2024-02-24 22:38:40
Leader Liverpool remains under direct threat from Manchester City, tiptoeing victorious at Bournemouth (1-0), and the amazing Arsenal, intractable on Saturday once morest Newcastle (4-1).
The leading trio are held in two points at the end of a fatal 26th day at Manchester United, beaten 2-1 in added time at Fulham.
. Arsenal stay the course
The defeat on Wednesday at Porto (1-0) in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League did not break Arsenal’s momentum in England.
The Gunners (3rd, 58 pts) scored a sixth consecutive victory in the Premier League in 2024, for a total of 25 goals scored and only three conceded in this series.
Their dynamic can worry Liverpool (60 pts) and City (59 pts) who face each other in two weeks at Anfield.
Against Newcastle, Mikel Arteta’s team delivered a performance similar to their last two performances in the league, at West Ham (6-0) and Burnley (5-0).
Efficiency on set pieces, defensive discipline, offensive creativity, permanent movement: Arsenal were once once more unplayable, facing a team that had stifled them in the first leg, despite a minimalist final score (1-0).
On Saturday, the mixture of physical impact (Declan Rice), tactical intelligence (Jorginho) and offensive imagination (Martinelli-Havertz-Saka, with Odegaard as an x-factor), shattered the defense of the “Magpies” , eighth following conceding 13 goals in their last 5 matches.
. City at a slow trot
Pep Guardiola’s team delivered a third performance in a row without relief, this time at Bournemouth, a team weaned from victory in 2024 in the league and crushed by Liverpool a month ago (4-0).
This narrow 1-0 victory, obtained thanks to a goal from Phil Foden (24th), appears fortunate in view of the scenario of the meeting. Bournemouth pushed and were clumsy in front of goal in the second half.
Kluivert (51st), Tavernier (55th, 59th), Solanke (68th) and Unal (90+1) missed golden opportunities which confirm that defense is definitely no longer the Citizens’ strong point.
. Manchester United rechute
Even if the club’s new shareholder, Jim Ratcliffe, is openly considering the construction of a 90,000-seat stadium a few meters from Old Trafford, the sports project must clearly remain the priority.
Deprived of their scorer Rasmus Hojlund, the Red Devils saw their good series of four consecutive victories end by losing at home once morest Fulham (1-2).
This setback constitutes a hard blow in the quest for fourth final place, qualifying for the next Champions League, since its current holder Aston Villa is eight points ahead following its 4-2 victory once morest Nottingham Forest.
Dominant in the first period, Fulham should have scored several times (Muniz, Iwobi, Andreas Pereira) and did not hesitate to do so just following the hour mark through Calvin Bassey (65th).
Joined by a goal from Harry Maguire in the 89th minute, the west London team regained the advantage thanks to Alex Iwobi in the 7th minute of added time.
. Aston Villa stays the course
With three victories in its last six matches, Aston Villa still remains very erratic but is more than ever a serious candidate to participate in the next Champions League, following its victory once morest Nottingham Forest (4-2).
Deprived of six players, the Birmingham club quickly made the difference thanks to a goal from Ollie Watkins, his fourteenth of the season in the league (with ten assists).
This victory allows Unai Emery’s team to count 52 points and put pressure on their main rival for Europe, Tottenham, who are now five points behind with one more match to play, at Chelsea.
At the bottom of the table, Everton narrowly missed winning at Brighton (1-1). Joined at the very end of the match despite a numerical superiority, the “Toffees” at least temporarily exit the relegation zone.
Also note the successful debut of Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace. The formation of the former Eintracht Frankfurt coach reassured itself once morest the relegated Burnley (3-0).
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