A shock win, a drab draw, a five-goal thriller and more attacking artistry.
Saturday’s Premier League action yet again failed to disappoint with 12 goals scored across six fixtures.
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Manchester City lost at Brighton to see them lose further ground on LiverpoolCredit: AFP
The biggest surprise of the day was at the Amex Stadium where Brighton came from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1.
In doing so, they have ensured that the Citizens have lost four games in a row for the first time since 2006.
City’s slip-up saw Liverpool have the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points, which they did by beating Aston Villa 2-0.
Meanwhile Wolves recorded their first top-flight win this term after coming out on top against fellow strugglers Southampton in a 2-0 win at Molineux.
Elsewhere, Fulham beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in a fiery London derby at Selhurst park, with Brentford fighting back against Bournemouth to claim all three points in a 3-2 win.
Though it was another poor performance from West Ham under Julen Lopetegui, as they were held to a 0-0 draw with Everton at the London Stadium.
Here talkSPORT duo Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy reveal their winners and losers from Saturday’s action on the Game-Day Phone-In…
Winners
Matheus Cunha
The Brazilian chipped in with a goal and an assist for Wolves as he proved to be his side’s main man yet again.
His goal in the second half – his fifth of the campaign – was a goal of the season contender after finding the top left corner from range to leave ex-Chelsea defender Cundy waxing lyrical over him.
He said: “He set up [Pablo] Sarabia for the first goal, but his goal, what a strike, this boy has got so much quality.
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Cunha doubled Wolves’ lead in the second half in exquisite fashionCredit: Getty
“Ball at his feet, he travels at pace, there ain’t many players that can travel with the same pace with the ball at their feet than they can in a sprint.
“He will end up leaving Wolves, he’s going to end up being too good for them, he’s a top, top player.”
Yoane Wissa
The Brentford striker scored twice to help Brentford move into the top half of the table.
Only Erling Haaland [20] has now scored more non-penalty goals than Wissa [15] in the Premier League in 2024.
Praising the DR Congo international, Cundy stated: “He has now scored seven goals in his last five games at the Gtech Community Stadium.
“He is on fire, him and [Bryan] Mbuemo, they are good players. And Brentford are side, underestimate them at your peril, because they can turn you over.
“But Wissa and Mbuemo, they are two brilliant attacking players.”
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Wissa has been one of the standout players in the top-flight so far this term
Jordan Pickford
The Everton goalkeeper helped his save take a point back to Merseyside thanks to a wonder save in injury time to deny Danny Ings.
Ings’ deflected strike seemed destined to nestle into the roof of the net, only for Pickford to heroically tip it over the bar.
Cundy said of the stop: “What a save he makes, he made a couple of really good saves, but the one at the end, it’s at point-blank range.
“The thing that suits him, it’s above his head, it’s straight at him, but his reactions, he’s like a ninja.”
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Pickford celebrated after the full-time whistle in what was a game lacking qualityCredit: Getty
Losers
Rob Edwards
Dropping into the Championship, and Luton boss Edwards continues to find himself in deep water with the Hatters in serious trouble.
Luton are in danger of back-to-back relegations, with Saturday’s 5-1 defeat at Middlesbrough leaving them in 21st spot.
From their 15 matches in England’s second-tier this season, they have won just four times – losing on eight occasions.
Fearing Luton could now relieve Edwards of his duties, O’Hara remarked: “It feels like he’s in here every week at the moment.
“But a 5-1 drubbing away from home, sitting 21st in the table, he’s having a nightmare.”
He added: “He’s waiting for the call [to inform him of sacking].”
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Edwards is under pressure at Kenilworth Road with Luton sitting in the relegation zoneCredit: Getty
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Bournemouth could have escaped with a point at the Gtech Community Stadium had Kepa not allowed Mikkel Damsgaard to equalise at his near post.
The Spaniard – on loan from Chelsea – failed to stop the Danish midfielder’s low effort from trickling in, before Wissa scored the winner moments later.
Criticising the former Real Madrid man, Cundy said: “It’s at the near post, and if he covers that near post, it doesn’t go in.
“The gap is tiny, it’s a good finish, but you shouldn’t get beat, the angle is so tight.
“If you cover the near post, the worse-case scenario is the attacker has got to drill the ball across the face of goal, if Kepa gets anything on it, it then goes back in.
“But Kepa has already gambled, and in doing so, he has left the space, [Damsgaard] finished it and they end up winning.”
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Kepa failed to cover himself in glory for Brentford’s second goal of their 3-2 winCredit: Getty
Anyone at West Ham
West Ham were guilty of another lethargic display – much to the dismay of the Hammers fanbase who have been left bored by new boss Lopetegui’s style of play.
Languishing 14th in the table, West Ham have failed to impress this season having been tipped for a potential European spot due their summer transfer business.
Ripping into the east Londoners, Cundy said: “So here’s the deal, the fans, I feel for you guys, you paid money to be there, but there’s people there today, the stewards, the St John’s Ambulance, the referee, he had to run around amongst that turgid poop, he was amongst it all.
“He was there thinking, ‘Get me out of here,’ the manager, the camera crew, anyone, people that work up in the boxes, you have my sympathy.
“Luckily the chefs didn’t see it! No bubbles come out today.
“The ball boys, I feel for you ball boys, that was one of the worst games we’ve seen in a long time.”
O’Hara then simply stated: “It was an absolute nightmare of a game.”
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Thins haven’t went to plan for Lopetegui at West Ham as of yetCredit: AFP
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This is how the Premier League table looks heading into Sunday’s fixtures
Saturday’s Premier League actions saw goals, goals, goals and some pretty memorable on-field moments.
Bukayo Saka was the star of the show as Arsenal showed their title credentials by coming back from 1-0 down to earn a 3-1 win over Southampton to ensure they kept the pace with those ahead of them.
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Bukayo Saka spared Arsenal blushes as Arsenal came back to beat SouthamptonCredit: Getty
Liverpool set the standard for the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the lunchtime kick-off – even though they did lose Alisson Becker to a worrying injury – before Man City earned a 3-2 home win over Fulham thanks to two goals from Mateo Kovacic and a stunner from Jeremy Doku.
Perhaps even more memorably, however, was an epic foot race between two of the Premier League’s fastest stars in Kyle Walker and Adama Traore which ended with one clear winner.
Elsewhere Brentford won an eight-goal thriller with Wolves pile the pressure on Gary O’Neil while Leicester earned a much-needed win over Bournemouth.
Then there was West Ham who clicked into gear with a 4-1 victory over newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
The late fixture between Everton and Newcastle may have ended goalless, but it wasn’t short of drama with Anthony Gordon missing a spot-kick in front of the Gladys Street End.
While supporters were delighted to see the star miss after his controversial move, no one was happier than Abdoulaye Doucoure who channeled his inner-Martin Keown by berating the Newcastle star.
There was plenty to get stuck into, so here are Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy‘s weekend winners and losers.
Winners
Wayne Rooney
Plymouth earned a last-gasp winner of Blackburn to move into a safe mid-table position following a dominant display at Home Park.
Cundy said: “He’s had a tricky start to his life at Plymouth.
“We know what happened at Derby and they got a late, late winner today and managed to get the three points over Blackburn which is a big result.
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Rooney saw red in Plymouth’s victory over BlackburnCredit: Getty
“They’re now 14th and just five points off the play-offs so he gets a big thumbs up from me – he did get a red card though!”
