Premier League 2024/25: Liverpool held at the death, Arsenal overcome Man United

Premier League 2024/25: Liverpool held at the death, Arsenal overcome Man United

New Delhi: Premier League game week 14 started with Crystal Palace securing a win against Ipswich Town while Leicester City outclassed West Ham in every corner of the game. Continuing the action, the big game for Wednesday was Arsenal hosting Manchester United as the two teams are regaining their hold in the season.

In addition to this game, table-toppers Liverpool played against Newcastle United, while their Merseyside opponent Everton hosted Wolverhampton Wanders. Manchester City, having lost their last four Premier League games, hosted Nottingham Forest, with Southampton playing third-placed Chelsea.

Newcastle United 3-3 Liverpool

The points are shared at St. James’ Park. #NEWLIV pic.twitter.com/WFueJwnnlV

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 4, 2024

After playing a boring stalemate with Crystal Palace, Newcastle looked more determined as they kept threatening the Liverpool box. Alexander Isak kept breaching the Liverpool defence before scoring in the 35th minute as he beat Virgil van Dijk from a Bruno Guimaraes through ball. Liverpool kept losing possession throughout the first half in front of their unstoppable hosts.

With a goal deficit from the first half, Liverpool needed their best player of the season to step up in order to retain their lead at the top of the Premier League table. Curtis Jones opened the scoring for the Reds with Mohamed Salah’s eighth assist of the season and made a perfect finish. Not conceding their lead, Newcastle took back the lead in just 12 minutes, with Anthony Gordon scoring from Isak’s assist. Salah then scored a brace in 15 minutes, breaking the record for most matches with goals and assists and briefly gave the Reds a lead in the game. However, Fabian Schar’s goal from Guimaraes’s second assist of the game in the added time meant the game ended in a draw.

Everton 4-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

FT.

Four goals under the lights and our biggest home win since April 2019!!

Thank you for your incredible support tonight, Blues! 🔵#EVEWOL pic.twitter.com/LLXBe1u6qJ

— Everton (@Everton) December 4, 2024

After suffering a 4-0 loss to Manchester United in the previous gameweek, Everton were determined against Wolves from the start of the game as Ashley Young became the oldest player in the Premier League to score a free-kick as he curled the ball around the wall and into the bottom corner. Orel Mangala doubled the lead after Dwight McNeil’s cross into the box was headed off to Vitalii Mykolenko, from whose rebound the Belgian scored.

While Everton had a slight advantage over the Wolves, the visitors simply crumbled under pressure. Four minutes into the second half, Dominic Calvert-Lewin tried to win a corner from McNeil with Sa coming out of the box. However, the goal came from Craig Dawson’s foot, making it his first own goal of the evening. In the 72nd, another Calvert-Lewin attempt comes from Dawson. Wolves never gave themselves the chance to win the game at all. 

Manchester City 3-0 Nottingham Forest

FULL-TIME | Victory! 🤩

🩵 3-0 🌳 #ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/RSTIgt65w4

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 4, 2024

Manchester City broke their losing streak jinx with a 3-0 win win against Nottingham Forest and took home their first points since the end of October. It was Bernardo Silva who opened the scoring for Manchester City at the eight-minute mark with a simple tap from Kevin de Bruyne’s second assist for the season, following Ilkay Gundogan and Josko Gvardiol’s brilliant. De Bruyne then got on the scoresheet himself after shooting from 15 yards from Jeremy Doku’s pass from the left.

Going into the break with a lead, City clearly had an advantage which they didn’t give away in the second half of the game. City had more possession and shots on target than visitors. Just before the hour mark, Doku scored his second goal of the season with Erling Haaland, the highest goal scorer of the season, making his first assist of the season.

Southampton 1-5 Chelsea

ANOTHER WIN AWAY. 🙌#CFC | #SOUCHE pic.twitter.com/7LNzqGAjQ4

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 4, 2024

It was yet another runaway performance from Chelsea as they took the field in St Mary’s Stadium. Coming from a 3-0 win over Aston Villa, the Blues scored early, with Axel Disasi heading Enzo Fernandez’s corner into the front post in the seventh minute. Though scored four minutes later, Joe Aribo scored the equalizer, Southampton soon fell. Noni Madueke intercepted Joe Lumley’s pass into the midfield and passed the ball to Christopher Nkunku, who simply rolled the ball into the empty post. The Frenchman had the easiest finish on the night and the balloon was out once again in the Premier League.

Madueke was then in the scoresheet when Joao Felix exploited the open space and found the English international in the penalty box, who ensured Chelsea’s lead increased with a precise finish. The Saints then had a major task of play with just a ten-man unit after Jack Stephens was shown the red card. Cole Palmer scored Chelsea’s fourth after Nkunku was denied a brace. However, the ball rolled in front of Palmer, who made no mistake. The final goal came from Jadon Sancho’s boot after Malo Gusto’s brilliant run and pin-point pass to Sancho, who scored his first goal for the club to wrap up the win. The win means they are now second in the table, just seven points behind Liverpool.

Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United

BIG WIN IN N5 ✊ pic.twitter.com/tS7QJkbGbu

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 4, 2024

This was Ruben Amorim’s first big test as Manchester United manager and it seems like it came a little too early for the Portuguese as the Gunners’ set piece prowess on full display. Mikel Arteta’s men have been showing that nobody is more dangerous from set pieces than them it was once again evident as both of his side’s goals came from corners, inflicting the first league defeat on Ruben Amorim since December 2023, breaking a run of 34 games unbeaten for the Portuguese manager.

After the game had remained level till halftime despite the ball finding the back of the net via an offside Kai Havertz, the tempo of the game changed after the break. Arsenal broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, when Declan Rice whipped a ball in and it was met by the head of Jurrien Timber who found the net at his near post. The hosts doubled their lead 20 minutes later when another corner was delivered into the box by Bukayo Saka. It was met by Thomas Partey whose header across the goal rebounded off William Saliba to make it 2-0 for the hosts. United tried to get back into the game but were tharwted by Raya at every chance they got, succumbing them to the first defeat since Erik Ten Hag’s dismissal.

Aston Villa 3-1 Brentford

Three goals. Three points. UTV! 👊 pic.twitter.com/ju962C6c8A

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 4, 2024

Aston Villa finally put an end to their eight-game winless and did so run in style by securing a dominant 3-1 victory over Brentford at Villa Park. Despite a slow start to the affair, Villa capitalized on their first real opportunity when Morgan Rogers fired a stunning strike into the top right corner from just outside the box, opening the scoring the hosts. Ollie Watkins doubled the lead shortly after, calmly converting a penalty after being brought down by Ethan Pinnock. Brentford’s defensive woes deepened when Matty Cash volleyed in a third goal following excellent work from Rogers, putting Villa firmly in control by halftime.

Brentford showed signs of life early in the second half when Mikkel Damsgaard found the net nine minutes after the break, giving the visitors a glimmer of hope. However, they struggled to build on that momentum, and their poor away form persisted. Villa’s defense held firm, ensuring they claimed a much-needed three points. The victory not only lifted spirits at Villa Park but also provided a crucial boost in confidence as the team looks to regain form moving forward. This was a much needed win for Unai Emery’s men who looked to be on a free-fall since a comeback win against Wolves in September.

 Liverpool were denied their victory right at the death by Newcastle’s Fabian Schar as Arsenal inflicted a first league loss on Ruben Amorim since December 2023.  Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today