Premier League Picks Of The Week 35

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 35

The 35th week of the Premier League action saw:

28 goals - most by Everton = 4
260 shots - most by Wolves and Chelsea = 22 each
90 on target - most by Chelsea = 9
112 corners - most by Wolves = 14
185 fouls - most by Fulham = 18
28 bookings - most by Arsenal = 4
0 red cards
2 penalties - 2 scored (Mitrović for Fulham, Milner for Liverpool)

What a game! What a massive point for Brighton! Ending a run of five successive defeats! Massive thanks to their keeper Mat Ryan, Wolves had thrown everything at him at Molineux on Saturday, but he kept it goalless, just their second clean sheet of the season! The match stats say it all, 23-5 shots, 5-0 on target, 14-1 corners, 0-8 fouls, but most importantly 0-0 goals = 1-1 points! The result(s) see(s) the Seagulls three points clear of the drop zone and a relieved boss in Chris Hughton. The Wanderers have recorded 47 shots against his side this season without scoring, the most attempts against a single opponent without finding the net since Tottenham against West Ham in 2010-11 (51). But six of the past eight league meetings between the two sides at Molineux have ended in a draw, so, no surprise there really. 

It was a different kind of London derby on Sunday. Arsenal were all over the place, dominating possession but not making it count at all, against a Crystal Palace side that pounced on their errors. The Gunners ended their club record ten-match winning home streak in the Premier League, suffering their first home defeat since the 2-0 defeat against Man City on 12 August. It ended 2-3 at the Emirates, an unmarked Christian Benteke opening the scoring (17') and helping his side to the win with his first goal in over a year (taking him to 70 goals in 200 league appearances). Madness. 
And it was a mad first half at Stamford Bridge on Monday night as well, which saw four goals in 16 minutes, Burnley frustrating the hell out of Chelsea, the match ended two goals and a point each. The Blues threw everything at the Clarets, the result taking them above Arsenal and into the all-important top four, by a point. Again, the stats show the utter dominance, which the result does not reflect: 22-6 shots, 9-3 on target, 10-1 corners, 2-2 goals = 1-1 points. Hard. Life.

What a team! Fulham’s first away win of the season came at Bournemouth thanks to Aleksandar Mitrović's spot-kick, ending his own goalless run of nine games as well, recording his 11th goal of the season. The Cottagers are going down on a high then, after their second win on the trot since their relegation was confirmed, their first consecutive Premier League victory since April 2014. Eddie Howe's 500th' game as Cherries boss was spoilt of course, double-sour after watching his side thrashing Brighton away last weekend, and then this disappointment at home. It's their 18th defeat of the season, equalling their most in a single Premier League campaign (18 in 2015-16). Triple sour. 

Liverpool ended up winners at Cardiff City on Sunday thanks to Georginio Wijnaldum’s whacker (57') and James Milner’s spot kick (81'), but not without some ifs and buts and hick-ups. After a frustrating half, both goals were a great relief and saw the Reds go back to the top, two points clear, but Manchester City with a game in hand (more to their easy win against Tottenham on Saturday and that extra little derby game on Wednesday below). Jürgen Klopp's men have won each of their last 10 Premier League games against promoted sides, scoring 29 and conceding just 3. And the 88 points they're on now, is their best total in a Premier League season, with three matches to go - adjusting to three points per win, they have only earned more in a top-flight campaign in 1978-79 (98) and 1987-88 (90). Records. 

What a man! With just over a minute gone on the clock in the evening kickoff at St James’ Park, the handball was not given against Pierre-Emile Højbjerg as the ball banged off his arm. The ref was right next to it, it was very quick, very close, impossible to get away or avoid, although with his arm being up, we’ve all seen them given as well... Frustration for Newcastle, relief for Southampton. Double relief after James Ward-Prowse was only booked after pushing down Miguel Almirón who was clearly breaking clear on goal (24’). But it was not long after that Ayoze Pérez put the hosts ahead and at ease (27’, 31’), to Rafael Benítez’s relief. Mario Lemina pulled one back (59’) after the Magpies had hit the woodwork for an interesting last half an hour. But Pérez sealed the win with a header (86’), his hat-trick making it 3-1, bagging the three points, taking his side up to 12th! Safer than safe. 
Gerard Deulofeu’s brace (5’, 80’) was enough for Watford at Huddersfield, the three points keeping his side’s European hopes alive, before their game in hand (see below for details).

