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Alex Mott·22 December 2024
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Alex Mott·22 December 2024
We have a bumper Premier League Sunday in store today with five huge games at the top and bottom of the division.
You can follow all the action right here.
Scorers: Maddison 41', Kulusevski 72', Solanke 83'; Díaz 23', 86', Mac Allister 36', Szoboszlai 45+1', Salah 54', 61'
Liverpool extended their lead at the top to four points with a stunning 6-3 victory at Tottenham in the game of the season to date, and a Christmas special for the ages.
After a horror show against Manchester United midweek, Fraser Forster had another wobble early on, clipping the ball straight to Mohamed Salah. Fortunately for the Spurs keeper, the Liverpool forward's shot was dragged wide.
Salah had another chance shortly after, firing straight at Forster after Trent Alexander-Arnold played a floated ball into him.
Spurs' first opening came from Pape Sarr, but Liverpool were very much the better side in the first 20 minutes. Salah was coming closer and closer to scoring, hitting the bar after moving through several defenders.
It was Luis Díaz who gave them a deserved lead in the 23rd minute. Alexander-Arnold whipped in a stunning ball for the Colombian to nod past Forster.
They doubled their lead 13 minutes later, this time Alexis Mac Allister heading home. Andy Robertson put the ball into the box, and it bounced up for the Argentinian to finish.
Spurs thought they had a lifeline four minutes before the break, James Maddison finishing smartly after Mac Allister was dispossessed by Dejan Kulusevski. Liverpool were looking for a free-kick, but the goal rightly stood.
The two-goal lead was restored in stoppage time, Dominik Szoboszlai firing home inside the box after Salah slipped him in.
After the break, it was more of the same as Salah got in on the act, finishing from two yards out after a rapid counter attack eventually saw the ball come his way.
He got his second and Liverpool's fifth just after the hour, and again it was ruthless from the Reds. Another quick counter saw Szoboszlai square the ball to the Egyptian, who had the simple task of tapping home.
Kulusevski pulled one back for Spurs in the 72nd minute with a lovely close range volley after Dominic Solanke chipped the ball into his path.
Solanke then made it 5-3 with seven minutes to go, finishing brilliantly when Brennan Johnson's header came his way.
Díaz got another shortly after with an expert finish after Salah slipped him, rounding off a spectacular performance for both, and a stunning win for the league leaders.
Scorers: Huijsen 29', Kluivert (PEN) 61', Semenyo 64'
Manchester United struggled from minute one against Bournemouth as the Cherries beat Ruben Amorim's side 3-0.
Marcus Rashford was once again left out of the United squad as Joshua Zirkzee led the line for Amorim's men.
Amad Diallo was the man who looked brightest in the opening exchanges and forced Kepa into a smart save early on.
But it was the visitors who eventually took the lead just before the half hour mark as Dean Huijsen out-jumped Zirkzee and headed in.
After the break and Amorim made some changes with Alejandro Garnacho coming on and causing Bournemouth all sorts of issues immediately.
United were defensively shaky though and conceded a penalty just before the hour mark after a rogue challenge from Noussair Mazraoui.
Up stepped Justin Kluivert who fired straight down the middle and scored.
And a third was just minutes away as Antoine Semenyo swept home a good move down the left-hand side.
It meant that for the first time ever, United would go into Christmas in the bottom half of the table.
Scorers:
Everton and Chelsea played out a fairly uninspired 0-0 draw at Goodison Park as Chelsea missed their chance to go top of the Premier League.
Chelsea travelled to Merseyside knowing that a win would take them above Liverpool.
Nicolas Jackson was almost up to his regular tricks midway through the half but his header came crashing back off the post as the score remained goalless.
Into the second half and Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez made a fantastic save from Jack Harrison's close-range effort.
But both defences held firm as the points were shared just before Christmas.
Scorers:
Southampton impressed as they drew 0-0 with Fulham in west London.
New Southampton boss Ivan Jurić watched from the stands as his side headed to Craven Cottage.
But it was Fulham who went closest inside three minutes as Alex Iwobi's audacious lob went just wide.
Saints looked much more defensively solid than in previous games with the south coast club much more pragmatic when playing out from the back.
Adam Armstrong then had a chance to break the deadlock but he forced a good save from Bernd Leno.
Aaron Ramsdale was also called into action and made his own impressive save with 20 minutes to go as he reacted well to Harry Wilson's effort.
Both teams seemed happy with a point though as Jurić smiled from the main stand.
Scorers: Guedes 19', Gomes 35', Cunha 44'
Wolves enjoyed their New Manager Bounce as they beat Leicester 3-0 at the King Power Stadium.
Vitor Pereira was in charge of Wolves for the first time as he hoped to get off to a winning start against fellow strugglers Leicester.
And it was the visitors who broke the deadlock early on as Gonçalo Guedes netted with a smart half-volley. from a tight angle.
Things got even better for the Black Country side soon after as James Justin failed to clear a cross and Rodrigo Gomes scored his first ever for the club.
Pereira was in dreamland just before the break as Matheus Cunha bagged their third.
Wolves, perhaps understandably, took their foot off the gas in the second half but could have bagged a fourth late on but Joao Gomes couldn't hit the target when played in.
The next round of Premier League fixtures comes on Boxing Day with eight games including Everton against Manchester City.
📸 Alex Pantling - 2024 Getty Images