Sunday’s Premier League results were big matches in terms of the race for European qualification as well as the relegation battle. Could the Hammers beat Spurs and continue their push for top 4? Could the Foxes continue to silence the doubters and remain in the top 3? Meanwhile, Newcastle’s fixture against Manchester United was being closely watched by Fulham fans, who are just one spot below Newcastle in 18th.
West Ham United (Hammers) 2 – Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) 1
David Moyes’s men continued their hot run of form, as the Hammers defeated Spurs 2 goals to 1. The scoring commenced in just the 5th minute, when West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen whipped in a cross from the right side of the pitch. The cross was found by Hammers striker Michail Antonio, whose outstretched foot made contact with the ball, forcing a save from Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris. However, Antonio was quick to follow-up the rebound, where he then smashed the ball into Tottenham’s net.
West Ham’s second of the game came from Jesse Lingard in the 47th minute, who now has 3 goals for the Hammers since joining on loan from Manchester United. After Pablo Fornals flicked the ball over to Lingard on the left side of the pitch, Lingard controlled the ball, drove past the Spurs defenders and superbly finished it past Lloris into the far side netting.
Spurs did grab a goal back in the 64th minute, when Gareth Bale’s corner found Lucas Moura at the front post, who then headed it top corner with help from the inside of the post. They also had two great chances late on with Bale hitting the bar from a wicked volley and Heung-Min Son’s deflection hitting the post, but José Mourinho’s team just couldn’t find that vital equalising goal.
The Band Has Arrived🤩🔥🤫 pic.twitter.com/gAqA6BL5UI
— Declan Rice (@_DeclanRice) February 21, 2021
Aston Villa (Villans) 1 – Leicester City (Foxes) 2
The Villans seemed to be missing starlet Jack Grealish as the Foxes scored two first half goals to gain 3 points at Villa Park in their bid for Champions League football. The first goal for the Foxes came in the 19th minute. Man of the match Harvey Barnes collected it at the edge of the box, where he then fed James Maddison inside the D, whose low-driven shot found the bottom corner. Villans keeper Emiliano Martinez did get his fingertips onto it, but it wasn’t enough.
Four minutes later, the Foxes scored again. This time, it was Jamie Vardy’s shot that created the opportunity. His strike from just inside the box forced a save from Martinez, who could only parry it into the path of Barnes, who had no problem smashing it into the roof of the net.
Dean Smith’s men scored their only goal of the game early in the second half. Matt Targett’s cross from the left side of the box was helped on by John McGinn, whose small flick-on found an open Bertrand Traoré. The Burkina Faso international then slid in and hit the ball past Foxes keeper Kasper Schmeichel – but it turned out to just to be a consolation goal.
Arsenal 0 – Manchester City 1
It’s rare that a game is decided by a goal in first 120 seconds of a match. However, that was the case in this game between top of the table City and exactly mid-table Arsenal. Pep Guardiola’s men started the match brightly and looked like a serious threat from the first whistle. This early pressure on Arsenal resulted in a rare headed goal by Raheem Sterling inside 2 minutes. After a pinpoint accurate cross by Riyad Mahrez, Sterling was able to drift away from Arsenal defender Rob holding and head it past keeper Bernd Leno.
Despite this early goal, there was times when City looked like they were playing in third gear, and Arsenal were able to have spells where they looked threatening, especially down the left flank with Bukayo Saka and Kieran Tierney. Nevertheless, Arsenal couldn’t manage any real goal scoring opportunity, with their only shot on target in the game coming from a long-range effort by Tierney that was hit straight at City keeper Ederson. This win for Manchester City now makes it 18 straight wins for the club, an extraordinary run from a team that must be favourites to win the Premier League now.
▪️ 13 straight wins in the league
▪️ 10 points clear at the top of the table
▪️ Still perfect in 2021@ManCity are running away with the Premier League 🏆 pic.twitter.com/zhKppp0FI2— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 21, 2021
Manchester United 3 – Newcastle United 1
Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s men moved back into second place in the Premier League – Leicester briefly moved above them after their win earlier – with a 3-1 win over Steve Bruce’s struggling Newcastle United side. The first goal came from a nice sequence of play by Marcus Rashford in the 30th minute. The England striker nutmegged Newcastle’s Emil Krafth on the left wing, before driving into the box. Although Kraft did manage to track back to get in front of Rashford, he was no match for the striker’s pace, who quickly cuts inside and drills it into the bottom corner past Karl Darlow’s near post.
Newcastle then equalised six minutes later. Joe Willock’s cross is headed away by Harry Maguire, but only to Allan Saint-Maximin, who hits it first time on the half volley from about 10 yards out into the roof of the net, giving Manchester United keeper David De Gea no chance.
It wasn’t until the 57th minute when The Red Devils pulled in front once again. Nemanja Matic plays a ground pass from one side of the box to the other, with Bruno Fernandes helping it along on the way, guiding it through Jamal Lewis’s legs. The ball goes straight to Welshman Daniel James, who is wide open, and he has no trouble smashing it past Darlow, with the keeper being beaten at his near post once again.
The final goal was a trademark penalty by Bruno Fernandes. Rashford collects the ball in the box and drags it past Willock, only to be brought down and the referee straight away points to the spot. Bruno, of course, converts the penalty, hitting it into the bottom left corner and confirming the 3 points for Manchester United.