Following the international break, the Premier League is back for match-week 12, and there were major score lines across all of the matches that happened this weekend. Title challenges have been set, and relegation scraps were reignited after the goals just flew in, reminding us of the sheer excellence this league is.
(Image Credit- Naomi Baker- Getty Images)
Southampton 2-3 Liverpool
Liverpool came from behind against a strong Southampton side to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League on Sunday evening. The match began somewhat evenly, but it took until the 30th minute for Southampton’s defensive cracks to show after a terrible set of play between the Southampton left flank saw a ball fall to Szoboszlai who curled a wonderful effort into the far corner. 12 minutes later a glimmer of hope appeared for Southampton after the VAR deemed Robertson fouled Dibling inside of the penalty box, allowing Armstrong to score on the rebound from the penalty spot after Kelleher saved. Almost against the run of play, it was level going into half time at one goal apiece.
The second half promised goals with both teams needing to get all three points, but unbelievably it was the Saints who came out better in the second half. In the 56th minute, the Southampton break soared up the pitch, and after some lovely exchange play, Armstrong found Matheus Fernandes who placed an effort at the far post and into the net to put the Saints ahead in this tie. Liverpool were determined to respond quickly, and with a man like Salah in the side that is all too easy. The Egyptian broke forward onside and placed a lovely effort past McCarthy in the 65th minute, levelling things here at St Mary’s once again. Tensions rose as the match went on, with differing approaches to the game now, but Liverpool found their moment late on in the 83rd minute after Sugawara handled inside of the box, allowing Salah to step up from the spot and emphatically fire into the top corner, putting the away side ahead once again. Liverpool managed to control the game up until the whistle, allowing Slot’s soaring Reds to claim all three points. The result sees Slot’s side stay in 1st on 31 points, whereas keeping Martin’s Saints side in 20th on 4 points. MOTM- Mohamed Salah
Manchester City 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham dismantled an out-of-sorts City side to leave Manchester shocked in a thriller on Saturday evening. The away side came into the game on strong form and early on they showed why, as only 13 minutes in Maddison put his side ahead following a peach of a delivery from Kulusevski. It took only seven minutes more for Spurs to be in dreamland, when Son sent a teasing ball forward to Maddison again to dink a ball over Ederson, doubling the away side’s advantage and making the Etihad deafeningly quiet. The away side continued to threaten in the first half, but it was just the two-goal advantage that they held over a dismal City side at half time.
City knew a response was required to turn their November form around, but the opposite happened only 7 minutes after the restart to kill all hope of three points. The former Cityzen Pedro Porro managed to extend the away side’s lead to three, after Solanke cut a ball back for the full back to finish emphatically, sending the away end into delirium. City started to grow into the game as the second half went on, needing Vicario to be alert from chances by Gundogan and Haaland, but is was too little, too late for the home side. Three minutes into injury time and the wonderful afternoon for the away side was compounded, after Werner delivered a low ball into the path of Brennan Johnson, who slotted home to make it four goals to the good, and to heap the misery on City. The result keeps Guardiola’s shapeless City side in 2nd place on 23 points, whereas propelling Ange’s Lilywhites up to 6th on 19 points. MOTM- James Maddison
Fulham 1-4 Wolves
Wolves hit Fulham for four goals and three points in a thriller at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon. The home sides were favourites for the points in this game, and they hit the front foot first after Alex Iwobi curled a wonderful strike into the top bins, 20 minutes in. Wolves were all too familiar with going behind, but they were determined to hit back and so they did in the 31st minute after the star striker Matheus Cunha flicked a cheeky shot over Leno to put the away side level and to invigorate themselves. The half ebbed out as an evenly contested affair, with both sides going into half time level with plenty to consider following their attacking successes.
Wolves knew they needed to sniff out three points here to put their minds off their relegation fight, and they were hungry for goals immediately after the restart began. The away side got stuck in quickly, and 8 minutes into the second half they went ahead when the Brazilian Joao Gomes slotted home following a wonderful through-ball from Cunha. The game was fiercely contested from here, with Fulham coming closest from Wilson, but it was ultimately the away side who managed to steal the show when in the 87th minute Cunha got his second from a wonderful curling effort to which Leno could only watch. The game was done from there, but the away side compunded a wonderful performance in the 92nd minute after Guedes scored a sneaky finish to put Wolves 3 ahead. The full time whistle blew to the dissapointment of Silva’s Cottagers who sit in 9th place on 18 points, whereas O’Neil’s elated Wolves shoot to 17th on 9 points. MOTM- Matheus Cunha
Leicester 1-2 Chelsea
Chelsea survived a late scare from a disappointing Leicester side to continue their rise up the Premier League on Saturday morning. The away side put the pressure on early, and it paid off only 15 minutes in after Nicolas Jackson robbed the ball off Faes following multiple failed clearances, and curling a wonderful outside-of-the-boot shot past Hermansen for the first goal. Ndidi was lucky to avoid a red card in the middle of the half following a poor challenge on Palmer, but the referee and VAR both agreed upon a yellow card for the Nigerian midfielder. The referee called time on a fierce half of football, with the away side deservedly ahead at the break.