That sending off came for a furious reaction to the referee not awarding his side a free-kick in the build-up to Joe Rankin-Costello’s equaliser after 87 minutes.
Thankfully for him, the talkSPORT boys saw the positives from the day in the south west!
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Mateo Kovacic
Rodri who?
The Manchester City star scored twice to help Pep Guardiola‘s side to a 3-2 win over Fulham, meaning that the Premier League champions won’t be too worried about the Spaniard’s season-ending injury.
Cundy said: “He scored two big goals today – he got the equaliser and then put them 2-1 up.
“Kova never scores goals but he scored two today! He never scored for Chelsea but when he does it’s a screamer and he got a brace today.
“With Rodri missing – obviously Rodri has come up with massive goals but that’s a position where Kovacic is probably going to be handed that responsibility.
“He’s a big-game player and has played for Real Madrid and Chelsea and so Kova gets in.”
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He put in a dominant display as he filled the void left by the injured Rodri
Steve Cooper
It may have been a shoddy start to the season but Cooper inspired Leicester to a crucial 1-0 win over Bournemouth – a victory that will do wonders for his side’s confidence in their fight to avoid relegation.
Cundy said: “A first win and the first win for a side who were promoted last season with Southampton and Ipswich still waiting.
“It might not have been pretty, but who cares? They picked up three points and so congratulations to him for reaching the dizzy heights of 15th.
“They’re just one point behind Man United who play Villa tomorrow!”
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Steve Cooper has got Leicester’s season up and runningCredit: Getty
Losers
Rob Edwards
From Luton’s saviour to now the Hatter’s potential downfall, Edwards’ side suffered their fifth Championship defeat of the season on Saturday.
A 2-0 loss at Sheffield United leaves them 21st in the table, with the club embroiled in a relegation battle as opposed to another promotion push.
Fearing the worst for the 41-year-old, Cundy said: “You cannot be in the Premier League last season, get relegated, and be fighting relegation the next season.
“That cannot happen. You’ve seen Leicester get promoted, you see other teams go back down and have come straight back up.”
O’Hara simply stated: “He’s having a stinker.”
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Things are not going well at all for Luton since their relegationCredit: Getty
Gary O’Neil
Few teams score three goals away from home and walk away without a point.
But the luck just isn’t in for Wolves at the moment, with the Midlands outfit losing 5-3 against Brentford – their sixth loss in seven top-flight matches.
Sitting rock bottom of the table, the Wolves hierachy could soon be forced into making a decision over O’Neil.
Cundy said: “You can’t keep losing games, be bottom of the table, and say he should keep his job. We’ve spoken about it, they’ve got Man City after the international break at home, they’ll probably lose that.
“They’ve got Brighton away, tough game, after that they have got some very winnable fixtures, and if they don’t start picking up some points…
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O’Neil’s Wolves sit bottom of the Premier League table
“Crystal Palace at home on November 2, then Southampton the following weekend, you have got to be taking six points out of six there, nothing less.
“If he loses one of those games, you do start to fear for his future.”
Yukinari Sugawara
The Southampton right-back at one point would have been thinking a famous result was on the cards when his side took the lead at Arsenal through Cameron Archer’s 55th minute strike.
But they ultimately fell to a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates, with Sugawara failing to track Gabriel Martinelli‘s run at the far post, who poked the Gunners ahead.
And it was then his poor touch in the penalty box in the closing stages which allowed Bukayo Saka to secure the victory for the title challengers.
Cundy said of the Japan international’s performance: “Here’s the problem that he’s got, he thinks he’s alone in the box, it’s a touch out of his feet.
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The Southampton defender had an afternoon to forget as his error gifted Saka with a goalCredit: Getty
“He then looks up and the first thing he notices is Saka is on the end of it – it’s terrible defending.
“As soon as you do that in your box, when you give it away, it’s fatal.”
O’Hara meanwhile quipped: “It was like Cundy playing in centre-half.”
Another season has come and gone as Manchester City made history by becoming the first team to win four-straight Premier League titles.
In a campaign in which the most goals were scored in a season since the mid-1960s, Guardiola’s side pipped Arsenal to the post yet again to make it six league titles from the last seven.
It was significantly less successful for Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United as the promoted trio were sent straight back to the Championship in what was a 26-year first.
Sandwiched between City and Sheffield United were a host of teams who all defied, met or fell way below pre-season expectations.
Foxsports.com.au takes a look at how EVERY team went in our Premier League Report Card!
If ever there was a fitting song to describe Arsenal’s season, look no further than Linkin Park’s classic, In The End.
Mikel Arteta’s side really did try oh-so-hard and they got oh-so-far.
But in the end, it didn’t even matter because ultimately no-one remembers who came second.
However, to summarise Arsenal’s season by just a few lyrics is an immense disservice to the way they improved significantly on last year’s efforts.
Granted, the Gunners shelled out a whopping $AUD199 million to sign Declan Rice, but there was a reason Mikel Arteta was desperate to snap up the former West Ham skipper.
Same goes for Kai Havertz, who defied his famous chant and proved to his detractors the $113m Arsenal spent on him did not go down the drain with 13 league goals.
There’s a sense of what might’ve been had summer recruit Jurrien Timber not been injured and the impact he’d have had on Arsenal’s backline too.
It has been a tremendous season for Arsenal as they accrued more points, scored more goals and conceded fewer than they did in 2022/23.
However, a grim run in December in which the Gunners won three of seven league games coupled with a costly 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa in April is what ultimately derailed their title bid.
The loss to Villa will sting given Arsenal could and should have been out of sight in the first half, if not for some dreadful finishing.
Regardless, Arteta’s side will be better off for the experience from another title charge and one senses a first Premier League trophy since 2003/04 is not far off.
Grade: A
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Aston Villa (4th, 68 pts, +15)
The sleeping giant is finally awake.
After 41 years, Aston Villa is back among Europe’s elite thanks to a top four finish, a predicament very few outside of those at Bodymoor Heath would have thought was achievable.
But under Unai Emery, Villa have transformed into a team that makes the impossible become possible.
What makes the Spaniard’s revolution even more impressive is he has not had to make significant surgery on the squad, with Youri Tielemans (free), Moussa Diaby ($98m) and Pau Torres ($59m) arriving in the summer.
Emery has instead drastically improved the players already at his disposal, including the likes of midfield duo Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz as well as fleet-footed winger Leon Bailey.
But the most notable example of Emery waving his magic wand on a player is with Ollie Watkins, who scored 19 goals and led the Premier League with 13 assists.
Emery has also had to overcome significant challenges in his first full season with Villa.
Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia, two starting players last season, suffered season-ending injuries before the season began while Kamara tore his ACL in February, exposing Villa’s lack of depth.
Throw in a run to the European Conference League semi-finals and it’s staggering how this squad held on for as long as they did in the race for a Champions League spot.
Yet this is a team who played Manchester City off the park in a 1-0 victory in December and did the double over Arsenal, showcasing just how freakishly good this team is when on song.
Next season will be an even bigger challenge but, as Emery and his merry band of Villa troops have proven, nothing can be out of the question.
Unai Emery has been arguably the manager of the season.Source: Getty Images
Bournemouth (12th, 48 pts, -13)
Stories of Andoni Iraola’s sacking were being written after Bournemouth’s 6-1 defeat to Manchester City in November, the club’s seventh loss in the first 11 games.
But the Cherries, who sat in the relegation zone and were among several pundits’ tips to go down despite a summer spend of $212 million, decided to stick with the Spaniard.
