Kickoff chronicles

Brighton Hove & Albion vs Chelsea

The first game of Matchweek 25 played on Friday night saw Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton host Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea at the Amex Stadium. After an evenly contested opening 25 minutes Brighton took the lead, scoring one of the best goals of the season. Seagull’s keeper Bart Verbruggen played a long ball over the Chelsea backline and into the path of Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma. Mitoma’s first touch was a thing of beauty, very delicately cushioning the ball away from Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah before he chopped the ball onto his right foot. Mitoma then fired the ball into the bottom right corner exquisitely, scoring probably the best goal of his career so far. Chelsea then had a goal of their own disallowed after Enzo Fernandez headed Malo Gusto’s cross into the top right corner, only for it to be ruled off immediately as Fernandez had clearly shoved Joel Veltman in the back. Minutes before the break, Brighton doubled their advantage after Georginio Rutter made a dancing run into the penalty area. Rutter then fired the ball across the 6 yard box which caused confusion between Chelsea keeper Filip Jorgensen and defender Levi Colwill. The ball then popped out to Danny Welbeck who was very unselfish in flicking it backwards to Yankuba Minteh. Minteh set himself up before drilling the ball into the bottom right corner, making it 2-0. The first half finished with Maresca needing a huge 2nd half showing from his players if they were to stay in the top 4 of the Premier League.

Less than 20 minutes into the 2nd period, Brighton all but sealed the 3 points scoring in the 63rd minute. Minteh received the ball down the right wing where he played a sharp 1-2 with Welbeck. Minteh then chopped back onto his left foot, completely fooling Marc Cucurella, before he smashed the ball into the bottom near corner. The Seagulls continued to dominate the rest of the game and successfully saw out a comfortable 3-0 win at home. After their 2-1 win in the FA Cup at home to Chelsea last weekend, Hurzeler makes it 2 wins against Chelsea in his last 2 games. Brighton remain 10th in the league while Chelsea drop out of a Champions League place and into 6th after another terrible performance.

Leicester City vs Arsenal

The first game of Matchweek 25 played on Saturday afternoon saw Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City host Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at the King Power Stadium. Arsenal were very slow to start in the first half which was clearly shown in the way the match played out. Leicester had multiple chances to find the opener in the first half, the best chance coming moments before the interval when Wilfred Ndidi had to watch his glancing header fly wide of the far corner after Victor Kristiansen’s inswinging delivery. The first half score remained 0-0 with Arsenal lucky to still be on level terms.

Arsenal seemed to be much more fired up for the 2nd period after they finally started to move the ball more progressively in the Leicester half. After an evenly contested goalless 80 minutes, Arsenal finally broke the deadlock in what looked like a tie with 0-0 written all over it. Seventeen-year-old Ethan Nwaneri whipped in the ball from the right wing where makeshift striker, Mikel Merino, jumped to head his cross past Foxes’ keeper Mads Hermansen and into the top left corner. The defensive midfielder, now playing as a no.9, then secured his brace after Leandro Trossard made a workhorse run down the left wing. With no one marking Merino at the back post, Trossard fired the ball across the penalty area where Merino was present to tap the ball into the bottom right corner and seal the 3 points for the Gunners. The full time score finished 0-2, with Arsenal applying the pressure back onto Liverpool as they sit 2nd. Leicester yet again lose to late goals as they remain 19th in the league on 17 points.

Aston Villa vs Ipswich Town

The following game of Matchweek 25 saw Unai Emery’s Aston Villa host Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon. After Ipswich had put in such a positive first half performance to keep the Villains at 0-0, Axel Tuanzebe was shown his marching orders after he received a 2nd yellow card for quite clearly stopping a Villa attack, pulling down Jacob Ramsey right outside the 18 yard area. Villa then came inches away from finding the opener moments before the break, with Morgan Rogers seeing his effort from close range tipped over the bar by Ipswich keeper Alex Palmer, a save of the season contender. The score at the interval somehow still stood at 0-0, with Ipswich now having the much harder task in the 2nd half after being reduced to 10 men.

