Palmer Makes History and One Away From the Haircut - Premier League Round 25's Saturday Matches as They Happen
Palmer Makes History and One Away From the Haircut - Saturday's Premier League Roundup
The Premier League returned yesterday as Leeds United swept away Nottingham Forest to push a temporary nine points clear of the relegation zone to kick off a crucial weekend of English topflight action.
Moving onto Saturday, seven games were played and X goals were scored this emphatic day of action.
Football Park is here to provide all the fascinating moments and enticing storlyines which built up throughout the day and explain how these things impacted the league table.
One Win Stands Between Frank and a Famous Trim
Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur Mbeumo (38'), Bruno F. (81').
Lunchtime offered up an attentive clash between giants Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. The Red Devils came into this clash hoping to extend their winning run under Michael Carrick to four games and to temporarily extend the gap between themselves and fifth place Chelsea.
Chances were flying around for the opening half hour, and it was the Lilywhites who had the better opportunites to create a lead - this pressure came to an abrupt end, however.
At the end of the opening half hour, Cristian Romero made an awful challenge on United's Casemiro, and referee did not mess around before sending off the Argentine international. It didn't take long for the hosts to capitalise on this fortune either, with Bryan Mbeumo finishing off a spectacular move from a set-piece, provided by Kobbie Mainoo.
The second saw United continue to pound on the pressure upon the Spurs backline before they eventually caved in with 10 minutes to go, as Bruno Fernandes was on hand to convert Diogo Dalot's perfect cross.
History-Making Palmer Shines in Blues Win
Wolves 1-3 Chelsea Arokodare (54'); Palmer (13' pen, 35' pen, 38').
The 3 o'clock kick-offs offered up even more vital matches, and unfortunately for the neutral, this one was only ever going one way. After getting knocked out of the EFL Cup to rivals Arsenal, The Blues were hoping to return to winning ways when they travelled to Molineux and looked to maintain the pressure on United from the earlier kick-off.
Surprisingly, it was the hosts who got off to flier, putting up plenty of pressure on the visitors and creating lots of chances, but they couldn't quite find a way to break the deadlock. It didn't take long for Chelsea to do so, however, after Joao Pedro was brought down in the box, leaving Cole Palmer to step up to the spot and convert calmly.
The opening goal certainly awoke the away end and the players on the field, as The Blues began to dominate the game and soon Pedro found himself brought down once again, where Palmer of course continued his excellent form from 12 yards to convert and double their lead.
Just three minutes later and it was three, with Cole Palmer grabbing his first from open play and recording his third Premier League first-half hat-trick, becoming the first player in the history of the PL to do so.
Wolves looked to get back into the game in the second period, and did just that, with Tolu Arokodare turning in from close range to close the deficit. This would be all the hosts could muster, however, and Liam Rosenior's side made it four league wins on the spin to pressurise the top four further, while Wolves' future in the division looks bleaker by the day.
Villa Miss Chance to go Second in Stalemate in Bournemouth
Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa Rayan (55'); Rogers (22').
Aston Villa were another team who were looking to apply pressure on the top dogs, and victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium would have put them above Manchester City and into the top two.
Unai Emery's side began the clash in great stead too, with in-form Morgan Rogers scoring with Villa's first shot on goal in the match after finishing off a neat bit of play with loanee Jadon Sancho, taking the lead into half-time.
The hosts continued to fire on shots on goal and eventually found one which stuck 10 minutes into the second period. 19-year-old Brazilian international Rayan bagged a very well-taken effort in a moment which he won't forget for a long time, scoring his first goal in England.
The Cherries, who produced an xG of 2.04, came very close to getting that winning goal, but Emi Martinez stood in their way to deny a second goal. Villa remain in third and are now just four points ahead of fifth place Chelsea.
Gunners Go Nine Clear at Top
Arsenal 3-0 Sunderland Zubimendi (42'), Gyokeres (66', 90'+3).
League leaders Arsenal welcomed a now somewhat struggling Sunderland to the Emirates, as the EFL Cup finalists looked to extend their lead at the top of the table.
After gaining a very impressive point at the Stadium of Light, The Black Cats would have hoping to really give The Gunners a good, and heading into the interval they very almost kept the game level.
The hosts had all the pressure throughout, and were getting some serious opportunities to go ahead. Sunderland did offer a lot of resistance, even getting some chances of their own, but they were eventually undone by a Martin Zubimendi strike three minutes before the half.
