English Premier League: Talking Points

The English Premier League (EPL) matchday 21 this weekend saw only five matches being played. Despite not all teams being involved, it continued to serve the fans with some mouthwatering clashes that made them glued to their television screen. So much happened from Kevin De Bruyne making an astonishing comeback from injury to, the VAR controversy, and Villa missed the opportunity to be joint leaders. Let’s take a look at some EPL talking points.

Burnley FC welcomed Luton Town in a six-pointer match at Turf Moor on Friday night. It was a crucial match for both sides as they both sit bottom of the league table. So it was a fight for survival. The home side drew the first blood through Zeki Amdouni to take the lead at half-time. With all looks like the three points are on the bag, Luton substitute Carlton Morris headed a pinpoint cross to snatch added time equalizer. But the controversy arose after it appeared that Elijah Adebayo deliberately fouled Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford preventing him from reaching the ball.

That forced a referee to consult with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to double-check the incident. Despite the replay showing a foul on Trafford, the referee decided for a goal to stand. In the press conference after the match, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany raised frustration stating it was not the first-time referees decided against them. He was relating to an incident where they conceded a late penalty at Villa’s Park to lose 3-2 to Aston Villa in December.

Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne came from the bench to inspire his side to a 3-2 comeback victory over Newcastle United. Citizens took a lead through Bernardo Silva’s flick backheel goal before Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon both scored in a space of two minutes with some bending shots to give Newcastle a lead going to the break. The home side was in the game for quite some time before Pep Guardiola decided to introduce De Bruyne into the action.

The Belgian wasted no time netting an equalizer within ten minutes after coming on. His goal was City’s 100th Premier League goal against Newcastle, the first side they have managed to score a century of goals against in the competition. Then De Bruyne assisted Oscar Bobb in the closing stages with the youngster rounding the keeper before scoring in the empty net to give his side a valuable three points. The loss leaves Newcastle with four league losses in a row. In the end, De Bruyne’s performance impressed many fans as he is coming from a hamstring injury he suffered in the opening match in August. In the interview, he stated that he failed to perform as he did on Saturday. It no doubt with his return, City will be a huge favorite to defend the league title.

Since the start of the season, Chelsea has failed dramatically to perform at the highest level and challenge for the league title. Even now, they are not considered for the spots in the European competition next season. Following a 1-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday, thanks to Cole Palmer’s penalty, there is some shining light though. That win meant, the Blues have won three league matches in a row for the first time this season.

For Palmer, he was netting his ninth league goal and has four assists in the 17 appearances since his move from Manchester City. The London-based side has spent so much on transfers to become competitive in the league and looks like it is coming all together now. The victories might not come in a cushy style, but the important thing is that they contribute largely to the morale boost and the winning momentum. So, if Chelsea can keep pushing, they can still easily manage to sneak inside the top six as the gap is not that big. So, it remains to be seen if it is finally a turning point for glory for them.

Aston Villa traveled to Everton FC on Sunday with ambitions to continue the fine form shown this season. They needed a victory to go level on 45 points with log leaders Liverpool, which was not involved in a league match this weekend. Instead, Villa was held to a goalless draw which saw them still occupying third position with 43 points level with Manchester City having played one more game.

For Everton, things are not going well as they have gone four league games without a victory and are still rooted in the relegation zone. So, it was a turn of the wheel having gained momentum after being deducted 10 points for breaching the English Premier League profitability and sustainability rules ( PSR ) relating to losses. It was the first 0-0 draw by Unai Emery in his 97th Premier League in the competition, the longest streak before the manager obtained this kind of result. But Villa will be happy to extend their unbeaten league run to 10 games against the opponents which has seven wins and three draws.

Since arriving at Tottenham Hotspurs from Everton FC in 2022 for a hefty fee of €58 million, Richardson has been heavily criticized for shooting blank in front of goals. That has made fans rank his transfer among the worst in the English Premier League history. But that has changed this season. He has finally found his boot and he has been netting goals. On Sunday, he was on a scoresheet once again helping his side secure a valuable 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

It was his sixth league goal in his last six matches. It looks like he has started to enjoy his time with the club after failing to adapt for quite some time. With Spurs having sold Harry Kane at the start of the season to Bayern Munich, all eyes are on Richardson to solve the goalscoring problem for the club. The job doesn’t come easy to replace a prolific striker like Kane,CA but it looks like the club is starting to cope fine without him. Plus, Son Heung-Min is on national duty for South Korea in the ongoing Asian Cup, so Richardson has the lead in the frontline.