Premier League Roundup, Matchday 18
Matchday 18 of the Premier League has wrapped up, showcasing thrilling games, impressive player displays, and surprising results. Here is the Premier League roundup of the week’s events.
Manchester City 1-1 Everton
Manchester City’s recent struggles persisted as they managed only a 1-1 draw at home against Everton in the Premier League. This result underscores City’s difficulties, as they currently sit in 7th place with little sign of improvement. Conversely, Everton’s outlook appears more positive, having lost just one of their last seven matches, although five of those were draws, placing them in 15th position in the league standings.
Southampton 0-1 West Ham
Ivan Jurić’s tenure as Southampton manager began with a defeat, as a lone goal from Jarrod Bowen led to their loss at St Mary’s Stadium. This setback further hindered their chances of becoming just the fifth Premier League team to avoid relegation after being at the bottom on Christmas Day. The Hammers celebrated enthusiastically, but Southampton is now 9 points away from safety as they head into the final weekend of 2024.
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Tottenham
Nottingham Forest achieved their fourth consecutive Premier League victory by defeating Tottenham 1-0 at the City Ground on Boxing Day, handing the visitors their fourth loss in five matches against teams in the top half of the table. Tottenham’s three-match winning streak against Forest was snapped, and Ange Postecoglou’s team continues to struggle in the lower half of the standings.
Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa
Newcastle delivered a commanding performance, decisively defeating Aston Villa 3-0 at St. James’ Park. This victory extended the Magpies’ impressive unbeaten streak against Villa to 16 matches in the Premier League at home. The strong showing on Boxing Day marked a significant win for Newcastle against an Aston Villa side that is vying for a top-four finish, but continues to face challenges in the north-east.
Chelsea 1-2 Fulham
In an exciting game at Stamford Bridge, Fulham scored a last-minute goal to overturn a deficit and beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League, ending Chelsea’s 12-match unbeaten run in all competitions. This outcome is a major blow to Chelsea’s title aspirations, supporting Maresca’s claim that his team is not ready for a top-level challenge. Conversely, Fulham earned their victory and have now lost just one of their last ten league matches.
Bournemouth 0-0 Crystal Palace
AFC Bournemouth maintained their unbeaten streak to six matches in the Premier League with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against a determined Crystal Palace team at the Vitality Stadium on Boxing Day. Glasner will be relieved to move past a challenging week for him and his squad with this hard-earned result.
Wolves 2-0 Manchester United
Vítor Pereira achieved his second straight win as Wolves’ manager, guiding the team to a 2-0 victory against a 10-man Manchester United at Molineux. This outcome places the Red Devils in 14th position, putting them nearer to the Premier League relegation zone than to the top four based on points. Wolves recorded consecutive league clean sheets for the first time since January, climbing out of the relegation zone with their second home win in the Premier League this season.
Liverpool 3-1 Leicester City
Liverpool rallied to beat Leicester City 3-1, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to an impressive seven points and achieving their eighth straight win on Boxing Day. Slot’s squad took advantage of Chelsea’s earlier defeat to gain further momentum in the title race. Meanwhile, Leicester’s situation has worsened, after Wolves’ win against Manchester United, they have slipped back into the relegation zone.
Brighton 0-0 Brentford
Brentford earned only their second away point of the season by holding Brighton to a 0-0 draw at the Amex Stadium, which extended Brighton’s winless streak to six games. This match marked the second goalless draw between the two teams in 2024, following their earlier 0-0 tie at the Gtech Community Stadium in April.
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich
Arsenal climbed to second place in the Premier League standings after Kai Havertz scored in the first half, leading the Gunners to a tough 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town. This marks their 14th consecutive home game without a loss this season (11 wins, 3 draws). The win also extends Arsenal’s impressive unbeaten streak against newly-promoted teams to 42 matches (37 wins, 5 draws), while Ipswich faces their fifth defeat in six Premier League games.
