LIVERPOOL’s slim hopes of winning the title were completely extinguished after being held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham. The grand farewell for Jurgen Klopp is definitely not going to go according to plan, as the team is engulfed in turmoil, as encapsulated by the pitch-side bust-up between Mo Salah and the German manager.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Sheffield United were the first team to be relegated after yet another five-goal thrashing, while Burnley, Luton and Forest fought it out to avoid going down with them.
FocusM looks at the talking points from the EPL games played thus far.
West Ham 2 v Liverpool 2
Just like the last few games, Liverpool found ways to waste goal scoring opportunities and throw away games they should have won comfortably. From Harvey Elliot hitting the woodwork early on in the first half to a period in the second when they were so dominant that they had 90% of the possession, Liverpool were the better team. Even David Moes said so.
But all that did not translate into three precious points, which was the very minimum the visitors needed to breathe hope into their already fading title charge. Klopp’s final season at Anfield promised so much just a few weeks ago when a quadruple was on the cards, now it’s just fizzling out in the most anti-climactic of fashions.
Manchester United 1 v Burnley 1
Manchester United had an easy week so to speak with back-to-back home games against the bottom two teams—Sheffield United in midweek and Burnley last night. The fact that the home side lost the lead twice against the Blades and conceded a late penalty against Burnley shows that it was anything but straightforward.
Vincent Kompany can claim that his beleaguered Burnley team were the better side, as they refused to be cowed by their wealthy host. A performance that will surely convince the new board at Old Trafford that Erik Ten Hag is not the man to turn things around.
Newcastle 5 v Sheffield United 1
Boys against men… again! Despite taking an early first-half lead, Sheffield United once again confirmed what everyone knows. The Blades just aren’t cut out for football in the elite division. To play with the big boys teams need to spend or at the very least, have players wanting to step up. Sheffield United were bereft of ideas at St James Park as the home side toyed with them as a cat played with a mortally wounded mouse.
Newcastle are intent on European football next season and laid down a marker with an impressive display, albeit against a side that has looked out of place in the Premiership for quite some time.
Aston Villa 2 v Chelsea 2
Chelsea fans must have been fearing the worst at halftime. Having been soundly thrashed by Arsenal 5-0 in midweek, Chelsea got off to the worst possible start with an own goal inside five minutes. They went into the dressing rooms two down, and the travelling support must have thought another mauling was on the cards.
Somehow Mauricio Pochettino managed to coax a response out of his overpaid stars who not only drew level but almost won it themselves in added time. VAR though had the last say as it intervened to chalk off Chelsea’s third goal and keep Unai Emery’s side ahead of Spurs in the joust for the fourth spot.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v Luton Town 1
Luton has earned many admirers for their never-say-die attitude and penchant for giving it their all. But points, not endeavour, are what counts and Luton are fast running out of games to accumulate them. Can they save themselves, or will they need a points deduction for their relegation rivals to escape the drop?
Luton have Everton, Fulham and West Ham in their final three games. A maximum haul will be needed if they truly hope to retain their top-flight status. Wolves meanwhile, keep alive their outside hopes of qualifying for European competition next season, thanks to goals from Hwang Hee-chan and Toti Gomes.
Everton 1 v Brentford 0
After a spirited performance in the Merseyside derby, Sean Dyche had every right to feel confident his men had done enough to retain top-flight status. Dogged by injury woes and point deductions for off-field misdemeanours, Everton sat uncomfortably close to the drop zone for much of the campaign. A crucial win against the Bees means the Toffees can finally breathe easy and look forward to the remaining games.
When the dust has settled, Everton supporters will rightly ask what the plans are to avoid a similar scenario next season. For the moment though they will be wildly celebrating Idrissa Gueye’s strike, which preserves their long and proud record. – April 28, 2024
All photos credited to The Guardian.
