Manchester United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham came back from behind twice in a pulsating Premier League encounter to deny Manchester United a victory in front of new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe, attending his first game since a proposed 25% purchase of his boyhood club was confirmed on Christmas Eve, said beforehand that he was “very excited” to be there.

And he saw Rasmus Hojlund drive United into a third-minute lead.

But Ratcliffe’s pre-match assertion that United “normally do well against Spurs” wasn’t quite borne out here.

Brazilian striker Richarlison levelled with his sixth goal in as many Premier League games for the visitors, who were without three players, including captain Son Heung-min – away with South Korea at the Asian Cup.

Marcus Rashford put the hosts ahead before the break, but Rodrigo Bentancur wiped out the advantage a minute after the restart with a blistering shot, his first goal since April, during which time he has recovered from a cruciate knee ligament injury and an ankle problem.

The rest of the game would have been an education for Ratcliffe, who sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box. United had less than 40% possession, nine shots against Tottenham’s 16 and only a third of the visitors’ six on target.

A draw was not enough to take Tottenham above rivals Arsenal and into the top four. But it did allow them to maintain an eight-point advantage over their hosts, who could drop to 10th before they are next in action against Wolves on 1 February.

Prior to this game, Hojlund and Rashford had only scored four Premier League goals between them this season. Ratcliffe was privileged indeed, therefore, to see both get on the scoresheet in his first 45 minutes as a returning ‘fan’. That the pair also had a significant involvement in the other’s goal just added to the sense of occasion.

It was only in United’s last home game, against Aston Villa on 26 December, that Hojlund broke his duck with a memorable late winner.

His latest effort smacked of someone who is having a surge of confidence. Hojlund wasted little time in blasting a shot high into the Tottenham goal after Destiny Udogie had stepped in to halt Rashford’s charge across the penalty area.

Rashford has achieved so much that confidence should not be an issue. But he has been a shadow of the player who broke the 30-goal mark for the first time last season. There was an element of being unsure of himself when he delayed getting a shot away having found himself in the perfect position just before half-time. By then, though he had already found the net once.

Bruno Fernandes was a significant factor, spraying a superb pass out to the England forward. But it was Hojlund who then provided the perfect return pass, which Tottenham’s defenders were too slow to react to as Rashford sent his shot into the bottom corner.

Midway through the second half, manager Erik ten Hag had an extended chat with Rashford during a break in play. It seemed more tactical than an assessment of the forward’s latest wasted opportunity as Pedro Porro matched him for speed during a rapid chase into the Tottenham area before the full-back outwitted his opponent as he tried to check onto his right foot.

When Rashford was eventually replaced by Antony three minutes from time, he did not seem happy, chuntering to himself as he took his seat.

Tottenham fans’ favourite Betancur had an eventful day as he works his way back from the ankle injury that followed a month after his recovery from cruciate surgery.

The Uruguayan had an early effort cleared off the line by Dalot and then earned himself a caution in ridiculous fashion as he kicked the ball away after a flag had gone up for an offside, ludicrously arguing he was giving the ball back to United when he had, in fact, sent it yards away from where it needed to be.

His first goal since the day he suffered his injury was an excellent effort. Debutant Timo Werner provided the pass – a collectors’ item given he only managed one assist in 21 league appearances during his final season at Chelsea – and after that, Bentancur steadied himself before belting a drive past Africa Cup of Nations-bound Andre Onana at his near post.

A draw was the least Tottenham deserved, as £25m new arrival Radu Dragusin made his debut as a late substitute, although they will hope the injury that forced off Micky van de Ven near the end is nothing more than fatigue related given the Dutchman was returning after a two-month absence with a hamstring injury.

source – BBC

Everton 0-0 Aston Villa. Aston Villa missed the chance to move level on points with Premier League pace-setters Liverpool as they were forced to settle for a draw in a scrappy, low-quality encounter with Everton at Goodison Park.

In the first goalless draw in manager Unai Emery’s 97 top-flight games with Arsenal and Villa, his side could not produce the decisive moment to enable them to overhaul Manchester City and move into second place.

Villa thought they had taken a first-half lead when Alex Moreno rifled a 25-yard finish past Everton keeper Jordan Pickford but the goal was ruled out for offside after a four-minute video assistant referee (VAR) check.

Everton had chances of their own before the break but the struggling Dominic Calvert-Lewin could not beat Emi Martinez after racing clear, the Villa keeper then producing a superb save from James Garner.

