Saved penalties, VAR drama, manager rivalries, and much, much more – here is everything you need to know about what went down in matchweek 27 of the 2019/20 Premier League season!
Liverpool are 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
No team in English history has ever had a lead that big at any stage of a season, until now. pic.twitter.com/yfNUllnVvb
— LFC Stats (@LFCData) February 15, 2020
Chelsea 2 – 1 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham traveled to Stamford Bridge this Saturday for one of Premier League’s most dramatic fixtures as ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho clashed with his former player, Frank Lampard in a match that Spurs lost 2-1.
2 – Frank Lampard’s Chelsea are the first team to defeat a side managed by José Mourinho both home and away in a single league season. Schooled. #CHETOT pic.twitter.com/1Z4wB1CqxW
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 22, 2020
Just as we predicted, Lampard outmaneuvered Mourinho this time. Chelsea were organized, fast-paced and smart about their play, whilst Tottenham looked dejected and “tired”, as their manager explained.
17 & 28 – Since he joined Chelsea in 2016, Marcos Alonso has more goals (17) and goal involvements (28 – 17 goals, 11 assists) than any other defender in the @premierleague, with three of these goals coming against Spurs. Nemesis. #CHETOT pic.twitter.com/wLHYvUzdSb
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 22, 2020
The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute thanks to 33-year-old veteran Olivier Giroud, who featured in the starting XI and scored his 20th goal for Chelsea. Marcos Alonso netted in an absolute belter from 20-yards out just after half-time to make it 2-0, and Spurs’ Eric Lamela scored a goal with the help of an Antonio Rudiger deflection in the last minute of the game.
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Incredible strike from @marcosalonso28 v Spurs, again! ? #CHETOT #CFC #Chelsea
Публикация от Chelsea FC (@chelseafc)
“A defeat is a defeat, but the good thing is, in the last seconds the players were still fighting for a result and that for me is a very important thing,” said Mourinho after the match.
Chelsea now have a firm grip on fourth place with 44 points, whilst Tottenham trail behind them, in sixth place with 40 points.
Arsenal 3 – 2 Everton
We were treated to a 5-goal thriller at the Emirates this Sunday as the hosts beat Everton 3-2, a win that means Arsenal remain unbeaten in 2020 and gives them consecutive victories for the first time since the first two matches of the season.
1 & 46 – This is the third game in Premier League history to see a goal scored inside the opening minute of both halves, after Newcastle v Arsenal in January 1996 and Charlton v Leeds in March 2001. Haste. pic.twitter.com/xMbaS78zaV
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2020
And what a game it was! Everton left Mikel Arteta’s side stunned when they took the lead just 49 seconds after kick-off, mainly thanks to Arsenal’s embarrassing defense, which allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to net in Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick.
18y 171d – Aged 18 years and 171 days, Bukayo Saka is the youngest player to assist in consecutive Premier League appearances since Francis Jeffers for Everton in April 1999 (18y 89d). Pinpoint. pic.twitter.com/nFBksVXNaS
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2020
The Gunners equalized when Eddie Nketiah netted a brilliant left-wing cross by Bukayo Saka in the 27th minute, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put them in the lead just six minutes later. And just as Arteta’s men felt like they finally got control of the game, their defensive line failed once again and Richarlison made it 2-2 just before half-time. Then it was Arsenal’s turn to shock with an early strike; Aubameyang’s winning header came in just 26 seconds into the second half.
Arsenal now sit ninth on the table with 37 points, whilst Everton are in 11th place, with 36.
Manchester United 3 – 0 Watford
Manchester United beat Watford three goals to nil at Old Trafford on Sunday. Yawn. Literally nothing happened until the 42nd minute of play when January signing Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty after he had been taken down by Watford keeper Ben Foster.
1 – Bruno Fernandes is the first Man Utd player whose maiden Premier League goal for the club was a penalty. Trust. pic.twitter.com/CieuAO3SKT
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2020
The second half had more to offer. Watford celebrated early as Troy Deeney scored an equalizer in the 53rd minute, only for VAR to rule it out for handball in the build-up. Then Anthony Martial scored a superb goal to put United two up, and 18-year-old Mason Greenwood sealed the scoreline with his 11th goal of the season, an explosive strike into the top left corner of the net.
