We’re nonetheless irritated that Manchester Metropolis v Newcastle – absolutely essentially the most ‘Saturday 5.30pm’ fixture possible – wasn’t on the telly, and that’s earlier than even contemplating that instead sits the profoundly 3pm Crystal Palace v Everton.
Anyway, Metropolis p*ssed it. Newcastle weren’t the one group to undergo a Champions League setback, both, with Forest dropping at Fulham and Aston Villa pissed off by 10-man Ipswich.
Aston Villa 1-1 Ipswich: Villa undergo a type of days in severe dent to hopes of European repeat
All of us had lots of enjoyable with the concept of issues that each fan thinks Could Only Happen To Us, and right here was a masterclass of an It May Solely Occur To Us slip-up from Villa. Followers of actually each different membership within the land, please do attempt to bear in mind the existence of this sport when insisting that yours is the one membership that ever has days like this.
Villa right here had been at dwelling to a facet in clearly hefty relegation bother, a facet whose final little bit of Premier League motion had concerned reaching what soccer boffins had lengthy thought of unimaginable exterior laboratory circumstances: dropping at dwelling to Southampton. Chuck within the reality Ipswich had been all the way down to 10 males from the fortieth minute because of a pair of Axel Tuanzebe yellow playing cards that had us pondering simply what’s the window of alternative for 2 yellows to be achieved ‘in fast succession’ (we’re undecided the place precisely the cut-off is, however 12 minutes feels to us prefer it may simply fall exterior it, sadly) and also you’ve bought all of the components you want.
These are circumstances by which you, as a group within the final 16 of the Champions League that will very very like to be in that competitors once more subsequent season, completely need to go on and win.
Each different membership would win that sport, wouldn’t they? Not your membership, although. Your daft lot could have 25 photographs (to the opposition’s 4) and 16 corners (to 1) and 76 per cent of the possession (to, nicely, you are able to do the maths there yourselves) and nonetheless want an equaliser simply to keep away from defeat. This can be a maddening and silly sport and we’re all fools for devoting a lot effort and time on what is actually only a bunch of stuff that occurs.
(Dave Tickner)
Fulham 2-1 Nottingham Forest: Cottagers prevail in Battle of the Barclaysmen
When Adama Traore assisted Emile Smith Rowe to attain the opener right here we questioned whether or not that was essentially the most Barclaysman aim it was attainable to realize in massive 2025, after which Morgan Gibbs-White assisted Chris Wooden and we didn’t know what to assume.
Even Raul Jimenez organising Calvin Bassey for the winner shouldn’t be with out its charms.
What it does all positively imply is a barely uneven second immediately defeat for a Forest facet that had beforehand solely suffered that destiny this season once they had Arsenal and Man Metropolis in successive away video games.
Nothing is ruined, clearly, if you nonetheless end up utilizing the phrase ‘weakened their grip on third place, now simply three factors forward of Man Metropolis’ however it’s one that can sting a bit.
Comfortable days for Fulham, although, for whom their very own outcome types merely the centrepiece of what’s shaping as much as be a positive weekend for them total with Villa failing to win at dwelling to Ipswich and the 2 sides now instantly above the Cottagers and really a lot in vary – Newcastle and Chelsea – struggling heavy defeats.
(DT)
Man Metropolis 4-0 Newcastle: Marmoush hat-trick in APT derby provides Metropolis Champions League benefit
Newcastle United have by no means received a Premier League match on the Etihad/Metropolis of Manchester Stadium and Saturday’s match was an honest alternative to interrupt the duck. They by no means got here shut.
Regardless of current dwelling defeats to Bournemouth and Fulham, Newcastle arrived on the Etihad in a Good Second and assured of placing in a superb efficiency. They pressed excessive early on, realizing Man Metropolis are there for the taking, however they had been outdone by an extended Ederson cross that Kieran Trippier handled woefully.
Ederson recorded his third Premier League help of the season by efficiently discovering January signing Omar Marmoush over Trippier’s head and the Egyptian lobbed Martin Dubravka to open the floodgates.
Marmoush’s first got here within the nineteenth minute and he had a hat-trick 14 minutes later. The second was good end to beat Dubravka on the entrance publish and the third got here by way of a Savinho help and a few abysmal Lewis Corridor ‘defending’. Corridor’s try to include Savinho was to run beside him. It was an fascinating tactic and one which didn’t even practically work.
It was sport over at half time, but James McAtee rubbed salt within the wounds with a late fourth, changing from an Erling Haaland flick-on.
