Skiddle's open goal: A weekly roundup of football news and events
Here's our latest roundup of what happened in the Premier League this weekend.
Date published: 9th May 2023
Big Sam Allardyce made his return to the Premier League this weekend to take over the reins at Leeds for the final four games. The latest few games were crucial to the relegation battle and some table positions have been completely flipped around. Monday was a rare joyous day in Everton's miserable campaign.
Away at Brighton, they were expected to be blown away by a side who play fluent football but were ahead after just a minute after Lewis Dunk failed to make an interception, leading to Calvert-Lewin teeing up Doucoure to score. From that point onwards Everton were all over the Seagulls and deservedly ran out 5-1 winners. It saw their relegation fears ease ever-so-slightly with it looking unlikely that Leeds will win a game.
Admittedly they were away at Manchester City but the away side didn't look like contenders at all, with Gundogan bossing the game and grabbing two goals. Leeds were able to make City a little nervous though after Rodrigo scored shortly after Gundogan missed a penalty but it was too late for Leeds to threaten an equaliser.
Leicester were away at Fulham and down 3-0 in the first half after a shocking defensive display. This season Leicester have been a shambles at the back and it looks as though they could be going down, Fulham won 5-3 but Leicester's three goals suggest it was a far more competitive game than it actually was.
It was a real showdown at the bottom as Nottingham Forest hosted Southampton. It was as good a game as anyone could have asked for, with goals galore leading to a 4-3 scoreline. Awoniyi grabbed a double, Morgan Gibbs-White had a brilliant game and Southampton got the softest penalty you'll ever see in the 96th minute.
Southampton are down, not officially but there is no chance of the teams above them not picking up another point and it could be confirmed next weekend. Elsewhere, Frank Lampard and Chelsea finally got a win as they beat Bournemouth 3-1 away in a close match.
Liverpool continued their good late form by beating Brentford, they minimised the away side's chances and Salah popped up for his 100th league goal at Anfield. They are now firmly in the hunt for the Champions League places as both Newcastle and Manchester United dropped points.
De Gea made another mistake, his wrists turning to paper as Said Benrahma's weak drive scrambled across the goal line to give West Ham a vital win. Newcastle faced Arsenal and the league title challengers were indebted to brilliant performances from Odegaard and Jorgingo to give them a win against a Newcastle side that never made it easy for them.
It leaves us with a lot to play for in the final few weeks of the season, late slip-ups from United and Newcastle have given Liverpool a chance to sneak in and challenge for the last Champions League spot. The title is still up for grabs even if it is unlikely that Manchester City will lose a game. The relegation fight sees Everton, Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Leeds separated by three points, with no fixture looking easy for any of them.
For more football action take a look at the events below.
Pre-match Legend Meal Aston Villa
When: Saturday 20th May
Where: Hotel Tia, Liverpool
Liverpool are on a roll at the moment and they have one final home game this season against a resurgent Aston Villa. Liverpool need to keep winning to keep their Champions League dream alive but they'll have to stop Ollie Watkins who loves a good goal against them. You can enjoy all the best pre-match buildup here.
When: Saturday 3rd June
Where: Dalston Roofpark, London
The FA Cup final isn't too far away now and it'll see the Manchester derby take place for the first time in the fixture. Both teams will be desperate to win and you can get down to sample the tense atmosphere at this event in London where fans of both sides and neutrals will be looking forward to a thrilling game.
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.
