Premier League – Week 12

Saturday 19^th –  Monday 21^st November 2016

Saturday

Mourinho’s Frustration Continues: Manchester United 1 – 1 Arsenal

It was looking like United had the game in the bag after Mata’s 68^th minute goal, but Giroud managed to pull things back for the Gunners, finding the back of the net right at the last minute. Mourinho was, typically, angry and frustrated, still failing to get back on track in the top flight. Wenger, on the other hand, whilst hardly ecstatic with his side’s lacklustre performance, will be happy with the point, putting Arsenal a full six points ahead of United at the end of the day.

No Break for Palace: Crystal Palace 1 – 2 Manchester City

It was all about Yaya Toure at Crystal Palace on Saturday. In his season debut he scored two goals, giving City a victory over Palace. Despite substitute Wickham leading a fightback, Palace’s problems have no end in sight, with this defeat, their fifth straight, leaving them sitting just above the relegation zone. Meanwhile, City were left joint top of the league table, with Liverpool.

Swans are Sinking: Everton 1 – 1 Swansea City

A win continued to elude Swansea at Goodison Park on Saturday as the hope, provided by Icelandic midfielder Sigurdsson’s penalty in the 41^st minute, faded when Coleman bagged a goal for the home side in the 89^th minute. Swansea manager Bob Bradley now has the dubious distinction of overseeing the worst start by his side in the Premier League, with the Swans left languishing at the very bottom of the league.

Old Friends’ Deadlock: Southampton 0 – 0 Liverpool

They may be top of the league, but the Reds seemed to have taken their eye off the ball at St. Mary’s on Saturday, being held to a 0-0 draw by the Saints. Sadio Mane put in some effort for Liverpool, but Southampton goalie Fraser Forster and a determined defence blunted all of Liverpool’s offensives. An interested match considering the number of Saints who have ended up becoming Reds recently. Southampton remained mid-table, and Liverpool stayed on top.

Bournemouth Annoy Hughes: Stoke City 0 – 1 Bournemouth

Aké gave the Cherries their first away win of the season, as Bournemouth beat Stoke at the Bet365 Stadium. The Chelsea loan put the visitors in the lead on the 26^th minute and, despite concerted efforts, the Potters weren’t able to pull things back. Stoke manager Mark Hughes made no secret of his distaste for Bournemouth’s playing style, with accusations of time wasting, and things were intense with both sides suffering three bookings each. The end of the match saw Bournemouth climb to ninth, whilst Stoke slipped to 13^th in the table.

Cat Eat Cat: Sunderland 3 – 0 Hull City

David Moyes’ side displayed an impressive determination, beating the Tigers 3-0 in an exciting game at the Stadium of Light. Defoe put one in the net, whilst Anichebe racked up two for the Black Cats, as they relied on keeper Jordan Pickford to keep the Tigers at bay. Papy Djilobodji saw a red card in the 89^th minute, but still, Sunderland’s fans were overjoyed to see their first home win of the season, as they moved to four points clear of the bottom.

Hornets Sting the Foxes: Watford 2 – 1 Leicester City

The Hornets powered into the lead at Vicarage Road, with Etienne Capoue scoring in just 33 seconds. Roberto Pereyra continued the offensive with another goal at the twelve-minute mark, and Watford looked unstoppable. The Foxes clawed something back with Riyad Mahrez getting a penalty in the fifteenth minute, but weren’t able to capitalise on it. Walter Mazzarri must have had a few stern words with his team after their 6-1 defeat to Liverpool, and his men had certainly listened. Watford climbed to eighth and whilst the champions remained stuck down at fourteenth in the league.

Drama at White Hart Lane: Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 2 West Ham United

Harry Kane clenched victory for Spurs, scoring twice, one a penalty, within the last few minutes of an exciting battle at White Hart Lane. Antonio had put the visitors in the lead after twenty-four minutes, before Winks had equalised in the fifty-first, and then Lanzini’s penalty in the sixty-eighth put them back in front. West Ham’s bad luck was compounded in the sixth minute of extra time when Reid saw the red card. This makes it twelve unbeaten matches this season for Spurs, but the Hammers look precarious, hovering just above the relegation zone.

Sunday

Blues Top the Table: Middlesbrough 0 – 1 Chelsea

Chelsea ended Sunday at the top of the league after beating Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday. A forty-first minute goal from Diego Costa (his tenth of the season), saw Chelsea secure their sixth win in a row. Antonio Conte’s side wrested more and more control as the game went on, and the Boro looked out-classed as the Blues kept up the pressure and created opportunities. Alvaro Negredo did make an attempted in the seventy-eighth minute, but Chelsea goalie Thibaut Courtois proved up to the task.

Monday

Baggies Drown Burnley: West Bromwich Albion 4 – 0 Burnley

Phillips opened the scoring for the Baggies after just four minutes at the Hawthorns on Monday. The Clarets began to crumble immediately, with more goals coming for the home side in the sixteenth minute thanks to Morrison, and in the thirty-seventh courtesy of Fletcher. Tony Pulis’ men looked dominant throughout the soggy evening, and the final nail in the coffin for a thoroughly defeated Burnley came from Rondón in the sixty-fourth minute. The evening left West Brom up in 9^th place, whilst a dejected Burnley fell to twelfth.

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