Haaland was later substituted with a non-contact knee harm, which is nearly at all times dangerous information. He was in a position to stroll off so Pep Guardiola shall be hopeful it’s nothing severe. Not ideally suited with matches towards Actual Madrid and Liverpool subsequent week, thoughts.
Man Metropolis doubled their 2025 Premier League clear sheet depend towards Newcastle, who had been extremely unimpressive on a day they need to have at the least made it uncomfortable for the champions.
As an alternative, it’s one other defeat in an extended line of terrible Etihad away days and in consequence, Eddie Howe’s facet have been dealt an enormous blow of their quest for Champions League qualification.
This was an enormous match and a victory elsewhere for Bournemouth makes issues worse for the Magpies. Metropolis are as much as fourth, three factors behind Nottingham Forest.
Defeat in Manchester modifications the panorama as as a substitute of Forest, Bournemouth and Metropolis above them, Newcastle are actually wanting over their shoulder at Fulham, Aston Villa and Brighton. It has been a loopy season within the race for European soccer with anybody from Bournemouth to Brentford in with an opportunity, whereas Tottenham and Manchester United battle within the backside half.
It has been an enormous week for each golf equipment although, after Metropolis’s important tribunal outcome towards the Premier League. It’s a disgrace the APT derby was not as aggressive because the APT courtroom case.
(Jason Soutar)
Southampton 1-3 Bournemouth: Saints flattered by rating as Cherries dream of Champions League
The scoreline flattered doomed Southampton towards Bournemouth, with Aaron Ramsdale retaining it respectable however was in the end helpless but once more.
Ramsdale made a daring resolution to hitch Southampton final summer season. He was clearly determined to play soccer, which you can’t knock him for. He has conceded a boatload of objectives and is destined for one more relegation on his CV however he has made some ridiculous saves this season.
His greatest most likely got here towards Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, clawing a Ryan Christie header off the road from a nook he conceded from one other good cease to disclaim Antoine Semenyo.
Irrespective of what number of world-class or digicam saves he makes, there isn’t any saving this Southampton group – they’re doomed, which is one thing we now have recognized for a very long time.
Bournemouth was at all times going to be an enormous check for Ivan Juric’s males and Ramsdale was the explanation they didn’t concede 5 – 6, even stopping Kyle Walker-Peters from scoring an personal aim with an athletic cease.
The versatile Cherries assault ran rings across the Saints defence however their man of the match was midfielder Christie, who assisted the primary with a peach of a cross, minutes earlier than smashing the ball into the underside nook from 25 yards.
Kamaldeen Sulemana halved the deficit to arrange an sudden nervy finish however Marcus Tavernier restored his facet’s two aim lead seven minutes from time.
It was one other spectacular Bournemouth efficiency, which got here on a weekend with Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest defeats. Improbable stuff, lads.
(JS)
West Ham 0-1 Brentford: Bees lengthen season of two halves for no actual purpose aside from they’ll
It’s now no doubt one in all our very favorite bits this season. We had been fairly massive followers of Brentford’s behaviour even earlier than Christmas when it was simply ‘win all dwelling video games by improbably entertaining scorelines whereas dropping on a regular basis away from dwelling’. It was already good enjoyable.
However the dedication to the bit to easily flip each these behaviours on their head is sensational. In the event you’re going to bob round in mid-table – and there’s completely nothing improper with a little bit of mid-table bobbing – then you definitely may as nicely make it extra fascinating by going round finishing facet quests.
There are even bonus factors awarded right here for Brentford’s newest away success coming towards West Ham, the one group they didn’t beat at dwelling throughout these bonkers opening months of the season.
To reiterate and replace the general numbers, right here’s the place we’re at with Brentford.
Till the weekend earlier than Christmas, they’d performed eight dwelling video games and received seven of them to go along with that draw towards West Ham. For good measure, the scorelines for the final 5 straight wins of that run had been 5-3, 4-3, 3-2, 4-1, and 4-2. Right now they’d additionally performed eight away video games and managed only a single, solitary level from a goalless draw at Everton.
Since that point, and on the again of some type of weird Christmas miracle, Brentford have taken only one level from 5 dwelling video games by which they even contrived to lose to precise real-life Spurs (however not, it needs to be famous, Man Metropolis) but in that point have additionally now taken 10 factors from their final 4 away video games.
And with Leicester away subsequent week there’s each probability for this silliness to be prolonged additional. Their away video games after that, in equity, are Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal, and Forest, so in the event that they do handle to increase this all the way in which into the ultimate flourish at Ipswich and Wolves in Could then honest bloody play to them.
As for West Ham, they continue to be one in all a large clump of clubs who should consider themselves immensely fortunate this season’s bottom four is what it is.
(DT)
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