Review of Premier League GameWeek 26

Premier League GameWeek 26 saw Manchester City extend their lead at the top of the table.

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Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United

City centre-backs turned heroes as Guardiola’s team extend their run of league wins to 14 in a row.

The hosts enjoyed early possession at the Etihad Stadium and took the lead on the half-hour mark. With their first shot on target, Dias headed in Kevin De Bruyne’s pinpoint cross for his first City goal.

Having hit the post three minutes earlier, Michail Antonio drew West Ham level with two minutes before half-time. The forward turned in Jesse Lingard’s shot from close range, ending City’s 587-minute run of not conceding a home league goal.

Stones restored City’s lead midway through the second half, finishing well after skilful work from Riyad Mahrez on the right.

Issa Diop headed a chance wide for West Ham in stoppage time and sealed City’s 20th straight win in all competitions.

A four-match unbeaten run for the Hammers ends as they stay fourth, 1 point ahead of Chelsea.

West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion

It was West Bromwich Albion‘s first win in eight Premier League matches as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion. With two missed penalties and an overturned goal, the odds were against Brighton.

The Baggies took an 11th-minute lead at The Hawthorns through Kyle Bartley, who headed in Conor Gallagher’s corner for his third goal of the season.

Brighton won their first penalty after Okay Yokuslu’s handball was awarded on the advice of the Video Assistant Referee, but Pascal Gross’ spot-kick hit the bar.

Lewis Dunk thought he had drawn Brighton level before half-time, but his quick free-kick was overturned by referee Lee Mason after consulting the VAR because he had blown his whistle a second time for it being taken too quickly just before the ball went in.

Aaron Connolly and Joel Veltman both spurned great chances for Brighton before Gross was fouled inside the penalty area by Conor Townsend, only for substitute Danny Welbeck to hit a post from the spot.

West Brom stay 19th on 17 points, nine behind Brighton, who are 16th after a fourth match without victory.

Leeds United 0-1 Aston Villa

An early goal from Anwar El Ghazi was enough for Aston Villa to earn victory at Ellan Road.

El Ghazi collected a shot from Ollie Watkins in the fifth minute, before firing beneath Illan Meslier from close range.

Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a superb stop to deny Tyler Roberts a first-half equaliser, while El Ghazi was twice kept out by brilliant Meslier saves.

Villa came close to scoring again on 67 minutes. Tyrone Mings’ header deflected off Liam Cooper and went narrowly over.

At the other end, Raphinha had a great chance for a last-minute equaliser but headed wide.

A first victory in three matches keeps Villa 9th on 39 points, while Leeds are two places below on 35 points.

Newcastle 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

A rare Ruben Neves header cancelled out Jamaal Lascelles’ second-half goal to earn Wolves a draw at Newcastle.

The home side started brightly with Miguel Almiron’s curling effort hitting the post. Allan Saint-Maximim also had a goal ruled out for offside.

Newcastle took the lead on 52 minutes when Ryan Fraser crossed for Lascelles to powerfully head past Rui Patricio.

Wolves equalised with a header of their own as Neves met Pedro Neto’s cross in the 73rd minute.

With nine minutes remaining, Joelinton had his shot cleared off the line by Romain Saiss. Substitute Fabio Silva also saw his header superbly tipped on to the crossbar by Martin Dubravka in stoppage time.

A fifth successive 1-1 draw between the sides means Newcastle stay 17th with 26 points. Wolves are 12th with 34 points.

Leicester City 1-3 Arsenal

David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe were on target as Arsenal came from a goal down to beat Leicester 3-1 at King Power Stadium.

Youri Tielemans put the hosts ahead on six minutes, when he surged forward and fired past Bernd Leno into the far corner.

Arsenal levelled on 39 minutes when David Luiz headed in Willian’s well-worked free-kick.

The visitors took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Lacazette’s penalty, awarded after Wilfred Ndidi’s handball.

Leicester lost Harvey Barnes to injury six minutes into the second half and later lost Jonny Evans too.

The Gunners sealed their win on 52 minutes when Pepe tapped into an empty net from Willan’s cutback.

Arsenal rise to tenth with 37 points while Leicester miss the chance to move up to second place. They are on 49 points, 1 behind Manchester United.

