There are lots of talking points as Premier League Game Week 24 – the final round of fixtures before the resumption of European competitions – comes to a close.
The title race is looking more like a one-horse race as Manchester City continues to extend their lead. However, the battle for the runner-up spots gets tougher.
Read Also: Premier League GameWeek 24: Preview & Predictions
As teams continue to battle for the maximum 3 points, Oladipupo Mojeed brings us the highlights from Premier League Game Week 24.
Leicester City 3-1 Liverpool
In the opening fixture of Premier League Game Week 24, Leicester City claimed a comeback victory over the current champions at the King Power Stadium.
Liverpool showed a glimpse of their old self by dominating the ball for most of the first half. But they couldn’t take advantage and went into the break goalless.
Kasper Schmeichel denied Roberto Firmino from scoring an opener twice. Jamie Vardy struck the crossbar on the other end, in what turned out to be the Foxes’ best chance of the half.
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Liverpool finally took the lead 67 minutes on. Roberto Firmino found Mohammed Salah with a beautiful backheel pass, and the Egyptian netted with a side-footed finish.
The hosts fought back late on with James Maddison levelling for the Foxes with 12 minutes remaining. He beat Alisson to find the back of the net with a beautiful free-kick.
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Jamie Vardy put his side ahead 3 minutes later when he capitalized on a mix-up between Alisson and Ozan Kabak to score into an empty net.
Harvey Barnes increased the lead with 5 minutes remaining and scored after being found by Wilfred Ndidi’s pass.
Leicester City sits 3rd, level on points with 2nd place Manchester United while Liverpool sits 5th place with 40 points.
Crystal Palace 0-3 Burnley
Burnley earned victory over the Eagles at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Scoring began quite early as Sean Dyche’s men scored 2 goals within the first ten minutes of the match.
Johan Berg Gudmundsson scored the opener 5 minutes on, curling the ball into the back of the net after a cross wasn’t cleared. The Clarets doubled their lead 5 minutes later when Jay Rodriguez headed in Dwight McNeil’s corner.
Palace searched for a leveler but their best chances were denied by Nick Pope. Pope saved Christian Benteke’s low shot and blocked Jordan Ayew’s effort.
The Clarets sealed their victory just after the break when Matthew Lowton volleyed into the back of the net after linking up with Jay Rodriguez.
Burnley sits 16th with 26 points, while Crystal Palace is in 14th place.
Manchester City 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
The Citizens extend their lead at the top of the table to 7 points after defeating Tottenham Hotspur.
The visitors almost went ahead 14 minutes on when Harry Kane’s free-kick struck the woodwork. City dominated the first half and were rewarded by a goal when Rodrigo netted from the penalty spot after a foul on Ilkay Gundogan.
The hosts doubled their lead after the break through Ilkay Gundogan, who fired a left-footed shot into the back of the net after being teed by Raheem Sterling. He struck again in the 66th minute to seal the victory when he collected Ederson Morales’ long pass before finishing beautifully.
Manchester City sits top of the league with 53 points while Spurs sit 9th with 36 points.
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Aston Villa
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was the hero as his side held Brighton to a goalless draw at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton had better chances in the first half, with Leandro Trossard and Dan Burn denied superbly by Martinez. Although Ross Barkley fired an effort straight at Robert Sanchez for the visitors, Brighton continued to threaten after the interval.
Alexis Mac Allister’s deflected shot drew another smart stop from Martinez. And after Neal Maupay fired just wide, Joel Veltman and Adam Lallana were also kept out by the Argentinian. He made nine saves in total to keep his 12th clean sheet of the season.
With two matches in hand, Villa move up to eighth place with 36 points. They are four points behind fourth-placed derby rivals Liverpool.
Brighton, who extended their unbeaten Premier League run to a club-record six matches, are 15th on 26 points.
Southampton 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Pedro Neto scored a stunning winner as Wolverhampton Wanderers came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory at Southampton.
Southampton had controlled the first half and took a 25th-minute lead when Stuart Armstrong crossed for Danny Ings to spectacularly volley in his first goal since 4 January.
But Wolves rallied after the break and drew level with a Ruben Neves penalty, which was awarded after Nelson Semedo’s shot hit Ryan Bertrand’s hand.
