Premier League: Matchweek 26 Saturday Review – Liverpool, Arsenal, United in Action

It was a busy Saturday in the English Premier League, with all 7 matches proving influential all across the table, as the race for table positions heats up in the final third of the season.

Liverpool were in action, aiming to keep pace with Manchester City in order to utilize their game in hand. Manchester United and Arsenal both had relatively straight-forward fixtures as well, as both sides push hard for that coveted 4th position. There were also quite a few matches that played a crucial role in the relegation escape race, along with the one for the 7th spot.

Man United 3 Fulham 0:

I am running out of superlatives to describe Paul Pogba, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and basically everything else related to Manchester United at the moment. They have simply turned up their level significantly in the last 2 months and at the perfect time as well, as they are now probably favourites for 4th place and could even pose a threat to PSG in the Champions League. Although this match was no walk in the park for United, they got the job done, courtesy of 2 sublime goals from Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial respectively. As for Fulham, their defence has let them down once more.

Watford 1 Everton 0:

Oh dear Everton, what on earth is going wrong? Marco Silva’s toffees have been sputtering and stumbling for weeks now, and another defeat against a direct rival for that 7th place position might just be the final nail in the coffin for the Portuguese manager, who’s performances have not met expectations whatsoever. Despite dominating possession and putting more shots on goal than their opposition, Everton simply could not find the back of the net. Andre Gray grabbed the winning goal in the 65th minute, while Kurt Zouma earned himself a red card in 2nd half stoppage-time. This allowed Watford to go 7 points clear of Everton with a game in hand.

Huddersfield 1 Arsenal 2:

What a strange match this was. Arsenal, who were without the likes of Xhaka, Aubameyang, Ramsey, and Ozil, played an unexpectedly even match against Huddersfield. The Terriers hadn’t scored in their last 8.5 hours of football, while the Gunners hadn’t kept a single away clean sheet all season. The match was a strange one like I mentioned, due to the fact that Huddersfield had more possession, shots, and passes completed than Arsenal. Despite this, Iwobi and Lacazette were able to get on the scoresheet in the first half to ensure victory, but instead of going for Huddersfield’s throats in the 2nd half, Arsenal sat back and let Aaron Mooy and co play with the ball. This led to Huddersfield’s long awaited goal in stoppage time, but a loss regardless. Arsenal sputtered a bit, but still grabbed the 3 points they needed to keep pace with United and Chelsea.

Southampton 1 Cardiff City 2

It’s been a complete rejuvenation for Southampton under new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, but on this particular weekend, they came up against an emotionally-fueled and determined Cardiff City following a tough period for the club. Although Southampton were favourites and played like it too, dominating possession, the peak of this match came in injury time following Sol Bamba’s 69th minute opener. Jack Stephens found a loose ball on the back post following a corner in stoppage time to seal what many thought would be the goal that shares the points, but a scramble in the Southampton box in the 93rd minute led to a brilliant finish from Zohore, as Cardiff climb out of the Premier League relegation zone, while Southampton drops into it.

Crystal Palace 1 West Ham 1:

It was an eventful fixture at Selhurst Park between 2 Premier League mid-table dwellers in Crystal Palace and West Ham. Crystal Palace are quickly losing pace with the mid-table pack however, and need to start picking up more wins if they are to keep up. The Eagles sit just 3 points out of the relegation zone now, and the space between 13th and 18th place in the Premier League is extremely tight. West Ham have their eyes set a bit further up the table, aiming to keep pace with the likes of Everton, Wolves, and Watford, who are all fighting for that final European place. Crystal Palace got off a whopping 25 shots in this match, with just 5 of them finding the target. Mark Noble opened the scoring in the 27th minute through his trademark penalty, whilst Wilfried Zaha added to his underwhelming goal tally with the equalizer in the 76th minute.

Liverpool 3 Bournemouth 0:

Following an eventful week or two in the title race which has seen Liverpool’s lead atop the table diminished by the defending Premier League champions Manchester City, the Reds needed a statement win at home against Bournemouth. Failing to win is really not an option for Liverpool anymore, as one slip up could allow City to take a strangle-hold on the title race. Despite a nervy opening 10 or 15 minutes, it was Sadio Mane who opened the scoring for the Reds in a 3rd consecutive match, this time in the 24th minute. While Firmino has struggled, Mane has picked up some slack and started scoring crucial goals once more. A beautiful dinked finish by Georginio Wijnaldum 10 minutes later, and Liverpool were flying.

Salah added a 3rd right as the second-half begun, as Liverpool finally get back to winning ways. Bournemouth’s inconsistencies continue, and they’ve dropped down to 11th as a result. Liverpool remain in 2nd, but with a match in hand over City.

Brighton 1 Burnley 3:

Ah yes, another hotly-contested match with massive implications at the bottom of the table. Brighton and Burnley, both still heavily in the mix for relegation, desperately needed victories on Saturday. Burnley started the season poorly, but have picked up the pace in recent months, while Brighton have been exceeding expectations all season. The Seagulls dominated the ball as you’d expect, but the handful that is Chris Wood scored twice on either side of half-time to give the Clarets a clear lead. Ashley Barnes put the game to bed in the 74th minute with a penalty, and Shane Duffy grabbed a consolation goal right after that for his side.

Both sides are now level in points at 14th and 15th in the table, and are just 3 points out of the Premier League relegation zone.