Boy, did it pay off.
The loss to City sparked a staggering run of six wins in Bournemouth’s next seven, including victories over Newcastle and Manchester United, as pressure eased off Iraola.
Key to this run was star striker Dominic Solanke, who went on to record his best goalscoring season in the Premier League with a final tally of 19.
Iraola’s intense high press was pivotal for Solanke and the Cherries’ goalscoring fortunes as a whole, failing to score in just three games from January onwards and even then, those games were against Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Defensive improvement will be required from Bournemouth if they are to rise higher on the ladder and go beyond the 48-point mark, the club’s highest total in the top flight.
But under Iraola, who recently signed a new deal to stay with Bournemouth until at least the end of the 2025/26 season and is a nominee for manager of the season, it feels like the Cherries are on the verge of something special.
Grade: B+
Dominic Solanke had a brilliant season in front of goal.Source: Getty Images
Brentford (16th, 39 pts, -9)
The big pre-season question on everyone’s minds when it came to Brentford was how they would fare without superstar striker Ivan Toney and his 20 league goals, at least until January.
The answer? Not very well.
Thomas Frank’s side sat as high as 9th in early November, but after a 3-2 win over West Ham, results took a nosedive.
The Bees won just three games and lost an alarming 14 across an 21-game stretch from November to mid-April.
It was hoped Toney’s return from a gambling ban would ease the burden on Brentford’s forwards and at first he did, scoring four goals in his first five games back.
But that was as good as it got for the star striker, with the Bees largely relying on Congolese winger Yoanne Wissa for goals.
Three wins in Brentford’s last six games ensured Frank’s troops would avoid being sucked into a relegation battle but the Dane knows a similar slump in form could be more costly next season.
Grade: D
Ivan Toney’s gambling ban had a huge impact on Brentford’s season.Source: Getty Images
Brighton (11th, 48 pts, -7)
A season that began with such so promise for the Seagulls ended with little more than a whimper.
With a Europa League campaign to contend with as well as the departures of Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez, enigmatic Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi had his work cut out for him.
But concerns about how De Zerbi would cope without the star trio were initially alleviated as the club won five of its first six games, including victories over Newcastle and Manchester United.
However, that winning feeling largely deserted Brighton for the remainder of the season as De Zerbi struggled to keep the side humming on multiple fronts, finishing with seven defeats from the final 12 league games.
There was also a lack of consistency between the sticks as summer recruit Bart Verbruggen and Jason Steele battled to be the starting goalkeeper, the last position that needs constant chopping and changing.
In fairness, Brighton were dealt a horrible hand with injuries with the likes of Solly March, Julio Enciso, Kaoru Mitoma and Adam Webster among others missing large chunks of the season.
De Zerbi also cut a frustrated figure in the media and struggled to deal with constant speculation linking him to bigger clubs as Brighton ultimately elected to mutually split with the Italian.
Time will tell if a fully fresh Brighton can get back to the heights they initially scaled under De Zerbi.
Grade: C-
Fans were grateful for Roberto De Zerbi, but his Brighton time came to a poor end.Source: Getty Images
Burnley (19th, 24 pts, -37)
Fresh off a Championship season in which they finished first with 101 points and lost only three games, some predicted Vincent Kompany’s Burnley side to be one of the surprise packages of the season.
And in some ways, maybe they were a bit of a surprise. But only in how bad they were.
Kompany quickly learned his possession-heavy approach simply would not work in the Premier League as Burnley were time-and-time-again sliced open by their rivals.
Burnley won just a solitary game before December as points deductions to Everton and Nottingham Forest was all that kept them in with a shout of a miraculous survival effort.
The Clarets’ transfer dealings were also questionable as they failed to properly replace Nathan Tella and Ian Maatsen, who accounted for 32 goal involvements in the Championship.
Instead, Kompany elected to bring in several young faces into the team who had little to no Premier League experience and it backfired spectacularly.
Burnley will be one of the favourites for promotion next season and if they achieve that, Kompany — if he is still in the job — knows he cannot afford to make similar mistakes again.
Then again, there’s shock rumours that he might be heading off to Germany to take over Bayern Munich. Stranger things have happened.
Grade: F
Burnley’s season was a disaster, but their coach might be rewarded for the flop with a cushy new gig.Source: AFP
Chelsea (6th, 63 pts, +14)
Now, there’s two ways one can look at Chelsea’s season.
They finished with 19 more points than they did in 22/23 — the biggest improvement of any team — as Cole Palmer emerged as one of the brightest talents in the Premier League with 22 goals and 11 assists.
New boss Mauricio Pochettino also guided the team home to a sixth-place finish, bringing European football back to Stamford Bridge after a season without it.
Chelsea also made it to the League Cup final and the semi finals of the FA Cup.
Sounds decent, right?
Then you remember this is the same Chelsea who forked out $828 million on recruits in the summer — a Premier League record for a single window — and were well on track for a mid-table finish, if not for a five-game win streak to round out the season.
Sections of Blues fans called for Pochettino’s head, Nicolas Jackson had more yellow cards than goals for a brief period and the club suffered embarrassing defeats to Nottingham Forest, Wolves as well as a 5-0 thumping against Arsenal.
We’ve opted for the more optimistic approach because this is an awfully young Chelsea squad and although it took quite some time for them to hit their straps, they showed what they’re capable of in the final third of the season.
But how will they cope under yet another new manager next season?
Chelsea’s Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been punted.Source: AFP
Crystal Palace (10th, 49 pts, -1)
Whisper it quietly, but Crystal Palace might actually be fun.
As the Eagles sleepwalked towards relegation under Roy Hodgson, the club wielded the axe on the 76-year-old and brought in former Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner on February 19.
What a masterstroke it proved to be.
Glasner, who took over at Selhurst Park with Palace sitting 15th but perilously close to the bottom three, immediately brought a sense of excitement back to the club.
He found a way to re-energise Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise who, when on song, are two of the most electrifying talents in the Premier League.
But most impressive was Glasner’s ability to unlock a whole new level in Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Prior to Glasner’s arrival, Mateta had scored just 10 goals from 79 league appearances for the Eagles.
But the Frenchman transformed into a completely different player once Glasner took over, scoring 14 goals in 14 games.
Glasner won seven and lost just three games from his 14 in charge, with a memorable run of six victories from the final seven fixtures of the season sparking the most immaculate of vibes among the Palace fanbase.
If Palace can keep a hold of Eze, Mateta and Olise in the summer, there’s no reason why this team can’t kick on next season.
Grade: B-
Palace turned into a thrilling attacking side, and there’s plenty of optimism for next season.Source: Getty Images
Everton (15th, 40 pts, -11)
If there was a Premier League equivalent to Rocky Balboa, it’s Everton.
You can knock them down as many times as you like and throw haymakers until kingdom come, but the Toffees just won’t go quietly into the night.
Everton were slapped with an initial ten-point deduction in November for breaking the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), dropping them into the relegation zone.
Those ten points were reduced to six in February upon appeal, but a second PSR breach resulted in a further two-point deduction in April.
Oh, and don’t forget the messy takeover saga with 777 Partners which still looks no closer to being ratified amid concerns over the group’s finances.
Having flirted with relegation the previous two seasons, it was feared the initial deduction might have been a mountain too high to climb for Sean Dyche’s side.
A 13-game winless streak from late December to April exacerbated those fears even more, but Dyche is no stranger to a relegation fight and knows exactly what was needed to steer the team to safety.
