Premier League, the results of Boxing Day: De Zerbi ok, Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool win

Arsenal are always the best in their class, after the 3-1 comeback against West Ham that closes the Boxing Day marathon, 7 games with which the Premier raises the curtain. The draw at the Gtech Stadium between Brentford and Tottenham had opened it, the first of 7 games starting on the 17th day. Among the protagonists of the day also Newcastle, who rose to second place behind the Gunners, and De Zerbi’s Brighton, who went 3-1 in Southampton playing their best game with the Italian coach on the bench.

Arsenal West Ham 3-1

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Show of strength. Down at the interval, bogged down in attack without Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal transformed in the second half after the wake-up call from Saka and Martinelli and overwhelmed West Ham 3-1, who collected their fourth consecutive defeat without Scamacca injured. In the Emirates party, which after more than 4 years embraces Arsène Wenger, who returned as a spectator to see the Gunners to whom he gave what remains of their last Premier League in 2004, the Gunners discover that Eddie Nketiah can really replace the injured Jesus. His 3-1 goal is a small pearl, a message for Arteta and the management to believe in this 23-year-old English striker who has never started in the Premier League so far. Arsenal confirm with this victory of character that their strength is in the game system, with Saka, Martinelli and Ødegaard lights that illuminate a team capable of playing by heart. What West Ham fails to do, ahead on a penalty but popped up in attack and not just because Scamacca is missing. Moyes insists on 4-2-3-1 in the Premier League, but unlike Arteta did with the Gunners, he hasn’t yet managed to give his team an identity. And the results are not coming.

The match

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Arsenal started much better but it was West Ham who took the lead through Benrahma, who converted a penalty awarded for a foul by Saliba on Bowen in the 27th minute. The Gunners restart in a disorganized way and before the break they only manage to produce a penalty initially granted by referee Oliver at the hands of Cresswell, canceled after a look at the Var monitor on the sideline. The draw arrives at the start of the second half with Saka, good at capturing a suggestion from Ødegaard in the area and piercing Fabianski. Five minutes later, in the 58th minute, Arsenal exploded for the Gunners lead: Martinelli signed it, with a splendid left-footed diagonal that left the West Ham goalkeeper no way out. In the 69th minute Nketiah makes it 3-1, closing a splendid combination with Ødegaard. Arsenal dominated and tried again, but the result never changed.

Brentford-Tottenham 2-2

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The point is however positive, the reaction to the two goals conceded a good demonstration of character, Harry Kane’s goal (10 in 7 games on Boxing Day, an all-time record) the usual certainty. But in Tottenham’s 2-2 comeback draw at Brentford, there are more shadows than lights. Conte’s team straightens out a situation that had become complicated in the second half, returning from the World Cup break with the same problems they had in mid-November: insecure defense (Spurs down for the 9th game in a row), unproactive wingers (a drama, in Conte’s game), no player on the bench able to strike the spark. In addition there are the after-effects of the tournament in Qatar, which for example convince Conte to keep goalkeeper Lloris on the bench, captain of France only 8 days ago in the final against Argentina, and rely on the disastrous Fraser Foster, insecure and rusty. Like all Spurs, they were disconnected as a team for long stretches: the real Tottenham was seen only in the last 20′. Brentford, on the other hand, had played much better up until the 70th minute: compact, pungent in attack with Ivan Toney, author of the 2-0 (11 goals in the Premier League this year, only Haaland and Kane scored more), orderly and good at controlling the game. In the end he took a big risk, when Tottenham found themselves: if the victory would have been too much for Spurs, the defeat would have been too much punishment for Brentford.

The match

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The rusty Tottenham were already surprised in the 15th minute, when Janelt sent in a short clearance from the uncertain Forster following a close shot from Jensen. Conte’s team struggles to set up, and goes to half-time having gone closer to 0-2 than even. The second goal comes at the beginning of the second half, and it’s a new mess: first of Dier, who svirgola an easy disengagement and gives Brentford a corner, then of the defense, who forgets Toney at the far post. Kane reopened the match in the 65th minute with an imperious header and six minutes later Tottenham made it 2-2 with Højbjerg, served in the center of the area by Kulusevski. Kane in the 84th minute anticipates Raya in the exit, but his header hits the crossbar and the result doesn’t change anymore.

Newcastle in volo

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A little more than a minute is enough for Newcastle to direct the Leicester match: Amartey causes a naive penalty that Wood converts. Howe’s team spreads: one-two from Almiron with Bruno Guimaraes and the Paraguayan doubles already in the 7th minute, then Joelinton’s winning header for 3-0 in the 32nd minute. Newcastle momentarily second at -7 from Arsenal, but with one game to spare. In seventh place is instead the excellent Brighton of De Zerbi, protagonist of a capital match in Southampton: goal by Lallana and own goal by Perraud in the first half, three of a kind by March before Ward-Prowse shortens to 1-3 (taking a penalty that Sanchez had denied him). Fulham rises in the upper quarters, which in the Selhurst Park derby with Crystal Palace also benefits from two expulsions between the Eagles (Mitchell and Tomkins): in the 3-0 win for the Cottagers, a goal and an assist (for Reid) come from the usual Mitrovic, while the momentary 2-0 was signed by Ream. At the end, a very important shot by Lopetegui’s new Wolverhampton, who in the 95th minute mocks Everton in great difficulty (threatening clouds gather on Lampard’s bench): in the first half Podence responds to Mina, Ait-Nouri in the last breath bags the ball which allows the Wolves to leave the bottom of the table.

Aston Villa-Liverpool 1-3

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The hunt for fourth place for the Reds is officially on. Klopp has indicated a Champions League finish as a goal for Liverpool in the second half of the season and the success at Aston Villa is a first step in that direction. Launched by Salah, who scored after just 5′, and with the signing of the 18-year-old Spaniard Bajcetic, who scored the first goal of his career in the Premier League in his second appearance, the Reds cleared Villa Park by taking their third consecutive victory. The main problem for Klopp remains the infirmary, where in addition to long-term patients Diaz and Jota, still far from returning, Roberto Firmino entered, stopped by a muscle problem already before Thursday’s match in the Carabao Cup lost at Manchester City. Aston Villa lose for the first time under management Unai Emery, who dreamed of becoming the first manager in the history of the Birmingham club to debut with three hits. He didn’t succeed because the Reds, especially in the first half, made the chances they had concrete while the Villans made too many mistakes. Liverpool unlock already in the 5th minute with Salah, good at picking up the assist that transforms Robertson into the defender with the most winning passes ever (54) in the history of the Premier League. Emery’s team tries to react but collects the second goal in the 37th minute, with a splendid volley from Van Dijk inspired by Salah. Watkins headed in in the 59th minute and Aston Villa deservedly returned to the game, but in the 80th minute Bajcetic, who had just come on, signed the Reds’ third goal and closed it again.