Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Premier League Results Matchweek 27: Oh, Liverpool…Really?; Gunners Cruise; Man City Nips Futile Eagles; Man United Overcomes Red Card To Salvage Point; Spurs Chop Down Forest; Almiron lifts Newcastle; Chelsea Scores Three; Everton Ends Brentford Run

A five-match unbeaten run, four of them victories including a historic 7-0 win over historic rival Manchester United, came crashing down on Saturday when Liverpool fell 1-0 at Bournemouth. Liverpool supporters were just beginning to see hope for a difficult season as the Reds began to climb the table in recent weeks. Then, just one week after putting seven goals past Manchester United, Liverpool was unable to score against the league’s worst defense. The loss to the Cherries was made all the more sour for the Reds by a missed penalty kick by Mohamed Salah. Credit to Bournemouth as the Cherries moved within a point of safety in their battle to avoid relegation.

League leading Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard, a January transfer, assisted on three first half goals as the Gunners cruised to a 3-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. Gabriel Martinelli scored for the fifth time in his last five league matches as the club’s leading scorer now has 12 goals for the season. In yet another positive sign for the Gunners, forward Gabriel Jesus made his first appearance since suffering his serious knee injury.

With no scoring threat of its own, Crystal Palace parked the bus against Manchester City and almost salvaged a point at Selhurst Park. The Eagles were undone, however, by Erling Haaland’s 78th minute goal, his 28th of the Premier League season.

Crystal Palace, which has yet to win a match this year, has not put a shot on target in three consecutive games and seems headed for a relegation battle. Twelfth place Crystal Palace and the bottom most eight teams in the table are all separated by no more than five points after the weekend with no clubs yet set adrift.

Southampton remains bottom after failing to capitalize on a man advantage in a goalless draw at Manchester United. Manchester United survived a 34th minute red card to Casemiro to salvage the point at Old Trafford. Casemiro’s second red card of the season means the midfield stalwart will miss the next four matches. The Saints have been better since the sacking of manager Nathan Jones but their joint league worst goal production left them unable to take advantage of Sunday’s numerical advantage.

Wolverhampton shares that dubious non-production distinction with Southampton and have scored more than a goal just four times in their 27 matches this season. Scoring one or fewer goals for the 23rd time this season, Wolves fell at Newcastle 2-1 on Sunday. Miguel Almiron’s 11th goal of the season lifted Newcastle to its first win in its last six matches across all competitions and moved the Magpies past Liverpool into fifth place in the Premier League table.

Tottenham Hotspur regained its scoring touch in a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest after Spurs was held without a goal in its prior three matches across all competitions. Harry Kane scored two goals and Son Heung-min scored once to remind fans of the firepower still resident on this inconsistent club. Spurs are still fourth in the league but just four points ahead of Newcastle while having played two more matches than the Magpies. Only Bournemouth has allowed more goals than Forest this season as the Tricky Trees have allowed 12 in just their last five matches.

Leeds’s Jack Harrison scored the final two goals of the match, one for each team in a 2-2 draw with Brighton. Harrison followed his 60th minute own goal with a 78th minute equalizer as each club walked away with a point. Unfortunately for Leeds, weekend wins by Bournemouth and Everton puts the Whites in the drop zone.

Everton ended Brentford’s 12 match unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park. The Toffees’ Dwight McNeil shocked the visitors by scoring in the first minute of play. Just over eighty-nine minutes later, Everton was out of the relegation zone and Brentford had lost its first Premier League match since October.

Chelsea scored three goals in a Premier League match and won back to back league matches for the first time since October in a 3-1 victory at Leicester. Those consecutive league wins were also sandwiched around a 2-0 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund for the resurgent Blues.

Leicester, meanwhile, lost for a fifth consecutive outing, including an FA Cup defeat to Blackburn. The run of losses for Leicester is the longest since 2014.

West Ham remains safe on goal differential after a 1-1 draw at London Stadium versus Aston Villa. The home crowd was not impressed as boos rained down from the stands in cumulative frustration at a season of  underperformance by the Hammers. Said Benrahma scored the West Ham goal on a penalty kick. Ollie Watkins scored his ninth goal of the season for an Aston Villa side which is a comfortable 11 points above the Hammers in the table and is focused on a first half finish as opposed to the dread relegation concern clouding London Stadium.

The Premier League will play some makeup matches on Wednesday. Brentford will try to start a new unbeaten run when the Bees visit Southampton. Brighton will host Crystal Palace in the latest iteration of their strange M23 derby competition. The two rivals are headed in different directions. Brighton is trying to qualify for Europe. Crystal Palace is trying to stay in the Premier League.  

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