English Premier League
West Ham United 1 – 1 Chelsea
West Ham United 1 – 1 Chelsea. Former Chelsea player Emerson Palmieri scored against his former club to earn West Ham a point and increase the pressure on Blues boss Graham Potter.
Chelsea fielded a new-look £200m forward line but, despite taking the lead, were once again frustrated and have won just once in seven Premier League matches.
Joao Felix had already had a goal ruled out for offside when Portugal forward fired visitors Chelsea ahead with a volleyed finish following a delicious assist by Enzo Fernandez, the £107m British transfer-record signing from Benfica.
Kai Havertz thought he had doubled the lead only for Chelsea’s celebrations to be cut short by another offside flag, before West Ham equalised through Italy international Emerson’s first Premier League goal.
The 28-year-old, who spent four years at Stamford Bridge, finished at the far post after Vladimir Coufal’s cross was flicked on by Jarrod Bowen.
Chelsea, who have dropped 14 points in the last seven top-flight matches, carved out the better chances but could not make them count.
Noni Madueke was lively on his first start for the club since his £30.7m arrival from PSV Eindhoven and the 20-year-old forced a fine save from Lukasz Fabianski before the West Ham keeper kept out a free-kick by Felix.
In a dramatic finish, West Ham thought they had won it in the closing stages when substitute Tomas Soucek scored from close range but it was ruled out for offside – the third disallowed goal of the match.
This was another hugely frustrating day for Potter and Chelsea as strong appeals for an 89th-minute penalty were waved away after Soucek appeared to handle Conor Gallagher’s shot inside his own box.
Chelsea, who have already been eliminated from both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, resume their Champions League campaign against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday on the back of a poor run of form.
They have taken just seven points out of the last 21 on offer and are well adrift in the race to finish in the top four, despite their heavy spending over the past two transfer windows.
In addition, they are without an away win in the league since October, a run of seven matches which included losses at Potter’s former club Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United and Fulham.
Chelsea had seven players under the age of 24 in their starting line-up at West Ham, including Madueke, Felix, Mudryk and Havertz.
There were encouraging signs as the young forward line caused problems in the first half but Chelsea were disappointing in the second half and has now scored just 23 goals in 22 league games.
They continue to stutter under Potter, who has won just five of his 16 top-flight matches since taking charge in September.
When these two clubs previously met, at Stamford Bridge last September, Hammers boss David Moyes was left furious by a “scandalous” decision to rule out a 90th-minute West Ham equaliser.
Once again they had another late goal chalked off as Soucek’s finish was disallowed but there were few complaints from the Hammers bench this time as replays showed it was clearly offside.
Instead, it was Chelsea who was aggrieved at the end after appeals for a penalty after Soucek’s handball was waved away.
After a long season of struggle, West Ham is showing signs of fighting near the bottom of the table.
They head to Tottenham for another London derby on 19 February on the back of a four-match unbeaten run after following up a 1-1 draw at Newcastle with another gritty performance.
Whether Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta features against Tottenham remains to be seen.
The 25-year-old, one of West Ham’s better performers this season, went off early with a suspected shoulder injury, and Moyes will hope it is not too serious as his side look to climb away from trouble.
source – BBC
Aston Villa 3-2 Everton. Substitute Jhon Duran’s spectacular long-range strike secured Aston Villa a dramatic Premier League comeback victory as Everton once again faltered from a 2-0 lead, marking their second consecutive collapse.
Everton had been left stunned by a late meltdown against Bournemouth in their previous match, and on Saturday, they repeated the pattern, allowing a two-goal advantage to slip away and continuing their winless streak this season.
The game started with Villa on the front foot. Ollie Watkins had a header cleared off the line early on, but the visitors soon took the lead. Dwight McNeil seized possession from former Everton player Amadou Onana and surged forward to score with a precise finish into the far corner.
Despite their struggles, Sean Dyche’s team managed to double their lead in the 27th minute with a powerful header from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. However, Villa responded before halftime, with former Everton full-back Lucas Digne delivering a cross for Watkins to head in his first goal of the season.
As Villa prepares for their Champions League debut on Tuesday, they showed resilience by leveling the score. Watkins scored again, converting from close range after Jack Harrison’s poor clearance.
The comeback was completed 14 minutes from time when Colombian striker Duran, picking up the ball from 25 yards out, unleashed a stunning shot that dipped and swerved into the top corner, leaving Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford helpless.
This fixture, the most played in English league history, provided a thrilling encounter, with Villa recovering impressively after initially struggling at home. Under Unai Emery, who took over in October 2022, Villa has transformed from a relegation-threatened side to a European contender, finishing fourth last season and set to compete in the Champions League.
Villa, who won the European Cup in 1982, are gearing up for their European campaign with a trip to Young Boys in three days. They struggled against Everton but managed to secure the win thanks to Watkins, who ended an eight-game goal drought with his two strikes. Although he missed a chance to complete his hat-trick, Duran’s goal was a fitting match-winner.
With this victory, Villa climbed to third in the table, their only defeat coming against title contenders Arsenal. In contrast, Everton remains at the bottom of the table after four losses, a feat not seen in 66 years.
Everton appeared poised to earn their first points of the season with McNeil and Calvert-Lewin scoring, but defensive vulnerabilities resurfaced. Dyche’s typically solid defenses have conceded 13 goals in four games this season, and the team faces a crucial clash against promoted Leicester next weekend.