Despite having all the odds against them, the Tractor Boys silenced Villa Park when they took the lead in the 56th minute. Omari Hutchinson made a brilliant run down the right wing where he drilled the ball across the penalty area. Liam Delap then charged in from the left side of the penalty area to make first contact with the cross, watching as he flicked the ball brilliantly past Emiliano Martinez and into the far left corner. This woke up the hosts as they found a much needed equaliser in the 69th minute. Their new signing on loan from Manchester United, Marcus Rashford, saw his free kick effort from 25 yards out rattle the woodwork before top scorer Ollie Watkins lunged in to tap home the rebound. Aston Villa continued to dominate the rest of the half but failed to break down Premier League debutant and Ipswich keeper Alex Palmer who was making spectacular save after save. The full time score finished 1-1 with Ipswich picking up a monumental point away from home given the circumstances. They jumped back into 18th, level on points with Wolves who are 17th. Aston Villa drop to 9th after they put in a below par performance against a 10 men Tractor Boys side.

Fulham vs Nottingham Forest

The next game of Matchweek 25 saw Marco Silva’s Fulham host Nuno Espirito’s Nottingham Forest in what looked to be an exciting game at Craven Cottage. After an evenly contested opening 10 minutes, Fulham broke the deadlock on the quarter hour mark after Adama Traore showed great skill to trick Neco Williams on the right wing before whipping a ball over to the back post. Emile Smith Rowe then rose high to head the ball into the near corner and give the Cottagers a priceless lead. With 10 minutes left to play in the half and Fulham still dominating, Forest silenced the Cottage when they tied the game. Morgan Gibbs-White played a lofted pass from the halfway line into the path of star striker Chris Wood who brilliantly took the ball down with the back of his heel inside the Fulham penalty area. Wood reacted quickly, shifting the ball onto his left foot before he placed it into the bottom left corner, scoring his 18th of the season. The score at the interval stood at 1-1, with Fulham playing the better football overall.

The Cottagers came at Forest quickly in the 2nd period, with Traore having his rocket of a shot deflected wide and Sasa Lukic seeing his powerful effort tipped wide by keeper Matz Sels. The hosts then found a deserved 2nd goal in the 62nd minute after Sander Berge whipped in Fulham’s latest corner. Raul Jimenez made first contact with the ball, flicking it over to the back post where Calvin Bassey headed the ball powerfully into the top right corner. Fulham dominated the remaining minutes and saw out what was a brilliant 2-1 win against one of the best sides in England this season. Silva’s side rise to 8th on the table while Nuno’s Forest remain 3rd.

Manchester City vs Newcastle United

The following game of Matchweek 25 saw Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City host Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium. After a dominant start to the game by the Citizens, they found a fully deserved lead in the 19th minute. Goalkeeper Ederson created a bit of Premier League history when he played a long ball over the Newcastle defence and into the path of new boy, Omar Marmoush, who then flicked the ball over Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka. This was Ederson’s 6th assist in his Premier League career and 3rd of the season as he now becomes the most prolific goalkeeper ever in the league in terms of assists. The next Egyptian star of the Premier League, Marmoush, then secured his brace after he received the ball inside the penalty area from Ilkay Gundogan. Marmoush chopped onto his right foot before firing a shot at Dubraka, watching as his effort took a deflection en route to the bottom left corner. Marmoush then registered his first ever Premier League hat-trick inside the first half after the Brazilian Savinho made a darting run down the right wing. Savinho outpaced Newcastle full back Lewis Hall before he drilled the ball across the penalty area, serving the ball up on a plate for Marmoush who smashed it past Dubravka. The half time score stood at 3-0, with Marmoush’s first half heroics leaving the Magpies with no route back into the game.

Manchester City had much less fire in their bellies for the 2nd half, which was fair enough given the damage was already done. They did eventually find a 4th in the 84th minute after Gundogan whipped in City’s latest corner. Erling Haaland did well to flick the ball over to the back post where local boy James McAtee stood his ground and poked the ball into the back of the net. The full time score finished 4-0, with City, and Marmoush in particular, putting out a statement performance to retain their place in the top 4 (4th). Newcastle drop into 7th in the league after a rare disappointing performance from Howe’s men.

