Kickoff chronicles

Luton vs Everton

The 36th week of the Premier League kicked off at Kenilworth Road on a Friday night with Luton Town hosting Everton. The now safe Everton were gifted a brilliant chance to take the lead in the 24th minute when Teden Mengi grabbed and pulled down Jarrad Branthwaite inside Luton’s penalty area. Dominic Clavert-Lewin, who had been in good form recently, stepped up to take it and placed the ball right down the centre. Luton reacted in the perfect manner when they hit back right on the half hour mark. Albert Sambi Lokonga played a ball over to Elijah Adebayo who was deep inside the Everton area. He showed his strength, chesting it down and shrugging off Ashley Young. He then turned to goal and smashed the ball on the half volley, watching it nestle into the far corner and making it 1-1. The end-to-end half finished 1-1 with all to play for in the next 45 minutes. The bulk of the second period was dominated by Everton with Hatter’s keeper Thomas Kaminski pulling off a series of saves to keep them level. Luton fired up for the final minutes of the tie, hoping to come away with all 3 points. Toffee’s keeper Jordan Pickford was forced to make two huge saves in stoppage time and then finally, Branthwaite blocked the last shot of the game from Andros Townsend which was destined for the bottom corner. The enthralling fixture finished 1-1 with Luton missing out on a huge chance to climb out of the relegation zone and over Nottingham Forest, staying 18th, level on points. Everton stay 15th but are statistically safe.

Arsenal vs Bournemouth

The first game played on Saturday afternoon was staged in the capital with Arsenal hosting Bournemouth at the Emirates. The Gunner’s put in a stellar first half performance, running rings around Bournemouth. Fortunately for the Cherries, their keeper Mark Travers matched the display from the opposition players, pulling together a string of saves to deny players such as Kai Havertz, Thomas Partey, and Bukayo Saka. The Irish keeper finally made a mistake, bringing down Havertz in the penalty area with his outstretched leg and awarding Arsenal a spot kick just before the interval. Saka stepped up to take it and rolled it down the centre, finally converting a chance past the Bournemouth keeper. The half ended 1-0 with Gunners fans satisfied, but still a little annoyed they hadn’t put the game to bed yet. The second period saw Bournemouth spark to life for a spell with Dominic Solanke forcing a big save from Premier League Golden Glove winner David Raya. Eventually Arsenal sealed the victory when Declan Rice won the ball inside the opposition penalty area. With his back to goal, he checked and saw the run of Leandro Trossard, threading the ball through to him with a little flick using the outside of his boot. The Belgian hit it first time, curling it into the far corner and making it 2-0. The Cherries then went on to score 2 minutes later thinking they had got themselves back into the game when Antonie Semenyo poked in Ryan Christie’s effort that hit the bar. It was disallowed as Raya was pushed when he punched the ball out, leading to Christie’s shot and the game stayed at 2-0. Gabrel then thought he had scored a few minutes later when he brilliantly volleyed the ball into the top left corner but the linsman flagged him for offside as he came back from an illegal position to hit the ball. Arsenal put the Cherry on top when Declan Rice scored to make it 3-0 and prove why he is a world class player. Gabriel Jesus played an intelligent ball through to the Englishman who was deep in the Cherries box from a tight angle. Rice turned and thundered a shot at goal, with the ball managing to squeeze in past Travers and find the back of the net. The fixture finished 3-0 with the Gunners putting the pressure back onto Man.City as they now sit 4 points clear again but the Citizens having the cushion of 2 games in hand. Bournemouth stayed 10th, but missed out on a chance to climb over West Ham and into 9th.

Brentford vs Fulham

The next game on Saturday afternoon was a West London derby with Brentford hosting Fulham at the Gtech. With both teams safe from relegation and out of the running for European football, this game always looked like it had the possibility of a stalemate and unfortunately for the spectators, it was. Neither team failed to create chances, they just couldn’t convert any that they formed. In the 73rd minute the ball sat up perfectly on the floor for Fulham striker Raul Jimenez when Adama Traore found him after a blistering run down the wing. Jimenez was unmarked and should have taken a touch but instead he panicked and blasted his shot over the bar from point blank range. Brentford had a chance early on when Bryan Mbuemo hit the upright but other than that the match was fairly quiet. It finished 0-0 with neither team moving from the respective league positions; Brentford 16th, Fulham 13th.