What a goal! Everton cracked, smashed and banged through Manchester United on Sunday and added another one to add salt onto the wound = 4-0 thrash at Goodison Park! Brilliant goals. Non-existent defending. And iffy keeping. Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær was left to pick up the pieces and a steep mountain to climb to have any chance in the derby game on Wednesday and the race for the top four (see games in hand info and links below). The players were just not good enough. Always lacking and staying behind, just watching, as the Toffees were able to pounce and bounce on, off and right through them. Richarlison's acrobatic opener (13'), Gylfi Sigurðsson's low drive (28'), Lucas Digne's long-range effort (56') and former Gunner Theo Walcott's fine run and slide in (61') saw United torn to pieces, suffering their sixth defeat in the last eight games in all competitions, their fifth consecutive away defeat for the first time since 1981, David de Gea chasing shadows, including his own. Goalkeeper's nightmare.

It was a controversial finish at the London Stadium! At 2-1 and only a few minutes to go, Lucas Pérez’s fine individual run and goal was disallowed although replays showed the West Ham forward was nowhere near offside. That should have been a brace for the Spanish forward and 3-1 and three points to the Hammers. But as cruel as the football world always is, and useless referees, seconds later, Leicester got a goal back, Harvey Barnes with the leveller, 2-2, in stoppage time (90'+2') to nick a point for the Foxes. Double cruel. Who needs VAR, ey?!?!?!

What the hell?! Manchester City defender Kyle Walker knew exactly what he was doing with his arm, putting the ball out for a corner against Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, who couldn’t believe the referee didn’t punish the handball. No penalty. Crucial at 1-0 and half an hour to go in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff at the Etihad. Again, who needs VAR, ey?!?!?! Tense end to the game, Spurs with the better chances, but the Citizens held on, 18-year-old Phil Foden’s early header off Sergio Agüero (5’) was enough in the end. The youngster's first goal for the club could prove crucial in the title race. City's tenth consecutive league win was enough to take Pep Guardiola’s side back to the top, before Liverpool's game on Sunday, see above. Could there be more twists and turns?!?!?!
(The last games in-hand added a lot of fuel to the Premier League fire! Tottenham and Man City gained and are leading the way in the top-four and title race respectively, whilst Arsenal and Man United failed miserably; Watford and Wolves are still able to dream about Europe, Southampton and Brighton left behind, reeling. See the results below for details, stats added to the respective weeks, see links for more.)

My Predictions - Actual Results
Man City 2:2 Tottenham - 1:0
Bournemouth 2:1 Fulham - 0:1
Huddersfield 0:3 Watford - 1:2
West Ham 1:2 Leicester - 2:2
Wolves 2:1 Brighton - 0:0
Newcastle 3:2 Southampton - 3:1
Everton 2:1 Man United - 4:0
Arsenal 2:1 Crystal Palace - 2:3
Cardiff 1:5 Liverpool - 0:2
Chelsea 2:0 Burnley - 2:2
(Tottenham 2:0 Brighton - 1:0)*week 33
(Watford 1:0 Southampton - 1:1)*week 31
(Wolves 1:2 Arsenal - 3:1)*week 31
(Man United 1:1 Man City - 0:2)*week 31 

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, Twitter and RMC Sport coverage.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 34

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 34

The 34th week of Premier League action saw:

28 goals - most by Bournemouth = 5
262 shots - most by Tottenham = 22
83 on target - most by Bournemouth, Burnley and Liverpool = 7 each
97 corners - most by West Ham = 11
180 fouls - most by Man United = 14
32 bookings - most by Bournemouth = 4
2 red cards - Knockaert for Brighton, Deeney for Watford
2 penalties - 2 scored (Pogba for Man United x 2)