Southampton vs AFC Bournemouth

The following game of Matchweek 25 saw Ivan Juric’s Southampton host Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth at St. Mary’s Stadium on Saturday evening. After a dominant start by the Cherries, they eventually found the lead in the 14th minute after Ryan Christie whipped the ball in from the left wing. His cross was sublime as Dango Ouattara jumped up to head the ball into the far right corner, the Burkina Faso international’s 7th goal of the season. Only moments after he had provided a brilliant assist for Ouattara, Christie turned scorer after he received the ball from Justin Kluivert outside the Saints’ penalty area. Christie shaped to shoot before rifling the ball into the bottom left corner, leaving Aaron Ramsdale with no chance of keeping his strike out. Bournemouth were threatening to score a 3rd just before the break and it was only the brilliance of Saints keeper Aaron Ramsdale that kept it at 0-2, quite clearly their only above par performer this season. The score at the interval stood at 0-2 with Southampton staring down the barrel of yet another drab defeat at home.

After Ramsdale yet again proved his worth early on in the 2nd period, clawing the ball off the goal line after Christie’s header, Southampton gave the Cherries something to think about in the 72nd minute. Paul Onuachu found the feet of young star Kamaldeen Sulemana inside the penalty area where the Ghanaian chipped the ball up before thrashing it into the bottom right corner. In the end his intervention meant nothing as Bournemouth went on to score 11 minutes later to seal all 3 points. Antoine Semenyo received the ball down the left wing where Bournemouth found themselves in a 2-vs-2 situation. Semenyo laid the ball off to Marcus Tavernier who took the ball into a central position before smashing the ball into the bottom right corner. The full time score finished 1-3 with Bournemouth jumping up to 5th in the table, with a Champions League qualification spot looking a real possibility for the Cherries. Southampton remain 20th and with just 13 games left to play, it is going to take a real miracle for Juric to save the Saints from almost certain relegation.

West Ham United vs Brentford

The next game of Matchweek 25 saw the Premier League’s latest London derby, with Graham Potter’s West Ham United hosting Thomas Frank’s Brentford at the London Stadium. The Bees are well known for their explosive early starts and they proved that theory correct again as they took the lead inside 4 minutes. Yoanne Wissa’s lofted ball over the West Ham defence was not cleared by Emerson as Bryan Mbuemo was able to head the ball into the path of Kevin Schade. The German drilled the ball at Hammers keeper Alphonse Areola who was temporarily able to keep the ball out with his foot. The French shot stopper then had to jump back up to punch the ball off the line and out of the path of Mbeumo. Areola then came so close to keeping Brentford out for a 3rd time in a row as Schade volleyed the ball at him, but the Frenchman was so unlucky, with the ball just crossing the line before he parried it away. This was Schade’s 7th goal of the season, continuing his strong run of form. The first half was clearly dominated by the Bees, with Wissa going on to have 2 goals disallowed by the assistant referee as he was offside. The score stood at 0-1 with West Ham putting out one of their worst displays of the season so far.

West Ham looked far better in the 2nd period, missing a huge chance to strike level in the 49th minute after new striker loan signing from Brighton, Evan Ferguson, made a brilliant run down the right wing. The Irishman drilled the ball across the penalty area to Mohammed Kudus who blazed the ball over the bar from point blank range. The Hammers continued to play better than they did in the 1st half but it was still nowhere near the standards Potter would have set as the Bees saw out the remaining minutes to win 0-1 away from home. Frank’s Brentford stay 11th in the league on 34 points while West Ham drop to 16th on a drab 27 points, with Potter still left with so much work to do.

Crystal Palace vs Everton

The final game of Matchweek 25 played on Saturday evening saw Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace host David Moyes Everton in what looked an interesting fixture at Selhurst Park. With both teams enjoying strong runs of form, the full time result was always going to be unpredictable, with Palace who dominated the early exchanges in the tie. After a few solid saves from Jordan Pickford, the Eagles thought they’d found the opener after Jefferson Lerma headed the ball into the top right corner from Justin Devenny’s corner delivery but it was ruled out by the assistant referee as Devenny’s inswinging corner had curled out of play. Everton then took the lead totally against the run of play after new signing Carlos Alcarez found Beto in space inside the Palace area. Beto composed himself before lifting the ball over keeper Dean Henderson, scoring his 5th goal this season and his 4th under David Moyes, continuing his brilliant form under the veteran manager. The score at the break stood at 0-1 with Palace so unlucky not to at least be level. 