Roared on by a rabid fanbase desperate to survive and stick the proverbial finger at the Premier League, Everton went on to win five of their last eight — including a 2-0 victory over arch rivals Liverpool — to secure safety.
One of the most impressive aspects about Everton this season is how strong their defending had been, with their tally of 51 goals conceded bettered only by Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
If Dyche can find a way to get the Toffees firing up front and maintain that defensive steel, Everton should enjoy a relatively drama-free 24/25 season.
Grade: C
Five wins from their last eight games ensured Everton’s survival, but it was another messy season.Source: Getty Images
Fulham (13th, 47 pts, -6)
Some feared the worst for Fulham when talismanic striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and his 14 league goals departed for the vast riches on offer in Saudi Arabia.
Why? Well, Fulham’s next highest goalscorers behind Mitrovic were Willian and Carlos Vinicius with just five goals each.
Raul Jimenez joined in the summer but struggled to fill Mitrovic’s boots and had his campaign derailed by injury.
Even though Jimenez was billed as Mitrovic’s replacement, it turned out to be Brazilian forward Rodrigo Muniz who stepped up when the Cottagers needed a hero.
The Brazilian enjoyed a stunning run of form in February and March, scoring eight goals in as many matches to show he belongs at Premier League level.
Alex Iwobi also proved to be a shrewd summer recruit, driving Fulham up the field with slaloming runs and picking out intelligent passes.
Considering Mitrovic’s importance and the goals he brought, Marco Silva has done well to keep Fulham up with relative ease.
But will Cottagers fans accept another season of mid table mediocrity?
Grade: C-
The Klopp era has ended at Anfield.Source: Getty Images
Liverpool (3rd, 82 pts, +45)
It was going so, so well for Liverpool.
Even as late as April 4, Jurgen Klopp’s side sat on top of the Premier League.
But the Reds just simply ran out of steam, winning just three of their final eight games to slip away in the title race.
If anything, Liverpool’s late collapse mirrored Klopp’s reasoning for why he would depart the club at the end of the season, citing he was “running out of energy”.
Granted, Liverpool were dealt a brutal hand when it came to injuries, forcing a number of young stars to step up.
Liverpool’s defensive struggles were also on full display in the second half of the season, keeping just four clean sheets from December 26 onwards.
Unsurprisingly Mohamed Salah was the Reds’ main goalscoring threat but in somewhat alarming scenes, it was his lowest goalscoring return since joining Liverpool with a final tally of 18.
It was still a marked improvement on Liverpool’s 22/23 season in which they finished outside the Champions League places, but some may be wondering what could’ve been in Klopp’s last dance.
As the German rides off into the sunset, or the more fitting weather depiction in Liverpool of grey skies and rain, one must wonder if similar memories are on the horizon or if that’s as good as it may get for some time.
Grade: B+
Klopp’s PERFECT goodbye to Anfield crowd | 01:11
Luton Town (18th, 26 pts, -33)
Just about every fan of the other 19 Premier League teams had Luton Town circled as the one away day they wanted most this season.
Famed for its rather unique entrance for travelling fans in which they enter between townhouses, Luton’s Kenilworth Road is an old, tiny ground, but that’s where its charm lies.
However, it’s an away day that lasted just one season in the Premier League as Luton, unsurprisingly, were relegated.
The Hatters elected not to spend heavy in the summer, opting for sustainability should they end up being relegated rather than recklessly burning cash and needing to deal with an inflated wage bill in the Championship.
Although Luton showed they rarely had issues scoring — shut out in only five games this season — they conceded a whopping 82 goals, the second-most in the Premier League.
It was a valiant effort from Rob Edwards’ troops this season and a run of three wins and two draws from six games across the festive period gave Luton fans hope that maybe, just maybe they’d survive their debut Premier League campaign.
However, 12 losses in Luton’s 16 games sucked the life out of their survival efforts as the gulf in quality ultimately proved too large.
Grade: D-
EPL Wrap: City CHAMPIONS again! | 03:10
Manchester City (1st, 91 pts, +62)
Once again we’ve reached the end of the Premier League season and once again Manchester City are champions.
This year’s triumph made it a record fourth-straight league title for Pep Guardiola’s side, highlighting the vice-like grip they have on the Premier League trophy.
Although City had a few wobbles in the first half of the campaign, they did not lose a single match after a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on December 6.
City also had to cope without superstar playmaker Kevin de Bruyne for half of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in the opening match against Burnley while goalscoring freak Erling Haaland also spent time on the sidelines.
But Guardiola’s side found a way to overcome every challenge as English midfielder Phil Foden enjoyed his best season yet, scoring 19 goals and delivering eight assists in the Premier League.
Yes, City have 115 charges of breaching the PSR rules hanging over their head, leaving many to view their accomplishments with a big asterisk.
Yet until any punishment comes from that, we can only marvel at this unprecedented dominance from the best manager and one of the best teams in world football at the moment.
Grade: A
City players URGE fans to hold off | 01:21
Manchester United (8th, 60 pts, -1)
It was a season of unwanted records for Manchester United.
A lowest-ever Premier League finish. Their most losses in a league season. The most goals they’d conceded in a single Premier League season.
In fact, the Red Devils conceded more shots (668) than the infamous Derby County side of 2007/08 did (630). Yes, that Derby side that won just one game all season.
They’re not entirely exiled from European football just yet, as a win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final would secure a berth in the Europa League.
But that is not a reward Erik ten Hag’s side deserve one bit.
Marcus Rashford and Casemiro looked a complete shadow of the forces they were last season while a disjointed backline caused chaos, with Leicester City discard Jonny Evans drafted in to save the day.
The emergence of teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was undoubtedly the brightest spot of Manchester United’s season while Alejandro Garnacho continues to impress.
But the less said about this United season, the better.
Grade: C-
Rashford LEFT OUT of Euro squad | 01:17
Newcastle (7th, 60 pts, +23)
If you tuned in to a Newcastle game this season, you were, quite literally, guaranteed goals.
A team that scored four or more goals in a single match on ten occasions, the Magpies ended the season with a whopping tally of 85 goals scored.
Alexander Isak enjoyed a stunning season in which he scored 20 goals from 28 league appearances, while Anthony Gordon made himself undroppable with his impressive displays.
But at the other end of the field, the club took a major step backwards.
Having conceded just 33 goals last season, Eddie Howe’s side shipped 62 goals.
However, the team was decimated by injuries this season, with an alarming 258 games missed by players due to injury.
There’s also the small sideshow of Sandro Tonali, who was the club’s marquee summer signing but copped a 10-month ban for breaching Italian betting regulations.
Newcastle also had to contend with a Champions League campaign, which tested the club’s depth levels.
Although Newcastle suffered some patchy runs of form throughout the season, Howe deserves plenty of plaudits for guiding the Magpies to Europe once again, even if it is the Europa Conference League and dependent on Manchester City winning the FA Cup.
Grade: B
Alexander Isak had one hell of a season.Source: Getty Images
Nottingham Forest (17th, 32 pts, -18)
Nottingham Forest must be incredibly grateful for how badly the three promoted teams struggled this season, otherwise they would have been in serious strife.
After yet another big summer window, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had high expectations of Steve Cooper and his squad but they simply weren’t met in the first half of the season.
A 2-0 loss to Tottenham brought an end to the well-liked Cooper’s time at the City Ground as Marinakis brought in former Wolves boss Nuno Esperito Santo.