What a game! A Super Sunday it was! Manchester City were easy winners in the early kick-off at Crystal Palace after only a hint of a fightback late on by the home side. Raheem Sterling missed a sitter, but then scored from a more difficult angle soon after (15'). The former Redman doubled the lead after the break (63'), before Luka Milivojević's free kick made it 1-2 (81') and a tense ending at Selhurst Park. But sub Gabriel Jesus made sure all three points went to the Citizens with a fine finish to make it 1-3 (90'). But Pep Guardiola's men didn't stay top for long:

Liverpool blasted Chelsea away at Anfield with two goals in two minutes after the restart on Sunday afternoon. It was a tense first half, lots of clumsy footy, giving the ball away, missing and messing up by both sides. Both managers will have had a rant-and-a-half during the interval. It worked wonders for the Reds. Sadio Mané banged in a header off some wonderful team play in the buildup and bang-on Jordan Henderson cross into the box (51'). And seconds later, Mohamed Salah smashed in his 9th Premier League goal of the season from 25 yards out into the top right corner, stunning everyone. The great Egyptian enjoyed it and showed it with his celebration. Jürgen Klopp could not be more chuffed with his side's first home win against the Blues since 2012 in his 200th game in charge, taking them back to the top. Maurizio Sarri meanwhile, continues his miserable run against the top teams, having lost their past six away Premier League matches against fellow 'big six' opponents, conceding 16 goals across those defeats.

What a team! Everton?! Beat Arsenal one week, downed by Fulham the next?! Tom Cairney gave the home side the lead after just 30 seconds after the restart at Craven Cottage. Ryan Babel doubled the lead in the 69th minute, both goals ripping through a sleepy Toffees defence. The Cottagers’ first Premier League win since January after nine consecutive defeats has started talks and hopes to see caretaker Scott Parker's permanent appointment. Marco Silva's men have won just one of their past 12 Premier League away games in London (D3 L8). Travel sick.

Southampton should be safe, eight points clear from the drop zone (reduced to five after the Bluebirds played their game in hand *see below*), after downing high-flying Wolves 3-1 thanks to Nathan Redmond’s brace (2', 30'). The Saints have won eight of their 18 Premier League games under Ralph Hasenhüttl, as many as they had won in 52 games under their two previous permanent managers combined (Mark Hughes managed three from 22 and Mauricio Pellegrino managed five from 30). Nuno Espírito Santo’s side could still finish seventh which would be the highest placed finish by a newly promoted team to the Premier League since Ipswich came fifth in the 2000-01 season. 
And last but not least, Bournemouth are booming and capitalised against ten men Brighton, who completely lost it yet again?! 0-5!!!!! The Cherries scored five goals in a Premier League away game for the first time and equalled their biggest top flight victory, a 6-1 home win against Hull City on 15 October 2016.

What a man! Lucas Moura’s hat-trick (27', 87', 90'+3') did it for Tottenham against Huddersfield, everyone enjoying the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Spurs winger is the fourth Brazilian to score three in a Premier League match (with Afonso Alves, Robinho and Roberto Firmino). Who needs Harry Kane or Son Heung-min?! The Terriers have lost all nine of their league encounters against the established top six clubs this season, conceding 26. So, no surprise there.
Ayoze Pérez’s header (32') was enough for Newcastle on Friday night and fully deserved, despite all Leicester’s dominance. Crucial. The win put the Magpies ten points clear from the drop zone. Safe.

What a goal! Paul Pogba netted a softer than soft penalty at Old Trafford, plus the “offense” took place outside the area, not long after West Ham saw a goal disallowed for offside although the line was fine, lucky United. Pf. Double lucky: The second penalty. After all the Hammers’ dominance with chance after chance to go ahead after Felipe Anderson’s deserved equaliser, hitting the bar and pulling a full-stretch save out of David de Gea. Pogba netted the second spot kick. 2-1. Luckier than lucky. The Frenchman has now taken as many penalties (10) as Salah, Sergio Agüero and Kane combined (10). In fact, no team have taken more Premier League penalties than the Red Devils this season (11, level with Crystal Palace). Indeed, in no other Premier League campaign have the Mancs taken more spot kicks (also 11 in 2011-12). Dotty. At least Ole Gunnar Solskjær conceded they got away with it!!!