Villa pressed after the interval, with Jhon Duran coming close, but this very poor game eventually fizzled out into a draw.

Everton remain 17th, one point above the relegation zone.

Everton’s lack of a goalscoring spearhead has been a constant source of concern but it was hoped the return to fitness of England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin after a couple of injury-plagued seasons would provide the answer.

He showed signs of promise on his return earlier this season but has been suffering a barren spell. This was his 13th game without a goal and he was replaced by Beto after 63 minutes.

Calvert-Lewin last scored in the win at West Ham United in October and his lack of confidence was painfully illustrated when he missed the best chance Everton carved out just before half-time.

He raced clear with time and space, and with only Martinez to beat, but he never looked convincing and his finish was kept out by the Villa keeper.

Calvert-Lewin is not short of endeavour but he is struggling badly. Everton will need him to pull out of the slump quickly as more goals will be a crucial commodity in their fight for Premier League survival. It may not be long before manager Sean Dyche is tempted to give £25m signing Beto an extended run.

Elsewhere, it was a landmark day for Everton’s 35-year-old captain Seamus Coleman, who established a club record by making his 355th Premier League appearance.

Coleman has been a magnificent servant for Everton since he was signed for £60,000 from Sligo Rovers in January 2009. The right-back’s subsequent career has been an outstanding example of professionalism – and money well spent.

Aston Villa may feel a draw at Goodison Park against this well-drilled Everton side is not an unacceptable outcome but in reality they should have claimed all three points.

They were denied Moreno’s first-half strike by VAR and while Everton had Calvert-Lewin’s big chance late in the first half, it was Villa doing all the pressing after half-time.

John McGinn was narrowly wide from the edge of the area, Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko made a crucial block from Matty Cash, while Duran’s late glance went narrowly wide of the far post.

In the end, deadlock was the outcome and Everton will probably be happier with that conclusion than Villa.

It was only the third time this season that Villa have failed to score in the Premier League, the other occasions being defeats at Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Emery’s proud record of never having a goalless draw as a Premier League manager is over. And this was just the type of undistinguished game that deserved to end it.

source – BBC

Chelsea 1-0 Fulham. Cole Palmer’s first-half penalty gave Chelsea a narrow win over West London rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

Palmer’s reverse pass set up Raheem Sterling, who was caught by Issa Diop inside the penalty area.

Palmer dispatched the spot-kick, sending Fulham keeper Bernd Leno the wrong way to net his ninth goal since joining the Blues in August.

Conor Gallagher almost added a late second when his sweetly struck effort using the outside of his boot cannoned off the far post.

Chelsea kept Fulham at arm’s length and held on for their third consecutive victory to jump to eighth in the table.

The visitors stay in 13th and have lost four of their past five matches.

It was not a classic but Chelsea did enough to come away with three points.

Chelsea were wasteful in their 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday, and for much of the first half against Fulham they once again struggled in front of goal.

Gallagher fired a shot over the bar after 16 minutes and Armando Broja headed Enzo Fernandez’s cross wide of the near post moments later.

It took the combined coolness of Sterling, who forced Diop into a tackle he did not need to make, and Palmer to break the deadlock.

After the restart Chelsea looked far more assured. Fernandez crossed for Sterling in the 50th minute, with the England forward flicking his header against a post, although any finish would have been ruled out for offside.

Victory meant Mauricio Pochettino’s side won a fourth home league match on the bounce for the first time since July 2020.

After winning only 12 of their 43 league games in 2023 – the fewest they had recorded in a calendar year since 1995 – Chelsea’s 2024 league campaign has got off to the perfect start.

They play Middlesbrough in the semi-final second leg on 23 January.

Fulham’s poor away run continued. The Cottagers have lost their past five league games on the road and were beaten 2-1 at Liverpool in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

Marco Silva’s side had the best chance of the opening exchanges when Antonee Robinson’s low cross found Harry Wilson at the back post, but the winger’s effort from a tight angle was kept out by the feet of Chelsea keeper Djordje Petrovic.

In the 74th minute Petrovic superbly denied Fulham’s Raul Jimenez with a low diving save to his right after the forward met Andreas Pereira’s cutback.

The match’s outcome may have been very different if referee Anthony Taylor had chosen to send off Chelsea defender Malo Gusto with the game goalless in the 39th minute.

The France right-back caught Willian above his ankle, but the video assistant referee (VAR) was happy to uphold Taylor’s decision to award Gusto a yellow card.

Fulham play Liverpool in the semi-final second leg on 24 January.

source – BBC