The Portuguese manager didn’t exactly transform the clubs fortunes but he did enough to ensure Forest stayed up, even though the club copped a four-point deduction for PSR breaches.
The brightest spot of Nottingham’s was the emergence of Brazilian defender Murillo, who joined in the summer from Corinthians, as the club faces a fight to keep him next season.
Although Forest’s on-field performance may have been lacking, they were box office entertainment off it.
An eagle-eyed fan spotted Marinakis’ accreditation nestled in the bushes of someone’s front garden in Fulham, presumably hurled in frustration having seen Forest lose 5-0.
Then there were the accusations Stuart Atwell, the VAR operator for Forest’s 2-0 loss to Everton, was a Luton Town fan after the team had a number of penalty shouts turned down.
A less chaotic campaign both on and off the field surely isn’t too much for Forest fans to ask for, right?
Grade: D
Murillo deservedly won the club’s Player of the Year for a brilliant season, but he could be out the door with bigger clubs circling.Source: Getty Images
Sheffield United (20th, 16 pts, -69)
If there’s one small comfort Sheffield United fans can take from this season, it’s that they weren’t worse than the 2007/07 Derby County side.
However, the Blades’ tally of 104 goals conceded is 15 more than Derby shipped, so it’s still rather grim.
In fact, Sheffield United lost a game by five or more goals a staggering seven times.
Regardless, Sheffield United will want to forget this season ever happened.
Practically doomed from the start with a squad weaker than what it was in the Championship, the sales of Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye made the Blades an easy choice to come last.
The club’s summer recruits also didn’t exactly inspire much confidence either given they were largely young players who had never played in the Premier League.
Paul Heckingbottom got sacked after a 5-0 loss to Burnley, leading to Chris Wilder making a surprise return to Bramall Lane.
But not even Wilder, who worked miracles when he got the Blades promoted in 2019, could muster any magic as Sheffield United trudged towards their inevitable fate.
Grade: Expelled
The Blades were truly atrocious this campaign.Source: Getty Images
Tottenham (5th, 66 pts, +13)
Not many would have given Ange Postecoglou a chance of overseeing an improved season from Tottenham Hotspur.
Throw in the exit of superstar striker Harry Kane and many feared the worst for the Aussie boss.
Instead, Postecoglou rolled up his sleeves, spent wisely in the transfer market and had his players quickly adapting to his all-action, high intensity style of play.
The Aussie brought an excitement factor to a team that had been devoid of any joy on the field for some time, even overseeing a ten-match unbeaten run which had Tottenham on top of the ladder.
However, injuries soon exposed Tottenham’s alarming lack of depth and it sparked a mid-season wobble as Postecoglou attempted to right the ship.
Although ambitions of a top four spot fell away with a horror run of five defeats in the final seven games, this season shouldn’t be viewed as anything but a success.
After all, it’s typically during the second season when Postecoglou really shines with his team.
Grade: A-
Ange Postecoglou entertained Spurs fans with a thrilling season … but there should be more to come.Source: Getty Images
West Ham United (9th, 52 pts, -14)
Grade: B-
After a difficult 2022-23 league campaign saw them manage just 40 points and a 14th-placed finish (partly down to focusing on the Europa Conference League, which they won), this year was another slog – even if they bounced back up the Premier League ladder.
It was always going to be hard this season after losing superstar skipper Declan Rice to Arsenal for £100 million plus bonuses.
In truth, they never really managed to mitigate that loss. Defensively, they were very poor: the third-most xG against, the third-most shots on target against, and a whopping 74 goals conceded. They clearly missed Rice’s defensive protection.
On the other hand, there were strong signs up front. For a team without a genuine striker, Jarrod Bowen banged in 20 goals in all competitions, their most by any player since 2004-05.
Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus were excellent, the latter becoming one of the breakout stars of the season and almost guaranteed to move to a bigger club in the off-season.
Manager David Moyes has turned West Ham into a solid, reliable unit in his last four-and-a-half years. A ninth-placed finish that sees a manager leave, and yet the fans are happy to see him go? It’s proof of how far he’s taken the Hammers.
Yet after a handful of gruelling seasons with European commitments placing an additional drain on players, his preference for a small squad proved his downfall.
Moyes started just 20 different players in the league, and made the fewest substitutions of any manager.
In the end, his team just ran out of legs – and their small squad means incoming manager Julen Lopetegui has a big transfer window ahead of him.
There were great moments for the Hammers, but another hectic schedule took its toll.Source: Getty Images
Wolves (14th, 46 pts, -15)
Grade: C+
Speaking of Lopetegui, remember when he left Wolves less than a week before the start of the season?
The Spanish manager had guided Wolves from a relegation scrap to a 13th-place finish in the space of seven months before walking out the door over a lack of spending on the squad.
Wolves were forced to sell a host of players to meet financial fair play rules and were widely predicted to be relegated.
In short, they were an absolute shambles. No wonder Lopetegui wanted out.
Wolves were left with a ridiculously thin squad, which injuries exposed – especially when they won just one of their last 10 games.
But they nevertheless achieved the most important things: they avoided a financial fair play punishment and balanced the books, ensured safety from relegation two months before the end of the season, and Gary O’Neil got the most out of just about every player at his disposal.
Just ignore their dire collapse in the last two months, and things seem a little bit more rosy.
McKenna is being targeted by Brighton to replace De ZerbiCredit: Getty
And Ipswich believe Luton Town boss Edwards could be the ideal candidate to replace the former Manchester United coach should he make the decision to move to the south coast.
The Hatters landed promotion to the Premier League last year against the odds through Edwards, who also did a commendable job trying to keep them up.
While Luton might have been relegated in the end, they ran Nottingham Forest close and they were praised for their style of play despite fighting without the funds available to top-flight sides.
McKenna led Ipswich to glory this year, landing back-to-back promotions to the Premier League from League One after an incredible run as manager.
There is every chance the Tractor Boys could lose their beloved boss, though, with Brighton making him a key candidate to replace De Zerbi, who sensationally decided to quit late on Saturday night.
And Ipswich are keen to find a replacement as soon as possible as they prepare for their first campaign back in the top flight since 2002, if McKenna does depart.
Edwards has won 25 games out of 75 for Luton Town after taking over in November 2022 following a short stint with their rivals Watford.
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Edwards could be back in the Premier League next seasonCredit: Getty
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De Zerbi will leave Brighton at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
Having taken over at Vicarage Road in late May when the Championship season was being wrapped, he took charge of just 11 games where he oversaw three wins.
The 41-year-old, who has also coached England Under-16s and Forest Green Rovers, was axed as a result, making the switch to their local rivals and leading them to promotion that same season.
Injuries have been cruel to the Hatters this campaign, who have seen key players Elijah Adebayo, Jacob Brown, Marvelous Nakamba, Amari’i Bell and Dan Potts all miss significant chunks of the season.
Captain Tom Lockyer also collapsed on the pitch in December after suffering a cardiac arrest to end his season and potentially his career.
Manchester City closed in on a fourth consecutive Premier League title by thrashing Fulham 4-0 on Saturday, while Burnley were relegated from the top flight after a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham.
Luton are also virtually down. A 3-1 defeat at West Ham left them three points adrift of safety and with a goal difference 12 worse than Nottingham Forest with just one game remaining.
There was no twist in the title race at Craven Cottage as defender Josko Gvardiol continued his hot streak in front of goal.
The Croatian settled any City nerves by firing in on his weaker right foot after just 13 minutes.