Burnley vs Newcastle United

The following game of the latest Premier League match week was played at Turf Moor with 19th placed Burnley hosting 8th placed Newcastle. The Magpies opened the scoring after just 20 minutes on the clock when Jacon Murphy’s ball from the right wing found Alexander Isak. Isak’s first time effort was saved by Arijanet Muric but Callum Wilson was there to tap in the scraps. They found their 2nd 15 minutes later when Callum Wilson showed his strength, holding off multiple challenges and retaining possession inside the Burnley 18 yard box. He played it off to Murphy who saw the run of Sean Longstaff. The cut back was spot on and Longstaff buried it into the far corner. Number 3 came 5 minutes later when Anthony Gordon progressed into the Burnley area. He squared it to Bruno Guimaraes who smashed the ball into the bottom left corner, probably wrapping up all three points before the half time whistle had even been blown. The half finished 0-3 with Burnley’s woeful form at home continuing. Newcastle found a brilliant opportunity to go ahead by 4 when Gordon had his shirt pulled inside the Burnley area by Josh Brownhill, awarding the Magpies a penalty. Their top scorer, Isak, stepped up to take it but shocked everyone when his penalty was saved by Muric. The Swede made up for it minutes later when he smashed home the brilliant ball in from Murphy who had been superb all afternoon. The Clarets did find a consolation in the 86th minute when Dara O’Shea headed in the corner from Johann Gudmundsson. The fixture finished 1-4 with Newcastle rising up to 6th in the table. Burnley missed out on a chance to climb above Luton in the table and their chances of survival are now at an all time low.

Sheffield United vs Nottingham Forest

The next game of the match week was at Bramall Lane with Sheffield United hosting Nottingham Forest in a battle at the bottom. The now relegated Sheffield United got off to a positive start when Ben Brereton Diaz won the Blades a penalty after he was brought down inside the area by Forest defender Gonzalo Montiel. The Chilean stepped up to take it and smashed it into the top left corner to give the hosts the lead. 10 minutes later, Forest found a huge goal when Danilo found Callum Hudson-Odoi on the left side of the Blades area. Hudson-Odoi had been no stranger to the spectacular this season and he did not disappoint again. He took a touch with the outside of his right boot, flicking the ball up and then beautifully curling it into the top right corner. The half finished 1-1 with Forest needing another goal if they were to put some space between themselves and 18th placed Luton. The travelling side made the perfect start to the second half when Willy Bolly headed down Anthoney Elenga’s cross from the right wing. Ryan Yates ran in and absolutely smashed the ball into the back of the net, watching it fly past Blades goalkeeper Wes Foderingham. They sealed the game in the 65th minute when Forest made it 1-3. Hudson-Odoi who had just previously cut in from the left wing and hit the post, did exactly that except this time, his effort nestled into the bottom corner, capping off a brilliant display. Just before the full time whistle, Anel Ahmedhodzic was sent off for a second yellow after elbowing Ibrahim Sangare going up for a header. It all finished 1-3 with the now Championship team Sheffield United still in 20th place. Forest put a bit of daylight between themselves and Luton, sitting 3 points clear of the Hatters who are 18th.

Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

The last game played on Saturday afternoon was staged at the Etihad Stadium with Manchester City hosting Wolves. The reigning champions got off to an ideal start when they were awarded a penalty after Josko Gvardiol was fouled by Rayan Ait-Nouri inside the 18 yard box. Erling Haaland stepped up to take it and calmly placed it into the bottom left area of the Wolves goal. City found their 2nd in the 35th minute when Haaland jumped high at the back post to head in Rodri’s chipped pass. Haaland completed his first half hat-trick when the hosts were awarded another penalty. The big Norwegian was denied a shot at Wolves keeper Jose Sa when Nelson Semendo took out his legs from behind. The spot kick was given and Semedo was booked after a quick VAR check. Sa dived the correct way in Haaland’s most recent penalty but it was too powerful and it found the bottom left again. The half ended 3-0 with Erling Haaland a big factor in the first 45 minutes. Wolves did ask some questions of the hosts when Hwang Hee-Chan pulled one back after he smashed in the cross from the right wing at the back post by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. City hit back straight away though after Phil Foden found Haaland in space down the right wing. The Norwegian progressed into the penalty area and cut back, curling a shot beautifully into the far corner scoring his 25th of the Premier League season as he leads the race for the Golden Boot. That goal sealed the game but the home side still had more in the tank. Rodri found Julian Alvarez whose first touch took him into the Wolves penalty area and second found the bottom corner of the Wolves goal. The tie finished 5-1 with City hitting back at Arsenal who had just previously put out a statement themselves. They sit 2nd but only by 1 point with a game in hand. Wolves sit 11th, missing out on an opportunity to rise to 9th in the league.

Chelsea vs West Ham United

The first game played on Sunday afternoon was at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea hosting West Ham. Chelsea, who are making a late run for a Europa League qualification place got off to an ideal start when Cole Palmer bagged his 21st Premier League goal of the season in the 15th minute. Nicholas Jackson’s shot was blocked and the ball fell kindly for Palmer who smashed it into the bottom left corner. The hosts made it 2-0 right on the half hour mark when Conor Gallagher scored his 5th Premier League goal of the season. Noni Madueke’s pass was blocked and it looped up and then down to the English midfielder who brilliantly volleyed it into the far corner. No.3 for Chelsea came 6 minutes later when Mykhailo Mudryk floated a corner to the back post. Centre back Thiago Silva headed it across the 6 yard box for Madueke to nod past Hammers keeper Alphonse Areola. Despite a horrible defensive display so far from West Ham, they were creating a few chances with star man Jarrod Bowen hitting the crossbar twice. The half ended 3-0 with David Moyes’ team putting up another dreadful defensive away from home performance. 3 became 4 for Chelsea in the 48th minute when Jackson scored his 12th Premier League goal of the season. Trevoh Chalobah played a perfect pass over the West Ham defence to Madueke who was one-on-one with Areola. He unselfishly touched it across goal to the Senegalese striker who tapped it in. Minutes later, Bowen summed up West Ham’s day when he hit the bar for the 3rd time in the game. Jackson made it a brace for himself in the 80th minute when he scored Chelsea’s 5th of the afternoon. Moises Caicedo played a defence splitting pass through to the Chelsea striker who had ages of time to finish it and hit the back of the net. It all finished 5-0 with this the last nail in the coffin for David Moyes and West Ham as the board have now confirmed he will be leaving at the end of the season. The Hammer’s continue to drop in the league and sit 9th. Chelsea continue their current spell of form as they now sit 7th, 2 points away from a Europa League spot.

Brighton vs Aston Villa

The following game played on Sunday was at the Amex Stadium with Brighton hosting Aston Villa. Brighton dominated the first 45 minutes with Villa keeper Robin Olsen having to pull out some spectacular saves to keep the Seagulls at bay. The half finished goalless but Brighton were playing some positive football. The hosts thought they had finally beat Olsen in the Villa goal when Pascal Gross tapped in the cross from the left wing by Igor. Unfortunately for the home fans, VAR chalked it off as Gross was offside. Aston Villa then thought they had taken the lead after Bailey’s tackle inside the Brighton penalty area popped out to John McGinn who tapped it into the bottom left corner. When the Scottish international turned around to celebrate, he was met by the linesman whose flag was raised, meaning the game was kept at 0-0. Brighton were finally rewarded for their efforts when Ezri Konsa fouled Simon Adingra inside the Villa area resulting in a spot kick. Joao Pedro’s penalty was actually saved by Olsen, but the Swedish keeper was unlucky as it came back out to Pedro who headed it into the back of the net on his second attempt. The game finished 1-0 with Aston Villa missing out on a big chance to secure their place in the top 4. Brighton picked up all 3 points, taking themselves above Wolves and into 11th.

