The Hard Tackle rounds up the action from Gameweek 28 of the Premier League, with Arsenal, Newcastle United, Southampton and Everton the big winners.
Gameweek 28 of the 2022/23 Premier League season rolled on and finished with a flourish, and there was plenty of drama to look back at. With the campaign’s final phase beckoning, there were massive results in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Southampton and Everton were the big headline acts on Saturday, while Leeds United also made their presence known.
Southampton sit at the bottom of the table but finished Saturday with a massive point at home against Tottenham. Ruben Selles’s men seemed to head for another defeat and possibly cement their place as the relegation favourites. An inspirational second-half display gave them some much-required boost as they snatched an improbable point.
Meanwhile, Everton also came back twice at Stamford Bridge to gain a point against Chelsea. Ellis Simms scored his first goal for the club and snatched a point against the odds as Graham Potter suffered a setback on his comeback trail as Blues boss.
The biggest headline makers were Newcastle United, who started proceedings on Friday night with a terrific late victory over Nottingham Forest. After several weeks of inconsistent results, the Magpies seemed up for the top-four fight.
Matchweek 28 ✅ pic.twitter.com/xslpW45BNe
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 19, 2023
The result puts them in a commanding position ahead of the international break. Newcastle United seemed to be slipping out of the top-four conversation but now are completely back in it. They next host Manchester United, who may appear to be their direct rivals for Champions League places.
A win at home against the Red Devils will pull them above Erik ten Hag’s men on goal difference and could greatly impact the places. Tottenham are also in the conversation, as well as Brighton & Hove Albion, who will need to win their games in hand to make a compelling claim for a top-four spot.
The Seagulls were in FA Cup action alongside Fulham, Manchester United and Manchester City. The latter’s absence from Premier League action gave league leaders Arsenal the initiative to go eight points clear at the top.
Mikel Arteta’s men shrugged off the midweek loss and dismantled Crystal Palace at the Emirates. Gabriel Martinelli, Granit Xhaka, and a brace from Bukayo Saka sealed the three points for the Gunners. They can head into the international break with a sizable lead at the summit.
Meanwhile, Leeds United gained a massive win away at relegation rivals Wolves. The game did bring in plenty of controversies. Julen Lopetegui complained about a penalty that the referees failed to award. There were also questions about Leeds’s fourth goal, scored by Rodrigo.
Just above the relegation zone, a contest between teams 12th to 20th, Aston Villa raced away with a win over Bournemouth. They went level on points with 10th-placed Chelsea. Unai Emery’s side remained closer to the Blues on goal difference and could catch up with them for a finish in the top half of the table.
To wrap up Gameweek 28, ten-man Brentford could only manage a draw against Leicester City at home. Harvey Barnes scored the equaliser after Mathias Jensen opened the scoring in the first half. The game also saw Shandon Baptiste get sent off deep in second-half injury time.
Winners
Arsenal
Four goals, three points. One BIG win. pic.twitter.com/sAj1S78Lz3
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 19, 2023
After their midweek disappointment against Sporting CP at the Emirates, Arteta was eager for his team to respond. Gabriel Martinelli made headlines after missing a crucial penalty in the shootout and responded with a terrific opener against Crystal Palace.
The goal set Arsenal up nicely as they stamped their authority on proceedings. Bukayo Saka then scored the second from a brilliant Ben White pass to give the Gunners a two-goal lead heading into half-time. The game was crucial from Arteta’s perspective, as it allowed Arsenal to take an eight-point lead over Manchester City, who were busy thrashing Burnley in the FA Cup.
Another goal from Granit Xhaka after his midweek exploits took the game away from Palace. The visitors did manage a consolation through Jeffrey Schlupp and end Aaron Ramsdale’s hope of a 13th clean sheet. Arsenal then responded with Saka, who scored his second of the match.
Some players performed well, especially Rob Holding, who was deputising for the injured William Saliba. While the fans would want the Frenchman to gain his fitness soon, the experienced defender showed he was a reliable presence.
Meanwhile, Saka became the first Premier League player to go into double figures for goals and assists after he assisted Martinelli’s opening strike. His brace took him behind the Brazilian as Arsenal’s top scorer. And there will be plenty more to come from him in the final ten games of the season.
Newcastle United
Calm as you like. 😎 pic.twitter.com/86gMJ3EI8T
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) March 18, 2023
Alexander Isak has had his critics for his lack of goals and fitness. Newcastle’s record signing did not convince many that he was the answer to their centre-forward problems. But the display against Nottingham Forest might have changed the opinions of a few.
After Newcastle fell behind to an Emmanuel Dennis strike, Isak equalised at the stroke of half-time. While Newcastle maintained dominance, they could not find a clear-cut opening in the second half. Elliot Anderson thought he had scored his first goal for the club, only for VAR to intervene and rule it out.
However, late in the game, Moussa Niakhate raised his arms to allow the referee to award a penalty to the Magpies. Isak stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot-kick past Keylor Navas. The defeat may have been a huge blow for Forest in their hopes for survival, as Steve Cooper’s men remained in 16th place.