Pep Guardiola’s men were dominant but had to wait until the hour to make the points safe when Phil Foden swept in his 25th goal of the season.
Gvardiol then turned in Bernardo Silva’s cross at the back post for his fifth City goal, all of which have come in his past seven games.
Alvarez finished the scoring for City.Source: Getty Images
A £77 million signing from RB Leipzig last summer, Gvardiol could have become the first defender in Premier League history to score a hat-trick when City were awarded a penalty in stoppage time.
However, he turned down the chance to take it, allowing Julian Alvarez to round off the scoring.
Victory takes City two points clear at the top of the table and ramps up the pressure on second-placed Arsenal, ahead of their visit to Manchester United on Sunday.
Should the Gunners fail to win, City can wrap up the title when they travel to Tottenham on Tuesday.
“My players like to play with pressure, they are used to it. The players enjoy this feeling,” Guardiola said.
“The destiny (of the title) is in our hands.”
Josko Gvardiol of Manchester City celebrates scoring.Source: Getty Images
SPURS FIGHT BACK TO FINALLY END LOSING RUN
Spurs kept their chance of Champions League football next season alive by coming from behind to send Burnley to the Championship.
Jacob Bruun Larsen had fired the Clarets into a shock lead after Sander Berge’s pass cut the Tottenham defence wide open.
Spurs had lost their last four matches, but they turned the game around to move within four points of fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Pedro Porro blasted an equaliser high past Arijanet Muric.
Micky Van de Ven then curled in the winner to at least guarantee Spurs will be in Europe next season.
“Today the Premier League is over but tomorrow we start day one of doing everything we can to get back to the Premier League,” said Burnley boss Vincent Kompany.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Dutch defender #37 Micky van de Ven (C) celebrates with Tottenham Hotspur’s Spanish defender #23 Pedro Porro (L).Source: AFPAnge Postecoglou, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, applauds the fans after the game.Source: Getty Images
MANAGER’S TEARS AFTER MINNOWS’ PL DREAM ENDS
Luton will also be back in the Championship next season after blowing a 1-0 lead and losing to West Ham in David Moyes’ final home game in charge of the Hammers.
Albert Sambi Lokonga’s early header gave the visitors hope of a great escape. But second-half strikes from James Ward-Prowse, Tomas Soucek and George Earthy all but ended Luton’s Premier League stay after a remarkable rise back through the leagues to get back to the top flight for the first time in 32 years.
“These players and supporters have given me the best 18 months of my life,” said Luton manager Rob Edwards, who broke down in tears after full-time.
“It’s a huge sorry, but a huge thank you.”
With Luton set to join Burnley and Sheffield United in going down, all three promoted clubs will be relegated to expose to growing gulf between the top two divisions.
It was a sad day for the minnows.Source: Getty Images
CHELSEA FIGHT BACK LATE
Forest missed the chance to mathematically confirm Luton’s relegation by blowing a late lead to lose 3-2 to Chelsea.
Mykhailo Mudryk’s opener for Chelsea was quickly cancelled out by Willy Boly’s header.
Callum Hudson-Odoi then seemed to have sealed Forest’s survival against his former club when his fierce curling finish found the far corner 16 minutes from time.
But two goals in two minutes from Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson boosted in-form Chelsea’s charge towards Europe next season.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men move level on points with sixth-placed Newcastle, who were held 1-1 at home by Brighton.
Crystal Palace’s stunning form since the arrival of Oliver Glasner as manager continued with a 3-1 win at Wolves.
Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze were on target for the Eagles, who climb up to 12th.
Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the only goal as Everton beat Sheffield United 1-0. Yoane Wissa scored a 95th-minute winner for Brentford to snatch a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth.
Elijah Adebayo kept Luton in the hunt to avoid relegation from the Premier League as his equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw against Everton on Friday.
Rob Edwards’ side trailed to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty but Adebayo scored the crucial leveller before half-time at Kenilworth Road.
Despite earning just one win in their past 15 league games, third-bottom Luton are still in contention to beat the drop.
They are behind fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest on goal difference, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s team facing already-relegated Sheffield United on Saturday.
A Forest win at Bramall Lane would move them three points ahead of Luton, who have two games left against West Ham and Fulham to avoid an immediate return to the Championship after last season’s fairytale promotion.
“We are still in this fight as we speak. I’m proud of the performance but it would have been huge to win tonight. Almost but we’ve had a lot of them this year,” Edwards said.
Luton’s survival bid is further complicated by the wait for a verdict on Forest’s appeal against their four-point deduction for financial breaches, with a Premier League announcement expected before the end of the season.
“There’s a long way to go and it’s over to them (Forest) tomorrow. There’s a situation that’s going on that’s out of our control that isn’t ideal,” Edwards said in reference to Forest’s appeal.
“I don’t really understand it. Everyone would just like to know where they stand. I think we’d all like that.”
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Luton Town’s English striker Elijah Adebayo. Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFPSource: AFP
Despite losing eight points as punishment for financial breaches of their own, Everton had already secured their Premier League status with three games to spare.
Winners of their previous three matches, Sean Dyche’s side had nothing to play for on their first visit to Kenilworth Road for 17 years but they did enough to frustrate the superstitious Edwards.
Edwards revealed this week that he drives the same route to the stadium, uses the same toothpaste and walks his dog at a certain time of day if Luton are on a winning streak.
Beaten in their last three matches, Edwards needed a change of fortune so he said he would switch his underwear for the Everton clash.
Unfortunately for Edwards, Luton’s luck was out initially as Tahith Chong appealed in vain for an early penalty after stumbling when Everton ‘keeper Jordan Pickford rushed out to challenge the Luton forward.
Teden Mengi gifted Everton a 23rd-minute penalty when he needlessly wrestled Jarrad Branthwaite to the ground as the pair jostled at a corner.
Calvert-Lewin stepped up to drill the spot-kick down the middle for his fourth goal in his last five games.
But Luton had no intention of surrendering and they were level seven minutes later.
Targeting Everton’s Ashley Young time and again, Luton’s persistence paid off as Adebayo controlled Albert Sambi Lokonga’s high pass on his chest, muscled his way past the veteran defender and slammed a fine finish past Pickford from 10 yards.
In his first start since February after a hamstring injury, Adebayo had taken his goal tally for the season to 10.
Luton striker Carlton Morris had a towering header cleared off the line by Ben Godfrey just before half-time.
Jack Harrison almost put Everton in front against the run of play with a deflected effort that was clawed away from under the bar by Thomas Kaminski.
Calvert-Lewin’s powerful header forced a brilliant tip over from Kaminski, while Pickford made a fine stop from Luke Berry’s header in stoppage-time.
English Premier League table
* played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points
Arsenal shrugged off the disappointment of their Champions League exit to move back to the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win at Wolves on Sunday (AEST).
Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard struck at the end of each half to take the Gunners one point clear of Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
Arsenal’s season was in danger of coming completely off the rails after a three-game winless run.
Mikel Arteta’s men lost in the Premier League for the first time in 2024 last weekend, 2-0 at home to Aston Villa, in between a Champions League quarter-final elimination by Bayern Munich.
However, they bounced back to keep the pressure on champions City, who beat Chelsea 1-0 to reach the FA Cup final earlier on Saturday.
Arteta made just three changes from the side that lost 1-0 in Munich on Wednesday and it took some time for the sluggish visitors to find their stride.
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil claimed his side have been struck by the worst injury crisis he has encountered in his professional career.
