Skiddle's open goal: A weekly roundup of football news and events

Easter weekend brought plenty of sunshine and with it plenty of football too. With games on every day, we were spoilt for choice, as decisive games and crushing blows were seen throughout the football pyramid. The weekend's Premier League action began with Manchester United hosting Everton.

It was a pretty ordinary win for the home side, who looked to cast aside their recent downturn of form, as Everton showed their lack of quality and squad depth. McTominay and Martial grabbed the goals for United. Aston Villa are on a surprise surge at the moment and they never looked too threatened by Nottingham Forest, as Ollie Watkins also continued his fine form.

It left Forest in the relegation zone, with their future looking very precarious. Newcastle grabbed a key win away at Brentford to held solidify their push for European football, with Isak impressing yet again. Elsewhere in London, West Ham grabbed a crucial three points away at Fulham thanks to an own goal from Reed.

Further misery was compounded on Leicester as they lost at home to fellow strugglers Bournemouth, thanks to a poor back pass from Maddison setting up Billing to score. Leicester fans have been subject to more misery as it has been announced that Dean Smith will be in charge for the rest of the season, they're looking for a new manager bounce but will a manager who brings such boring mud football really be the answer?

The former league winners could find themselves in the Championship next season. Spurs grabbed a vital win over Brighton in the most undeserved win of the season. Multiple VAR calls went against the away side, most notably a stamp by Hojbjerg in the box which was a clear penalty. It helped the London side stave off one of their closest rivals.

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Frank Lampard returned to Chelsea and it appears his managerial skills are still very much missing as they crumbled to a 1-0 loss to Wolves thanks to a worldie from Matheus Nunes. Southampton hosted Manchester City and were predictably thrown about like a rag doll by Haaland who grabbed two goals as they won 4-1.

Leeds were in full control against Crystal Palace, with a deserved 1-0 lead at half-time before they had one of the worst collapses of the season, with Roy's boys scoring five to silence the home crowd. Losing to a relegation rival like this is unforgivable at home, it makes Leeds' stay in the Premier League look on shaky ground.

Ten points separate 12th to 20th in the table, with this being one of the tightest relegation fights we've seen, it seems as though any of them could go down. Of these sides, only West Ham and Nottingham Forest have their original managers as owners grow increasingly desperate to stay up.

The final Premier League game of the weekend was a thriller as Liverpool hosted Arsenal. The home side were timid, tame and shambolic in the first half. Jurgen Klopp making his worst tactical mistake as Liverpool manager by shifting Alexander-Arnold to a central role, which meant that most of the time Liverpool had three at the back and were completely overrun.

It was a schoolboy error to suddenly start playing the same tactics as Arsenal and City for no reason at all. Liverpool's defence looks dead, Van Dijk never tackles anyone and Trent doesn't even do the basics, Arsenal ran into a 2-0 lead. The game changed when Xhaka wound up Trent, lifting the crowd. Salah grabbed a goal back before half-time.

A different animal in the second half, Konate suddenly turned into prime Maldini and Liverpool's heads were up, with pressure leading to a penalty that Salah missed. Firmno added a late and deserved equaliser, with Konate missing the chance to win the game in the dying moments. It was the first sign of a fight from Liverpool in a long time and it cut Arsenal's lead over City.

A special mention goes out to Wrexham who won a thriller at home to Wrexham 3-2 with the sides both locked together on 100 points at the top of the Vanarama National before the whistle blew. The game had everything including a last-minute penalty save from Ben Foster. 

If you're looking for more football action check out these events...

 

FA Cup semi-final Brighton Fan Park

When: Sunday 23rd April

Where: The Arch, Brighton

Brighton will face Manchester United in their FA Cup semi-final tie and they will be looking to make history. It would be a huge achievement for De Zerbi's side to reach the final and you can cheer them on at this fan park at The Arch in Brighton with your fellow fans.

 

Buy tickets:

 

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Alan Thompson Live With A Celtic State of Mind

When: Friday 28th April

Where: Graces Irish Sports Bar, Glasgow

The fourth event in A Celtic State of Mind's live events, you can catch the podcast chatting with club legend Alan Thompson as they chat all things to do with the green half of the Old Firm derby. A must-see event for fans of Celtic, you will hear all the stories of Alan's time at the club.

 

Buy tickets:

 

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FA Cup semi-finals Man Utd vs Brighton

When: Sunday 23rd April

Where: Joshua Brooks, Manchester

One for the Manchester half of the tie, this is a crucial game for Manchester United as the chance to get to another final will be seen as a huge achievement for Ten Haag. At Joshua Brooks, the atmosphere will be amazing and you can get cocktails for as low as £2.50. Cheer on the red half of Manchester.

 

Buy tickets:

 

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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.