What the hell?! The refs let down Cardiff again on Saturday! No discrediting Burnley, they deserved the win overall, Chris Wood’s brace was enough to seal the three points (31', 90'+2'). But Neil Warnock was understandably fuming, screwed by the officials yet again (like week 32), keeping them in the drop zone, the gap to safety staying at five points. The FA should be very ashamed! And Mike Dean especially! Very ashamed! (LOVE THE KISS PIC! Ashley Barnes on Joe Bennett, love love love!) The more crucial/deserved/bombastic the win at Brighton on Tuesday was, closing the gap to two points *(see game in hand below)*!

Mad mad mad mad couple of minutes at Watford! First Ben Foster made a mess of a back-pass and handed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang his first goal of the year for Arsenal (10’). Since his debut in February 2018, the Gabonese has been directly involved in 37 Premier League goals for the Gunners (28 goals, 9 assists), 11 more than any other of his team mates. And then Troy Deeney was given a straight red for elbowing Lucas Torreira (11’). Those two moments of madness decided the tie, 0-1, keeping Unai Emery's side in fourth, ahead of Chelsea in fifth by goal difference. Crucial crunch.

My Predictions - Actual Results 
Leicester 1:0 Newcastle - 0:1
Tottenham 2:0 Huddersfield - 4:0
Brighton 1:0 Bournemouth - 0:5 
Burnley 2:1 Cardiff - 2:0
Fulham 1:2 Everton - 2:0
Southampton 1:1 Wolves - 3:1 
Man United 2:1 West Ham - 2:1 
Crystal Palace 1:3 Man City - 1:3
Liverpool 3:1 Chelsea - 2:0 
Watford 1:2 Arsenal - 0:1
(Brighton 0:1 Cardiff - 0:2 - a crucial result in the relegation battle, it was rescheduled due to cup ties, all stats added to the original week = week 31)

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks. 

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, MOTD, Twitter and RMC Sports coverage.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 33

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 33

The 33rd week of the Premier League action saw:

28 goals - most by Watford and Leicester = 4 each

278 shots - most by Tottenham = 29

85 on target - most by Man City = 11

121 corners - most by Man City = 17

187 fouls - most by Burnley = 16

39 bookings - most by Liverpool and Arsenal = 4 each

1 red card - Young for Man United

3 penalties - 3 scored (Mooy for Huddersfield, Vardy for Leicester, Milivojeviç for Crystal Palace)

What a game! It was another easy win for Manchester City on Wednesday night, running all over Cardiff and ending 2-0 winners at the Etihad. It's the champions’ eighth league win in a row, putting them back to the top temporarily, a point ahead of Liverpool with six games to go, before the Reds' match on Friday. More to that one below. The Citizens' game was rearranged from the weekend thanks to the FA Cup semi-finals.
Super Sunday?! Super Shambles more like! Arsenal were a shadow of themselves last Sunday, Everton the only side playing and competing, beating Unai Emery’s side comfortably, 1-0 at Goodison Park thanks to Phil Jagielka's cheeky poke in (10'). The English centre back was a last-minute replacement for injured Michael Keane shortly before kick-off, at 36 years and 233 days, he is the oldest player to score in the Premier League this season. 19 out of 20 PL teams have kept an away clean sheet this season... Everyone except the Gunners! Comfy three points after their games in hand for Tottenham** and Chelsea* opened up the race for the top four between the London rivals (see **week 31 and *week 27 respectively under the results for their rearranged games).

What a team! Burnley produced a great comeback against Bournemouth! Sean Dyche's side fell behind early on thanks to Ashley Barnes heading the ball into the back of his own net (OG 10'). But two goals fired in in just two minutes turned the game on its head at the Vitality stadium (Wood 18', Westwood 20') and Barnes himself made sure his side went away with three goals and three points, scoring on the right side of the pitch this time after the break (56'). Does Eddie Howe and co have to be worried? Hardly. The result sees the Cherries in 13th and still ten points clear from the drop zone, the Clarets two points and one place behind them in 14th.
And the fourth consecutive league win for Leicester after thrashing already relegated Huddersfield 1-4 means life’s good for new boss Brendan Rodgers (LWWWW) and man of the match Jamie Vardy (brace 44', pen 84'), their side matching the points total of 2017-18 already after 33 games, the result moving them up to seventh!

