Category: English Premier League

Nine-goal and seven-goal thrillers feature with a chaotic denouement at Anfield and a fraught Tyne-Wear derby

It is rare for a centre-forward to score a hat-trick and still be disappointed, but in the 10th minute of stoppage time, Jean-Philippe Mateta has a golden chance to win this pulsating affair for Crystal Palace. He clatters the ball down to South Norwood from eight yards out. Even before that it’s a rollercoaster of emotion for all concerned. Eagles fans fear the worst when their team fall 2-0 behind in the 37th minute after Junior Kroupi’s double. On 63 minutes, Mateta’s first Premier League goal of the season at Selhurst Park sparks home hope after a lengthy video assistant referee check for offside. Five minutes later, the Frenchman stretches to turn in a ball from Daniel Muñoz: 2-2. When James Tavernier rifles a low cross into the six-yard box in the 89th minute, Ryan Christie slams it in, seemingly snatching glory. There is time for Mateta to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot before missing his late chance.

Continue reading...

Two deadly strikers, two creative forces and an all-but unbeatable goalkeeper make up our picks for the season

The adulation offers a fine indication of how good the Manchester United captain has been this season. At the start, he was dragging Ruben Amorim’s interpretation of a team through matches and spent the past five months leading Michael Carrick’s unified side. Awards and records keep coming his way; winning the Football Writers’ Association player of the season award was swiftly followed by picking up a record Premier League assist tally of 21 at Brighton on the final day of the season. Considering United were very open to selling Fernandes less than a year ago, one wonders what would have happened at Old Trafford without him. “At one point I was going to leave – I won’t say where – but I would have won many trophies that season. I decided to stay not only for family reasons but because I genuinely like the club,” Fernandes told Canal 11. “But from the club’s side, I felt a bit of: ‘If you go, it’s not really that bad for us.’ That hurts me a little. More than hurting, it makes me sad, because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise me for. I’m always available for every match, I always play, whether well or badly. I give my maximum.” Fernandes brings incredible intelligence and work rate on the pitch, supported by stunning technique that has put him above his United teammates, who all feed off him. It is hard to argue that any other Premier League captain is more influential than Fernandes and United have reaped the awards.

Continue reading...

Burnley came from behind to make sure the ignominy of finishing bottom of the Premier League went to Wolves as the two relegated sides fought out a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.

This was a battle for pride – plus around £2.6million extra in merit payments – and Rob Edwards’ side took an early lead through Adam Armstrong’s penalty.

Continue reading...

Fulham gave Marco Silva a victory in what could be his final match in charge as Tom Cairney’s second-half wonder goal sealed a win over Newcastle at Craven Cottage.

The manager is due to meet with the club hierarchy next week having promised he would make a decision after the season had concluded on whether to extend his five-year stay or to depart.

Continue reading...

“Pep Guardiola!”: the two magical words for all of a Manchester City stripe came from the Etihad Stadium announcer ahead of the great man’s entrance in light-tan slacks and white T-shirt, a ‘P’ for Pep emblazoned across the left breast pocket.

The reception was rapturous. Poignant too. From a record 60,332 crowd due to the opening of the extension to the newly named The Pep Guardiola Stand.

Continue reading...

This was an occasion for Mikel Arteta to savour. With owner Stan Kroenke watching on from the stands on a rare visit to see his team in the flesh, Arsenal celebrated being crowned champions for the first time since 2004 by recording a comfortable victory over a Crystal Palace side who also have a European final on their minds. Max Dowman became the youngest player ever to start a Premier League game at the age of 16 years and 144 days and played his part, as goals from Gabriel Jesus – on what could be the Brazil striker’s last appearance – and Noni Madueke rounded off a memorable campaign for Arteta and his side.

But as they waited to be presented with the Premier League trophy at a sultry Selhurst Park after Oliver Glasner completed his own lap of honour following his last home match in charge of Palace, attention will switch very quickly to the daunting prospect of facing Paris Saint-Germain in next weekend’s Champions League showpiece. Palace - who scored a late consolation through Jean-Philippe Mateta and saw a late equaliser from Yéremy Pino ruled out for offside - will be concerned to see Adam Wharton limp off ahead of their meeting with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on Wednesday in the Conference League final in what should be an emotional farewell for Glasner. Palace revealed this week that it had identified more than 35,000 bots attempting to buy tickets in the home sections of the ground and asked fans to report any Arsenal supporters transgressing. Yet other than a handful who sneaked in wearing hi-vis jackets before being ejected by security, everything passed off peacefully in the end.

Continue reading...

