manchester United 0-2 West Ham United
Manchester United’s poor form in the league continued as they were beaten at home by fellow strugglers West Ham.
A speculative long-range effort from Man United captain Bruno Fernandes went over the bar in the fourth minute. The Hammers dictated play in the early period, with Max Kilman heading it over the bar from a James Ward-Prowse free kick. In the 27th minute, Mohammed Kudus put the ball into the box and Tomáš Soucek bundled it in to give West Ham the lead. At the other end, Rasmus Højlund couldn’t find the finish from a long ball forward right before half-time.
Just after the restart, Kudus again caused Man United problems as his cutback found Ward-Prowse in the box, but the Englishman’s low effort was collected easily by Altay Bayindir. West Ham doubled their lead in the 57th minute when Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s pass found Jarrod Bowen, who tucked the ball in at the near post. The Red Devils dominated the game after that and got close, with chances falling to Højlund and Harry Maguire, but neither had the finishing touch.
With this win, West Ham have managed a league double over Man United for the first time in over two decades. All of Man United’s hopes now rest on the Europa League final.
Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Crystal Palace
Tottenham Hotspur’s nightmarish run in the league continued with a home loss against the Eagles.
Ismaïla Sarr thought he had given Palace the lead when he tapped in from a Daniel Muñoz cross in the eighth minute, but Jean-Philippe Mateta was offside in the buildup and the goal was chalked off. Mateta’s close-range effort was then saved by Antonín Kinský before Muñoz blazed his effort over the bar in another instance. Palace did manage to score just before half-time as Muñoz unselfishly teed up Eberechi Eze for a simple finish in front of a gaping goal.
Palace doubled their lead two minutes into the restart as Sarr found Eze in the box for another simple finish. Sarr could have added to Palace’s tally, but his close-range header missed the mark. Spurs had a poor outing and were thoroughly outplayed by the other London outfit.
Spurs’ 20th league defeat of this season has dropped them to 17th in the table. Like Man United, they too are hanging their hopes on the Europe League final to make something of this campaign.
Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal
Liverpool and Arsenal shared the spoils at Anfield this weekend in an encounter that didn’t really affect the champions, though it was a vital point for the Gunners in their pursuit of a UCL spot.
The Reds made a blistering start with two goals within a minute to hit a sleeping Arsenal defence. Cody Gakpo opened the scoring with a close-range header from an Andy Robertson cross in the 20th minute, and a minute later Mohamed Salah’s long pass found Dominik Szoboszlai, who teed up an onrushing Luis Díaz for the second. Curtis Jones was also denied by David Raya. Arsenal were left shell-shocked, but they started to grow in the game and moved forward with intent. However, they failed to be decisive in the final third and went into the break down by two goals.
The visitors made a quick start to the second half as Gabriel Martinelli scored from a header off a Leandro Trossard cross to halve the deficit. Arsenal levelled the proceedings in the 70th minute—Alisson Becker parried Martin Ødegaard’s powerful low effort, but Mikel Merino headed in the rebound. Nine minutes later, Merino was sent off after receiving a second yellow for a lunge on Darwin Núñez. Diogo Jota and Ødegaard could have grabbed the winner for their respective sides, but both missed the target by a whisker. Drama ensued late in stoppage time as Robertson found the net, but the goal was disallowed for Ibrahima Konaté’s foul on Martin Lewis-Skelly when the corner went in.
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