Glasner’s side made the perfect start to the 2nd period when equalising 2 minutes after the restart. Lerma hooked the ball over the Everton defence with his back to goal where their top scorer, Jean-Philippe Mateta, was able to scrap the ball past Pickford to notch his 11th goal of the season, one of the Premier League’s most underrated strikers. The game continued to be evenly played out until the 80th minute where Everton did just enough to snatch all 3 points. A long ball was played over to the back post where tall centre half Jake O’Brien attempted to head the ball across goal. The ball quite clearly struck the hand of Ben Chillwell causing all the players to turn into statues apart from the quick thinking Ashley Young. Young passed the ball to Alcarez who tapped the ball past Henderson before wheeling away in celebration to the away fans who now had a new star to chant about. The full time score finished 1-2, with Everton claiming their 4th win in 5 games under David ‘The Moyesiah’ Moyes. Everton rise to 14th in the league, level on points with 13th placed Crystal Palace, with just 1 goal separating the sides.

Liverpool vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

The first game of Matchweek 25 played on Sunday afternoon saw Arne Slot’s Liverpool host Vitor Pereira’s Wolves at Anfield. Given the difference in their positions on the table, it was almost inevitable that Liverpool would take the lead. The opener came in the 15th minute after Luis Diaz played a brilliant switch ball into the path of Mohamed Salah in the penalty area. Salah took a heavy touch which saw the ball cleared out of his path by Toti Gomes for Wolves where the ball then bounced right in front of Diaz who was inside the 6-yard box. Diaz tripped and fell onto the ball, watching as it bobbled past Jose Sa and over the line, making for a scrappy opener. Liverpool then doubled their advantage right before the interval after Diaz was released into the penalty area via a long ball. The Colombian took the ball around Sa before inevitably being brought down, resulting in a clear penalty. Salah stepped up to take the spot kick and composedly smashed the ball into the back of the net, taking his season tally to 23 in search of his 4th Premier League Golden boot. The score at the break stood at 2-0 with Liverpool hoping to stretch their lead at the top to 7 points again.

After Liverpool had missed a few chances to score a 3rd goal to potentially wrap up all 3 points, Wolves silenced Anfield when their star player Mathues Cunha scored his 12th of the season to make it 2-1. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde played a cheeky backheel to Cunha outside the penalty area where the Brazilian rolled the ball onto his left boot, completely fooling Ryan Gravenberch. Cunha then spectacularly whipped the ball into the bottom left corner, adding to his illustrious list of wonderful Premier League goals. Unfortunately for Wolves, Liverpool were too strong defensively as Liverpool held out for a 2-1 win at home. Liverpool go 7 points clear of Arsenal on top of the table while Wolves remain 17th in the league, with just 8 goals separating them and Ipswich who are 18th.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United

The curtain draw of Matchweek 25 on Sunday afternoon saw Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur host Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Manchester United came out the blocks quickly at Spurs, with the returning Guglielmo Vicario forced to make a huge save from Alejandro Garnacho’s curling effort before the rebound from Diogo Dalot had to be cleared off the line by new signing Kevin Danso. Totally against the run of play in the 13th minute, Spurs took the lead after Lucas Bergvall picked up the ball with his back to goal in the United penalty area. The Swede spun and shot, watching as his effort was saved by Andre Onana. Unfortunately for Onana, all of his defenders were caught ball watching as James Maddison followed up the shot and smashed the ball past Onana to silence his critics. United continued to play the more attacking football for the remaining minutes of the half though, with Garnacho missing an absolute sitter in the 23rd minute, smashing the ball over the crossbar where he clearly should have placed the ball. The score at the interval stood at 1-0 with Tottenham lucky they were not pegged back on level terms.

Manchester United continued their positive and attacking football in the 2nd period but lacked a real poachers awareness and touch inside the penalty area. It also didn’t help that Vicario was having a stunning game in goals for Spurs, blocking every shot that was fired at him. Tottenham then started to punish Manchester United in the 2nd half who had no experience on their bench. Amorim’s substitutes consisted of all academy teenagers, all of them lacking any Premier League minutes. Tottenham had a few chances to seal all 3 points in the last 15 minutes but it didn’t matter in the end. When the full time whistle was blown, the score finished 1-0. Tottenham finally picked up a win at home, their first in over 100 days, as they moved into 12th on the table. Manchester United continue to drastically underperform as they drop to 15th in the league.

Written by Ollie Wade