Liverpool secured a huge win at Southampton while Burnley’s quest for Premier League survival was boosted with a massive win at Bournemouth in another thrilling weekend of football. Here are the Winners and Losers. You can bet on the Premier League here.
Winners
Burnley
Burnley produced an assured performance over the weekend to beat strugglers Bournemouth 3-1 away from home, making a massive step towards Premier League survival. This was their second straight win following a run of four consecutive defeats which saw them worryingly slide towards the relegation zone. The Clarets are now eight points clear of the drop zone in are 14th with 36 points and just five matches to go. They’ll be facing Brighton, who have played two matches fewer, in their next match at Turf Moor. A win should all but guarantee them safety.
Jamie Vardy
Leicester City talisman Jamie Vardy scored twice as they hammered relegated Huddersfield Town away from home to continue with their revival under newly appointed manager Brendan Rodgers. The Englishman took his Premier League tally to 15 goals for the season and has now scored in each of his last four league games against Huddersfield, registering five goals, including four in three in the league. The Foxes face relegation-threatened Newcastle United this Friday with a bid to consolidate the seventh spot in the league table.
Eden Hazard and Chelsea
Eden Hazard produced a marvellous performance, scoring both goals as Chelsea beat city rivals West Ham 2-0 to move to third in the Premier League. Hazard’s first goal followed a wondrous run where he eluded five defenders before calmly slotting past Lukasz Fabianski. With 16 goals and 12 assists in the league this season, Hazard has been directly involved in 49.1 percent of the Blues’ goals this season. Meanwhile, Chelsea moved to third to bolster their chances of finishing in the top four, though they’ve played a game more than other top four opponents.
Losers
Southampton and Newcastle
Both the Saints and Magpies lost their home matches this weekend putting them right into the relegation scrap. Despite a perfect start against title hopefuls Liverpool on Friday, Southampton ended up losing 3-1 to the Reds. The loss left them hanging just above the relegation zone at the 17th spot, five points ahead of Cardiff City. Rafa Benitez’s side lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace and dropped to 15th place and have played a game more than Southampton and two more than Brighton. The remaining matches for both of these teams are a must win in order to guarantee safety.
Arsenal
Arsenal missed a chance to solidify their top four position, once again producing a dismal away performance at Everton where they lost 1-0. The Gunners dropped to fifth and have now lost five away games in their last nine. They have also not kept an away clean sheet in the Premier League this season. With competition from the likes of Chelsea, Man United and Spurs, they will have to quickly improve their away form when they travel to face FA Cup finalists Watford, which promises to be another difficult match.
Eddie Howe and Bournemouth
Despite an impressive start to the season, Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth have fallen off drastically. They have won only three matches in 2019, losing seven times which has left them hovering just above the relegation zone. With just five matches to go, Howe’s main aim is to get his team playing with swagger and bravery that we saw at the start of the season and finish strongly.