Arsenal drew 2-2 with Liverpool on a huge weekend of Premier League football packed with action and drama, a result which means the 2022/23 title is now in Manchester City’s hands.
The Gunners are still six points clear but City have a game in hand and a home clash with the league leaders to come. Put simply, If Pep Guardiola’s team win their remaining games they retain their title. If Arsenal win theirs… they are champions.
Away from Anfield goals flooded in the length and breadth of the country, Kevin de Bruyne and Heung-Min Son both reached century landmarks while Erling Braut Haaland racked up 30 goals in the Premier League season.
The Premier League 2023 betting odds have nudged towards North London in recent weeks but Arsenal had lost their last six Premier League matches at Anfield and this was a massive test of their title credentials, and they almost passed. In remembrance of the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy, when 97 Liverpool fans lost their lives, the ground stayed silent as fans observed a minute silence.
And then to the action…
Eight minutes was all it took for Arsenal to strike and it was a combination of slick attacking and a soft Liverpool centre which opened up the way for Gabriel Martinelli to slide the ball past Allison and into the net. The young Brazilian has been sensational this season and he was the man who created the second, midway through the first half, when he spun past Trent Alexander-Arnold before sending over a perfect cross for his compatriot Gabriel Jesus who rose majestically to head home.
The Gunners were coasting; but then a clash between Granit Xhaka and Trent woke the crowd up and they in turn roared their team on to a response. The Reds pulled one back with a great team goal: Curtis Jones to Diogo Jota who squared to Jordan Henderson and he found Mo Salah who poked home.
Game on!
The momentum was with Liverpool and when Rob Holding brought Cody Gakpo down Salah had a chance to level from the penalty spot. But, just as he did against Bournemouth recently, the usually lethal Egyptian passed the ball the wrong side of the post. Liverpool pressed and Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale made a fine save to deny Darwin Nunez, but when Trent stood up a cross for Roberto Firmino the Liverpool man became the third Brazilian to score.
In a frantic finish Ramsdale made two incredible saves to preserve a point for the leaders and how important might they be?
Manchester City are relentless
Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues have been rampant in recent weeks, winning nine on the bounce and scoring for fun, and they took Southampton apart at the St Mary’s Stadium, winning 4-1 to put pressure on the Gunners for the second week running. The reigning champions had to wait until the 45th minute before Haaland broke the deadlock and then he scored his 30th of the campaign with a spectacular scissor kick after the excellent Jack Grealish had made it 2-0.
De Bruyne’s cross for the opener was his 100th assist in the league while Grealish scored in back to back games for the first time in his City career. Sekou Mara scored a consolation for the Saints before Julian Alvarez made it 4-1 with a late penalty.
The Sky Blues have a mouth-watering Champions League tie with FC Bayern on Tuesday, it’s a clash we’ll be reporting on here at SBOTOP and it promises to be another cracker.
Son shines but VAR gets in wrong again
In other Premier League 2023 highlights, Heung-Min Son scored his 100th league goal for Tottenham as the Whites ran out 2-1 winners over Brighton and Hove Albion. It was a match full of controversy but Son’s goal was a thing of beauty as he curled in a cracker to be the first Asian player to reach the century. Lewis Dunk powered in a header to level for Brighton but then the technology took over.
Seagulls boss Roberto de Zerbi was understandably dismayed by the intervention of VAR which ruled out two Brighton goals for handball, both of them highly questionably, and he was red carded, along with Spurs head coach Cristian Stellini after a series of touchline spats. It’s probably a good job De Zerbi was on his way down the tunnel when Kaoru Mitoma was chopped down by Pierre Emile Hojbjerg in the box, and that he was having a cup of tea when Lewis Dunk was later dragged back in the penalty area.
To compound matters Harry Kane predictably netted the winner before the PGMOL issued their third apology of the campaign to Brighton for losing them games…which is nice. I wonder if the VAR officials have received any thanks from Spurs!
Frank fails at Molineux
Frank Lampard’s return to Stamford Bridge was greeted by a sentimental welcome from Blues fans and some bewilderment from the rest of us. After being sacked as head coach by Chelsea in 2021, he took Everton very close to relegation last season before being potted by the Toffees in January this year.
The former Chelsea playing legend just doesn’t seem to be able to cut it on the touchline and, though these are very early days, he masterminded a 1-0 defeat to strugglers Wolves in his first game back in charge. His team was beaten by a stunning Matheus Nunes volley at Molineux and, despite having more possession and shots, they barely troubled the Wolves keeper registering just one effort on target. The Blues have plenty of flair players but it’s plain as day that Chelsea need a striker who can hit the net…this defeat makes it three matches without a goal.
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