Yet, the undermanned hosts were nearly in front when David Raya was forced to turn Joao Gomes’ powerful effort onto the crossbar.
Arsenal had only fleetingly threatened before the break despite their dominance of possession.
But they got the slice of fortune they needed to kickstart their challenge for a first title in 20 years on 44 minutes when Trossard’s mis-hit shot clipped in off the far post.
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League thanks to a victory over Wolves. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)Source: AFP
There was little in the way of goalmouth action in the second period as fatigue took hold of Arsenal in their fourth game in 11 days.
However, shorn of the threat of the injured Matheus Cunha and Pedro Neto, Wolves lacked the attacking inspiration to further dent their title aspirations.
Odegaard made the points safe five minutes into stoppage time by catching Jose Sa out at his near post.
Third-placed Liverpool can move level on points with Arsenal when they visit Fulham on Sunday.
At the bottom of the table, Luton’s hopes of survival were hammered by Brentford’s 5-1 rout at Kenilworth Road.
Luton’s heaviest home league defeat of the season leaves the Hatters still one point adrift of Nottingham Forest, who visit Everton on Sunday in a huge clash at the bottom of the table.
“Today was a bad day for us as a club but the teams directly above us play each other and we will not be out of it this weekend. It’s important we all remember that,” said Luton boss Rob Edwards.
Luton shipped five goals in the defeat to Brentford. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Brentford realistically secured their top-flight status with a dominant display despite missing England striker Ivan Toney through injury.
Yoane Wissa struck twice before halftime, while Ethan Pinnock, Keane Lewis-Potter and Kevin Schade were also on target for the Bees.
Burnley are now within two points of Luton and three of survival after cruising to a 4-1 victory at rock bottom Sheffield United.
Two of the Clarets’ five league wins this season have come against the Blades. Burnley scored twice in two minutes just before halftime through Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lorenz Assignon.
Gustavo Hamer pulled a goal back for the home side early in the second period. But United are destined to head straight back down to the Championship due to their woeful defending.
Lyle Foster and Johann Gudmundsson rounded off the scoring to leave Chris Wilder’s men 10 points adrift of safety with just five games remaining.
“I won’t name names, but I think there were a few players out there who wanted to get out of there pretty quickly after the fourth went in,” said Wilder.
Phil Foden shone in the absence of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne as the England international’s hat-trick handed Manchester City a thumping 4-1 win over Aston Villa.
The champions responded emphatically to questions over their ability to win the biggest games to move to within one point of leaders Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
City had not beaten a side in the Premier League’s top five in six attempts this season prior to the visit of fourth-placed Villa to the Etihad.
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Phil Foden celebrates after scoring. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
But Pep Guardiola showed faith in the depth of his squad by leaving Haaland and De Bruyne on the bench for the full 90 minutes ahead of a hectic schedule in their defence of three competitions.
Guardiola has hailed Foden as the best player in the English top-flight this season and the 23-year-old backed up his manager’s words by taking his goal tally for the season to 21.
City were beaten 1-0 by Villa when the sides met in December, but that was their last defeat as Guardiola’s men are now unbeaten in 24 games.
Jeremy Doku was one of those to return to the City side among four changes and the Belgian rewarded his manager with his brightest display in a City shirt for months.
Doku was the creator for the opener as he skipped past Lucas Digne and his cross was swept high past Villa’s stand-in goalkeeper Robin Olsen by Rodri.
Villa’s normal number one Emiliano Martinez was just one of a host of key absences for the visitors.
Top scorer Ollie Watkins was sidelined by injury, while captain John McGinn was suspended.
Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Leon Bailey were also left on the bench by Unai Emery as the Spaniard appeared to prioritise his side’s upcoming games as more realistic bets to get the points they need to secure Champions League football.
Douglas Luiz reacts following a missed chance. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
However, Jhon Duran showed he is an able deputy to Watkins as the Colombian swept home a fine equaliser after exchanging a one-two with Morgan Rogers.
By contrast, Julian Alvarez failed to take his chance to shine in his preferred position with Haaland rested.
The Argentine World Cup winner was denied by Olsen from a narrow angle and then saw a header tipped over by the Swedish goalkeeper.
However, City did restore their lead before half-time to calm the rising tension among the Etihad crowd thanks to Foden’s first.
His free-kick sneaked through a hole in the Villa wall caused by Nicolo Zaniolo jumping out of position to leave Olsen unsighted.
City’s number two ‘keeper Stefan Ortega is enjoying a rare run in the side due to Ederson’s thigh injury.
And the German was needed to make a vital save after the break to deny Villa levelling for a second time through Douglas Luiz.
Manchester City made a statement. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Foden made the points safe when he swept in Rodri’s pass off the inside of the post.
And he completed his hat-trick in style by blasting into the top corner from outside the box.
Liverpool can retake top spot when they host bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United on Thursday.
But City will be quietly confident of becoming the first side to ever win four consecutive English top-flight titles with the worst of their run-in now cleared.
Guardiola’s men have just one more match against a top-six opponent, away to Tottenham, in their final eight games of the season.
Defeat leaves Villa still just two points above Spurs in the race for a top-four finish, having played a game more.
ARSENAL GO TOP WITH WIN OVER LUTON
Elsewhere, Arsenal coasted to a 2-0 win over struggling Luton to dislodge Liverpool from the top of the Premier League table, once again edging ahead in a thrilling three-way title tussle.
Gunners captain Martin Odegaard opened the scoring midway through the first half and an own goal just before the break gave the much-changed home side a cushion.
The result lifts Arsenal to 68 points — one ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who host bottom side Sheffield United on Friday.
“We want to be at the top — winning our games is the only thing we can do,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told the BBC.
“We managed to rotate and freshen the team up a bit,” he added.
“Those who came in did really, really well.”
Arsenal went top with the win. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Arteta’s men, with top-scorer Bukayo Saka absent, dominated possession in the opening stages at the Emirates but created few clear-cut openings in front of an expectant crowd.
But they broke the deadlock in the 24th minute, courtesy of a sweet left-footed strike by Odegaard.
Emile Smith Rowe, who has been a peripheral figure this season, dispossessed the dawdling Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu inside the visitors’ half.
He fed Odegaard, who played a one-two with Kai Havertz before stroking the ball home for his 10th goal of the season.
Arsenal doubled their lead in the 44th minute thanks to an own goal from Luton defender Daiki Hashioka, who turned into his own net following more good work down the left by Smith Rowe.
The home side, playing in second gear, had just three shots on target in the first half but were well worth their lead.
The bulk of the second half was flat, although Luton came into the game more, probing for an opening to haul themselves back into the contest.
Arteta brought on midfielder Declan Rice and forward Eddie Nketiah, introducing Gabriel Martinelli with 15 minutes to play.
Martin Odegaard celebrates scoring Arsenal’s first goal. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Arsenal substitute Takehiro Tomiyasu went close, bending one just wide, and Nketiah forced a save from the scrambling Thomas Kaminski in the closing minutes.
They were unable to score a third but saw the game out with few alarms. The Gunners, who have not been crowned English champions since 2004, set the pace for the bulk of last season before flagging as the finishing line approached.
But, adding steel to their style, they have now won nine of their past 10 league games, with the only blip in that sequence a goalless draw against City on Sunday.
Arsenal, who have conceded just four goals in the league in 2024, travel to Brighton on Sunday before hosting Villa on April 14.
In between those matches they welcome Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Defeat for depleted Luton leaves Rob Edwards’ side third from bottom of the English top flight, three points from safety, and facing an immediate return to the Championship.
