It was another exciting weekend in the Premier League with 33 goals scored. We also saw the refs reach for their pockets 29 times (29 yellows, 1 red).
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leicester City
4-3
Diogo Jota completed his hat trick in injury time to snatch a thrilling victory for the hosts, who punished Leicester’s lackluster defense to increase the already mounting pressure on Foxes boss Claude Puel.
The dramatic climax at the Molineux saw scenes of stark contrast – Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo was sent to the stands for racing onto the field to celebrate the late winner with his players, a look of pure ecstasy on his face, whilst Puel put his hands over his face to show the pain of defeat.
Leicester’s plan to play offside in the final added minute meant Jota was left unmarked (and onside) to turn in a Raul Jimenez cross, moving his side to eighth in the league, a place above the visitors.
The last time Wolves beat Leicester in the top flight it was by the same score at the Molineux in 2003.
Up Next:
FA CUP
Shrewsbury v Wolves – Saturday, January 26th (10am)
Premier League
Wolves v West Ham – Tuesday, January 29th (2:45pm)
Liverpool v Leicester – Wednesday, January 30th (3pm)
AFC Bournemouth v West Ham United
2-0
Callum Wilson opened the scoring with a stunning strike to help Bournemouth deliver a well deserved victory over an in-form West Ham. The England striker, who was returning to the starting line-up after two weeks out with a hamstring injury, smashed home Ryan Fraser‘s cross on the half-volley, eight minutes into the second half.
Joshua King sealed the Cherrie’s victory, for just their second win in 10 domestic games, in stoppage time, firing David Brooks’ low pass past the helpless Lukasz Fabianksi.
Nathan Ake thought he’d opened the scoring when he headed home Fraser‘s teasing cross in the first half, but Wilson was ruled offside when the it came in.
West Ham struggled to break a resolute Bournemouth defense, although they did come to close to getting an equalizer, Andy Carroll somehow skyrocketed the attempt from point-blank range.
Eddie Howes‘s team move level on points with 11th-placed Everton, whilst the Hammers drop a place to 10th.
Up Next:
FA CUP
Wimbledon v West Ham – Saturday, January 26th (2:45pm)
Premier League
Bournemouth v Chelsea – Wednesday, January 30th (2:45pm)
Wolves v West Ham – Tuesday, January 29th (2:45pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
4-3
Mo Salah scored his 50th league goal as Liverpool came from behind to defeat Crystal Palace in a seven-goal thriller at Anfield.
The Reds dominated for much of the first half but it was the visitors who scored first, with Andros Townsend beating Alisson from close range after a lovely cross from Wilfried Zaha.
The hosts came out after the break looking for blood and they found it, it took Salah just 60 seconds to equalize with his side going ahead seven minutes later through Roberto Firmino.
The Eagles would not give up their charge for the 3pts just yet, James Tomkins capitalized on poor defending to head Palace level from a corner.
Unfortunately for the visitors, goalkeeper Julian Speroni, who was making his first appearance since 2017, made a catastrophic error handing Liverpool an advantage they didn’t relinquish, Speroni pushed the ball towards his own net for Salah to poke in his second of the game.
Sadio Mane scored their fourth in stoppage time, just after James Milner had been sent off after being shown a second yellow. Max Meyer then scored another for the visitors, but Liverpool survived the scare to move 7pts clear at the top of the table, at least until Manchester City played on Sunday. After City’s win that gap dropped back down to four.
Crystal Palace sit 14th.
Up Next:
FA CUP
Palace v Spurs – Sunday, January 27th (11am)
Premier League
Liverpool v Leicester – Wednesday, January 30th (3pm)
Southampton v Palace – Wednesday, January 30th (2:45pm)
Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion
2-1
Ole Gunnar Solskjær became the first Manchester United manager to win his first seven games in charge and his first six league games as manger, with his side holding on to beat Brighton.
