Almanac Soccer: Premier League Matchweek 15 Highlights

 

Premier League Matchweek 15 Highlights 24/25

 

Matchweek 15 of the 24/25 Premier League season saw 35 goals and many close matches. City dropped points in South London, Forest won away at United and Chelsea just managed to edge out Tottenham in a thriller at the capital. Here are my highlighted games.

 

 

Crystal Palace v Manchester City

 

The following game of the Matchweek saw Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace take on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester city at Selhurst Park. This match always looked like it could be an entertaining one, especially as Palace had become a bit of a thorn in the sides of title contending teams in recent years. The Eagles made an ideal start to the tie when Daniel Munoz scored his 2nd goal in Red and Blue inside 5 minutes. After the ball ricocheted around in the middle of the park, Will Hughes ran in and played a perfect ball into the path of Munoz. The Colombian took a touch before smashing it at City keeper Stefan Ortega, with the ball almost too close to him as he was unable to reach low to prevent his effort. After Palace had sat back to defend their lead, City finally found a deserved equaliser on the half hour mark. Mathes Nunes whipped in the ball from the left wing, in search of danger man Erling Haaland. His cross was perfect as Haaland matched Nunes’ cross with a wonder header, perfectly directing the ball into the top left corner, leaving Palace keeper Dean Henderson with no chance of keeping it out. At half time, the score stood at 1-1 with City in threat of dropping points yet again in the league.

 

Palace then sent Selhurst Park in a state of disbelief for the 2nd time of the afternoon when Maxence Lacroix scored his first goal for the Eagles in the 56th minute. It was once again a Hughes assist, this time the English midfielder stood over the corner which was headed perfectly into the roof of the net by the new Palace centre half signing, Lacroix. The game just continued to get more and more entertaining, proved when Rico Lewis struck City level in the 68th minute for the second time. Bernardo Silva slipped the ball through to Lewis where he perfectly drilled the ball into the top right corner. In the dying moments of the tie, it was expectedly getting heated with both teams thinking they could snatch all 3 points. City’s hopes of a late winner were put to bed in the 84th minute when Lewis was sent off for a second yellow card after fouling Trevoh Chalobah. It was clearly an incorrect decision by referee Robert Jones, with Lewis actually being fouled by Chalobah when sliding in. Despite the red card, City were able to hold on as the full time score finished 2-2. It was another Premier League thriller in Matchweek 15 which saw City drop 2 points. It almost feels as though Pep’s side are now completely out of the running as they sit 4th, 8 points off the top with Liverpool left with a game in hand. Palace picks up a huge point which takes them further away from the drop zone. Glasner’s side sit 17th on 13 points.

 

 

Manchester United v Nottingham Forest

 

The final game played on Saturday evening in Matchweek 15 saw Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United host Nuno Espirito’s Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford. Forest made the best start possible to the fixture when Nikola Milenkovic scored his first goal for the travelling side inside two minutes. Elliot Anderson’s corner delivery was on the money as Milenkovic rose high to head the ball past Andre Onana in the net for Manchester United. This proved to be a valuable wake up call for the Red Devils as they levelled the tie in the 18th minute. Manuel Ugarte played the ball through to Alejandro Garnacho inside the penalty area. His first touch was poor, meaning his effort at goal was easily saved by Forest keeper Matz Sels. Unfortunately for the Belgian shot stopper, the ball fell right into the feet of Rasmus Hojlund who tapped the ball into an uncontested net. At the interval, the score stood at 1-1 with both teams hitting the crossbar in the latter stages of the first half, meaning the game was well and truly up for grabs. 