Brentford drew 0-0 with Brighton to edge further clear of the drop zone.
Tottenham wasted a chance to move into the Premier League’s top four as they slumped to a shock 3-0 defeat at Fulham, while Luton salvaged a crucial 1-1 draw with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on Sunday (AEDT).
Ange Postecoglou’s side would have climbed above Aston Villa into fourth place with a win, but instead they handed the initiative back to their top-four rivals.
Fifth-placed Tottenham were punished for a sloppy performance as the in-form Rodrigo Muniz netted twice either side of Sasa Lukic’s first goal for Fulham.
A 4-0 win at Villa last weekend was expected to act as Tottenham’s springboard to finish above Unai Emery’s team in the battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Instead, the north Londoners crashed to a first league defeat at Craven Cottage since 2008 and failed to score for the first time in 40 games.
They sit two points behind Villa, who can extend that lead to five if they win at West Ham on Sunday.
With Micky van de Ven sidelined by a hamstring injury, Radu Dragusin made his first Tottenham start.
Worryingly for Postecoglou, Romania centre-back Dragusin, signed from Genoa in January, was often exposed in a rocky display.
Fulham took the lead in the 42nd minute when Muniz cleverly drifted away from Dragusin as the Brazilian forward found space to meet Antonee Robinson’s low cross with a clinical finish from 10 yards.
Postecoglou had plenty to ponder as Tottenham slipped to defeat against Fulham. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)Source: AFP
Tottenham’s defensive deficiencies were exposed again four minutes after half-time.
Iwobi was allowed to advance unchecked and he slipped a pass to Timothy Castagne, whose cross hit Lukic and deflected into the net.
Tottenham were in tatters and Muniz struck again in the 61st minute. Joao Palhinha’s header reached Calvin Bassey and when his shot was saved by Guglielmo Vicario, Muniz reacted quicker than Dragusin to stab home.
As the fight to avoid relegation comes to a head, Luton and Forest met in a vital showdown at Kenilworth Road.
Forest, beaten in their previous three games, took the lead through Chris Wood’s 34th minute strike.
But Luke Berry came off the bench to equalise from close-range in the 89th minute.
Third-bottom Luton, who blew a three-goal lead in Wednesday’s disastrous 4-3 defeat at Bournemouth, are without a win in their last nine games in all competitions.
They lie three points behind fourth-bottom Forest and boss Rob Edwards said: “You get knocked down on Wednesday and it was very tough for us all. We performed really well today in difficult circumstances.
“This group just keep going. We’ve got to fight. We’ve had to do that for a long time.”
Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo added: “We did enough to win it with the chances we had and the way we played.”
Luke Berry scored a late equaliser for Luton against Nottingham Forest. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
At Turf Moor, second-bottom Burnley kept alive their faint survival hopes with a 2-1 victory against Brentford.
Vincent Kompany’s side took the lead in the 10th minute when Vitinho sprinted onto Josh Cullen’s pass and was about to shoot when he was pulled down by Sergio Reguilon.
The Spanish defender was shown the earliest red card in the Premier League this season, after a VAR check, and Jacob Bruun Larsen stepped up to convert the spot-kick.
David Datro Fofana, on loan from Chelsea, struck in the 62nd minute with a composed finish into the far corner.
Kristoffer Ajer got one back in the 83rd minute with a diving header from Bryan Mbeumo’s cross, but the Clarets held on for their first league win in 11 games.
They are now eight points from safety with nine games left.
“It had been coming. On another day we could have scored more,” Kompany said. Brentford have won only three of their past 18 league games and sit just four points above the relegation zone.
Bournemouth have staged an astonishing fightback from three goals down to beat Luton 4-3 and spoil Tom Lockyer’s emotional return to the scene of his near-death ordeal.
Lockyer collapsed on the pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest during the second half of Luton’s Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium on December 16.
The Wales defender was “technically dead” for over two minutes as medics fought to save his life.
Rushed to hospital and fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, Lockyer has been able to resume normal life but is yet to return to playing with Luton.
After the original game was abandoned with the score at 1-1, the 29-year-old was back at Bournemouth for the rearranged fixture 88 days on from the harrowing incident.
Luton Town’s Welsh defender #04 Tom Lockyer applauds the fans ahead of the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Luton Town at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 13, 2024. The fixture was rearranged for Wednesday, after Luton captain Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest in the original game in December 2023. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) /Source: AFP
Lockyer’s presence initially galvanised Luton, who scored three times in the first half through Tahith Chong, Chiedozie Ogbene and Ross Barkley.
But Bournemouth hit back in stunning style after the interval thanks to strikes from Dominic Solanke, Illia Zabarnyi and two-goal Antoine Semenyo.
Third-bottom Luton sit three points adrift of fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest after blowing a golden opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone.
Forest will visit Luton in a crucial showdown on Saturday.
Luton’s against the odds bid to extend their stay in the top flight pales in comparison to Lockyer’s own fight for survival.
Lockyer is unsure if he will ever play again after his second collapse, following an similar incident during Luton’s Championship play-off final victory against Coventry at Wembley in May.
For now, he spends his days getting used to becoming a father for the first time after his girlfriend recently gave birth to their baby daughter.
It was a heart-warming scene that greeted Lockyer when he stepped off the Luton team bus to loud cheers from waiting fans.
Lockyer was on the front of Bournemouth’s match-day programme, with mental health first aiders on hand to offer advice to fans at the stadium about cardiac health.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – MARCH 13: Antoine Semenyo of AFC Bournemouth celebrates scoring his team’s third goal with teammate Illya Zabarnyi during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Luton Town at Vitality Stadium on March 13, 2024 in Bournemouth, England. This fixture was re-scheduled after the initial match was abandoned due to Luton Town’s captain Tom Lockyer suffering a cardiac arrest after 58 minutes with the score at 1-1. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
‘THEY ARE HEROES’
“I’m quite numb to the whole thing but being back here, I came into the tunnel area and saw the paramedics that saved my life. I recognised them straight away,” Lockyer said in a pre-match interview.
“What do you say other than thank you? They are heroes and they saved my life. I got a little bit emotional.” A banner in Luton’s orange and white colours displaying an image of Lockyer’s smiling face was held up in the away end.
He walked onto the pitch just before kick-off and shook hands with the life-saving medics.
Given a standing ovation from all four sides of the stadium, Lockyer was visibly moved as Bournemouth and Luton fans chanted his name.
Fittingly, the game was memorable for the right reasons this time, although Lockyer and Luton might disagree.
In the ninth minute, Jordan Clark’s pin-point cross picked out Chong and he planted a header past Neto as Lockyer celebrated in the stands.
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Luton doubled their lead in the 31st minute when Alfie Doughty’s clever cut-back invited Ogbene to slot home from close range.
Barkley bagged Luton’s third goal in first-half stoppage time, blasting past Neto after breaking Bournemouth’s offside trap.
But Solanke started Bournemouth’s escape in the 50th minute with a powerful strike from inside the area.
Both sets of fans shared a round of applause in the 59th minute to mark the time of Lockyer’s collapse.
Just three minutes later, Zabarnyi had Luton’s nerves jangling when he headed home from a corner.
Luton’s meltdown was complete in the 64th minute as Semenyo drilled past Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski.
And there was even worse to come for Rob Edwards’ side in the 83rd minute when Semenyo produced another blistering strike to leave Lockyer and company stunned.