Paul Pogba put the Red Devils ahead after winning and converting a penalty in the 27th minute, before Marcus Rashford doubled the lead just before half-time with a stunning solo goal from an almost impossible angle, on his 150th appearance for the club.
Pascal Groß halved the Seagulls’ deficit when he scored in off the bar 20 minutes from time. They improved after that but their poor away record continued as they fell to a fifth defeat in their last eight league games.
United sit level on points with Arsenal (44) and three behind Chelsea , whilst Brighton are 13th, four points behind 12th-placed Bournemouth.
Up Next:
FA CUP
Arsenal v Man United – Friday, January 25th (2:55pm)
Brighton v West Brom – Saturday, January 26th (10am)
Premier League
Man United v Burnley – Tuesday, January 29th (3pm)
Fulham v Brighton – Tuesday, January 29th (2:45pm)
Newcastle United v Cardiff City
3-0
Newcastle lifted themselves out of the relegation zone and jumped ahead of Cardiff as they secured a much-needed 3-0 victory.
Fabian Schar proved the difference as his first goals for Newcastle lifted the fog around St James’ Park, where they’ve lost eight times already this season.
The Swiss was only included as a replacement for the injured Ciaran Clark but he took full advantage of his opportunity in the first half. He was allowed to run from the right touchline before curling a left-footed shot into the bottom corner. It was a nice goal, but Cardiff’s defense was also non-existent.
His second of the match was more straightforward as he found himself in the right place at the right time to knock in Matt Ritchie‘s corner.
Ayoze Perez added the third in injury time as Newcastle scored three goals for the first time in the Premier League this season. The victory ended their five-game winless run and lifted them two points clear of the Bluebirds, who only have Fulham and Huddersfield below them.
Up Next:
FA CUP
Newcastle v Watford – Saturday, January 26th (10am)
Premier League
Newcastle v Man City – Tuesday, January 29th (3pm)
Arsenal v Cardiff – Tuesday, January 29th (2:45pm)
Southampton v Everton
2-1
Southampton’s resurgence under manager Ralph Hasenhuttl continued as they beat a dismal Everton side at St Mary’s.
James Ward-Prowse opened the scoring by hitting a beautiful 20-yard strike into the top corner to send the hosts on their way. Lucas Digne then toe-poked the ball past his own goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, to sum up a miserable afternoon for the Toffees.
Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a late consolation, giving them hope at the time of retrieving a point but Hasenhuttl‘s men held on.
Southampton have now taken 13pts in eight games since the 51-year-old took charge in December, four more than they’d managed in their previous 15.
The results sees the Saints move up to 15th, three points clear of the relegation zone, whilst Everton remain 11th, 1pt behind West Ham.
Up Next:
FA CUP
Millwall v Everton – Saturday, January 26th (12:30pm)
Premier League
Southampton v Palace – Wednesday, January 30th (2:45pm)
Huddersfield v Everton – Tuesday, January 29th (2:45pm)
Watford v Burnley
0-0
It was a battle of the goalkeepers at Vicarage Road, Ben Foster and Tom Heaton kept clean sheets to help their sides maintain their unbeaten starts to 2019.
Both teams had plenty of scoring chances, the home side could have taken the lead as early as the second minute but Heaton denied Gerard Deulofeu with his right foot. The Burnley goalie was called to action once more just before halftime when he dived to his right to knock Troy Deeney‘s sharp side-footed effort to safety.
Foster was equally impressive for the hosts when he caught Ashley Barnes‘ header from close range after it had skidded off the slick surface. He had to show his experience in the second half when he leapt off his line to divert the ball after Jeff Hendrick tried to poke it home.
Southampton’s victory saw Burnley move down a place to 16th. Watford remain seventh.
