Liverpool and Burnley record significant wins while Bournemouth drift further towards the bottom. Here are our Winners and Losers from Matchweek 23 of the Premier League.
Winners
Liverpool
Victory over Manchester United, coupled with results elsewhere, left Liverpool 16 points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand. Although Jurgen Klopp’s side had to wait until second-half stoppage time to seal the points, they were on top throughout Sunday’s game and ran out deserved winners. In the process, the Reds became the first team in 18 years to score in their first 22 Premier League games of a season. Meanwhile, chasing pack Manchester City, Leicester and Chelsea all dropped points, serving to show how impressive the leaders have been this term.
Cenk Tosun
After two disappointing and frustrating seasons at Everton, Tosun has made the switch to Crystal Palace on a loan deal and netted his first Eagles goal this weekend at Manchester City. He even found the net for a second time in the match, only for his goal to be ruled out for a foul in the build-up. The Turkey forward is not the first striker to struggle at Everton in recent years and this spell at Selhurst Park, where he is a guaranteed starter, could be exactly what all three parties need.
Burnley
Burnley ended a run of four consecutive defeats in the Premier League with a comeback against an out-of-form Leicester on Sunday. This was just the third time in their (albeit brief) Premier League history that the Clarets had won a game after trailing at half time, and would not have been possible had it not been for Nick Pope’s penalty save at 1-1. The England international kept out compatriot Jamie Vardy’s attempt, a save that acted as a springboard for Ashley Westwood’s winner. The win sees Sean Dyche’s side move five points clear of the relegation zone.
Losers
South coast clubs
Bournemouth’s start to 2020 went from bad to worse as they lost 1-0 to bottom side Norwich. The Cherries were forced to play the majority of the game with ten men following captain Steve Cook’s bizarre decision to divert Ondrej Duda’s shot away from goal with his hand, resulting in a red card for himself and a penalty for the hosts. Eddie Howe’s side have lost ten of their last 12 league games and will be without their skipper for the next two matches.
Meanwhile, Southampton’s resurgence came to a stunning halt as they let a two-goal lead slip against Wolves. The Saints had taken a 2-0 lead into the break but a Wolves comeback, led by Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez, saw the visitors leave with all three points.
Marcus Rashford
The major talking point in the build-up to Manchester United’s match with Liverpool was the news that Marcus Rashford will be on the side lines for the next six weeks after suffering a back injury against Wolves. Red Devils fans had hoped that he might be fit for Sunday’s game, but they must instead do without him until March at the earliest. Considering we are just five months from Euro 2020, this is a big blow for the England forward.
Over 2.5 Goals bettors
Just three of the ten Premier League games this weekend saw Over 2.5 Goals. A series of low-scoring draws on Saturday, along with Liverpool’s disallowed efforts against Manchester United, cost Over 2.5 Goals bettors. The players will not have much time to rest before the next set of fixtures, starting Tuesday. Will their tired legs result in more or fewer chances?