New Delhi: An exhilarating week of Premier League action wrapped up last night, capping off a whirlwind of football drama. Matchday 16 delivered a bit of everything including shocks, emphatic wins, and dramatic moments which kept fans on the edge of their seats. Most of the big teams dropped points this gameweek which allowed Nottingham Forest to move into the top four and Bournemouth into the top six.
The highlight of the matchday however, came during the Manchester Derby where Manchester United snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at the Etihad, piling another loss on Manchester City. Liverpool dropped points for their second consecutive match while their Merseyside rivals held Arsenal to a draw. With a lot of action to get into, let’s delve into the key takeaways from Matchday 16!
5) Is Antonee Robinson the best left- back in the league?
Only Nuno Tavares (8) has registered more assists than Antonee Robinson (6) of defenders in Europe’s top 5 leagues this season. 🧙♂️ pic.twitter.com/zlsAqq36f3
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) December 15, 2024
Fulham’s Antonee Robinson is quietly staking a claim to be one the best left-backs in the league and he’s backing it up with his performances on the field. In the game against Liverpool who have Andy Robertson, someone who is considered to be the best left-back in the league, in their ranks and it was Robinson who came out on top on the night. He was the architect for both of Fulham’s goals against Liverpool, taking his assist tally for the season up to six.
His performance against Liverpool was the best from anyone in a Fulham shirt, with the USA International even getting 57 touches in the game, more than any other Fulham player on the night. He also contributed defensively, keeping Mo Salah unusually quiet and not allowing the Egyptian to score for only the fourth game this season. The 27-year-old ended the game with the most tackles (five), the joint-most interceptions (four) and created the most chances (four) of any player. Fulham face an uphill battle in trying to keep Robinson at the club beyond this season.
4) Sacking season is now officially underway
Gary O’Neil and Russell Martin have both been sacked on the same day.
The battle to get out of the Premier League relegation zone starts afresh. pic.twitter.com/moee3mcIfY
— FotMob (@FotMob) December 15, 2024
While the league had already seen two sackings before this matchday began with both Manchester United and Leicester City opting for a change in managers, matchday 16 proved that sacking season has officially arrived. Premier League Sunday saw both of Premier League’s bottom two clubs do away with their managers following horrible starts to the season. Both Southampton and Wolves currently occupy the last two spots with five and nine points each, respectively.
After a last minute defeat to Ipswich Town on Saturday night, Wolves made the decision to part ways with Gary O’Neil on Sunday and mere hours after Southampton’s rout by Tottenham, the Saints took the unholy decision to sack Russell Martin. With two of the most likely candidates of facing the sack gone, the pendulum now shifts towards other underperforming teams, which puts West Ham’s Julen Lopetegui and Everton’s Sean Dyche at risk next.
3) Crystal Palace are slowly finding form
🦅 Crystal Palace’s last 9 games:
W-W-D-L-D-D-W-D-W
More than needed for Glasners men after their sub-par start 💪 pic.twitter.com/oWX5t1Yvha
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) December 15, 2024
Oliver Glasner’s new manager bounce towards the end of last season proved to be detrimental for the Eagles when this campaign started. The Austrian guided the club to six wins in the last seven games of the 2023/24 season, equaling the club’s highest ever points total in the league. That form led to everyone expecting major things from Palace this season, pilling on unnecessary pressure on the club. The Eagles made a slow start to the 2024/25 season, as is the case with almost every new side Glasner takes charge of, but it seems like they’re slowly finding form now.
The South London club, after being involved in the relegation fight for most of the season till now, have moved up to 15th in the league table and are now undefeated in their last five games. Since their first win of the season over Spurs, the club has lost only one in eight games, producing impressive draws against Newcastle, Manchester City and Aston Villa. Even in this matchday, they blew past Brighton, which is another huge win for Palace, who seem to be clicking at the right time now.
2) Heung Min Son makes history for Tottenham
Tottenham’s all-time most assists in the Premier League: 𝐇𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠-𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐧 (𝟔𝟖) ☀️ pic.twitter.com/PiI3Dyx5hl
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 15, 2024
Heung Min Son is already a fan favourite at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, being their longest serving player at the club currently and also holding the armband for the club. He was one of the main architects of Southampton’s demolition at the hands of the Lilywhites that saw them scoring five in just the first half. Son utilized that game to get himself in the club’s history books once again as he made a new record for the club.
With two assists against the Saints, he now has 68 Premier League assists for the club and moves level with club legend Darren Anderton. Son’s 68 league assists mean that the South Korean International now has the most assists in the Premier League for the North London club. One more this season and he will move clear of Anderton, making him the club’s highest assist provider in the Premier League era.
1) Amad Diallo proving to be Ruben Amorim’s crown jewel
Amad Diallo has flourished in the early days of the Ruben Amirom era 💫 pic.twitter.com/2n0g9uxsHr
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 16, 2024
The narrative around Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United has changed so quickly, in just 115 seconds to be precise. Amorim’s side staged a dramatic comeback in his toughest test yet as Manchester United manager, which had the entire fanbase erupting with joy. Their 22-year-old youngster, Amad Diallo was once again the shining light for them against Manchester City as he won the penalty that got them level before scoring the winner, 115 seconds later.
After being overlooked by Erik Ten Hag on multiple occasions, Ruben Amorim had a new lease of life to Diallo’s dwindling Manchester United career and the Ivorian has grabbed that chance with both hands. Diallo has been Manchester United’s best player since the Portuguese manager arrived at the club, and in five games under him, he already has five goal involvements till now. He has been instrumental in the early success under the 39-year-old and he’s proving to be the manager’s crown jewel at the club.
Premier League’s latest matchday of the season wrapped up last night. Let’s delve into the key takeaways from Matchday 16 of the Premier League season. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
