IMAGES from EPL matches played on Thursday.
IMAGE: Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Tottenham Hotspurs’ Bruno Fernandes vie for possession during their match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters
Tottenham Hotspur rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Manchester United in a thrilling Premier League clash on Thursday that saw the visitors cementing fourth spot.
The point left United six points clear of fifth-placed Spurs with two games in hand and all but ended the London side’s hopes of Champions League football next season.
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford had put United 2-0 ahead at halftime but goals from Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min after the break salvaged a draw for battling Tottenham.
“Of course when you are 2-0 up then you are a little bit disappointed when you draw,” said United manager Erik ten Hag.
“We had the chances after 2-1 to score … and we didn’t and we conceded the goal. I think in this week 2-2 is a good draw.”
Some fans protested against Spurs chairman Daniel Levy outside the ground before the match and there were chants of ‘We want Levy Out’ after the team went behind against United in the wake of the 6-1 mauling at Newcastle United on Sunday.
The mood soured when Sancho opened the scoring after seven minutes when the forward cut in from the left and struck a low shot into the far corner past goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
Sancho almost doubled United’s lead after 19 minutes when his deflected effort was cleared off the line by Ivan Perisic.
Rashford then made it 2-0 just before halftime when he ran onto a long ball from Bruno Fernandes, outpaced Eric Dier and fired past Forster after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg lost possession.
Tottenham fullback Porro got the hosts back in the game when he cleverly hooked a shot past keeper David De Gea in the 56th minute after a Harry Kane effort was blocked.
IMAGE: Manchester United’s Anthony Martial in action with Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero. Photograph: Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Bruno Fernandes then had a chance to put United 3-1 ahead when he was through on goal but he blasted his shot against the crossbar when it looked easier to score.
“Of course (that was frustrating), but don’t blame it on one player,” added Ten Hag.
“We weren’t clinical enough and I think we had to score more. The goals we conceded were too easy and we could have avoided them.”
A rejuvenated Spurs created several more chances, with Dier missing the clearest opportunity to equalise when he headed wide from close range with goal at his mercy.
But the pressure eventually told when Son swept home a cross from Kane in the 79th minute to rescue a point for Spurs and cheer the home fans who appreciated their team’s response.
“(I’m) Pleased with the reaction and in the second half we were outstanding and the character we showed after last Sunday and going two goals down (tonight),” said Ryan Mason after his first game in charge in his second spell as interim boss.
“I hope the fans can see that we were a team today and we ran for each other. In the second half we could have scored a lot more.”
Superb Newcastle thump woeful Everton 4-1 in Goodison romp
IMAGE: Newcastle United’s Callum Wilson scores their first goal against Everton at Goodison Park in Liverpool. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters
Callum Wilson scored twice as Newcastle United tightened their grip on a Champions League qualification place with a thumping 4-1 Premier League victory at second-bottom Everton on Thursday, deepening the relegation crisis at the Goodison Park club.
Joelinton and Jacob Murphy were also on the scoresheet as Newcastle had too much quality for an Everton side who were last relegated in 1951 but are now facing that very real prospect. Dwight McNeil netted a late consolation for the home side.
Newcastle are in third place with 62 points from 32 games and well on course for a first Champions League place since 2002.
Everton are second-bottom, two points from the safety zone and facing a crunch visit to fellow strugglers Leicester City on Monday.
“First half was not perfect but second half was very good, we scored some very good goals,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe told BBC. “We really put our foot to the floor and showed what we are capable of.
“The end table will tell us where we are and what we have next season but for now we are just focusing on the next game (home to Southampton on Sunday). We have returned to form in a really good way.”
Everton had been whipped into a frenzied start by a raucous crowd on Merseyside, but the Premier League’s lowest scorers could not make that pressure pay and in the end were picked off by moments of decisive attacking play from the visitors.
Wilson scored from six-yards after Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could only parry Joelinton’s shot and the ball fell kindly for the striker.
IMAGE: Newcastle United’s Miguel Almiron challenges Everton’s James Tarkowski. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters
It was perhaps harsh on Everton, who had started brightly and were denied an equaliser for Dominic Calvert-Lewin by a tight offside call on the stroke of halftime.
It was an even contest at the break but Newcastle took control in the second half and extended their lead when Joelinton headed in a second.
Everton lost their shape in midfield and gifted space around the box to Newcastle, as Wilson crashed home his second with a superb shot that this time left Pickford with no chance.
McNeil gave the now subdued Goodison faithful a glimmer of hope when his corner found its way into the net without a touch, but that was soon quashed again.
A brilliant run and cross from Alexander Isak put a goal on a plate for Murphy to net a fourth at the back post.
“We took the game on and I thought in the first half we had been as strong as we have been,” Everton manager Sean Dyche told BT Sport.
“We went under too easily after the second goal. You can’t against good sides like Newcastle.
“We are not finding the big moments in the final third. It is still a work in progress. We have to park this one quickly and clear our minds going into the next one.”
Bournemouth keep Southampton at bottom of table with 1-0 win
A goal from Marcus Tavernier secured Bournemouth a 1-0 win over Southampton and piled more misery on interim boss Ruben Selles, whose side remain rock bottom in the Premier League.
Gary O’Neil’s squad leapfrogged West Ham United into 14th place with 36 points from 33 games, seven points clear of the drop zone.
“We were in complete control,” O’Neil told BT Sport.
“Disappointed that we didn’t put the game to bed because you knew that Southampton would get desperate towards the end and throw caution to the wind and then we had to show another side to us.
“But yeah, for the players to put on a performance like that in such a high-pressure game, really proud of them.”
Southampton, who have won just six times this season and played for most of the night like a team destined for relegation, are six points adrift of the safety zone with only five games remaining.
Bournemouth dominated possession and were finally rewarded for their hard work in the 50th minute when Tavernier worked around a pair of Saints defenders before threading the ball, which took a slight deflection, into the far corner.
Bournemouth have won three straight away games, which has helped them to remain above the drop zone.
Bournemouth had a goal from Matias Vina waved off in the 18th minute for offside. Southampton thought they had levelled in the 90th minute but Che Adams’ goal was ruled out for being offside.
“It’s starting to be harder and harder and then we just need to keep fighting and trying to perform every game and then to get a win,” Selles said on the fight to avoid relegation.
“We have another game in three days and we need to recover quick. We show that we can perform against any team, (but) we showed today that we are not constant in that way, and we just need to be more constant and more robust in the things that we do.”
Adam Armstrong had what was otherwise the Saints’ best chance when Bournemouth failed to clear the ball out of the back in the 14th minute. But Armstrong’s close-range shot clanged off the post.
Bournemouth briefly celebrated in the 18th minute when Dominic Solanke was played through one-on-one. Alex McCarthy made a terrific point-blank save before Vina followed it in to smash home the rebound. But the goal was disallowed for offside.
The torrential downpour at Southampton’s Saint Mary’s Stadium meant the players had to contend with a slippery pitch and at times they struggled to stay on their feet.
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