The Hard Tackle rounds up Gameweek 35 of the Premier League, with Arsenal, West Ham United, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool the big winners, while Manchester United in the top four race.
Gameweek 35 ended with an unusual three games on Monday, which produced 21 goals, a record for a single day of Premier League action. The three goal-laden games had much of the action, trumping all others that played over the weekend.
Everton were one of the headline makers on Monday with a scintillating performance against Brighton & Hove Albion. Nobody in their right mind would have predicted a Toffees victory at the Amex, let alone Brighton shipping in five goals. That result was a major boost for Sean Dyche and his quest to avoid relegation.
What. A. Weekend. pic.twitter.com/qTlm8DVLGH
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 9, 2023
Nottingham Forest were also involved in a seven-goal thriller as they narrowly overcame bottom-placed Southampton. In a game that saw plenty of ups and downs, Danilo’s second-half strike was enough to seal the points and provide a timely boost for Steve Cooper ahead of the final three games of the campaign.
Southampton, on the other hand, inched closer to the inevitable demotion to the Championships. They remain bottom placed with 24 points on board, and it will take a miracle to take nine points from their remaining games and hope one of the teams in the bottom three fail to take any.
On to mid-table, Aston Villa’s hopes to make it into Europe suffered a hammer blow with a narrow loss as they narrowly lost to Wolves away from home. That result pushed Unai Emery’s side to eighth on the table. However, they are one Tottenham or Brighton slip away from re-entering the European places.
As for the teams below Villa, there is like a safe bubble forming between the eighth and 15th. Those sides are virtually safe from relegation as things stand, barring any late dramatics from the teams further below. West Ham managed a big win over Manchester United, putting them on 37 points.
Here are @alanshearer's selections for Team of the Week 💫
What do you think of his picks? 💬 pic.twitter.com/ZSDw64RPIT
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 9, 2023
That points mark kept teams safe last year and might be the case this season. That narrow result came because of a first-half strike from Said Benrahma. But the focus was on Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea for his howler that allowed that tame shot to go in.
With that defeat, Manchester United could not capitalise on Newcastle United’s loss above them and remained fourth. That loss leaves them only a point ahead of a resurgent Liverpool side, albeit with a game in hand over Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Late in the first half, Mohamed Salah’s strike was enough for Liverpool to collect three points. Klopp has revived his men and continues to push for an improbable-looking Champions League place. But their victory and Manchester United’s loss give them the impetus ahead of the season’s final few games.
Elsewhere at the top end of the table, Manchester City continued to win and secured their tenth straight victory in the Premier League. That kept them slightly above Arsenal, and they have a game in hand over Mikel Arteta’s men ahead of the last few games.
Neutrals may feel the task is all but done concerning the Premier League title race, but there’s much more to anticipate. Manchester City have crunch clashes with Real Madrid this week and the next, meaning they will play at least five games in quick successions.
Hence, there’s a chance for Arsenal to remain in the title race and not be mere pretenders here. Arteta’s side certainly kept their end of the bargain by thoroughly defeating Newcastle United away from home. That win kept them the best side on the road and kept their hopes alive.
With Brighton losing on Monday, Arsenal certainly will feel positive going against the Seagulls at the weekend. From a neutral perspective, the remaining three games are winnable for the Gunners, who will hope and pray for Manchester City to slip up considerably.
Winners
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta will have been pleased by the response to his Arsenal side game during their difficult trip to Tyneside. There were talks about another slip-up here, reminiscent of their bottling of the top four race last season. The game began with Newcastle bombarding the Gunners’ box, with two early chances setting up the mood, which erupted when the Toons were awarded.
A 15th Premier League goal of the season for the skipper ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2js6tdleG0
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 8, 2023
While VAR correctly overturned that decision, the mood inside St. James’ Park also turned. Arsenal then began cutting out their errors from the start and began controlling the game. Martin Odegaard soon scored his 15th goal of the season to silence the crowd.
Arsenal barely allowed the Magpies to re-enter the game with the same vigour in the first ten minutes. Newcastle United did come close to scoring soon after the break, but the post and a terrific Aaron Ramsdale save kept the Gunners in the contest.
Gabriel Martinelli then forced an own goal off Fabian Schar, which all but ended the contest. Eddie Howe complained about Arsenal’s tactics, but fans on social media quickly reminded the Newcastle boss it was a taste of his own medicine after some similar tactics at the Emirates in January.
That win keeps Arsenal’s hopes of the title alive, as they have the platform to keep pushing Manchester City until the end. The Gunners take on Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, and Arteta will hope for a repeat performance of this Newcastle game.
Liverpool
Liverpool fans were screaming their team was back in the hunt for a top-four place. And there are echoes of how this team performed during that pandemic season. The Reds had stumbled at the back of a title-winning campaign but crawled back into the top-four chase and finished within the Champions League places.