What a man! Super sub skipper Jordan Henderson provided one and scored one for Liverpool! The Reds had fallen behind at Southampton early on thanks to Shane Long's composed finish (10'). Naby Keïta levelled the score with a header, his first goal for the club (36'). It looked like Jürgen Klopp's men were going to drop points in the title race, before Mohamed Salah produced a brilliant solo goal with only ten minutes to go (80'), a great run and finish for Momo’s 50th, finally! And Hendo sealed the win from close range (86'), his first goal of the season, making him the first Premier League substitute to score a goal, assist a goal and receive a yellow card since Graziano Pellè did so for Southampton against Crystal Palace in May 2016. The result put the Reds back on top after their fourth successive league win against the Saints for the first time in their club's history, whilst Ralph Hasenhüttl's side fall down to 17th, five points away from the drop zone.
Eden Hazard just ran through everyone and everything on Monday, starring for Chelsea with an excellent brace against West Ham (24', 90'). The Blues won their game in hand on Wednesday (as mentioned above *week 27), the Belgian star also contributing and scoring in that 3-0 win against Brighton, but Monday's victory topped it all, moving the side up to third. What and where would Chelsea and Maurizio Sarri be without him?!

What a goal! Wow Watford, Vicarage Road saw some super goals on Tuesday! And a th-r-ash! Abdoulaye Doucouré's opener was a stunner (23') before Ryan Babel equalised for Fulham (33'). But after the break, the Hornets overran and crushed the Cottagers, smashing goals from Will Hughes (63'), Troy Deeney (69') and Kiko Femenía (75'), condemning the visitors to relegation. Fulham join Huddersfield down and out, making them the earliest two relegated teams ever in the Premier League era!

And the Molineux stadium witnessed something special on Tuesday night as well! Scott McTominay gave Manchester United the lead (13') with a fine strike from over 20 yards out, his first goal for the club. Diogo Jota was crucial in the host's comeback, equalising 12 minutes later (25') and falling victim to Ashley Young's fouls, two clumsy tackles in a crazy five-minute spell which saw the Red Devils' skipper booked twice and consequently sent off (57'), Mike Dean's 100th PL red card, interesting read and reactions. Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side were all over the place after that and Wolves capitalised. Chris Smalling put the ball into the back of his own net (OG 77') after his keeper David de Gea was unable to collect the ball and it ricocheted. Defence?! Scenes! Man Who?! Ole Ole Ole?! The new permanent boss tasted his first defeat since signing for United, his side falling back down to sixth as a result.

What the hell?! The new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finally saw its first match with an over-spectacular introduction on Wednesday. Better late than never. Shame they couldn’t even fill it. But Tottenham won their first game in the £1bn ground, ending the 689-day wait, 2-0 against Crystal Palace, Son Heung-min opening the scoring (55') and Christian Eriksen sealing the win (80').**week 31
Luka Milivojeviç’s 11th goal in all competitions, his 10th spot kick won it for Palace at Newcastle on Saturday, ending a five-match winning run of Rafael Benítez’s side. Only Andrew Johnson in 2004-05 has scored more penalties in a single PL campaign (= 11, also with Palace). It was against the run of play, the winning side recording the fewest shots. No side has actually won a Premier League game with fewer attempts this season (< 3). Crazy stats. C'est le foot.

