The midweek Premier League fixtures were full of drama, twists and turns. Here are the Winners and Losers from Matchweek 24. Bet on the Premier League here.
WINNERS
Burnley’s history makers
Burnley registered a famous first win at Manchester United on Wednesday night. The 2-0 win was their first at Old Trafford since 1962 and piled more pressure on United’s manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. This was the Clarets’ first win after suffering four straight defeats in the Premier League. They had scored once in consecutive defeats to Everton, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Chelsea. Still, the Clarets have now beaten the teams in third and fifth in three days, coming from behind against Leicester and earning only a third away victory of the season
Bournemouth
After four straight league defeats without scoring, Bournemouth finally registered a win in midweek over Brighton. Eddie Howe’s men dominated the Seagulls to grab a much-needed victory. They had taken just four points from the previous 36 available to them. The Cherries also possessed the worst home record in the top flight prior to kick-off with their last win at home coming in November against Man United. The Cherries remain in the bottom three but the win eases some of the pressure on Howe.
Determined Newcastle
The Magpies were 2-0 down in the 93rd minute against Everton at Goodison Park on Tuesday but on the 94th and 95th minute, something incredible happened. Two injury-time goals from substitute Florian Lejeune earned Steve Bruce’s men a dramatic point. It was a pulsating end to a game that the Toffees had dominated but fell apart in the dying embers. Newcastle had also beaten Chelsea 1-0 with the last kick of the game in their previous match.
Arsenal’s mentality
Arsenal showed incredible resilience to hold Chelsea to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday, despite playing the majority of the game with ten men. David Luiz was dismissed in the first half and the resulting penalty was scored by Jorginho. However, Arsenal equalised through teenager Gabriel Martinelli, and later with Hector Bellerin after Chelsea regained their lead through Cesar Azpilicueta. Mikel Arteta’s side showed remarkable strength of character to snatch a draw on a difficult night in west London.
LOSERS
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The 2-0 defeat to Burnley at Old Trafford inflicted more misery on Red Devils manager, Solskjaer. The Norwegian is under more pressure than he’s ever been at Manchester United. His team dominated possession but couldn’t create enough chances to beat a Burnley team that had lost four of their five league matches prior to kick-off. Solskjaer is clearly out of his depth. Whenever his team is playing against a low-block, his team lacks the cutting edge. That can be blamed on recruitment and paper-thin squad but you don’t need a £60m player to unlock the Burnley defence. He is on the brink. He leads his team against Tranmere Rovers on Sunday in the FA Cup and a defeat could be the last straw.
Everton’s concentration
The Toffees lapse in concentration was brutally exposed again this week. This was a staggering implosion even by their standards. Poor game management and careless defending were symptomatic of Marco Silva’s reign but it was on full display on Tuesday night. Everton have conceded seven goals in the 90th minute onwards in the Premier League this season, four more than any other side in the division.
Frank Lampard
Chelsea have problems at Stamford Bridge. Their 2-2 draw against ten-man Arsenal was the latest unacceptable performance in front of their own fans. This result will feel like a defeat for Lampard whose team looked toothless throughout the game. The Blues have been poor at home this season under Lampard who will be criticised for failing to inspire his troops to kill off games when they should. They failed to do so against their bitter rivals Arsenal who played for the majority of the game with ten men.