The race for Champions League football is heating up! 🔥
Who will make the top four? pic.twitter.com/TzINsRG9DC
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 8, 2023
Can they repeat the trick? Last weekend Jurgen Klopp himself dismissed the idea of finishing fourth. But two bad results from Manchester United have opened the doors wide for Liverpool to re-enter that conversation. The Red Devils have suffered back-to-back defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United, which has brought the Merseysiders to within a point of their great rivals.
Moreover, Liverpool’s current winning run of five games may suggest they may continue to acquire points in their last three clashes. Not so much for Manchester United, who still have a game or two where they might drop points.
Meanwhile, Newcastle’s loss to Arsenal will not get that much attention, as the Magpies are expected to win their remaining games. Liverpool will hope for a massive result once again next weekend and hope for another Manchester United slip-up, which will open the doors for late drama.
West Ham United, Everton and Nottingham Forest
Of the three teams, West Ham United were in a better position heading into the weekend’s action about the relegation dogfight. The Hammers secured a massive win at home to Manchester United, which more or less ensures their safety.
A massive Monday for Everton and Nott'm Forest 👀 pic.twitter.com/qG7Mq1HuwF
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 8, 2023
Benrahma’s solitary strike sparked the Hammers to get more defensive. But many will argue Manchester United did not offer much threat. With 37 points on board, David Moyes will feel more secure with another point or three ahead of the weekend.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest secured a big win ahead of a tough run in for the last three games of the season. Chelsea, Arsenal and Crystal Palace await Steve Cooper’s side, which many may argue could be the toughest list besides Leicester City’s.
However, with that terrific win over Southampton, Cooper’s side have given them a massive shot in the arm and will go into the next games with confidence. Another three points could do the trick for Forest and possibly secure their safety, particularly if Leeds United and Leicester City continue to falter.
Finally, Monday night’s action cannot go without the mention of Everton. Sean Dyche’s side secured a massive win over a flying Brighton side coming into this game at the back of a dramatic late win over Manchester United in midweek.
Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dwight McNeil got a brace each, with Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele scoring an own goal. The 1-5 result in Everton’s favour seems unbelievable. But that is a massive boost for the Toffees and their relegation fight.
Losers
Manchester United
Manchester United fans were quick to pin the blame on David de Gea for his part in the West Ham United goal. Sure, the Spaniard must do more to save a rather tame shot from Said Benrahma. Moreover, Erik ten Hag’s post-match comments hinting at a new contract for the keeper angered the fans even more.
Erik ten Hag: “We want David de Gea to stay here at Manchester United and we want him to extend his contract”. 🚨🔴 #MUFC
“We want him to be with us also next season”, quotes via @lauriewhitwell.
Negotiation over new deal advancing in the last month. pic.twitter.com/nx8HDSIxtj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 7, 2023
However, the game only had that single goal. So it begs that question as to why the outfield players are absolved of criticism. Manchester United attackers and midfielders failed to create meaningful chances, which makes the criticism drawn out on de Gea seem a tad-bit unfair.
The defeat to Brighton in midweek and then to West Ham at the weekend has put Manchester United’s top-four spot at risk. On one side, fans were hoping for the red devils to capitalise on Newcatle’s defeat. But they now stare at the dreaded prospect of Liverpool pipping them for the fourth spot.
One might argue the extra game in hand will ease their way into the Champions League. But Manchester United still have games they can drop points in. Their biggest threat will be the game against Chelsea. But for their standard, the Red Devils must win the remaining three clashes.
Southampton, Leeds United and Leicester City
As things stand, in no order, these three are the incumbents of the relegation zone and favourites to go down at the end of May. Of the three, Leicester City have the worst fixtures run, as Liverpool, Newcastle United and West Ham United await them.
⚽️ Southampton’s 2022/23 season:
✅ 2-1 vs Leicester (A)
✅ 2-1 vs Chelsea (H)
🤝 1-1 vs Arsenal (H)
✅ 2-0 vs Man City (Carabao Cup)
✅ 2-1 vs Everton (A)
✅ 1-0 vs Chelsea (A)
✅ 1-0 vs Leicester (H)
🤝 0-0 vs Man United (A)
🤝 3-3 vs Tottenham (H)
🤝 3-3 vs Arsenal (A)Any… pic.twitter.com/YA92z7GSmV
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) May 8, 2023
Nobody in their right mind can expect Leicester to get anything against Liverpool or Newcastle. So by the time they host West Ham, their relegation might have been confirmed. Hence, alongside Southampton, the Foxes are the big favourites to go down.
Ruben Selles will rue his time at the club because he could not keep them up. With three games to go, Southampton have not managed to move anywhere out of their bottom-placed standing. If they continue their bad streak, their relegation will be confirmed as soon as the coming weekend.
Compared to Leicester and Southampton, Leeds United still have a slim chance of making it out of the danger zone. Sam Allardyce’s men also have tough fixtures against Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham. It may seem identical to Leicester. But it is not that daunting a task.
However, these three teams are the favourites to go down, and that may happen eventually. They might not even have to wait until the season’s final game. Teams above them will hope to pin their nail on their coffins, starting from the upcoming fixtures at the weekend.