Mikel Arteta's side were much less dominant in the second half, but still had the key opportunities to double their lead, and they did just that substitute Viktor Gyokeres, who smashed the ball home. The Swede then later earned his brace in stoppage-time, after slotting into an empty net.
The victory for Arsenal moves them nine clear at the top prior to City's clash with Liverpool on Sunday, while Sunderland dropped to ninth.
Burnley's Winless Run Extends
Burnley 0-2 West Ham Summerville (13'), Castellanos (26').
In a match which perhaps had the most on the line for both sides, with Burnley praying to put their 16-game winless run in the league to an end, while West Ham were hoping to get back to winning ways and go three from safety following Forest's defeat to Leeds on Friday.
Unfortunately for the hosts, their hope petered out quite early on when Crysencio Summerville managed to delicately dink the ball over Martin Dubravka to get off to a golden start with Summerville continuing his insane run of form in recent weeks which has seen him score five games in a row in all competitions.
The Hammers then continued to pounce on the early pressure applied as a result of the opener, and found a goal to double their advantage when El Hadji Malick Diouf played in a concise cross to Taty Castellanos who headed home.
Burnley then failed to really make their guests work for the three points for the remainder of the fixture, as they now sit 11 points adrift of safety, and look increasingly likely to experience an immediate return to the second tier.
Dewsbury-Hall Stars in Toffees Comeback Win
Fulham 1-2 Everton Mykolenko (18' OG); Dewsbury-Hall (75'), Leno (83' OG).
Marco Silva's Fulham played host to European-chasing Everton to a noisy Craven Cottage as both sides look to boost their hopes of unlikely return to European football with a win to close in on the top six.
The game was the definition of a game of two halves, and despite Everton making a bright start, the opening period was one which the hosts mostly dominated. After said good start, ex-Toffee Alex Iwobi almost sent his current team into the lead before the visitors' Vitali Mykolenko scored a very unfortunate own goal. A strong save from Jordan Pickford to deny Raul Jimenez ricocheted off the Ukrainian to give the Cottagers a vital lead.
Silva's team went on dominate the rest of the half, but couldn't find something to double their lead - and this eventually came back to bite them. The Toffees began the second period excellently, and started to get back into the game, with a goal looking increasing likely.
Mykolenko redeemed his earlier efforts to set up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to convert from close, before the ex-Chelsea midfielder took a free-kick late on which Bernd Leno couldn't save and instead diverted it straight into his own goal.
David Moyes' side fly up into eighth now on 37 points, going within two of sixth placed Merseyside rivals Liverpool, while Fulham sit three points behind in tenth.
Two Pens and Late Drama in Newcastle
Newcastle 2-3 Brentford Botman (24'), Bruno G (79' pen); Janelt (37'), Igor Thiago (45'+2 pen), Ouattara (85').
In the later kick-off on the day, The Magpies welcomed Brentford to St James' Park as Keith Andrews was aiming for back-to-back wins to put The Bees level on points with Liverpool in seventh.
This game turned into something of an absolute thriller, as the goals went flying in throughout and referee Andy Madley was not afraid to point to the spot. Despite being three points behind their guests, Newcastle got off to a brilliant start after Sven Botman's head was found by Sandro Tonali's corner kick to give the hosts the lead.
The Bees then attempted to immediately sought out a reply - similar to the one they had in the reverse fixture - and found just that through Vitaly Janelt, who managed to squeeze a header past Nick Pope from close range to level.
It was then the inevitable Igor Thiago who got in on the act, granted from the penalty spot, after Mathias Jensen's effort from range struck Jacob Murphy's hand before Madley pointed to the spot, and the Brazilian calmly converted to register his 17th of the campaign and sixth of this calendar year.
The second period was much the same in terms of quality chances as Newcastle looked to get back into the game. The Magpies found themselves on a dangerous break too before Bruno Guimaraes appeared to be tripped in the box, and although clearly not deliberate, it could not be argued after a VAR check that Michael Kayode had tripped the Brazilian, who then also converted to restore parity once more.
The match looked as if another goal would not shock anyone as both sides clearly pushed for a winner, and it was summer signing Dango Ouattara who found it five minutes from time as The Bees continue to push to make that European dream a reality.
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