My Predictions - Actual Results 

Wolves 0:2 Man United - 2:1

Watford 2:1 Fulham - 4:1

(Chelsea 2:1 Brighton - 3:0)*week 27

Man City 3:1 Cardiff - 2:0

(Tottenham 2:1 Crystal Palace - 2:0)**week 31

Southampton 1:2 Liverpool - 1:3

Bournemouth 2:2 Burnley - 1:3

Huddersfield 0:2 Leicester - 1:4

Newcastle 4:2 Crystal Palace - 0:1

Everton 1:2 Arsenal - 1:0

Chelsea 2:0 West Ham - 2:0

(Tottenham 1:0 Brighton was postponed to the 23rd April due to the FA Cup ties, see week 35)

*(Both matches rearranged from *week 27 and **week 31 because of the League Cup final and FA Cup ties respectively, stats added to respective weeks)**

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, MOTD, Twitter and RMC Sports coverage.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 32

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 32

The 32nd week of the Premier League action saw:

22 goals - most by Man City, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Leicester, Man United, Everton, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal = 2 each
237 shots - most by Man City = 24
67 on target - most by Everton = 9
96 corners - most by Man City = 11
191 fouls - most by Man United, Everton and Chelsea = 14 each
20 bookings - most by Chelsea = 3
0 red cards
1 penalty - 1 scored (Milivojević for Crystal Palace)

What a game! Manchester United ended up 2-1 winners at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, but the result definitely doesn’t reflect the game! Watford looked like the home side, dominating, controlling and creating much more (EIGHT shots on target, pulling SEVEN saves from David de Gea, most produced by a visiting side at the ground since 2014). The opener and Marcus Rashford's 10th Premier League goal of the season (38’) came against the run of play, after a superb through-ball from Luke Shaw. And after the Hornets wasted more chances, Anthony Martial made them pay midway through the second half, doubling the Red Devils’ lead from close range (72’). Abdoulaye Doucouré scored a late goal which Javi Gracia’s men more than deserved, but it was too little too late (90’). The result ended a run of successive defeats for new/finally permanent boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and took United level on points with third-placed Tottenham, who travelled to Liverpool on Sunday, before Arsenal's home game against Newcastle on Monday. More to both clashes below.

What a team! Huddersfield’s relegation was confirmed on Saturday after falling to their 24th defeat of the season, 2-0 at Crystal Palace, equalling the record for earliest relegation from the Premier League of Derby County in 2007-08 and Ipswich Town in 1994-95. The Eagles have scored nine penalty goals in the Premier League this season, more than any other side. Luka Milivojević has scored all of those nine spot kicks, including the opener in this match against the Terriers (76’); only four players have scored more in a single season, with Steven Gerrard being the last player to do so in 2013-14 (10). Patrick van Aanholt doubled the lead and secured the win late on (88’), putting Roy Hodgson’s men eight points clear of the drop zone.

Fulham look like they will be the next side to follow the Yorkshire club down after losing 0-2 against Manchester City, their 23rd loss keeping them in 19th, 16 points away from safety, just three points better off than the bottom team. The managerless side failed to direct a single shot on target for the first time in their last 188 home league games, since April 2010 against Wolves in the Premier League. The Citizens could not have had it any easier, the win keeping them that decisive little edge/corner/step ahead in the title race (second, but only two points behind Liverpool, with a game in hand).

What a man! Brendan Rodgers was a very happy man after watching his side shine in a comfortable win against Bournemouth, recording their third consecutive win under the Northern Irishman. The Foxes were under control for most of the match after taking an early lead thanks to Wes Morgan’s flick going in off the post (11’). Jamie Vardy’s header went in off the crossbar to seal the victory for the home side (83’), making it five goals in his last five league appearances. The woodwork helped the 2016 champions move up to eighth, four places better off than when they sacked former boss Claude Puel. The result means the Cherries have lost 10 of their last 11 away games - the only positive result in that run being a win in their last game on the road against now relegated Huddersfield. Eddie Howe was left conceding defeat, disappointed. The Bournemouth boss is winless in eight away league visits to Leicester City during his managerial career (W0 D4 L4).