Despite scoring twice away from home for the first time since December, Everton’s road woes continue, and they will need to address their issues quickly to avoid a prolonged struggle.
source – BBC
Crystal Palace 2-2 Leicester City. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s stoppage-time penalty salvaged a 2-2 draw for Crystal Palace as they battled back from two goals down against Leicester City at Selhurst Park.
In the second minute of added time, Mateta coolly converted a penalty after Conor Coady fouled Ismaila Sarr inside the area, rolling the ball past Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
Leicester took the lead midway through the first half when Jamie Vardy, receiving a pass from Wilfred Ndidi, rounded Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson and slid the ball into the empty net. The Foxes doubled their advantage just 23 seconds into the second half. Ndidi capitalized on a poor clearance from Palace debutant Maxence Lacroix, setting up Stephy Mavididi, who finished confidently from close range.
Palace managed to pull one back when Mateta scored from Tyrick Mitchell’s low cross, a goal that survived a VAR review. Despite the late drama, it seemed Palace might fall short until Coady’s foul on Sarr gifted Mateta the chance to equalize.
Both teams remain winless this season, but Palace will feel more relieved, having narrowly avoided a third Premier League defeat.
Oliver Glasner’s side had hoped this match would kick-start their season after a draw at Chelsea and a strong finish to the transfer window. For much of the game, it appeared another frustrating day was on the horizon, though Palace’s second-half performance offered some solace.
Vardy’s 21st-minute goal means Palace have conceded first in all four of their league games this season. Under Glasner, they have yet to win a Premier League match after falling behind.
Palace debutant Eddie Nketiah, while not on the score sheet, showed promise with his movement. He was unlucky not to score after Mateta’s goal, with his powerful drive narrowly missing the far post.
Lacroix, in contrast, had a tough debut, his misjudged clearance leading to Leicester’s second goal. Palace captain Marc Guehi also had moments of defensive frailty in the first half, but Leicester could not capitalize fully.
Leicester, like Palace, entered the game without a league win. Jordan Ayew, back at Selhurst Park after his move from Palace to Leicester, missed a golden opportunity before Vardy’s opener. Unmarked at the far post, Ayew failed to connect properly with Mavididi’s cross after Mavididi had stolen the ball from Guehi.
Vardy, who had struggled in recent games, made no mistake here, showing great composure to score. He nearly set up another goal before halftime, but Mavididi’s effort was off target after Vardy’s assist.
Mavididi redeemed himself with a goal just after the break, but it wasn’t enough to secure Leicester’s first league win of the season. Despite a strong defensive effort in the second half, Coady’s costly tackle on Sarr allowed Palace to salvage a draw.
source – BBC
Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest. Callum Hudson-Odoi and the unbeaten Nottingham Forest delivered a shock to Liverpool at Anfield, ending Arne Slot’s perfect start as Reds boss.
Hudson-Odoi, who came on as a substitute, made a decisive impact by cutting in from the left and curling a stunning shot into the bottom corner—an effort that left goalkeeper Alisson helpless.
This victory marked Forest’s first win at Anfield in any competition since 1969.
Liverpool entered the match with high confidence, having won their previous three games without conceding a goal. They created the better chances, especially in the first half. Luis Diaz came close to scoring just before the break, chasing a ball and firing a shot against the near post from a tight angle.
Forest’s goalkeeper, Matz Sels, made a crucial save to deny an Alexis Mac Allister header and was fortunate not to concede moments later when Diaz’s effort nearly slipped into his own net.
After the break, Forest began to create more opportunities. Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga both missed chances before Hudson-Odoi’s brilliant strike.
Forest fans erupted in celebration, while Liverpool supporters tried to rally their team. Despite their efforts, Liverpool struggled to create clear-cut chances to equalize.
With this win, Forest moves up to fourth in the Premier League standings with two wins and two draws, while Liverpool sits two places and one point ahead of them. Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo deserves significant credit for their strong start to the season.
Slot, who previously managed Feyenoord, understood that the Premier League would pose challenges. His impressive early results, including a notable win against Manchester United before the international break, had drawn comparisons to Jurgen Klopp’s style.
Liverpool’s play focused on patience and build-up, but their efforts were thwarted. Diaz hit the post, several headers went off target, and Mohamed Salah had a shot well-saved by Sels.
Slot made tactical changes, bringing on Bradley, moving Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield, and introducing Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez in search of a winning goal. However, it was Bradley who was ultimately beaten by Hudson-Odoi’s goal.
Liverpool had a late opportunity to level the score when Virgil van Dijk headed over the bar, but many fans had already begun leaving Anfield before the final whistle confirmed the end of their unbeaten run.
While much of the focus had been on Liverpool’s unbeaten start under Slot, Forest also boasted an undefeated record in the Premier League—and they have now emerged as the ones maintaining that streak.
Forest’s first-half performance was solid but unspectacular, as they frustrated Liverpool without managing a shot on target. Nuno’s decision to introduce Hudson-Odoi and Elanga in the second half proved decisive. Elanga’s assist allowed Hudson-Odoi to cut inside and score the decisive goal with a perfectly placed shot into the bottom corner.
Elanga nearly doubled Forest’s lead with a late shot that went straight at Alisson, but one goal proved sufficient. Forest’s victory at Anfield was their first since the Moon landing in 1969.
source – BBC