Chelsea knew to secure the points they definitely needed another, and they really should have done so 9 minutes after the restart when a ball was flashed across the box and met Palmer, who was only denied a goal by his teammate Madueke on the goal line. It took until the 75th minute for Chelsea to double their lead, when the inform Enzo Fernandez headed home from yards out following a save from Hermansen and giving a lot more breathing space for the Blues. The game was put into doubt in the 4th minute of injury time however, as following a previously denied penalty claim, Leicester were awarded a spot kick following a foul from Lavia on De Cordova-Reid, to which Ayew fired past Sanchez. It proved not to be enough for the Foxes however, as the full time whistle blew on the match and Cooper’s time as manager, leaving the Foxes in 16th place on 10 points, whereas shooting Maresca’s flying Blues up to 4th place on 22 points. MOTM- Nicolas Jackson
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Arsenal managed to find their feet again with all three points against a red-hot Forest side on Saturday afternoon. Arsenal needed a spark to reignite themselves after a poor spell of form, and it was the star-boy Bukayo Saka who delivered for the Gunners after picking the ball up from Odegaard on the edge of the box, and flashing a comet of a shot past Sels’s other side to put the Gunners ahead. It was a tight contest for the remaider of the first half, with chances coming and going for Trossard for the home side, and Wood for Forest, but it was almost certainly a deserved one goal lead for the home side going into the break.
It was a first half largely dominated by Arsenal, and the beginning of the second half mirrored exactly that. It didn’t take the Gunners long to double their lead, as in the 52nd minute Saka rolled the ball to Thomas Partey who hit a trademark long-shot from 25 yards straight past Sels and into the net to double the home-teams cushion. Nottingham Forest looked flat in this game, and this continued for the remainder of the half as they kept allowing the home side to pile the pressure on. One man in no mood to mess around for the home team was Ethan Nwaneri, who after only being on the pitch for a matter of minutes tested Sels once, then again in the 86th minute that beat the Belgian keeper giving Arsenal a well deserved and rounded 3-0 win. The full time whistle went to the joy of Arteta’s Reds who stay in 5th place on 22 points, and to the dissapointment of Nuno’s Forest side who drop to 6th place also on 22 points. MOTM- Bukayo Saka
Aston Villa 2-2 Crystal Palace
Aston Villa and Crystal Palace played out an entertaining and drama-packed draw on Saturday afternoon. The match began in perfect fashion for the away side in Birmingham, after Ismaila Sarr used his pace to break and coolly slotted a finish past Martinez only 4 minutes into the match. Villa needed a response to try and regain some form they have lost of late, and 36 minutes into the game Ollie Watkins did so for the home side after McGinn found the striker, who rounded Henderson and slotted into an empty net. The first half still had plenty of drama in store, such as in the 45th minute when Youri Tielemans took a spot kick following a foul from Hughes, but it was evenly met from Henderson to deny the home side the lead. Not even minutes later and Palace took the lead, after a quick break and some terrible defending saw the ball fall to the youngster Justin Devenny who curled an effort into the far corner to give Palace the lead out of nothing. The half time whistle went to boos around Villa Park, and it was Palace who had stolen ahead going into the break.
The first half could only be described as a disappointment for the home side, and Emery’s men needed to fashion something here to avoid back-to-back defeats against the Eagles. The second half flared the tensions of both sides, with yellow cards being given out seemingly every minute, but it was Villa who found that crucial equalising goal 77 minutes in. Tielemans made up for his penalty miss by playing an inch-perfect corner to the head of Barkley who looped a header to Henderson’s far post to tie the scores once again. Palace came inches close to a winner after Schlupp’s strike came off the post following a save by Martinez, but ultimately the action concluded with the scores two each at Villa Park. The draw sees Emery’s Villa drop to 9th on 19 points, whilst keeping Glasner’s Eagles stay in 18th place on 8 points. MOTM- Ismaila Sarr
Bournemouth 1-2 Brighton
Brighton continued their impressive Premier League run with a battling win against Bournemouth on Saturday. It was the Seagull’s who stole ahead earliest in this game, as after only 4 minutes Joao Pedro tapped home following a parry away from Kepa. Bournemouth grew into the game as the first half went on, and they thought they had gone ahead in the 42nd minute after Kluivert set up a goal for Evanilson but the Dutch forward was deemed to be offside. Despite their growing influence, the home side couldn’t find that first half goal and it was the Seagulls who managed to lead at the interval.
