Best Games of Matchweek Twenty-Five!

Manchester United 3–1 Newcastle 

Man United know that a win will help them overtake Leicester and return to 2nd place, behind runaway leaders and rivals Man City. Newcastle, on the other hand, are starting to feel the pressure from 18th place Fulham, who have taken 7 out of 9 possible points after beating Sheffield United.

While United may have won the game, they had to work for it. Steve Bruce’s side were surprisingly resilient, but the Red Devils managed to unlock Newcastle to a fairly comfortable scoreline. The usual stars that are Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford shined yet again, while other players such as Daniel James and David De Gea stepped up as well. De Gea was tested for much of the game, but managed to be equal to it with a number of smart saves. I hadn’t seen much of Daniel James in recent weeks, and Solskjaer’s inclusion of him proved to be the right one, as he scored and was effective on the wing. The way Manchester United played today was interesting. I know they don’t like to keep possession and hit on the break, but they seemed to give Newcastle one too many chances. De Gea wasn’t as protected as he would have liked by his back four, and I think that’s something that they just need to sort out. Besides that, it was a great all around performance.

Man United’s first goal was a solo effort of immense quality. Rashford was handed the ball on the wing, with three defenders in his way. He first managed to skill past one with a nutmeg, and then cut inside on his right foot, inside the penalty box. Then he rifled the ball into the near corner, squeezing it underneath Karl Darlow. While many would say that Darlow should have gotten there, I believe the ball was simply too fast and direct for him to react in time. The second goal came when James, unmarked on the edge of the box, was picked out by Nemanja Matic. The Englishman fired the ball right past an outstretched Darlow to restore their lead. The nail in the coffin was a penalty, after Joseph Willock clipped Fernandes. The 25-year-old speared the ball into the bottom corner, sending Darlow the wrong way. Manchester United are looking good for a place in the top four.

Many positives can be drawn from Newcastle’s performance, despite what the scoreline suggests. The Magpies looked confident on the ball, and played lots of progressive football which led to a host of chances. Had they taken those opportunities, I believe the scoreline could have been much different. Jonjo Shelvey was a superb player on the night, putting in some delicious crosses that put United’s defense under some serious threat. And of course there is Allan Saint-Maximin. His consistency is to be reckoned with. While their attacking force may have been well oiled, Newcastle needs to fix their defense. They continue to leak goals every game, and that could be costly in the long run. Currently, they have a -16 goal difference, compared to Fulham’s superior -11 goal difference. When the margins get thin, everything matters.

Newcastle's sole goal of the game came from yet another piece of magic by Saint-Maximin. Willock curled a cross into the box, following a corner. The initial ball was headed away, but not cleared, by Harry Maguire. Saint-Maximin was on the end of the rebound, volleying the effort into the roof of the net: no chance for De Gea. Saint-Maximin was no doubt the Baggies’ best player tonight (and for the whole season). If they are to survive, it will be largely due to him. His speed and creativity are dangerous for any defense, and he can light up whatever play he is part of. However, football is a team sport, and he and Shelvey aren’t enough to get the job done. No matter the amount of silver linings they may take from this game, it's still silver. There continue to be many glaring issues they haven’t addressed, and if they don’t soon, Newcastle could be in for some serious trouble.

Manchester United take all three points, and move back into second place. It was a performance of individual quality, as well as team effort. For Newcastle, they will be looking over their shoulder nervously, as the gap between them and the relegation zone continues to shrink.

West Ham 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur

West Ham come into this game knowing that a win would propel them into the top four, which would be huge, because never in their history have they secured a European place. Tottenham, on the other hand, are looking increasingly likely to miss out on a top 5 finish, as they set their eyes on the Europa League prize.

West Ham have played so consistently in 2021, and they did well again today, this time against top opposition. Every chance they created was dangerous, so much so that it looked like they could score from every attack. Jesse Lingard has truly been a godsend for the Hammers; his role as a number 10 helps with their creativity and adds more firepower to an already balanced side. In fact, basically every West Ham player was amazing today: Michail Antonio was again a thorn in his opponent’s side, Tomáš Souček worked like an ox to provide cover for the defense, and Lukasz Fabianski was well positioned all game long. Almost every player on West Ham’s starting 11 and bench have a purpose, and there isn’t much dead weight. What's even better for West Ham is that many of their players are in their mid 20s, so this is a side that could be a menace for seasons to come.

The first West Ham goal came early on in the game, when Jarad Bowen crossed the ball into the danger area, from the edge of the box. Antonio nicked the ball towards goal, but it was blocked by Lloris. However, the World Cup winner didn’t collect it, and the rebound fell to Antonio again, who smashed it into the back of the net. I believe the Spurs defense should have done much better. None of the back four reacted fast enough, and if they had, they could have cleared it. They doubled their advantage literally seconds after the start of the second half, when Pablo Fornals received a clipped pass by Antonio. Fornals then layed it off to Jesse Lingard, who, after taking a smart touch to get around two defenders, smashed the ball into the far corner of the net. It was an excellent finish by an in-form Lingard, who is loving his stay in East London. This team is so promising, composed, and smartly managed, who knows where they can go from here?

Tottenham didn’t play horribly; it’s just that they couldn’t keep up with a rampant West Ham. Their issues mainly stemmed from a lack of communication within the whole team. I noticed that Eric Dier was in the center back partnership with Davidson Sanchez, to compensate for a dearth of defenders. Dier usually plays midfield, and he didn’t look very convincing for much of the match. I can let that slide though, because Liverpool are having the same issue with a lack of defenders, and they have lost four straight home games in a row. A positive to this game was definitely the return of Gareth Bale. The Welshman looked like a proper attacker, and had lots of time to prove himself, being subbed on at half time. He added a touch of inventiveness that you don’t usually see in a more defensively minded Tottenham midfield. If he continues like he did on the night, he could really help Spurs going forward.

Spurs’ only goal of the night came as a response to going 2–0 down. In the 64th minute, a pin-point cross from Bale was met by Lucas Mora’s head. He was at such a tight angle, you wouldn’t be laughed at for guessing it would hit the side of the net. However, Mora was somehow able to lash the ball right into the corner. There wasn’t much Fabianski could do about it, simply because there was too much pace on the ball. During the second half, the Lillywhites really sprung to life. In fact, they almost equalized with 10 minutes to go. Following a Tottenham attack, Harry Kane fizzed in a pass to an unmarked Bale on the edge of the box. Bale gave it the laces, but it agonizingly hit the bar, thanks to Fabianski’s prayers. Tottenham feel like they could have gotten something from this game, but luck wasn't on their side.

A fantastic performance from West Ham’s point of view sees them enter unknown territory: the top four! Moyes and his men are setting the Premier League alight, surely a season never to forget. For Tottenham, they know they could have won this game, but a whole host of circumstances stopped them from getting points.