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SO. MUCH. SAUCE. ??? #MUFC #Martial
Публикация от Manchester United (@manchesterunited)
Manchester United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised his players after the match: “Bruno Fernandes is quicker than he looks. I’m very excited by having him in. He has come in, given everyone a boost and wants to conduct a game. There are big games coming up now. The thing that matters in football is scoring goals and that is what Mason Greenwood does.”
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Bruno! Bruno! Bruno! ?? #MUFC #BrunoFernandes
Публикация от Manchester United (@manchesterunited)
United are fifth on the table with 41 points, and Watford remain in the bottom three, with 24 points.
Leicester City 0 – 1 Manchester City
It was a tale of two cities as Manchester City traveled to Leicester for a true spectacle of a clash, that unbelievably ended in a single goal on the score sheet. Drama, frustration, disallowed goals, handballs, saved penalties and a total of 28 shots, this match had it all, to say the least.
Check out how on-point our prediction ahead of this fixture is.
18 – Manchester City attempted 18 shots against Leicester, the most the Foxes have faced in a single league game at the King Power Stadium since Manchester United had 19 in December 2017. Peppered. #LEIMCI pic.twitter.com/TT6wawdChC
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 22, 2020
Both teams had wasted countless chances, the best of those saw ex-Man City keeper Kasper Schmeichel deny Sergio Aguero from the penalty spot, meaning that the defending champions have now missed five of their seven Premier League penalties this season.
4 – Kasper Schmeichel’s save for Sergio Aguero’s penalty was his fourth @premierleague penalty save – one more than his father Peter made in his entire Premier League career. Pride. #LEIMCI pic.twitter.com/eJMAnOgfl7
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 22, 2020
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A disappointing night, but another save from the spot by @kasperschmeichel ? #lcfc
Публикация от Leicester City (@lcfc)
Gabriel Jesus replaced Aguero on the pitch later in the game and scored the only goal of the match ten minutes before time. Pep Guardiola’s side have now won twice since their devastating two-year Uefa ban was announced.
“Don’t ask me about the attitude of these guys,” said Guardiola. “You still doubt what they have done. These players have won seven titles in the last eight [domestic] competitions. Today, after missing the penalty, see the reaction we had against an incredibly good team, not just for where they are in the table right now but the way they played in general this season. It was an incredible test for us.”
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INSTANT IMPACT! ?⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #ManCity #LEIMCI
Публикация от Manchester City (@mancity)
Man City remain second with 57 points, whilst Leicester are third with 50 points. Guardiola’s men travel to Madrid to face Zinedine Zidane’s side in the Champions League this Tuesday. Predictions?
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Three points in the ? ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #ManCity #LEIMCI
Публикация от Manchester City (@mancity)
Liverpool 3 – 2 West Ham
Everyone, bar Liverpool fans, was rooting for West Ham on Monday night, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be once again. Liverpool overcame determined Hammers at Anfield in a five-goal thriller that will be remembered as Lukasz Fabianski’s real-life nightmare.
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WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW ? 1️⃣8️⃣ @premierleague wins in a row ? #LFC #LiverpoolFC #PremierLeague
Публикация от Liverpool Football Club (@liverpoolfc)
The game kicked-off strong and it was one-all by minute 12 thanks to strikes by Georginio Wijnaldum (featuring a Fabianski fail, 9′), and Issa Diop (featuring an Alisson flop, 12′). Things calmed down for over an hour until West Ham took the lead nine minutes after the break with an effort by Pablo Fornals.
18 – @LFC have won their last 18 Premier League games, equalling the all-time English top-flight record set by Manchester City between August-December 2017 (18). Juggernaut. pic.twitter.com/4upmlNHo2H
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 24, 2020
Everyone held their breath as Liverpool struggled to keep their 27-Premier League game unbeaten run alive, but let’s not forget that Fabianski was still in play. The keeper let in a soft flick by Mohamed Salah right through his legs in the 68th minute, followed by Sadio Mane’s winner nine minutes later.
Jurgen Klopp’s men are within four wins of the 2019/20 Premier League title, whilst West Ham are in the relegation zone with 24 points.
79 & 26 – @LFC have already won as many points this season as Man Utd’s treble winners of 1998-99 (79), and as many league games as Arsenal’s 2003-04 ‘invincibles’ (26). Astounding. pic.twitter.com/n0RfT5R2Hk
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 24, 2020
That’s it from the big ones of matchweek 27! See you next weekend, make sure your bet with 22Bet!
