EPL review week 26: Huddersfield and Stoke join WBA in the bottom three

Week 26 of the English Premier League sees Huddersfield and Stoke joining West Brom in the bottom three after defeats against Man Utd and Bournemouth respectively.

Man Utd 2 v 0 Huddersfield

When Huddersfield won promotion to the Premier League who didn’t expect a swift return from whence they came?

And then they began so brightly.

The naysayers began to doubt.

Not anymore.

Huddersfield banked their miracle when they beat Man Utd at the Kirklees Stadium in October for the first time since 1952. It may be another 50-years before they do it again.

The Terriers arrived at Old Trafford minus a win in the past seven games, losing the past four and conceding 12. That run extends to eight defeats and 14 goals conceded as they slip into the bottom three.

Alexis Sanchez made his Old Trafford debut. Paul Pogba began the match on the bench, proof that Jose Mourinho has no qualms about dealing with big boys who don’t put in a shift. But also evidence of the gulf between these two sides.

The Chilean was outstanding. Wagner’s men didn’t know how to deal with him so they kicked the crap out of him. The seven fouls Sanchez picked up is the most a Premier League player has faced this season.

United eventually overcame The Berlin Wall (as Jose Mourinho called it) ten minutes after the restart. Nemanja Matic broke up play in the middle of the park. The ball was played out to Juan Mata, and his near post cross was despatched ruthlessly by Romelu Lukaku for his 12th goal of the season.

And then the goal that United fans were desperate to see.

Michael Hefele upended Sanchez in the box, and the mighty little man dusted himself off and put away the penalty, albeit via the rebound after the Huddersfield keeper had saved his first stab.

Next up for Huddersfield is a midweek FA Cup replay against Birmingham, a side they will most likely be facing home and away next season.

West Brom 2 v 3 Southampton

The only side lower than Huddersfield in the Premier League is West Brom. You have to love Alan Pardew’s post-match analysis. His team had been beaten at home against fellow strugglers Southampton, and he reacted by saying in a blase attitude, “We looked a little bit leggy today.”

They didn’t start leggy.

Chris Brunt whipped in a fourth-minute corner, and Ahmed Hegazi rose higher than anyone to put the ball away. Southampton reacted well and went into the half-time interval in the lead thanks to a stunning strike from Mario Lemina and the third goal in as many games for Jack Stephens.

Ten minutes after the break Southampton pulled away thanks to a neat free-kick from James Ward-Prowse, and Salomon Rondon made things interesting with 20-minutes to go after nodding home another pinpoint cross from that man Brunt.

But that’s all she wrote.

Southampton held on for the win, and leggy West Brom remains rooted to the foot of the table.

Bournemouth 2 v 1 Stoke

Rounded off the bottom three is Stoke. The Potters arrived at The Vitality Stadium on a high. Paul Lambert came in to replace the departing Mark Hughes, and he had picked up four points in two games, but Bournemouth was also experiencing a mini-revival after beating Chelsea the last time out.

Stoke took the lead thanks to a rare headed goal from Xherdan Shaqiri, but an unfortunate injury to Steve Cook changed everything. Eddie Howe brought Josh King on, made a tactical change, and the move paid dividends.

King took full advantage of a Stoke mess at the back to equalise in the 70th minute, and Jordan Ibe put in a cross that Lys Mousset put away with ten minutes of the game remaining.

“There’s no way we deserved to lose that,” Lambert told reporters after the game.

But they did.

Stoke drop into the bottom three.

Bournemouth rise to ninth and are now unbeaten in seven after an appalling start to the season saw them as likely relegation fodder.

Here are the results in full

Results in Full

Burnley 1 v 1 Man City
West Brom 2 v 3 Southampton
Man Utd 2 v 0 Huddersfield
Bournemouth 2 v 1 Stoke
Leicester 1 v 1 Swansea
Brighton 3 v 1 West Ham
Arsenal 5 v 1 Everton
Crystal Palace 1 v 1 Newcastle
Liverpool 2 v 2 Spurs

To be Played (Monday)

Watford v Chelsea

Premier League Table

1. Man City – 69
2. Man Utd – 56
3. Liverpool – 51
4. Chelsea – 50
5. Spurs – 49
6. Arsenal – 45
7. Burnley – 36
8. Leicester – 35
9. Bournemouth – 31
10. Everton – 31
11. Watford – 27
12. West Ham – 27
13. Brighton – 27
14. Crystal Palace – 27
15. Southampton – 26
16. Newcastle – 25
17. Swansea – 24
18. Stoke – 24
19. Huddersfield – 24
20. West Brom – 20