It was another action-packed week in the English Premier League which saw goals, surprises, red cards and much more. The highlight of Matchweek 20 was Spurs’ victory over bitter rivals Chelsea. The refereeing was also a point of contention in a week which saw 3 red cards and 4 penalties.
Let’s take a look at some important matches, results and event that transpired in Matchweek 20 of the Premier League.
#1 Tottenham end Chelsea’s thirteen-match winning streak
Last time when Chelsea met Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane they ended Spurs’ dream of winning the title. They also ended Spurs’ 11 match unbeaten streak in the Premier League when they met six weeks ago. But this time around it was Mauricio Pochettino’s side who prevented the West Londoners from bettering the 13-match winning streak set by Arsenal in 2002.
Chelsea looked second best from the start as Tottenham matched their rival’s formation and pressed high up the pitch. Blues forwards, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, rarely got on the ball as the three man Spurs defence marked them tightly.
Moussa Dembele and Victor Wanyama bossed the midfield along with the wing backs. But it was Alli, who struck on either side of the half-time that ensured Spurs’ victory. He has scored 2 goals in each of his last 3 games and 7 goals in last 4 appearances.
Two of the best opportunities for Chelsea fell to Eden Hazard who failed hit the target on both occasions. It was only the second time the league-leaders failed to score in a Premier League match this season - incidentally, both were in North London.
The lead for Chelsea at the top of the table was cut short to 5 points as a result of the defeat. The victory enabled Spurs to break into the top three ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal.
#2 Arsenal make a phenomenal comeback to hold AFC Bournemouth
Arsenal showed great character and grit to fight back from three goals down to draw against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth, looking for their first back-to-back win in the Premier League, started on a positive note. But Arsene Wenger’s substitutions and Arsenal’s perseverance kept them in the hunt for the elusive league title as they managed to score three goals in 20 minutes.
The Cherries began the game with a lot of energy, pressing high up the pitch and winning the ball back quickly to unsettle the North Londoners. Charlie Daniels scored in his second consecutive appearance to give Bournemouth the lead, which was doubled by Callum Wilson from the spot 5 minutes later.
Arsenal, playing their second game within 48 hours, looked tired and did not manage a single shot on target in the first half. They were simply rattled by the vibrancy of the opponents and the intimidating atmosphere inside the stadium. Their defence looked shaky and all the goals they conceded were the result of poor judgement and defensive mistakes.
But everything was no lost yet for the Gunners as Alexis Sanchez headed home his 10th away goal of the season in all competition to put Arsenal on track. The Chilean now has scored 8 times away from home, the most by a player in the league, equal to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa.
Lucas Perez, Wenger’s summer signing from Deportivo la Coruna, scored a sumptuous volley off a great Giroud pass. The Gunners’ comeback was completed by Giroud’s header which found the back of the net 5 minutes before the final whistle. The 30-year old resurgent striker, who led the epic fight back, has now scored in each of his last three appearances.
Arsenal have now scored in each of their last 11 matches and also their last 9 away matches in the league(They failed to score against only Leicester and Middlesborough). However, they dropped to 5th position in the league table as a result of the draw.
#3 Manchester clubs still in the hunt
Poor refereeing was the centre of attention as West Ham United hosted Manchester United at the Olympic Stadium in London. The Hammers found themselves on the back foot after 15 minutes with referee Mike Dean sending off the Algerian winger Sofiane Feghouli for a fifty-fifty challenge on Phil Jones. The English referee has shown 5 red cards and awarded 10 penalties this season, more than any other referee in the league.
Despite a man advantage United failed to create chances and Jose Mourinho was not at all pleased with the performances of his players in the first half. The former Chelsea manager brought Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata on in the second half to change the game.
Rashford, the 19-year old forward, stretched the West Ham defence and took on players to a great effect. He showed great skill and composure to find Mata inside the box who finished in style. Later, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 13th goal of the campaign to double the Manchester United lead though replays confirmed he was in an offside position. The Swede has been involved in almost 52% of all the goals scored by United this season in the league.
