The top two are dealing with the pressure of this title race whereas those battling it out for the final Champions League spot are struggling right now, while one big result at the bottom of the table has changed the landscape completely. Here’s your weekend review for Matchday 36 in the Premier League.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Arsenal play their part in the title race
This is a completely different Arsenal team to the one that couldn’t get over the line last season. This current group is going toe-to-toe with the machine that is Manchester City. They’re keeping the title race alive and they’re doing it in style.
The Gunners have now won four successive games in the English top-flight following their 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
Arsenal kept a third clean sheet in four and played like a group who weren’t feeling the pressure.
It was a routine win for the Gunners in the end, though they had to wait until the 45th minute to break the deadlock. They finished with a 3.38 Expected Goals total at the Emirates and created five big chances, all while limiting Bournemouth to just seven shots in total.
Forest dig deep
Nottingham Forest needed a win on Saturday against an already relegated Sheffield United side. They needed three points if they wanted to give themselves the best chance of playing Premier League football next season.
It wasn’t anywhere near as straightforward as they would’ve liked, but they did the job with their first win in over a month.
They are now four points clear of the drop zone with just two games remaining. If they match Luton’s result next weekend, they are safe. Well, pending the points deduction fallout.
It was an impressive win for Nuno Espírito Santo’s men. Especially when you consider that they went behind to a 17th minute penalty. Ben Brereton Díaz converted from the spot and now has six goals and an assist in 950 minutes for Sheffield United following his January arrival.
Callum Hudson-Odoi scored either side of the break with a Ryan Yates goal sandwiched between these efforts for the away side.
It was a fairly even game with each side carving out three big chances but Hudson-Odoi was the difference-maker at Bramall Lane.
The Erling Haaland show resumes
After Arsenal’s win in the early kick-off on Saturday, the pressure was on Manchester City to respond.
It took them just 12 minutes to open the scoring with Erling Haaland converting from the spot. He added his second in the 35th minute, and rounded off his hat-trick in stoppage time of the first half before adding a fourth in the 54th minute.
Julián Álvarez added a fifth for City in the 84th minute. Hee-Chan Hwang scored just after the half-time break with what was one of only two shots the away side managed at the Etihad.
City were in rampant form, a far cry from the team who struggled against Nottingham Forest last weekend. The hosts had six big chances and finished with an xG haul of 3.74, of which Haaland was responsible for 2.11.
The No. 9 is now on 25 for the season in the Premier League and he could prove to be the kingmaker in the final few weeks of the campaign.
West Ham woes
West Ham are playing like a team who know their manager is getting replaced this summer. The Hammers have conceded two or more in four successive Premier League matches now.
They are winless in a month and, as harsh as it sounds, the 5-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday was deserved.
And that is no doubt the worrying thing if you’re a West Ham fan.
The Blues carved out six big chances and finished with an xG haul of 4.13 from their 25 shots at Stamford Bridge. Cole Palmer added his 21st of the season while Nicolas Jackson made it three goals in two games with a double on Sunday.
Chelsea are now up to seventh in the table and are just two points off of Newcastle United.
By comparison, West Ham had one big chance and their 13 shots had an xG total of just 1.04. David Moyes’ men are now ninth, just three points ahead of Wolves in 12th. It has been a lacklustre end to the season.
Liverpool secure a top three finish
It was a strange game at Anfield as Liverpool claimed a 4-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur to guarantee a top three finish.
The Reds looked on it in the first half after weeks of disappointing outings. They had a 2-0 lead at the break after Mohamed Salah, back in the starting XI, and Andrew Robertson had found the back of the net.
The hosts then scored two goals in nine second half minutes as Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott got in on the act. It genuinely looked as though it could finish 6-0 at one stage. And then Spurs clicked into gear and scored twice in a five minute spell to set up a nervy final 10 minutes.
Jürgen Klopp’s side did enough to deserve the three points but it should’ve been much more convincing.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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