 

United made a terrible start to the second half after skipper Bruno Fernandes gave the ball away to Callum Hudson-Odoi in a dangerous area. Hudson-Odoi squared the ball to Morgan Gibbs-White who was just outside the penalty area where the Englishman unleashed a strike. His effort looked like an easy save for Onana but the Cameroonian just froze as Gibbs-White’s effort fizzed right past him. Less than 10 minutes after restoring their lead, Forest found a 2 goal cushion when Chris Wood scored his 10th goal of the Premier League season, making for a perfect birthday present. Gibbs-White turned from scorer to provider when he whipped the ball over to the back post from the right wing. The cross hung up perfectly for Wood as he jumped high to head the ball back across goal. Onana and his two centre halves were at fault again, turning into statues as the ball bounced right by them and into the bottom corner. The Red Devils then reduced the deficit in the 61st minute when Fernandes made up for his earlier mistake. The captain started the attack, playing a great ball down the right wing to Amad Diallo. Diallo took the ball with him down the flank, before chopping back and playing it to Fernandes who was just outside the area. The Portuguese international then fired a shot at Sels, watching it curl perfectly into the side netting. United tried to rally and make a late comeback but the damage had already been done as Forest saw out the game to win 2-3. This result takes Nuno’s team into 5th, just 2 points shy of a Champions League spot. Manchester United lost back to back games for the first time under Amorim as they dropped to 13th in the table. 

 

 

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea

 

The final game played on Sunday of Matchweek 15 was arguably the most anticipated of the weekend and most underrated fixture of the season with Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham hosting Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tottenham made the perfect start to the game when Dominic Solanke scored his 3rd Premier League goal of the season inside 5 minutes. Marc Cucrella slipped on the halfway line which proved to turn out very costly as Brennan Johnson picked up the ball and made a dash down the right wing. He then crossed it into the penalty area where Solanke lunged in to get goal side of Levi Collwill before prodding the ball past Blues keeper Robert Sanchez. Spurs then doubled their advantage right after 10 minutes when the rarest of events occurred: Cucurella slipped for the 2nd time of the evening inside his own half. This allowed Pedro Porro to recover the ball and play it to Dejan Kulusevski. The Swede dribbled along the penalty area before drilling the ball into the bottom right corner, totally tricking Sanchez in goal. Cucurella was then spotted running over to the Chelsea bench to change his boots, with his two slips so far the reason Chelsea were trailing. Cucurella did make amends for at least one of his errors when he played the ball to Jadon Sancho outside the penalty area in the 18th minute. The Manchester United loanee cut in from the left before rifling a shot at goal, watching as it fizzed through the Spurs backline and into the bottom corner of Fraser Forster’s goal. At half time, the score finished 2-1 with Tottenham lucky to still have 11 men on the pitch after Kulusevski and Sarr had challenges checked by VAR.

 

Ange’s side made the worst possible start to the 2nd period when Yves Bissoma made an absolutely needless challenge inside the penalty area, sliding in on Moises Caicedo when he was going nowhere dangerous. It was a ridiculous challenge to give away a penalty, which Cole Palmer perfectly placed into the bottom left corner, making it 2-2. Just 12 minutes later, Chelsea completed the impossible to lead 2-3. Palmer dribbled in from the right wing, chopping and turning before crossing the ball over to skipper Enzo Fernandez who was in a rich phase of form. Palmer’s cross caught a deflection as Fernandez struck the ball on the bounce, watching as it flew past Forster and into the bottom left corner. Chelsea then wrapped up all 3 points, with Tottenham digging their own grave as they gave away yet another stupid penalty. Palmer received the ball on the very edge of the 18 yard area, clearly with nowhere to go. Sarr then charged into the back of the Chelsea superstar, making for an obvious 2nd spot kick. Palmer brilliantly chipped the ball down the middle of the net to make even more Premier League history, (player to score the most penalties in the league without missing, 12) leaving Forester completely wrongfooted. Tottenham grabbed one back in the 6th minute of stoppage time when Son Heung-Min tapped the ball in from close range after James Maddison had squared it to him at the bi-line but it was clearly too late. The game finished 3-4, making for a brilliant Premier League advert and the game of the season so far. Ange will be receiving the criticism but it was his players who let him down today, conceding two silly penalties. Tottenham sit 11th in the league after bottling another two goal lead. Chelsea come within 4 points of Liverpool at the summit as they come back brilliantly against their London rivals away from home. Enzo Maresca will now feel as though his side are well and truly in a title fight.

 

 

Note:

 

Everton v Liverpool was postponed due to extreme weather conditions. The date of the game is yet to be rescheduled.

 

Written by Ollie Wade-Read the rest of the Matchweek at Premier League Matchweek 15 24/25 – Kickoff chronicles

 

 

 

To read more from Ollie Wade click HERE.

 

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Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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