EPL Wrap-up: Awoniyi ends 78-day scoring drought as thriller on the Bridge sends City top

Taiwo Awoniyi ended a 78-day goal drought with the equaliser for Forest, away to West Ham, but the Hammers won 3-2, courtesy of an 88th-minute goal from Tomas Soucek. A defensive blunder gave Lucas Paqueta the chance to strike as early as the third minute. Awoniyi scored his fifth goal of the season with a tap-in in the 44th minute to take Forest level into the break.

Forest took the lead with Anthony Elanga’s goal assisted by Ola Aina, but West Ham equalised through Jarrod Bowen and then secured the win with Soucek’s goal.

Jide Alakar at the Bridge

Manchester City ended the weekend top of the table by one point from Liverpool, and what an effort by the defending champions to earn that point at Stamford Bridge.

The last match of Matchday 12 provided all the thrills that make the English Premier League the most-watched league in the world. The scoring kicked off with a penalty and ended with a penalty as Chelsea forced City to a 4-4 result.

The referee, Anthony Taylor, adjudged Marc Cucurella to have fouled Erling Haaland in the 22nd minute. The Norwegian picked his spot, and City led. But not for long. From a corner, Thiago Silva headed Chelsea level. Former City forward Raheem Sterling gave Chelsea the lead after 37 minutes, but Manuel Akanji drew City level one minute into added time.

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Spectators were hardly back in their seats in the second half before Haaland scrambled the ball in from a Julian Alvarez cross, but when Emerson spilled the ball into Nicolas Jackson’s path, the Senegalese grabbed his fourth game in a week to draw Chelsea level again.

Rodri thought he had won it with his deflected shot off Silva in the 86th minute, but Mauricio Pochettino sent on Armando Broja, and the sub won the penalty, from which Cole Palmer scored the equaliser to end the thriller 4-4.

Chelsea have now drawn against the top six teams, like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City, and beaten Spurs this season. City lead the table with 28 points, and Chelsea are back in 10th place with 16 points.

Other Matches

In the other matches, Liverpool put behind them the loss to Toulouse in the Europa League as they brushed aside Brentford 3-0. Mohamed Salah scored a brace to take his goals in the EPL to 147 in 229 league games and 200 goals in all competitions for Liverpool and Chelsea, where he scored just two goals.

The three goals took Jurgen Klopp’s men into second place, ahead of Arsenal. Tottenham are fourth with 26 points.

Fulham, with Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi, were beaten 3-1 away to Aston Villa. An own goal from Antonee Robinson gave Villa the lead in the 27th minute. John McGinn doubled the lead in the 42nd minute, and Ollie Watkins made it three in the 64th minute.

Fulham got their consolation through Raul Jimenez in the 70th minute. It was the Mexican’s first goal in almost two years. His last league goal before Sunday’s strike was a goal against Spurs on 13 February 2022