As for Newcastle, the win took them closer to the top four after a few weeks of disappointing results. With a fully-fit squad, Howe can hope for a big fight from his players to pip Tottenham for a top-four place. They next face Manchester United and could go above the Red Devils with a win after the break.
Southampton
A performance that deserved a goal 💫@theowalcott | #SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/0YJpY1QfPW
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) March 19, 2023
Tottenham’s big January signing, Pedro Porro, lashed the ball with confidence to give his side the lead at the stroke of half-time. Spurs might have been clear favourites from that stage and justified that tag by taking a 3-1 lead with 20 minutes to play.
In between that, Che Adams had latched on to a low cross from Theo Walcott to equalise. However, Harry Kane’s header and a brilliant strike from Ivan Perisic for his first Spurs goal allowed them an unassailable lead. However, plenty of drama was left in the tank as the Saints clawed their way back into the game.
A goal from Walcott set the tone for Southampton, who were then awarded a contentious penalty in injury time. While the decision raised plenty of questions, James Ward-Prowse smashed the ball without a doubt to give the Saints a valuable point.
The win did not improve their position at the bottom of the table but gave them hope to get out with a few good results in the coming gameweeks. Ruben Selles will hope his side has what it takes to avoid the drop and get out of the dreaded relegation zone in the coming weeks.
Everton
A special moment for @Everton's Ellis Simms 🙌 pic.twitter.com/jFWbA0SPIx
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 18, 2023
Like Southampton, Everton managed to snatch a point deep in the game against Chelsea. Ellis Simms scored his first-ever goal for the Toffees as he easily beat Kalidou Koulibaly to put the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga. The point gained from the result will prove huge for Sean Dyche.
They continue to languish near the drop zone, with just two points separating the Toffees from 18th-placed West Ham United. It will become massive later in the season, as this is by far the most exciting and tightly-contested relegation fight in years.
Dyche’s gameplay was excellent throughout the game, as he somewhat restricted Chelsea from getting clear-cut chances. Despite Joao Felix’s opener and a penalty from Kai Havertz, Everton had the will to fight back and get back on track.
Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the first equaliser, and then Simms grabbed the all-important strike to keep Chelsea in 10th on the table. While it is only a single point gained from the exploits, it will prove crucial later for Dyche’s men.
Losers
Tottenham Hotspur
🗣️ “They're used to it here. Don't play for something important. They don't want to play under pressure or under stress. Tottenham's story is this. 20 years there is the owner & they never won something. Why?”
Antonio Conte is absolutely FUMING in his post match presser 😤 pic.twitter.com/jPqMxnZUtQ
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 18, 2023
An astonishing result at St. Mary’s saw Southampton crawl back from 1-3 down with 20 minutes to go. While Spurs have had the tag of ‘bottlers’ for over a decade, the outcome of this match had thought-provoking ramifications. It was a massive blow to their hopes of reaching the top four.
It gave Newcastle United hope of going past them later, and Spurs fans were utterly disappointed at watching their team ‘bottle’ their two-goal advantage. Little did they know what was to follow. The fallout from this encounter will have long-standing effects on the team’s performances for the remainder of the season.
Antonio Conte burst into an astonishing rant at the post-match press conference, accusing his players of selfishness. The Spurs boss also touched upon the ‘history of Tottenham’ and cited why the club have failed to succeed in the last 20 years.
While the rant has more or less confirmed the impending departure of the Italian, possibly even before the season ends, it did highlight the growing problems within the club. It is very unusual for any manager to expose their teams so openly. But Conte did make a point by doing so.
Considering the fixtures after the break, Spurs have a massive task ahead to stake a claim in the Premier League top-four race. Newcastle United are now one of the favourites to pip them to a place there. Moreover, if Brighton win their games in hand, Tottenham could be in real trouble.
Chelsea
Graham Potter is fully to blame for that horrendous performance against Everton.
Chelsea looked horrible today. No tactics, no coaching. Started Pulisic, subbed on Gallagher as if the game was won, Mudryk and Madueke not getting a minute. Shocking decisions. pic.twitter.com/H6tUd4U1rw
— AzM (@CFCAzM) March 18, 2023
As Chelsea manager, Potter seemed to have turned a leaf on the disastrous start to life. Since losing to Tottenham, the Blues have won twice in the League and ousted Borussia Dortmund from the UEFA Champions League. The European competition remains their only hope for a trophy this season. But the progress under the manager was clear.
Despite the positive results, Potter’s Chelsea remained in 10th. But the draw against Everton will have pushed them behind in their quest to finish higher. The manager came into intense criticism for his in-game management. For many games, he has taken unwanted decisions with substitutions, which backfired against the Toffees.
The introduction of Conor Gallagher raised eyebrows, especially when Chelsea were only a goal ahead. He had a similar stance against Dortmund recently, but luckily nothing happened then. There are aspects the manager continues to learn on the job, but he may still not have his team under control.
The longer such results continue, the shorter span Potter will have as Chelsea’s manager. He needs to show massive improvements in the last phase of the season, which will force the Chelsea board to decide whether to keep him at the club.