Neto completed the turnaround on 66 minutes, tricking his way past Jannik Vestergaard and curling in from a tight angle.
Che Adams went close to a leveller for Southampton, who slipped a point and a place behind their opponents with a sixth successive league defeat.
Wolves rise to 12th after a first win in seven away matches.
West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes scored a brilliant volley as United were held to a draw at West Bromwich Albion.
West Brom went ahead in the second minute when Mbaye Diagne headed in Conor Gallagher’s cross for his first Premier League goal.
The Reds got back on level terms after 44 minutes, when Luke Shaw picked out Fernandes, whose volley flew past West Brom’s goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
After the break, Mason Greenwood and Scott McTominay both had efforts cleared off the line.
Diagne had two chances for a second goal. He was denied by an excellent David De Gea saves.
But the Baggies needed a magnificent Johnstone save to secure a point, as he tipped Harry Maguire’s header on to the post in the final minute of stoppage time.
United moves up to second with 46 points while West Brom stays in 19th place with 13 points.
Arsenal 4-2 Leeds United
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Arsenal held off a Leeds United comeback to win at the Emirates.
Aubameyang netted his first on 13 minutes, when he cut in from the left side before firing low beyond Illan Meslier.
Arsenal went 2-0 ahead from the penalty spot on 41 minutes as Aubameyang sent Meslier the wrong way after the Leeds goalkeeper had fouled Bukayo Saka.
Dani Ceballos’s nutmegged pass after a slick team move then set up Hector Bellerin, who beat Meslier at his near post for the Gunners’ third on the stroke of half-time.
Aubameyang completed his treble two minutes after the break with a close-range header from Emile Smith Rowe’s delivery.
Pascal Struijk’s header reduced the arrears on 58 minutes and Helder Costa added a second 11 minutes later, before Aubameyang was denied his fourth goal as he hit the post.
Arsenal’s biggest home win of the season moves them above Leeds to 10th spot on 34 points. Leeds drop to 11th, two points behind the Gunners.
Everton 0-2 Fulham
Josh Maja scored twice on his first start for Fulham as his side claimed victory at Goodison Park, ending a run of 14 consecutive Premier League defeats at Everton.
Scott Parker’s side started brightly and Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s flick on from a corner on nine minutes hit the post before Harrison Reed’s drive flew fractionally wide.
Everton responded, however, and were denied the opening goal on 34 minutes when Seamus Coleman’s 25-yard strike hit the outside of the post
Fulham took the lead on 48 minutes. Ola Aina played a one-two with Ademola Lookman and put an inch-perfect pass across the six-yard box where Maja slid the ball home from two yards.
Maja doubled Fulham’s lead to make the points safe, tapping the loose ball past Robin Olsen after Reed’s 68th-minute shot smacked the post.
Fulham remain in 18th place but their first Premier League win at Goodison Park means they have closed the gap on Newcastle to seven points.
Everton remain seventh with 37 points.
West Ham United 3-0 Sheffield United
The Hammers claimed a comfortable victory over the Blades despite missing some key players. Declan Rice, Issa Diop, and Ryan Fredericks all netted as each of them scored their first Premier League goal of the season.
The hosts took the lead just before halftime through Declan Rice, who scored from the penalty spot after Jesse Lingard was brought down by Chris Basham. Lukasz Fabianski denied David McGoldrick’s header as the Blades attempted to draw level.
Issa Diop doubled the lead 58 minutes on when he rose highest to head in Aaron Cresswell’s corner into the corner of the net. Ryan Fredericks was set up by fellow substitute Said Benrahma as he sealed the victory with a late goal.
The Hammers move above Liverpool and sit 4th place on 42 points while Sheffield United remains bottom with 11 points.
Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle United
Timo Werner ended his goal drought to seal Chelsea’s victory over Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea dominated the game and got rewarded with an opener 31 minutes on when substitute Olivier Giroud reacts first to a poor clearance to break the deadlock.
Werner doubled the lead in a similar fashion 9 minutes later.
The Magpies were improved after the break and had a few chances but were unable to find the back of the net in a goalless second half.
The result saw Chelsea move up to 4th place on the league standings with 42 points while Newcastle sits 17th, 7 points above relegation places.
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