Unai Emery is not doing bad in his first season as Arsenal boss, watching his side record their 10th home league victory in a row, their best run since a similar sequence from December 1997 to May 1998, under former manager Arsène Wenger. MNF saw the Gunners comfortably beating Newcastle 2-0 at the Emirates, Aaron Ramsey (30’) and Alexandre Lacazette (83’) with deserved goals, bagging the points after a dominant show which saw two goals disallowed for the home side as well. Rafael Benítez still feels the Magpies will be safe, the result just moving them one place down to 14th, seven points clear from the drop zone. Emery’s side overtook rivals Spurs, moving up to third, two points ahead of Manchester United in fifth, Champions League football looking more and more likely next season after a two-year absence.

What a goal! A couple of crucial own goals this weekend: Wolves captain Conor Coady scored his third own goal of the season after Chris Wood’s shot came back off the post (2’), opening the scoring for Burnley. Only two players have registered more own goals in a Premier League season - Liverpool's Martin Škrtel in 2013-14 and Brighton's Lewis Dunk in 2017-18, both with four. Nuno Espírito Santo’s men’s four own goals in the league this campaign is the most of any side. 19-year-old Dwight McNeil had set up the early opener and sealed the win with a lovely strike of his own (77’), a low drill into the bottom-right corner, the only shot on target for the visitors. It was a crucial win for Sean Dyche’s men, ending a run of four straight defeats, recording their first clean sheet in nine league games, and moving them five points clear of the relegation zone.

The other own goal went to Toby Alderweireld at Anfield, handing Liverpool an injury-time winner against Tottenham, after watching his keeper Hugo Lloris spill Mohamed Salah’s shot, for the ball to ricochet off the Belgian defender and into the net. The Reds had taken the lead early on thanks to Roberto Firmino’s header (16’), set up by a brilliant Andrew Robertson cross from the left into the box. Lucas Moura levelled the score (70’) and deservedly so after the visitors had improved, dominated and created a lot more after the break. But Jürgen Klopp was the one celebrating at the final whistle, seeing his side return to the top thanks to that last-gasp own goal. It doesn’t matter how you win them, three points is what is important. Liverpool have scored three winning goals in the 90th minute or later in the Premier League this season, their second-most in a single campaign after 2008-09 (four).

What the hell?! West Ham’s toothless display saw a total of just three attempts on goal in the game, their lowest tally in a home Premier League game since the 2005-06 season. Everton ended up comfortable 0-2 winners at the London Stadium, Marco Silva's side dominating and winning the game in the first half thanks to goals from Kurt Zouma (5’) and Bernard (33’). The Hammers have already drawn level with their points total from last season (= 42), but, with games against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham to come next month, Manuel Pellegrini’s men face dropping, falling and failing to a disappointing end to the season.

And last but definitely not least, what were the officials on at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday?! A certain Russian billionaire’s pay check?! Victor Camarasa’s curling opener gave the home side a deserved lead shortly after the break (46’), as Chelsea were playing a painfully slow and wasteful game. With five minutes left, César Azpilicueta nodded in an equaliser from a clearly offside position and then, in added time, substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek headed in the winner for the Blues to break the Welsh hearts. Throughout the match, the officiating was dubious, obvious free kicks and cautions not given. And how and why Antonio Rüdiger was not sent off after bringing down last man Kenneth Zohore shortly after the equaliser, only they know. How Neil Warnock stayed so calm after the final whistle, I do not know, shouting his face off on the sidelines and to players, but not to the officials, who cost his side three crucial points. Other managers would have been in the refs’ faces, like Mauricio Pochettino did a few weeks ago (Premier League Week 27 to be exact). Warnock's post-match interview says it all, what I have been blogging and shouting my face off about week in, week out. Ridiculous. Disgusting. Outrageous.

My Predictions - Actual Results:
Fulham 1:3 Man City - 0:2
Brighton 0:0 Southampton - 0:1
Burnley 1:1 Wolves - 2:0
Crystal Palace 2:0 Huddersfield - 2:0
Leicester 2:0 Bournemouth - 2:0
Man United 3:0 Watford - 2:1
West Ham 2:2 Everton - 0:2
Cardiff 1:2 Chelsea - 1:2
Liverpool 2:1 Tottenham - 2:1
Arsenal 4:2 Newcastle - 2:0

Click here for the previous Premier League Picks.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, Twitter and RMC Sport coverage.