New year, same old Premier League. Matchday 20 delivered. We had goals galore, with an average of 3.5 per game, and a number of shock results. 2024 really did off to a flyer, so here’s a look at some of the biggest talking points.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
The Cole Palmer show
Cole Palmer returned to the Chelsea starting XI following his suspension and fired Mauricio Pochettino’s side to victory over Luton Town. The former Manchester City youngster scored twice and assisted another goal in the 3-2 win which, in truth, was not deserved.
Luton, in front of their home crowd, had more of the ball and finished with a significantly higher Expected Goals total. The hosts carved out four big chances to Chelsea’s zero but two goals in the final 10 minutes was not enough to salvage a point.
Rob Edwards’ men remain in the relegation zone but performances over the past couple of weeks, combined with their ability to cause top teams problems at Kenilworth Road, will no doubt give them confidence heading into 2024 that they can escape the drop zone and remain in the English top-flight.
Everton mauled at Molineux
Everton, after a positive run of form, are now in trouble. The Blues have lost three consecutive matches and find themselves just a single point outside of the relegation zone following the 3-0 loss to a rampant Wolves side.
Sean Dyche’s side look fragile defensively and have conceded eight goals across their last three outings. Worryingly, they have scored just two goals. It just isn’t clicking for the Toffees right now.
Wolves, however, are loving life under Gary O’Neil right now. They have won three on the spin to move to within a point of ninth-placed Newcastle United. Under the former Bournemouth boss, the team are scoring goals (nine in their last three) while limiting the opposition (just two goals conceded).
At Molineux on Saturday, the hosts racked up an Expected Goals total of 1.99 from their 12 shots, while also creating three big chances. It was a deserved win and a fantastic way to head into the new year.
Another false dawn for Manchester United
Manchester United’s Boxing Day comeback win over Aston Villa was supposed to be the start of something. But similar was said after the hard-fought draw with Liverpool at Anfield.
The Red Devils continue to take one step forward and then two steps backwards. This inconsistency is why they have struggled to really get going this season. They travelled to the City Ground on Saturday and were outplayed by a resurgent Nottingham Forest team.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side had beaten Newcastle United on Boxing Day and they finished off a remarkable festive period with a 2-1 win over Erik Ten Hag’s side. Forest showed great character to respond well to Marcus Rashford’s equaliser in the 78th minute to go on and claim all three points, with Morgan Gibbs-White finding the back of the net four minutes later.
The win lifts them into 15th place in the Premier League, five points clear of the relegation zone and just four points off of 13th-placed Fulham. The loss for United leaves them eighth in the table.
Arsenal lose again
Mikel Arteta’s side do love a good wobble. After a credible 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield, the Gunners have lost successive matches in the Premier League to drop down to fourth. They were top of the table on Christmas Day.
A loss to West Ham United could’ve been considered nothing more than a blip had they followed it up with a victory over Fulham. They got off to a flying start at Craven Cottage with Bukayo Saka opening the scoring after just five minutes.
Raúl Jiménez equalised in the first half before Bobby De Cordova-Reid put the hosts ahead just before the hour mark. Despite Arsenal’s on-ball dominance (they finished with 60% possession), they struggled to create any real chances and the game sort of fizzled out for the Gunners. The stats paint this game as a fairly even one too. While Fulham might’ve been fortunate to win, you can’t say Arsenal were unlucky not to claim all three points.
The title hopefuls have now dropped points to the Cottagers in both clashes this season. These could be costly when reviewing the 2023/24 campaign.
Record breaking night at Anfield
The pressure was on Liverpool. They started the night in top spot and knew a win over Newcastle United could see them open up a gap at the summit. However, their last two home fixtures had finished in frustrating draws and there was a chance the same thing could happen again at Anfield on New Year’s Day, with the Magpies just looking to stop the horrid run of form which has seen them go from top four hopefuls to mid-table.
The Reds had a point to prove though and played like a team looking to make a statement. They racked up the highest Expected Goals total on record (7.11) in a 4-2 win. On another day, Liverpool could’ve finished with double figures. Had it not been for the exploits of Martin Dúbravka between the sticks, they probably would’ve.
Jürgen Klopp’s side had a total of 34 shots and carved out a remarkable nine big chances.
(Images from IMAGO)
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