A day of joy, distress and emotional farewells saw West Ham go down, Pep Guardiola go out, and Arsenal’s Champagne go pop

Pep Guardiola has a chat with Sky:

I’m good. Trying to focus on the game. It’s not easy, with many things happening around it. Not just me, Bernardo and John and some people from the staff. But yeah, try to enjoy, with my family, and an amount of people that I love.

There’s a football game, and we don’t want to make a bad last game. I’d have loved to have the chance today to play against Arsenal, but there are a lot of things around.

Now is the time, I’m pretty sure. Once we announced I thought, maybe I was wrong. The past has been really good with us, but the future will be better without me. You have to have a special energy..

Continue reading...

João Palhinha’s goal ensured Tottenham Hotspur stayed up and banished West Ham to the Championship

Roberto De Zerbi has been out on the pitch waving his arms about in an extremely exuberant style, exhorting the fans to make the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a cauldron in terms of atmosphere as well as temperature. It’s 30 degrees out there, with little or no wind. UV level high. Seek shade, wear sunscreen. And stay hydrated!

… and at the risk of turning this MBM into some sort of retro-relegation compendium, here’s Gary Naylor. “I was there in 1994,” he writes of Everton’s 1994 scrape with ignominy, requiring to beat Wimbledon on the last day only to go two down after ten minutes. “It was, and is, my favourite game. You’ve got to embrace it. There’ll be Tottenham or West Ham fans feeling the same come 6pm.”

Continue reading...

Our fans’ network reviews the season with one game to play: the highs, the lows and what they need in the summer

In this age of the managerial revolving door, I’m enormously proud that the Premier League champions (man, does that sound sweet!) stand as the antithesis to that. Admittedly, “trusting the process” aged a lot of us massively, but the agony of the past three campaigns evaporated with the final whistle at the Vitality. Sure, it would’ve been great to have enjoyed the sort of free-flowing football that the Cherries produced, but you won’t find a Gooner anywhere who gives a monkey’s how Mikel got us over the line. 19 great clean sheets. In the words of Fergie, attack wins games, but defence wins titles. Season rating: 10/10

Bernard Azulay onlinegooner.com; @GoonerN5

Jonathan Pritchard

Continue reading...

Reijnen chase is sign Reds manager will stay as Moyes admits being despondent over a poor end to season

Continue reading...

The final day of the season pitches West Ham and Tottenham in a battle for survival with Spurs being safe if they secure a point against Everton

Sunday 4pm Sky Sports Tennis Venue Amex Stadium

Continue reading...

Arsenal’s party heading south, fights for Europe – and survival – and Londoners cheering on West Ham

• Premier League top scorers: the latest standings

Last week’s costly defeat to Leeds means Brighton must overcome Manchester United on the final day to ensure they secure a place in Europe for the second time in their history. The good news is that Michael Carrick’s side have nothing to play for and United have a wretched record at the Amex, losing in three of their past four visits in the Premier League including a 4-0 drubbing back in 2022. Danny Welbeck could be key against his former club having enjoyed his most prolific season with 13 league goals. The veteran striker still has a chance of finishing as the highest scoring English player in the division if he can find the net on Sunday, with World Cup rival Ollie Watkins leading the way on 14 as it stands. Ed Aarons

Brighton v Manchester United (all games Sunday 4pm BST)

Burnley v Wolves

Crystal Palace v Arsenal

Fulham v Newcastle

Liverpool v Brentford

Continue reading...

Our photographer was outside the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal fans congregated to celebrate their team’s first title in 22 years

• ‘They’re not laughing any more’: Saka calls out critics

Continue reading...

Arsenal fans erupted with joy in pubs and on the streets after the club was crowned Premier League champions, ending a 22-year drought. Arsenal claimed the title after rivals Manchester City drew 1-1 against Bournemouth, leaving Arsenal four points clear with one match to play

• ‘We’ve done it’: euphoria as Arsenal win first Premier League in a generation

Continue reading...

Trusting a rookie coach to rebuild the club in late 2019 was a big call but after three runners-up finishes the Spaniard has delivered a long-awaited title

They say good things come to those who wait, and for Arsenal supporters it has felt like an eternity. Since their unforgettable 2003-04 season when Arsène Wenger’s Invincibles went the top-flight campaign unbeaten, their team had spent an incredible 984 days at the top of the table without being champions. Until now.

After all the disappointments of the late Wenger era and finishing as runners-up in the past three seasons, that unwanted statistic can finally be put to bed after a campaign in which Mikel Arteta’s side have shown they are capable of holding their nerve. There have been many doubters along the way, not least during a disastrous April during which Arsenal lost twice to their chief rivals, Manchester City, in a run of four consecutive domestic defeats in three competitions. But it is a triumph that rewards the faith shown by the hierarchy towards a rookie manager who arrived a week before Christmas in 2019 on a mission to restore them to former glories.

Continue reading...