Brighton were best in the early stages of the first half here, and it was the early stages of the second that was most fruitful for the away side. Pedro was once again involved playing a defense-splitting pass 49 minutes in to the capable feet of the Japanese Mitoma, who was as cool as ice to slot easily past Kepa and giving the away side a two-goal cushion here. Brighton projected confidence from here, but their assurances were put into doubt after Baleba received a controversial second yellow card to reduce the away side down to ten men with half an hour still to play. The match continued on as a back-and-forth affair, but a slight glimmer of hope came in the 93rd minute when David Brooks scored a bullet of a strike to raise some eyebrows at the Vitality, but it ultimately was a consolation for the home side. The full time whistle blew to the annoyance of Iraola’s Cherries who sit in 13th on 15 points, but to the joy of Hurzeler’s wonderful Seagulls who rise up to 3rd on 22 points. MOTM- Joao Pedro
Ipswich Town 1-1 Manchester United
Ipswich managed to fight back and earn a point to deny Amorim a win on his first match in charge. The Red Devils looked to have some reimagined spark under the new management of Amorim, and they did so only 2 minutes in after Amad Diallo set away on the right hand wing and delivered a whipped cross into the box, to which the Englishman Marcus Rashford stole in front of Muric to tap home for 1-0. After a half-chance went for Eriksen only minutes after, Ipswich found themselves getting a feel for the game, and the home side came close to a leveller twice when Szmodics tested Onana’s alertness. The home side managed to cash out on their pressure in the 43rd minute after Omari Hutchinson cut inside and, following a flick on by a United shirt, looped the ball into Onana’s far corner to level the scored up before half time.
United were clearly unhappy at going into half time level, and they left the dressing room for the second half with an attacking mindset. The Red Devils almost retook the lead from the off after Fernandes was involved once again for Garnacho to test Muric, needing a clearance away, and once again 10 minutes in needing Cajuste to make a wonderful tackle. Ipswich came closest in the second half through a chance that was orchestrated by Delap to set Burns ahead of him, forcing Onana to make a brilliant save to deny the home side a lead. The full time whistle was eventually called upon an entertaining, but clinically lacking match more to the joy of the home fans. The result leaves McKenna’s Tractor Boys in 19th place on 8 points, whereas keeping Amorim’s Red Devils in 12th place on 16 points. MOTM- Andre Onana
Newcastle 0-2 West Ham
West Ham stole all three points after a convincing display against a blunt Newcastle side on Monday night. The home side thought they had managed to quickly get a lead in this game, after Isak raced forward and dinked a shot over Fabianski in goal, but the linesman and VAR both deemed his run offside. In the 10th minute, West Ham managed to punish Newcastle, as an out swinging corner met the towering bean-pole Tomas Soucek, who was completely unmarked and headed home a goal for the away side to go right in front in Newcastle. The home side were upset by the easy goal they had conceded, and the remainder of the half was an offensive blitz against the away team with chances for Isak and Gordon needing to be tucked away, but ultimately failing to do so. The half time whistle was called to a smash-and-grab lead for the away side to take going in.
Newcastle were desperate for a response as the second half commenced, but early on their hopes were immediately challenged by the away side. After disposessing Guimares in the midfield, Paqueta set away Bowen who delivered a wonderful ball to Aaron Wan-Bissaka who took a touch, and a shot that fell past Pope to silence the St James’ faithful. From here, the match seemed to lose all spark with Newcastle failing to develop any chances in the final third really at all, with West Ham being all too happy to hold onto their two goal lead. The full time whistle went to send the away side home with all 3 points, leaving Howe’s flat Magpies in 11th place on 18 points, and boosting Lopetegui’s convincing Hammers in 14th place on 15 points. MOTM- Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Everton 0-0 Brentford
Everton rued missed chances to pick up another goalless draw against a poor Brentford side. The home side nearly went ahead 4 minutes in after a shot from Gueye took a nick through to goal, needing Flekken to be strong in goal and make the save. The home side continued their pressure for about half an hour, with chances coming for McNeil and Calvert-Lewin who both needed to do better, but the main drama came at the end of the half. After making a wonderful save to deny Wissa, Pickford found himself in a 50/50 challenge with Norgaard who after consulting the VAR was shown to have unintentionally but apparently caused a high challenge on Pickford, leaving no choice but for the red card to be brandished. The half time whistle went, with the away side knowing they were well up against it now.
With the knowledge that their opponents were one man down, Everton looked to come out swinging in the second half. The biggest chance for the Toffees fell to Vitali Mykolenko after being played forward by Ndiaye, but the Ukranian fullback blazed his effort well over the crossbar. The away side found themselves closest to a goal only a minute later, as in the 62nd minute Lewis-Potter tested Pickford to which the rebound fell to Jensen, but his effort sailed well over the bar. The full time whistle went on another goalless match for Everton, with both sets of fans leaving to an undramatic result. The game sees Dyche’s Toffees stay in 15th on 11 points, whereas moving Frank’s Bees to 11th on 17 points. MOTM- Mark Flekken
