Manchester City were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Burnley, which leaves a massive dent on their title hopes. David Silva netted City’s first goal, before Fernando then increased their lead through a terrific effort from the edge of the area. But Burnley themselves never looked like they were willing to give up and that attitude paid massive dividends as they equalized through George Boyd. The deal was then closed when Ashley Barnes equalized on the 81st minute mark to make it 2-2 and frustrate the Citizens at the end of the day.
5 – Arsenal have now gone five Premier League games without keeping a clean sheet. Susceptible.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 28, 2014
Meanwhile, Arsenal ended up being 2-1 victors at Upton Park, though West Ham did put on a strong display. Alex Song inspired the Hammers to dominate for most parts of the first half but Arsenal took the lead against the run of play. Cazorla was tripped inside the box, and the Spanish midfielder dispatched the spot kick impeccably to make it 1-0.Minutes later, Danny Welbeck scored to make it 2-0, heading into half time. That being said, Kouyate reduced the deficit right after the break, making it 2-1, but the Gunners held on to secure valuable three points on the day.
5 – Tottenham are now unbeaten in five PL games vs Man Utd, only the third team (after Liverpool 00-02 & Blackburn 04-06) to do this. Graft.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 28, 2014
Meanwhile, Manchester United were denied a victory by the impressive Hugo Lloris at White Hart Lane. The Red Devils were relentless in their pursuit, trying their level best to find the back of the net. Falcao had two impressive attempts saved, while Van Persie and Mata also struggled to penetrate Lloris’ goal. The closest they got though, was a Juan Mata free-kick, that unfortunately rattled against the post. At the end of 90 minutes, the score remained 0-0.
Newcastle secured a terrific win over Everton to bring an end to their run of three straight defeats. Arouna Kone opened the scoring for Everton, but the Magpies equalized through Papiss Cisse. Ayoze Perez then continued their excellent run of form by scoring six minutes after the break, before Jack Colback made it 3-1 for the hosts. Kevin Mirallas managed to pull one back on the 84th minute mark, but the Magpies were always in control and eventually confirmed the win.
5 – Papiss Cisse now has scored five goals in his last six Premier League appearances. Perky.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 28, 2014
West Brom suffered a 2-0 loss to Stoke City, courtesy of Mame Biram Diouf’s double. The Potters couldn’t leave much of an impact in the first 45 minutes, but eventually found the back of the net after the break, as the Senegal forward fired home on the 51st minute. 15 minutes later, Diouf increased Stoke’s lead with a deflected shot to seize a comfortable 2-0 win.
Crystal Palace and QPR played out a 0-0 draw, much to the frustration of both sides, who are on the hunt for points. The same applied to Sunderland and Aston Villa, despite the Villains being reduced to 10 men during the match.
99 – Leicester City have recorded their first Premier League win in 99 days. Flake.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 28, 2014
Leicester City compounded more misery on Hull, claiming a close 1-0 win. Riyad Mahrez scored on the 32nd minute to break the deadlock, but despite Hull’s best efforts, they could not find an equalizer throughout the game. Both sides even had a man sent off as well (Paul Konchesky and Stephen Quinn).
Southampton held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw on home soil. Sadio Mane scored on the 17th minute mark to make it 1-0, but Mourinho’s men never showed signs of giving up. Eden Hazard equalized just moments before the break and they continued their efforts throughout the second half as well. That being said, Ronald Koeman’s defence was well-organized as they held on for a valuable point.
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