Premier League
The 11 Matches That Made Chelsea Champions!
The curtain falls on the English Premiership this Sunday. But before then, Chelsea had become the runaway champions. Three of the likely candidates for relegation have already been decided. But according to Fox Sport, there’s still a little bit of drama left with two Champions League spots are still up for grabs.
Below are the 11 matches that shaped the 2016/17 Premiership season”
· September 24th: Arsenal 3-0 Chelsea
Early in the season, new manager Antonio Conte was still easing into the Chelsea hot seat. Coming off a loss to Liverpool in their sixth match of the season, Conte stuck with former manager Jose Mourinho’s preferred formation, putting four at the back, and he promptly saw his team smacked in the mouth by Arsenal. That was the last straw for Conte, and he decided it was time to unveil the 3-4-2-1 formation that carried them to the title. The rest, as they say, is history.
· October 15th: Crystal Palace 0-1 West Ham
Manuel Lanzini’s 19th minute goal was the difference for the Hammers as they beat Crystal Palace after five matches without a win to open the season. Christian Benteke’s missed penalty for Palace didn’t just save three points for West Ham — it probably saved their season. Without the win, there’s almost no doubt West Ham manager Slaven Bilic would’ve been fired, and the Hammers possibly locked in an ugly relegation battle for the rest of the season.
· October 23rd: Chelsea 4-0 Man Utd
The Arsenal match marked the day Antonio Conte decided to change the way Chelsea lined up, but the Manchester United match truly cemented it. They ran roughshod over the Red Devils, absolutely destroying Jose Mourinho’s side and establishing the Blues as a real, legitimate contender for the title.
· November 26th: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham
If it wasn’t confirmed against United, Chelsea put an emphatic stamp on their title credentials against Spurs. At the time, the Blues were within a point of their nearest rival, and hosted London neighbors Tottenham in what was their toughest challenge yet in the season. They passed the test with flying colors.
· December 3rd: Manchester City 1-3 Chelsea
Coming off the match against Spurs, Chelsea traveled to Manchester for yet another early test to see if they really had what it takes to be Premier League champs. They strolled into the Etihad, pulling off a 3-1 away win against Pep Guardiola’s squad, effectively ending the Citizens’ challenge and establishing themselves as the team to beat in the league. Before long, their winning the title was foregone conclusion.
· December 4th: Bournemouth 4-3 Liverpool
After Chelsea’s emphatic win over Manchester City, all Liverpool had to do was beat tiny Bournemouth to keep pace. Way easier said than done, especially in Liverpool’s case. They fell 4-3 in a wild match that fully showcased Jurgen Klopp’s team’s inability to handle the little guys. They never got within touching distance of Chelsea again.
· February 12th: Swansea 2-0 Leicester
Claudio Ranieri’s last Premier League match on the Leicester City bench, this one was a six-pointer for two relegation candidates. It was a vital three points for struggling Swansea, but it all but confirmed Ranieri’s demise. Sad!
· April 30th: Tottenham 2-0 Arsenal
St. Totteringham’s Day ended on April 30th, 2017. For the first time in decades, Tottenham were assured that they’d finish ahead of Arsenal in the league table. That’s kind of a big deal in North London, and it let Spurs coast into second place for the first time in more than 50 years.
· May 5th: West Ham 1-0 Tottenham
Coming off the high of their win over Arsenal, Spurs needed a win against West Ham to have even a prayer of pushing Chelsea to the end in the title race. Unfortunately, they fell short, with Manuel Lanzini’s goal the one to confirm the dream would fail.
· May 6th: Swansea 1-0 Everton
Fernando Llorente to the rescue! With Swansea staring relegation in the face, the Spanish striker’s single goal was good enough to take the Swans past Everton and ensure they’ll be in the Premier League for at least one more year.
May 21st: Arsenal/Liverpool/Manchester City’s last chance to qualify for Champions League
On the final day of the season, Arsenal (vs. Everton), Liverpool (vs. Middlesbrough) and Manchester City (at Watford) all have the opportunity to confirm a place in the top four. All three teams play at the same time, with City (in 3rd, on 75 points) best positioned to secure automatic qualification. It’s going to be a madhouse on Sunday.
Liverpool will have to wait for a few more days to be crowned Premier League champions despite a 1-0 victory at Leicester City after Arsenal kept their slender hopes just about alive with a 4-0 romp at 10-man Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold came off the bench to score Liverpool’s winner in the 76th minute at the King Power Stadium to restore their 13-point lead at the top with five games left.
While Liverpool can almost taste a record-equalling 20th English crown, Leicester’s defeat confirmed their relegation back to the Championship after just one season.
The Midlands club have now been relegated from England’s top flight a record 13 times.
