Another entertaining week in the English Premier League saw some shock results, a first victory for Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea and a couple of extremely disappointing performances from the Manchester clubs.
Elsewhere, however, Leeds United won away at Leicester, Newcastle got a vital three points on the road too at Goodison Park and West Ham and Liverpool played out a bruising encounter in East London.
Let’s take a look back at all the action of a very busy weekend full of English Premier League fixtures.
Everton 0-2 Newcastle United
A vital victory was gained by Steve Bruce’s struggling Magpies as Callum Wilson was the difference at Goodison Park. Everton came into the game on the back of a fine run of form but were shocked late in the day as Wilson nodded a magnificent towering header into the corner past a desperate Jordan Pickford in The Toffees’ goal. Pickford, still England’s number one according to F.A. insiders, looks decidedly low on confidence in goal at present and England manager Gareth Southgate has a real quandary ahead of this summer European Championships, with others such as Burnley’s Nick Pope and Newcastle’s Karl Darlow in much better form over the season so far.
It was a goal that changed the game, and with Everton forced to attack, Newcastle pounced on the counter-attack in the dying moments, Wilson sealing victory with a second goal that separates The Magpies from the relegation zone by eight points.
Leicester City 1-3 Leeds United
A shock was on the cards at the King Power as Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites tore apart Leicester’s defence to shock the top four team and grab a hard-earned win to propel themselves up to mid-table.
It was The Foxes who scored the opener, the ever-impressive Harvey Barnes surging through the Leeds backline with the help of a delightful one-two exchange with James Maddison and slotting past a helpless Illan Meslier.
Back came Leeds, however, and directly in every sense. Stuart Dallas scored within 120 seconds of his side conceding to level the scores before two second half strikes from Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison condemned Leicester to their first defeat in eight.
For Leeds, however, it was a reminder – as much to themselves as others – that they possess an awesome attacking strength when it clicks and that they should be looking up the table towards European qualification rather than below them to a relegation battle that should interest them no more.
After the game, Leicester’s goalscorer Harvey Barnes expressed his side’s disappointment at The Foxes dropping three points in a surprise defeat.
West Ham United 1-3 Liverpool
Much of the talk pre-match at the London Stadium was how the home side had come into the game on the back of a winning streak of four league games and six in total in all competitions. Liverpool were there to be shot at, according to pundits. Those predictions were callously gunned down by the champions in a dogged display in East London.
Liverpool were by no means at their fluid best, and missed the assurance of Virgil van Djik at the back as much as the attacking edge that Sadio Mane’s absence left them lacking. It required effort to turn the tide in their favour and after a goalless first half, that hard work was rewarded in spectacular fashion.
The first two goals, and those that in truth killed the game, came from the magical left boot of Egyptian talisman Mohammed Salah. While not in such sparkling form in the first half of the season, it is Liverpool’s number 11 who leads the race for the Golden Boot and his prodigious finishing is the reason Liverpool won this game. The opener was trademark Salah, a jinking run followed by cutting onto his left, a curling shot giving Lukasz Fabianski in the sticks no chance. The second came on the break. More determined defending from The Reds saw them break at pace and a long ball over the top was controlled and slotted home in two incredible touches from the reported La Liga transfer target.
Two more goals were added, a third for Liverpool from Wijnaldum before a Dawson consolation for the London side, but it was David Moyes who left the London Stadium pointless and Jurgen Klopp with two wins in the capital in four days – a pair of results which have fired his side right back into title contention. Next week, Liverpool play Manchester City, and a win in that game really would convince the doubters that Klopp’s men have what it takes to retain the trophy it took them three decades to win.
English Premier League Gameweek #20 Results:
Everton 0-2 Newcastle United
Crystal Palace 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester City 1-0 Sheffield United
West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Fulham
Arsenal 0-0 Manchester United
Southampton 0-1 Aston Villa
Chelsea 2-0 Burnley
Leicester City 1-3 Leeds United
West Ham United 1-3 Liverpool
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
