Gameweek #30 in the English Premier League was like no other in English football history. With no crowds due to the Coronavirus outbreak, games were played to empty stadiums up and down the country. Despite this, there was no lack of controversy as some teams took major steps to achieving their pre-season goals while others were left looking at the last eight games with worry lines appearing on their foreheads.
Arsenal Crumble in Three Days
While many Arsenal fans could forgive the North London club’s capitulation against Pep Guardiola’s swaggering Manchester City side, not many observers have been so kind after The Seagulls handed Mikel Arteta’s side their second league defeat in three days.
It had been three months since the Premier League when Arsenal travelled to Manchester City on Thursday and conceded three goals in a comfortable 3-0 victory for The Citizens. After the calamity of David Luiz’s red card performance, however, things did not improve much on the South Coast.
Brighton, on the other hand, can be delighted after a fantastic comeback victory where they conceded on 70 minutes through Nicolas Pepe and then fired back through Lewis Dunk, then scored a dramatic winner through Neal Maupay in the 94th minute.
There was extra spice to the Maupay goal, as it was his challenge that saw Bernd Leno taken off with what looked like a serious injury. Arsenal, aggrieved at the challenge, lost their heads in the aftermath of Maupay’s thrilling late winner.
Chelsea Take Charge of Champion League Race
With others such as Leicester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United all throwing away valuable points during Gameweek 30, it was left to first Wolves then Chelsea to put themselves in strong contention for a Champions League place at the expense of their stuttering rivals.
Chelsea were behind at half-time against an Aston Villa side hoping to drag themselves out of what looks like a relegation battle between five sides fighting to avoid the bottom three places in the Premier League. In the second half, however, two goals in three minutes from Christian Pulisic turned the game around. A tense end to the game was largely nullified by Chelsea’s expert game management, exemplified by N’Golo Kante’s calm acceptance of a yellow card for pulling back Jack Grealish on the sole occasion the Birmingham-born midfielder had a run at the heart of The Blues defence.
Everton Delay Liverpool Title Parade
The Merseyside derby has often been a cagey, tense affair, but never before has it been a game which could decide the Premier League title. That honour was avoided by the mathematics of Manchester City’s triumph over Arsenal, but in effect, Liverpool knew that a win would go almost the whole way to giving them a first top division title in 30 years.
The first half was, in truth, better forgotten, both sides mired in ring-rust and struggling to string two or three passes together. Everton looked blunt, Liverpool hardly looked bothered, and with Mohammed Salah and Andy Robertson left out of the starting line-up, both the left and right-wing attacks lacked more than a little energy and flair.
The second half looked like it was heading for the same goalless scoreline, but with ten minutes to go, Everton burst into life, missing chances for Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin and Tom Davies where scoring looked easy. Joe Gomez and Alisson in particular saved the away side, sparing Virgil van Djik’s blushes when the Dutchman was beaten to the ball too easily by the young English striker Calvert-Lewin. Liverpool hung on for the stalemate, a point that takes them closer to their first league title in 30 years.
Gameweek #30 Results:
Aston Villa 0-0 Sheffield United
Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal
Norwich City 0-3 Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Manchester United
Watford 1-1 Leicester City
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Arsenal
West Ham 0-2 Wolves
Bournemouth 0-2 Crystal Palace
Newcastle United 3-0 Sheffield United
Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea
Everton 0-0 Liverpool
