We only had a half a top flight programme this week but there was plenty of action; as both Manchester clubs were in action, Chelsea bagged another win and there was high drama and controversy in a relegation six pointer.
Manchester United vs Spurs is a Premier League classic and it didn’t disappoint as the two sides traded blow for blow. Rasmus Hojlund gave the hosts a lead when he slammed the ball high into the net with just three minutes on the clock and then Richarlison scored his sixth goal in six games when he equalised with a deft header on 19 minutes. Spurs were in the ascendency and finished the first half with 63 per cent possession, more shots and more on target, but is was the Red Devils who went into the break ahead when Marcus Rashford scored his first Old Trafford goal since May with a smart finish.
In a breathless start to the second half Rodrigo Bentancur smashed Spurs level with a blistering finish after good work from new boy Timo Werner. And, at 2-2 the visitors continued to dominate, but they failed to get the winner they craved and United almost nicked it at the death when Scott McTominay missed a free header with the goal at his mercy.
De Bruyne is back and firing
It’s been a long time coming but the return of midfield maestro Kevin de Bruyne to the Manchester City line-up sent shivers down the spine of the rest of the Premier League. Out since the opening match of the campaign, a 3-0 win away to Burnley, the Belgian ace returned for the FA Cup win over Huddersfield last week and, on Saturday, he climbed off the bench when City were 2-1 down away to Newcastle United and turned the game on its head. He’d only been on the pitch a minute when he got himself on the score sheet with a superb finish to beat Martin Dubravka. And then it was pure De Bruyne magic which won the game in injury time as he hit a wonderful pass to tee up Oscar Bobb who made no mistake as the Sky Blues ran out 3-2 winners.
The only black spot on another successful day for Pep Guardiola was the loss of keeper Ederson with just eight minutes on the clock, and the Magpies took advantage, replying to Bernardo Silva’s clever back-heeled opener with goals from Alexander Isak and Antony Gordon.
The Premier League 2024 betting odds here at SBOTOP have backed the Sky Blues from the off and the win took Manchester City up to second place and just two points behind leaders Liverpool; but it piled more misery on Newcastle who have lost four premier league matches on the bounce and are down in tenth place.
In other Premier League 2024 news Chelsea won the West London derby 1-0 as Cole Palmer continued his excellent run, converting his fifth penalty of the campaign to give the Blues the narrowest of wins over Fulham. The result took Chelsea above Newcastle and into ninth place. On Sunday Aston Villa missed the chance to go level at the top when they were frustrated by Everton in a 0-0 draw. Villa’s Alex Moreno had a goal ruled out by VAR and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a sitter but, that aside, 0-0 was probably a fair reflection of the game.
Kompany is raging
As a player Vincent Kompany was imperious, and he played for the best team. As a manager he shows all the cool, intelligence and steeliness he had on the pitch with Manchester City, but as Burnley boss he is quickly discovering that not everything is in his control. And so it proved on Friday night when the Clarets closed in on a valuable win over relegation rivals Luton Town until there was yet more VAR controversy. In the second minute of five added on the Hatters swung a ball into the Burnley box and it looked like a regulation collect for keeper James Trafford. But he was blocked off by Elijah Adebayo and Carlton Morris looped a header into the empty net.
Nobody in the Luton team celebrated as they looked around at the officials and then assumed that the VAR team would take a few seconds to rule the goal out. But two minutes later the referee gave the goal to spark wild celebrations on the pitch and in the away end.
Kompany was mystified, and will expect another short letter of apology from PGMOL; and he cited the sequence of bizarre decisions and VAR interventions during matches against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Aston Villa which have cost his team a minimum of six points and a maximum of ten.
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