Monday, December 13, 2021

Premier League Results Match Week 16: Top Three in Narrow Wins; Hammers Drop Points to Burnley; Ronaldo Silences Canaries; Foxes Overrun Newcastle; Gunners Bench Star, Destroy Saints; Bees Swarm Hornets

The three top clubs all edged their opponents by a goal to remain within two points of each other in the Premier League Table. Manchester City remained leader of the pack in defeating Wolves 1-0. A Raheem Sterling penalty gave the Citizens victory over a Wolves side playing with 10 men after Raul Jimenez’s ejection in first half stoppage time.

Sterling’s 100th Premier League goal followed a questionable penalty award on a ball which appeared to hit the side of defender Joao Moutinho rather than the called contact with his arm leading to the penalty. A foolish pair of yellow cards in first half stoppage time by Jimenz further crippled an already weak Wolves attack which failed to find the net for a fourth consecutive match.

A penalty was also decisive in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa in Steven Gerrard’s return to Anfield. Tyrone Ming’s takedown of Mohamed Salah led to the league leading scorer’s 14th tally of the season on the ensuing penalty kick.

Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Leeds United was in doubt until a stoppage time penalty in a chippy match which saw three of five goals scored via penalty. The match marked three consecutive contests across all competitions that Chelsea has conceded multiple goals, an occurrence which occurred for the first time this season just last weekend.

West Ham and Burnley played to a scoreless draw at Turf Moor as West Ham striker Michail Antonio extended his personal scoreless run to seven matches. The dropped points to relegation bound Burnley did nothing to enhance West Ham’s Champions League aspirations and continues a frustrating trend versus lower table clubs. The point for Burnley moves the Clarets within two points of safety.

Fifth position Manchester United moved within a point of West Ham with a 1-0 victory over Norwich. The Red Devils have picked up five points on the Hammers in the last four matches as they continue their unbeaten run since the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Cristiano Ronaldo was again the hero for United, drawing and converting a penalty for the win in East Anglia. Norwich was foiled by the goalkeeping of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea as well as their own offensive futility which has seen the Canaries score four fewer goals this season than the next lowest scoring club.

Arsenal suspended wayward captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before their match with Southampton and then proceeded to down the Saints in a 3-0 final. The win for the Gunners moved them past Tottenham Hotspur into sixth position in the table.

Spurs’ match versus Brighton was postponed due to coronavirus.

Leicester City pounded a helpless Newcastle side in a 4-0 rout at King Power Stadium. Youri Tielemans had a brace in the Foxes’ demolition of the Magpies who had earned their first win versus fellow relegation zone occupant Burnley the week before.

Brentford, down a goal with less than 10 minutes remaining and missing top striker Ivan Toney, mounted a late comeback for a 2-1 win over Watford. A penalty kick in stoppage time by Bryan Mbeumo provided the winner for Brentford. Watford, extending its run of matches without a clean sheet to 27 matches, closed to within two points of the relegation zone with a fourth consecutive loss.

Conor Gallagher continued his electric season for Crystal Palace, scoring a brace of goals in a 3-1 Crystal Palace win over Everton. Gallagher’s stoppage time goal to put the game away was his team leading sixth of the season. Chelsea will be eyeing closely the performance of their loaned property. The victory ended a three-match losing run for the Eagles while Everton’s win last week versus Arsenal proved to be fool’s gold as the Toffees lost for a seventh time in their last nine matches. 


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