The English Premier League (EPL) never fails to deliver excitement, drama, and talking points. Each matchday brings thrilling goals, controversial decisions, tactical battles, and standout performances that shape the season. In this analysis, we take a closer look at the weekend’s biggest matchups, highlighting key moments, team strategies, and standout players. From title contenders fighting for dominance to relegation battles heating up, we break down how each result impacts the league table.
Two of the main matchups were between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspurs taking on Manchester United. Despite being easy to choose a winner from the other eight matches, there surely were some upsets and clutch moments the past weekend. Let’s dive into the matches and analyse what it means to the Premier League table.
Match Summaries
A single goal was enough to make Tottenham the winner against Manchester United. Man United lacked options on the bench and the starting 11 saw through the 90 minutes of the match. Spurs on the other hand, were also missing players. But they were always on the attack, coming forward at every opportunity against a tired Man United defence.
Brighton eased past Chelsea with 3 goals. Despite maintaining the upperhand in possession of the ball (69%) and more than 700 successful passes, Chelsea fell flat in front of a strong Brighton side and did not score a single goal. Brighton had 13 shots in the game and created 5 big chances.
Arsenal, though not having the starpower with K.Havertz, G.Jesus, G.Martinelli, B.Saka and T.Tomiyasu in the game, outplayed Leicester. Arsenal had 11 shots and maintained 60% possession in the game and won the match 2-0.
Manchester City on the other hand, destroyed Newcastle with a 4-0 scoreline. Despite missing Akanji in defence and Rodri in the midfield, City had no problems defeating Newcastle.
Bournemouth defeated Southampton with 3 goals to 1. It was a well contested match, but Bournemouth used their chances with 14 shots on goal.
The matchup between Liverpool and Wolves was one to watch, as Wolves fought until the last second against the table toppers. Liverpool maintained a 2-0 lead until the first half, but a determined Wolves side didn’t take a break from attacking and trying to sneak past the defence. Despite Liverpool winning the match, the man of the match was from the wolves side, who are definitely going to be a strong opponent to face.
Brentford and West Ham also contested in a fierce battle. West Ham maintained possession, but Brentford got the better of them with a 1-0 scoreline.
Aston Villa were shocked by Ipswich town, who managed to pull off a 1-1 draw. Aston Villa dominated the field with 76% possession, 26 shots on goal and 6 big chances. But a relentless Ipswich came back, and the stand out performance came from their keeper with 6 saves.
Forest were downed by a strong Fulham side, who dominated the game right from the start. Despite their keeper’s heroics, the weak Nottingham side fell to the attacking strength of Fulham.
Crystal Palace lost the game against Everton in the final minutes with a 1-2 loss.
Standout Players & Performances
Omar Marmoush from Manchester City scored his first hattrick in the Premier League. It was a 14-minute hattrick and all his goals came in the first half. With Haaland going off injured with a knee problem, Omar took up the goal scoring duties and delivered for Man City, finishing the match with a commanding 9.6 Sofascore Rating.
Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and Arsenal’s Mikel Merino bagged two goals each over the weekend. Ethan Nwaneri was impressive for Arsenal against Leicester, scoring a match rating of 9.0. Danny Welbeck also impressed with 2 assists against Chelsea.
Nottingham Forest’s Goalie, Matz Sels showed unbelievable skill between the sticks against Fulham. He had a total of 8 saves, without which Forest could have conceded way more goals than they did. Alex Palmer of Ipswich was also instrumental in their draw against Aston Villa. He had a total of 6 saves, denying the winning goal for Aston Villa. Both Vicario and Onana shined for Spurs and Man United respectively in the game, making 6 saves each.
League Table & Impact
The results however, had low but impactful changes in the league standings. Liverpool extended their lead to 7 points, with Arsenal trailing behind them with 53 points. Nottingham remained third despite losing their fixture and Manchester city moved to the 4th place in the standings. Tottenham remained in the bottom half of the table, but gained 3 places on goal difference. Leicester dropped into the 19th spot, giving the 18th to Ipswich who have the same points. Wolves also remained in the 17th spot and Southampton in 20th rounded up the table.
Injury & Suspension Updates
Haaland is ruled out with a knee injury, which made Man City and the fans wonder if he could be available for their UCL second leg fixture against Real Madrid. Thankfully, Man City Manager Pep Guardiola assured that the injury isn’t as bad as it looked.
Rodrigo Bentancur of Spurs was also seen in action against Man United, and was substituted in the 78th minute. After his horrifying injury against Liverpool, this comes as good news, proving he’s recovering fast.
Looking Ahead
Well, that was all from Round 25 of the Premier League. Next week, we have Manchester City facing off a strong Liverpool side. Manchester City however, are still unsure about Haaland’s injury with an upcoming UCL match against Real Madrid. Liverpool also have a midweek game against Aston Villa in the league, before they face City. Tottenham look to jump into the top half of the table with their next game against Ipswich Town. Follow Sofascore for all updates in the Premier League with real-time notifications and updates.