Almanac Soccer – Premier League Matchweek 17 Highlights

Premier League Matchweek Highlights 17 2024-2025

The final week of Premier League action before Christmas saw even more goals and drama than usual. Aston Villa added to Manchester City’s woes, Arsenal put out a statement in South London against Crystal Palace, then on Sunday Liverpool played Tottenham in what was a contender for game of the season.

 

Aston Villa vs Manchester City

The first game of Matchweek 17 in the Premier League saw Unai Emery’s Aston Villa host Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Villa Park. After a brilliant start to the game for Villa, with Pau Torres having his headed effort clawed off the goal line by City keeper Stefan Ortega in the second minute, Villa found a deserved opener. Youri Tielemans played a wonderful ball into the path of Morgan Rogers who was through on goal with Jhon Duran to his right. Rogers was sensible and unselfish, squaring the ball to Duran inside the City penalty area where the Colombian slotted the ball past Ortega to bag his seventh of the season. The rest of the half was tight with City missing a big chance just before the interval. Pep’s goal scoring defender, Josko Gvardiol, fired his headed effort over the bar from ex-Villain Jack Grealish’s cross. The first half finished 1-0 with Villa hoping to jump over City in the table.

 

Emery’s side all but sealed the three points 20 minutes into the second period when Rogers scored his fifth of the season against his former employer. After hitting the post seven minutes prior, Rogers made a driving run through the City midfield before eventually spreading the ball wide to John McGinn. McGinn progressed with the ball before playing it back to Rogers who drilled the ball perfectly into the far bottom right corner. Villa then flexed their defensive muscle, giving City no real opportunities whatsoever. Emiliano would have kept his clean sheet if not for a defensive slip deep into stoppage time by Lucas Digne. Phil Foden danced his way into the Villa penalty area where a bad touch drew the ball into the feet of Digne. The Frenchman then unintentionally slipped, leading to Foden continuing his run and smashing the ball into the bottom right corner. There was not enough time for City to stage a comeback as the full time score finished 2-1. It was a huge result for Villa which saw them jump over City in the table and into fifth. Pep’s crisis continues as his side have only won a single game in their last 12 as Manchester City sit sixth.

 

 

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

The final game played on Saturday in Matchweek 17 saw Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace host Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at Selhurst Park in the Premier League’s latest London Derby. After playing only three days ago in the Carabao Cup, the result finishing 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium in Arsenal’s favour, it was always going to be an interesting match. Fresh off scoring a hat-trick mid week, Gabriel Jesus’ continued his form, finding the back of the net inside six minutes. Bukayo Saka’s cross from the right wing found its way to Jesus at the back post who drilled the ball past Palace keeper Dean Henderson to make it 1-0. Less than five minutes later, Palace equalised when Ismaila Sarr netted his fourth of the season. Tyrick Mitchell found Sarr outside the Gunner’s penalty area where he immediately looked to shoot. Sarr managed to carve a shot away between two Arsenal defenders where his effort perfectly curled through them and into the bottom right corner. This game continued to produce goals as the travelling side restored their lead only three minutes later through another set piece. Declan Rice’s lobbed corner delivery was controlled down by Thomas Partey who poked the ball back out to Jesus. Jesus hit the ball first time, watching as his strike perfectly curled around the crowd of players and found the top right corner, with the Brazilian in search of back to back hat-tricks for the first time in his Premier League career. Jesus came so close to scoring a third in the 38th minute when he headed Gabriel Martinelli’s cross from the right wing into the post. Luckily for the Gunners, Kai Havertz was onside and unmarked to tap the ball past Henderson, whose defenders had apparently deserted him. At half time the score sat at 1-3 with Palace left with an uphill task in the final 45 minutes.

 

Arsenal made it four on the hour mark when Martinelli scored his fourth of the season. Declan Rice cracked a shot from inside the Palace penalty area where his effort was cushioned into the opposite corner by the left boot of Martinelli, totally confusing Henderson in the Palace net. After having his previous effort stolen off him, Rice put his name on the score sheet, finding his first of the season. Rice received the ball from Riccardo Calafiori inside the penalty area where he spun and looked to shoot. The English midfielder did so perfectly, bending his effort around Henderson to find the bottom right corner, putting the cherry on top of what was a superb Arsenal performance away from home. The full time score finished 1-5 with Arsenal closing the gap on Chelsea and Liverpool, the only teams above them in the table. Palace remain 16th and are still four points off the drop zone.