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur

The last game played on Sunday afternoon was staged at Anfield with Liverpool hosting Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool opened the scoring after just 15 minutes when Mohamed Salah, who had just hit the crossbar, headed in Coady Gakpo’s cross at the back post. Liverpool made it 2-0 just before the interval when Andry Robertson scored his 3rd of the season. He passed it to Salah inside the Spurs’ area where his shot was saved by keeper Guglielmo Vicario. It popped back out to the Scot who tapped in the rebound. The half finished 2-0 with Ange Postecoglou’s side left with a mountain climb if they were to keep their top 4 ambitions alive. They got off to a terrible start when Coady Gakpo netted his 7th of the Premier League campaign. The cross into the back post from Harvey Elliot was superb and Gakpo matched it with his jump, rising high to head the ball into the bottom corner. 3 became 4 nine minutes later when Elliot got his name on the scoresheet. It was quite clearly the best of the bunch as he beautifully curled it into the top left corner from outside the box after he received it from Salah. Tottenham gave their away support something to cheer about when Richarlison tapped in Brennan Johnson’s ball across the 6 yard box with just 18 minutes to play. They gave Liverpool something to think about in the 77th minute when Son Heung-Min made it 4-2. Oliver Skipp played it to Richarlison who had his back to goal in the Liverpool penalty area. The Brazilian laid it back to Son who smashed it into the bottom left corner, hoping to spark another comeback, similar to the previous season where they levelled it at 3-3. Liverpool switched on and shut out Spurs, holding on with the game ending 4-2. Liverpool are still statistically in the title race but the odds are against them as they now have less than a 1 percent chance of hoisting the trophy. The Reds sit 3rd. Tottenham are also almost out of the runnings for their respective objective, to make the top 4 as they sit 7 points behind Villa in 5th.

Crystal Palace vs Manchester United.

The final game of the match week was played on a Monday night in the capital with Crystal Palace hosting Manchester United. Palace made the perfect start to the tie, opening the scoring after just 10 minutes. Michael Olise picked up the ball in midfield and was able to progress through the United players with ease. The Frenchman was given way too much time and space as he dribbled into the penalty area and drilled his shot into the bottom corner. Manchester United then thought they had equalised 15 minutes later when Casemiro’s header at the back post looped all the way back in. Unfortunately for the travelling side, when Palace keeper Dean Henderson jumped to grab Casemiro’s header, the keeper was pushed by Rasmus Hojland, halting him from keeping his balance. Palace then doubled their advantage just before the interval when Jean Philippe-Mateta scored his 12th of the season. Chris Richards passed it to him down the left wing where he was enabled by the United defence to continue his run. Mateta looked up and thundered the ball towards the goal, embarrassing United keeper Andre Onana as it flew past him at his near post. The half ended 2-0 with Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace side flustering Erik Ten Hag’s United team. The Red Devils thought they had halved the deficit 7 minutes into the second period when Casemiro tapped the ball in from his header that hit the post. He looked over and saw the assistant referee’s flag was raised as he was offside when he got his head to Christian Eriksen’s free kick. The Eagles then sealed the game when young Adam Wharton crossed a ball to the back post. There to tap it back across goal was centre back Joachim Anderson who passed it right to the feet of Tyrick Mitchell. The English fullback was unmarked and slotted it past Onana. No.4 for Palace came in the 66th minute through Olise again. Daniel Munoz dispossessed Casemiro and played it back to the Frenchman who was just outside the United area. He took a touch with his left foot and then smashed the ball towards the goal, watching it fly past Onana and finding the back of the net superbly. The game finished 4-0 with Oliver Glasner’s side running riot over United at Selhurst Park. United dropped to 8th, out of any potential European spot. Palace still stay 14th, but things are looking positive for the Eagles next season under Glasner.

Note: Leicester City and Ipswich Town finished 1st and 2nd in the Championship and received automatic promotion while Leeds, Southampton, West Brom, and Norwich will fight for the last Premier League spot in the playoffs later this month. (The clubs were listed in the order they finished in the table so Leeds will play Norwich and Southampton will play West Brom).

Written by Ollie Wade