Chelsea secured a massive win in their bid to qualify for the Champions League as they came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage with Pedro Neto scoring in stoppage time.
The win pushed Chelsea above Nottingham Forest in to fifth place, the last spot for qualification to the Champions League, although Forest play at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
Chelsea have 57 points from 33 games, two behind third-placed Newcastle United and one behind Manchester City. Forest and Aston Villa are level with Chelsea on 57 points.
Wolverhampton Wanderers guaranteed their safety as they beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford. Pablo Sarabia’s stunning free kick wrapped up a fifth successive league win, the first time Wolves have achieved that in the top flight since 1970.
Liverpool were wasteful at Leicester with numerous chances going begging and Mohamed Salah suffering a frustrating afternoon including hitting both posts with an early shot.
Salah hit the woodwork again moments before the ball came out to Alexander-Arnold who fired a left-footed shot through the crowd to give his side the points — ripping off his shirt and celebrating wildly with the travelling fans.
“We just keep going, mentally we’re really strong,” manager Arne Slot, whose side could be crowned champions if Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, told Sky Sports.
“They enjoy playing football and it helps when you are playing for something special. Today (Alexander-Arnold) knows when it matters most he can just bring a bit more which is something all the top, top players have.”
DISTANT SECOND
If Arsenal avoid defeat by Palace, Slot’s side will seal the title if they beat Tottenham Hotspur at home next Sunday.
“We will focus on Tottenham and looking forward again to a home game and I think the stadium will be full,” Slot, who can become the first Dutch manager to win the English title, said. “It’s a nice game to look forward to.”
Liverpool have 79 points with Arsenal a distant second on 66. Arsenal may have their eyes now on a Champions League semi-final against Paris St Germain, but they showed against Ipswich they will not hand over the title to Liverpool.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring early on and Gabriel Martinelli made it 2-0 after a delightful flick by Mikel Merino.
Ipswich were reduced to 10 men before halftime as Leif Davis crudely raked his studs down the back of Bukayo Saka’s calf and the second half was academic.
Trossard grabbed his second in the 69th minute and Ethan Nwaneri added a late fourth to leave Ipswich stuck in 18th place on 21 points. They will be relegated if they drop points again or 17th-placed West Ham United pick up one more point from their remaining five games.
Chelsea were heading for a damaging defeat at neighbours Fulham as the hosts led with Alex Iwobi’s 20th-minute goal.
Substitute Tyrique George equalised with an instinctive shot in the 83rd minute, his first Premier League goal, before winger Neto swivelled and unleashed a thunderous strike in stoppage time to send the away fans wild.
Manchester United reached the Europa League semi-final with an astonishing comeback win against French club Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday but their Premier League woes returned against Wolves.
They are in 14th place and have now lost eight Premier League home games this season, their most defeats at Old Trafford in a league campaign since 1962-63.
“Wolves scored in the only opportunity they had. we had many chances, and we didn’t score. If you don’t score goals, you are not going to win games,” manager Ruben Amorim said.
-Reuters
Egyptian outlet, Ahram, has reported that Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract with Liverpool, extending his stay at Anfield beyond the 2024-25 season as he prepares for what could be the final chapter of a storied career with the club.
While the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, British media reports indicate the 32-year-old forward has signed a two-year extension, keeping him at the club until at least 2027.
Salah, who joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, has become a modern-day icon at Anfield.
The Egyptian international has scored 243 goals in 394 appearances—third on the club’s all-time scorers list—and has helped the Reds secure seven major trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League titles.
“I had my best years here,” Salah told the club’s website. “Hopefully it’s going to be 10. I signed because I believe we can still win big trophies together.”
He has maintained his prolific form this season, scoring 32 goals and providing 22 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. His 27 Premier League goals currently lead the division.
During his time with Liverpool, Salah has won the Premier League Golden Boot three times, been named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice, and claimed two FWA Footballer of the Year awards.
Now entering the latter stages of his career, Salah remains focused on adding more silverware to his collection and further cementing his legacy at Liverpool.
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Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga, who became the second-youngest Premier League player when he made his senior debut in Monday’s 3-0 loss to Newcastle United, had to wear a blank shirt because it is sponsored by an online cryptocurrency gaming platform.
Britain’s Gambling Act 2005, which underwent a review in 2020, prohibits players under 18 from wearing kits displaying gambling sponsors. Monga, an England U16 international, made his senior debut at 15 years 271 days old.
Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri remains the youngest Premier League player in history, having debuted in the competition when he was 90 days younger than Monga.
Leicester, who suffered an eighth straight loss in the league without scoring a goal, are 19th in the standings, 15 points below the safety zone.
-Reuters
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