Up Next:
FA CUP
Newcastle v Watford – Saturday, January 26th (10am)
Man City v Burnley – Saturday, January 26th (10am)
Premier League
Man United v Burnley – Tuesday, January 29th (3pm)
Spurs v Watford – Wednesday, January 30th (3pm)
Arsenal v Chelsea
2-0
Arsenal earned an important three points in a London derby against Chelsea to keep themselves in contention for the Premier League’s top four. The victory moves the Gunners within three points of fourth-placed Chelsea and back above Manchester United, who sat fifth for a couple of hours after beating Brighton.
Alexandre Lacazette put the hosts ahead in the 14th minute with a fierce strike from the near post. Arsenal’s intense pressing hampered the Blues’ ability to play the ball from the back, the Gunners deservedly scored a second through Laurent Koscielny in the 39th minute.
Chelsea failed to defend well, especially against set pieces and Koscielny missed a free header but the ball bounced in off his shoulder for their second of the game.
Maurizio Sarri‘s Chelsea struggled to create anything in the first half apart from when Marcos Alonso‘s header hit the post from a corner. They improved in the second half but failed to register a shot on target until the 82nd minute, with Arsenal’s defense holding firm.
Up Next:
League Cup
Chelsea v Spurs – Thursday, January 24th (2:45pm) – Aggregate 0-1
FA CUP
Arsenal v Man United – Friday, January 28th (2:55pm)
Chelsea v Sheffield Wednesday – Sunday, January 27th (1pm)
Premier League
Arsenal v Cardiff – Tuesday, January 29th (2:45pm)
Bournemouth v Chelsea – Wednesday, January 30th (2:45pm)
Huddersfield Town v Manchester City
0-3
Manchester City scored their 100th goal of the season as they strolled past a managerless Huddersfield to move within four points of league leaders Liverpool.
David Wagner left the Terriers by mutual consent at the beginning of the week with the club sitting bottom of the table, leaving Mark Hudson temporarily in charge. Borussia Dortmund coach Jan Siewert has been approached by the Yorkshire club for the vacant job, but he will face an almost impossible task of keeping them in the top flight, if he takes over.
City, who netted 19 goals in their previous three games, were not at their usual free-scoring selves in the first half. The defending champions did go ahead in the 18th minute though when Danilo‘s long-range effort deflected off Christopher Schindler and in.
The visitors then struck twice in two minutes after the break to secure the three points, with Leroy Sane setting up the first and scoring the second. The German whipped in a cross for Raheem Sterling to head in his 12th of the season and then Sergio Aguero set up Sane.
It might not have been a vintage display from Pep Guradiola‘s side but they remain in title contention. Whilst a ninth defeat in 10 league games for the Terriers sees them remain bottom of the table and a big 10pts from safety.
Up Next:
League Cup
Burton Albion v Man City – Wednesday, January 23rd (2:45pm) – Aggregate 0-9
FA CUP
Man City v Burnley – Saturday, January 26th (10am)
Premier League
Huddersfield v Everton – Tuesday, January 29th (2:45pm)
Newcastle v Man City – Tuesday, January 29th (3pm)
Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur
1-2
Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri told media his side are “alive and will continue to fight” despite their loss to Spurs.
The Cottagers had nine shots on goal in an impressive first half performance and took a deserved lead when Tottenham’s Fernando Llorente scored an own goal. The hosts thought they’d doubled their lead before the break but Aleksander Mitrovic‘s header was ruled out after he was judged to be offside.
The visitors leveled things through Dele Alli, who they later lost to a hamstring injury, before Harry Winks stepped up in stoppage time to score a 93rd minute winner with a close range header.
Winks‘ last-gasp winner means third-placed Spurs have a seven point lead over North London rivals Arsenal, who sit fifth, in the battle for Champions League places.
Up Next:
League Cup
Chelsea v Spurs – Thursday, January 24th (2:45pm) – Aggregate 0-1
FA Cup
Palace v Spurs – Sunday, January 27th (11am)
Premier League
Fulham v Brighton – Tuesday, January 29th (2:45pm)
Spurs v Watford – Wednesday, January 30th (3pm)
ALL TIMES U.S. EASTERN
Artistry of Sport 
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