Crystal Palace 0-0 Fulham

Fulham missed the chance to move within one point of safety as Vicente Guaita’s save from Josh Maja‘s second-half header earned Crystal Palace a goalless draw at Selhurst Park.

Palace had the better of the early play, with Andros Townsend’s cross diverted on target by Fulham’s Joachim Andersen, but Alphonse Areola was alert to keep out an own goal.

Andersen had two chances at the other end before half-time, first heading wide from Ademola Lookman’s corner, then nodding over after the duo combined again.

Fulham stepped up a gear in the second half but Guaita kept the hosts in the match.

The Palace goalkeeper denied Tosin Adarabioyo‘s header from Lookman’s free-kick before brilliantly keeping out Maja’s close-range effort with 20 minutes remaining.

Palace stay 13th with 33 points while Fulham are 18th on 23 points.

Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 Burnley

Gareth Bale scored in either half as Tottenham comfortably returned to winning ways with a 4-goal sensational victory.

Bale opened the scoring after only 68 seconds when he converted Son Heung-min’s cross.

Jay Rodriguez had a header saved at the other end before Spurs asserted their dominance.

Bale’s sumptuous long pass picked out Harry Kane, who doubled the home side’s lead on 14 minutes.

Lucas Moura added a third just past the half-hour with a low shot from Sergio Reguilon’s cross.

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And Bale sealed the win with his second strike in the 55th minute, curling in after another assist from Son

Burnley’s Nick Pope prevented Spurs grabbing more goals with smart saves from Kane and Son.

Spurs move up to eighth with 39 points while a first defeat in five keeps Burnley in 15th on 28 points, five points above the bottom three.

Chelsea 0-0 Manchester United

Chelsea and Manchester United each extended unbeaten runs but suffered blows to their ambitions with a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.

United were trying to close the gap between them and leaders Manchester City. However, the closest they came to a goal was when Fred’s long-range shot curled inches wide on 68 minutes.

Chelsea enjoyed the majority of possession but failed to convert. Olivier Giroud snatched at a first-half shot before Hakim Ziyech was superbly denied by David De Gea.

The visitors threatened a late winner but Scott McTominay was unable to set up a team-mate during a stoppage-time breakaway.

Chelsea are unbeaten in seven matches under Thomas Tuchel and have kept clean sheets in all four of the German’s home matches. However, they missed the chance to go above West Ham United and into the top four.

Second-placed United stretch their club-record unbeaten away run to 20 Premier League matches but slip 12 points off the top spot.

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Sheffield United 0-2 Liverpool

Liverpool ended their four-match losing streak and moved to within two points of the top four with a win at Sheffield United.

The heroics of Sheffield goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale frustrated Liverpool as he made five first-half saves, including two in as many minutes to deny Mohamed Salah and Georginio Wijnaldum.

Liverpool eventually found a way past Ramsdale on 48 minutes when Phil Jagielka’s clearance from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross fell invitingly for Jones to strike in his second Premier League goal.

Oliver McBurnie then passed up a great chance to equalise, heading Oliver Norwood’s cross wide, before Liverpool made their hosts pay.

Roberto Firmino danced through Sheffield’s defence and hit a shot that deflected in off Kean Bryan for an own goal.

The win could have been even greater, as Salah missed an open goal from a tight angle late on.

Liverpool move a point behind fifth-placed Chelsea, their next opponents, while Sheff United stay bottom, 15 points from safety.

Everton 1-0 Southampton

Richarlison scored for the third successive match as Everton beat Southampton to move level on points with Liverpool.

The Brazilian, who scored against Manchester City and Liverpool in his previous two matches, gathered a through-ball from Gylfi Sigurdsson. He rounded Saints’ recalled goalkeeper Fraser Forster, to slot home in the ninth minute.

Michael Keane thought he had doubled the Toffees’ lead, but his header was overturned for offside against Mason Holgate after a VAR review.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin went close after the break, but the Toffees then allowed Southampton back into the match.

Mohammed Salisu headed over and Moussa Djenepo fired wide from a good position inside the box, before Jannik Vestergaard forced Jordan Pickford into a match-winning save in the 90th minute.

Everton remain seventh but move on to 43 points, only behind Liverpool on goal difference, and with a match in hand.

Southampton are now winless in nine Premier League matches and stay 14th on 30 points, seven above the relegation zone.

There was a total of 18 goals in Premier League GameWeek 26.