Skiddle's Open Goal: A Weekly Roundup of Football news and events

It was a big surprise in the Premier League this weekend as Manchester City actually dropped points by drawing away to Southampton. The champions were 1-0 down within 7 minutes and it wasn't until the 65th that they got their much-needed equaliser. Yet a winner never came and Southampton deservedly went 7 games unbeaten at home. The title race as a result may be back on with Liverpool 9 points behind with a game in hand.

Liverpool were away at Crystal Palace, a side that has been known to cause some upsets amongst the top clubs in recent years. In the first half, they were dominated yet rallied in the second to make the game 2-1 to Liverpool before a late Liverpool put the game to bed at 3-1. The nature of the penalty was controversial, with Jota seeming to initiate the contact with the goalkeeper as he came rushing out yet being judged to have been fouled.

It means that the away side could keep the pressure up on Manchester City with their players coming back from AFCON in February too. Chelsea had a big game against local London rivals Tottenham and secured a fairly comfortable 2-0 win. Chelsea have beaten Tottenham three times already this year after the EFL Cup semi-finals. Tottenham will surely be looking to back Conte in the transfer window as they're carrying a lot of deadwood.

At the other end of the table, Norwich got one over on their relegation rivals Watford with a 3-0 away win. It eased the pressure on Dean Smith and piled a bunch on top of Claudio Ranieri, with the Watford management always adopting a frequent hire and fire policy. It's all hotting up as the Premier League heads for a break, it's tight at both ends of the table.

If you're a footy fan then you'll likely be interested in these events...

DFA Fundraiser Match

<a href='https://postimages.org/' target='_blank'><img src='https://i.postimg.cc/d1PsWMj1/1398062-0-dba-fundraiser-match-1024.jpg' border='0' alt='1398062-0-dba-fundraiser-match-1024'/></a>

When: Sunday 20th February

Where: Powerleague, Leeds

DBA are hosting a charity football match that will involve some of Leeds' finest residents including DJs, musicians, ex-pro footballers and more. The team they'll be playing will be one of the best 5 a side teams in the city, so this will be fiercely competitive but also a laugh all for a good cause.

Find tickets for DFA Fundraiser Match - here

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Hanley Town vs Whitchurch

When: Saturday 26th February

Where: Hanley Town Football Club, Stoke On Trent

In this fixture, Hanley Town will be taking on Whitchurch and they'll be hoping to start a charge towards the top of the table. With Whitchurch laying down in the bottom half of the table, the home side will be optimistic that they can get a result and keep up the pressure on those top few places.

Find tickets for Hanley Town vs Whitchurch - here

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Hanley Town vs Worcester

When: Saturday 16th April 

Where: Hanley Town Football Club, Stoke On Trent

Hanley Town will be playing against Worcester in this fixture, with the away side being the underdogs but not by a huge margin. Hanley town will be drawing on their home advantage to drag them through the game, so make sure you get down in time to give them some proper support.

Find tickets for Hanley Town vs Worcester - here

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Manchester United vs Chelsea Hospitality

When: Sunday 15th May

Where: Hotel Football Old Trafford, Manchester

No matter where the two sides are in the table, Manchester United vs Chelsea is always a fixture that you can't take your eyes off. You can see what will be hopefully another classic from the comfort of hospitality. Enjoy a three-course meal and as much drink as you want whilst the action unfolds.

Find tickets for Manchester United vs Chelsea Hospitality - here

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Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.