 

 

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool

The final game of Matchweek 17 was the most anticipated with Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur hosting Arne Slot’s Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After a quick start to the tie from Slot’s top of the table Liverpool, they found an expected opener in the 23rd minute. One of Liverpool’s most dangerous men on the ball, Trent Alexander-Arnold, whipped the ball in from the right wing where Luis Diaz had made a late run in from the back post. Diaz threw himself at the ball, watching as his diving header spun off the turf and found the back of the Spurs net. Thirteen minutes later, Liverpool found a priceless second goal after Andy Robertson whipped in a cross, this time from the left wing. Dominik Szoboszlai made first contact with the ball, taking the pace out of it so Alexis Mac Allister could run on and head it past Tottenham keeper, Fraser Forster. The hosts found a route back into the game in the 41st minute when Dejan Kulusevski dispossessed goalscorer Mac Allister outside the Liverpool penalty area. James Maddison intercepted the ball with time outside the box. He perfectly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner around a crowded defence, with Alisson unable to see the Englishman’s effort. Just after Tottenham thought they had put the game back into balance, Liverpool sunk the hearts of the Tottenham fans in the Stadium when Szoboszlai made it 1-3. Trent played a ball into the middle of the pitch from his own half where Szoboszlai headed it down for Mohamed Salah. After making a driving run up the pitch with the ball, the Egyptian played it back to the Hungarian who then slotted the ball through the legs of Forster to score his second of the season. At the interval, the score stood at 1-3 with Tottenham left with an almost impossible hill to climb in the next 45 minutes.

 

Liverpool sealed the three points in the 54th minute when Diaz slipped the ball into Cody Gakpo inside the penalty area. Gakpo played the ball across the six-yard area where the ball ricocheted around the penalty area before Salah tapped the ball over the line to get in on the action. It was probably the easiest goal of his Reds career which also saw him become the equal fourth highest goal scorer in Liverpool’s history. Tottenham further succumbed to the electric Liverpool attack when Salah registered a brace. Gakpo played the ball into the path of Szoboszlai where the Hungarian took a brilliant touch which saw the ball bounce around Tottenham defender Archie Gray and into a deserted spot of turf inside the penalty area. Szoboszlai then squared the ball to Salah who rolled the ball over the line from a similar position to make it 1-5.

 

Tottenham gave their fans something to cheer about in the 72nd minute when their best performer of the season, Kulusevski, scored his fifth of the latest Premier League campaign. The Swede played the ball into the path of Dominic Solanke outside the penalty area where Solanke returned it to Kulusevski with a lobbed pass over the Red’s defence and into the 18-yard box. Kulusevski hit the ball on the volley, watching as his spectacular effort flew by Alisson and into the near corner. Spurs did give Liverpool something to think about in the 83rd minute when Lucas Bergvall crossed the ball in from the left wing. Brennan Johnson headed the ball down from the back post where Solanke was in the middle to poke the ball by Alisson. After conceding two needless goals in quick succession, Liverpool found their 6th to wrap up what had been a crazy Premier League game. Salah made it four goal contributions for the evening, playing a smart reverse pass into Diaz who managed to squeeze the ball past Forster into the far bottom corner from a tight angle in the right side of the penalty area. The full time score finished 3-6 with this game producing a total of nine goals. While it was a great advert for the Premier League, it only adds to Tottenham woes as they conceded a whopping number of goals at home. Ange’s refusal to adapt his tactics for his players had yet again cost Spurs as they sit 11th in the league on 23 points. Liverpool pounced after Chelsea dropped points in Merseyside hours prior and are now four points clear on the summit with a game in hand.

 

Written by Ollie Wade – Read the rest of Matchweek 17 at Premier League Matchweek 17 24/5 – Kickoff chronicles

 

 

 

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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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