Had it not been for West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph, United could have won by a much bigger margin. The Red Devils extended their unbeaten run to 13 in all competitions and this was their 6th win on the trot in the league.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City struggled to beat a dogged Burnley side at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola, to everyone’s surprise, decided to bench both his key players, David Silva and Sergio Aguero.
As expected, City began with a lot of possession, created a few good chances but failed to put any of them away. They suffered a setback in the 32nd minute when referee Lee Mason sent off Fernandinho for a two-footed challenge on Johann Berg Gudmundsson. The Brazilian has now been sent off thrice in a span of six weeks which is sure to vex the manager.
In the second half, David Silva and Sergio Aguero came on to restore City’s lost momentum. Gael Clichy scored his 3rd goal for the Citizens to put them in front. Four minutes later Aguero doubled the lead with a brilliant finish from a very tight angle. Ben Mee of Burnley reduced the deficit with a scrappy goal but that was as good as it would get for the visitors.
Guardiola’s side managed to return to the top four but the Burnley manager, Sean Dyche, will be disappointed not to have added to the meagre one point they have picked up away from home in the season so far.
#4 Liverpool held by defiant Sunderland
Liverpool came to the Stadium of Light hoping to get three points to close the gap to league leaders Chelsea but Sunderland proved to be a tough nut to crack. The Black Cats came from behind twice to deny the Merseysiders a victory. Jermain Defoe scored his 153rd and 154th goal in the Premier league to secure a point, which could be crucial in the side’s relegation battle.
Liverpool’s regular skipper, Jordon Herderson missed the match having sustained a heel injury in their previous outing against Manchester City. Danial Sturridge, who started for the first time since October, made an instant impact as he headed home a mistimed shot from Dejan Lovren to give Liverpool the lead.
But Sunderland worked hard off the ball and closed down players quickly, thus disrupting the Reds’ fluid passing. Their hard work paid off as Didier Ibrahim Ndong was brought down in the penalty box by Ragnar Klavan and Sunderland got a penalty which was coolly dispatched by Defoe.
Sadio Mane put Klopp’s side in front again from close range, scoring his 9th goal of the season. Later he handled the ball in his own box, gifting Sunderland the second penalty of the match to be scored by Defoe yet again. Liverpool will have to play the next few games without the Senegalese, who will leave for the African Cup of Nations.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will surely rue the loss of two points as they face an in-form Manchester United next in the league. David Moyes, meanwhile, is aware that Jermain Defoe’s form will be key in Sunderland’s fight to avoid relegation. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker has been involved in 13 out of 19 Sunderland goals in this league campaign.
#5 Swansea end losing streak by beating Crystal Palace
Swansea City managed to end a run of eight Premier League away matches without a win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The new Eagles manager Sam Allardyce, however, lost his first home Premier League match as a boss for the very first time. The newly appointed Swans’ manager Paul Clement, meanwhile, will be delighted to see his side rise from the bottom of the table to 19th.
Last time the two sides met there was a flurry of goals, but this time around both sides were cautious, resulting in few opportunities for both sides. Defender Alfie Mawson scored his first goal for the club from Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick to put Swansea in front.
Wilfred Zaha equalised for the Eagles in the 83rd minute from a spectacular scissor kick. The Ivorian winger has been involved in 10 Premier League goals in 2016-17 (4 goals, 6 assists). Angel Rangel came off the bench and grabbed the winner thus ending a run of 95 Premier League matches without a goal.
It has been a disappointing start for Allardyce at his new club, picking up only one point in three games. He will be worried by the fact that Palace have now kept only one clean sheet in their last 25 Premier League games. They failed to trouble the Swansea defence (a team with the worst defensive record in the league this season) too much managing only three shots on target. To make matters worse Palace will miss Zaha for at least three weeks as he will now head away on international duty.
