In the first matchday in over a month to have all ten fixtures played without a postponement, teams took advantage of and lost out on opportunities to move up in the table.
Watford (0) vs. Norwich City (3)
A fairytale night by Joshua Sargent gave Norwich the victory and a bump out of relegation. A tight and scoreless first-half lead to play opening up in the second half. Sargent opened the scoring with his first Premier League goal, a magnificent scorpion kick, and then responded with his second goal thirteen minutes later. A late goal at the end of regulation for the Canaries allowed them to claim their second straight victory.
Everton (0) vs. Aston Villa (1)
Another January transfer player has a big night for Villa to defeat the woeful Everton. Lucas Digne contributed to the winning goal against his former team, with a corner to Emiliano Buendia. For the Gooderson Park squad, Everton lost their first match under new manager Duncan Ferguson. But, Ferguson complimented his squad for their ‘work ethic and fight for the Club.’
Brentford (1) vs. Wolves (2)
Wolves extend their win streak with a victory over Brentford. The first half of the match was marred by two major delays due to injury and a drone flying over the stadium. But, in the second half, the excitement began. All three goals were scored in the second half and it all began with a goal by João Moutiho. Brentford responded with twenty minutes to go in the match when Ivan Toney found the goal off Bryan Mbeumo’s cross. Wolves had the last laugh eight minutes later when Rúben Neves curled the ball into the goal.
Manchester United (1) vs. West Ham (0)
A last second goal by Marcus Rashford pushed United ahead of West Ham and into the top four. The match was well summed up by the announcers at half when they said it was ‘watchable’. Both teams only conjured up three shots on goal until the late goal by Rashford. It was a defensive performance by both teams with a splashing of offense here and there. This match was critical for the top four positioning in the table, United moved ahead of West Ham by one point with one game in hand.
Leeds United (0) vs. Newcastle (1)
Newcastle found their much needed victory to put them a point away from being out of relegation. Leeds controlled possession and put more shots on goal throughout the match. They came very close to leading the match in the early stages when Dan James’ shot needed a full effort from Martin Dubravka to make the safe. Newcastle had their own chance in the first half when Shelvey’s shot on target needed an equally strong save by Illan Meslier to keep it out of goal. But, it was a 75th minute free-kick by Jonjo Shelvey that beat Meslier.
Southampton (1) vs. Manchester City (1)
Manchester City’s twelve-game winning streak came to an end with a draw against Southampton. The Saints went up early with Kyle Walker-Peters’ first Premier League goal in the seventh minute. They maintained the lead for almost an hour until an unwarranted foul by Che Adams led to a City free-kick. City capitalized on this free-kick when Kevin DeBruyne found Aymeric Laporte in the box. After the goal, they put a ton of pressure on Southampton but could not find their second goal.
Arsenal (0) vs. Burnley (0)
The awful beginning to 2022 continues for Arsenal as they draw against the basement dwelling Burnley. In the same week where Arsenal were eliminated by Liverpool in the League cup. They were kept off the sheet against the worst team in the Premier League. Arsenal were pushing offensively throughout the match but missed Grade-A chances or Nick Pope was there for the save. The Gunners lose out on an opportunity to move into the top four. They now have to stew on this performance for two and a half weeks as players go off to perform their international duties.
Crystal Palace (1) vs. Liverpool (3)
A hot start and a controversial penalty propel Liverpool to victory against Palace and nine points away from the top of the table. Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlande-Chamberlain put Liverpool out in front early. After the two goals, Jurgen Klopp’s squad became complacent and allowed Palace to come back into the match and cut the deficit to one goal. A questionable penalty awarded to Liverpool in the last few minutes of the match allowed them to pull out of reach. Many pundits after the match did not agree with the referees call and are questioning the overall refereeing in the Premier League this season.
Leicester City (1) vs. Brighton (1)
Brighton’s unbeaten streak goes to seven as a late goal by Danny Welbeck forces a draw against Leicester. The Foxes had their hearts ripped out of their chests midweek against Tottenham with two extra time goals. Another substitute in this match took away their much-deserved victory. The substitution that changed the tide for Brighton, Danny Welbeck, who scored the goal in the eighty-second minute.
Chelsea (2) vs. Tottenham (0)
Chelsea snap their 6-week winless drought at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League against Tottenham. Chelsea looked like a team that was looking to respond after their disappointing draw to Brighton the week before. They were all over Tottenham from the opening whistle. They found a bit of luck when Harry Kane looked to have scored the first goal of the match but upon further review the referees determined that Kane pushed Tiago Silva prior to receiving the ball. That was the only opportunity at goal that Tottenham had for the rest of the match. Hakim Ziyech scored a beautiful goal, dropping the ball just under the bar. An errant foul by Eric Dier on Callum Hudson-Odoi led to a free-kick. Mason Mount found Tiago Silva in the sea of bodies who directed his header into the goal.
Unbenched Sports 