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With just 11 games to go after the conclusion of Match Week 27 in the Premier League, the race for top 4 along with the relegation battle is as tense as ever with several teams looking to reach their goals before the end of what has been an action-packed campaign.
And Match Week 27 only added to the drama as two 5-goal thrillers saw Arsenal and Liverpool pick up the 3 points against Everton and West Ham. Manchester United, too, picked up a big 3 points with victory over Watford in dominant fashion. With that being said, here are 3 talking points from round 27 of the Premier League.
#1 Arsenal remain unbeaten in 2020
Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side have been significantly better since the turn of the year, going unbeaten, and securing crucial victories over the likes of Olympiacos and Newcastle. And it was this newfound winning mentality that helped Arsenal see off an Everton side who have also endured a rejuvenated spell since the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti in a game that featured 5 goals - with the first coming within 50 seconds.
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The goal came from an Everton set-piece when the ball fell to the inform Dominic Calvert-Lewin whose acrobatic effort found the back of the net to give the Toffees a perfect start.
However, it wasn't long before the Gunners responded with a goal of their own through Eddie Nketiah. This signalled a change in tempo and soon after, a complete turnaround when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's tidy finish past Jordan Pickford gave Arsenal what they hoped would be a half-time lead. But this wasn't the case, Richarlison tied the proceedings deep in added time to end the half level at 2-2.
Both managers would have been hoping for fewer goals in the second half and better defensive performances. However, just one minute into the second half, Ancelotti's team talk was thrown out the window when Aubameyang doubled his tally for the evening and in doing so, give Arsenal the lead in what was the final goal in one of the games of the season.
#2 Bruno Fernandes stars in a Manchester United win
After a below-par performance in midweek against Club Brugge, Manchester United needed to bounce back. And that they did, in dominant fashion. Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side demolished a relegation threatened Watford by three goals to nil with January signing, Bruno Fernandes finding the back of the net for the first time in a United shirt.
The former Sporting Lisbon midfielder opened the scoring from the spot with a calm and collected, almost Jorginho like penalty into the corner of the Watford net 3 minutes before half-time.
United doubled their lead with the in-form Anthony Martial slotting home to give his side a firm grip on the game. The match then seemed to fall into a pattern of keep-ball for Manchester United who were desperate to see out the result.
And the cherry was well and truly put on the cake in the 75th minute when Bruno Fernandes assisted Mason Greenwood for the third goal of the game. United are now just 3 points away from top 4 (41 points from 27 matches), a position that has all of a sudden become very reachable for Manchester United.
#3 Liverpool edge past West Ham in a 5-goal thriller
Monday night football saw the return of Liverpool in the Premier League after a mid-week defeat in Madrid left the Reds disappointed and angered. Not dwelling on their disappointment, Jurgen Klopp's side got off to the perfect start when Gini Wijnaldum's header found the back of the net to give Liverpool the lead to the joy of the Anfield faithful.
However, this joy was shortlived as West Ham soon found the equaliser. The goal came after a succession of corners eventually found the head of Issa Diop who steered the effort clear of Alisson Becker in front of the Kop. Liverpool never seemed to recover from the goal in the first half and as the second began, they soon found themselves behind.
The goal came just 9 minutes after the restart when Pablo Fornals finished from a Declan Rice cross to hand Liverpool a hammer blow. But, if anything, the goal seemed to awaken the beast.
Klopp's men piled on the pressure and in the 68th minute, West Ham cracked as Mohamed Salah's shot slipped through the legs of Łukasz Fabiański who will feel disappointed by the goal, one he should have comfortably saved. The pressure didn't stop there, however, and soon Liverpool had the winner. Sadio Mane latched onto a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross to give the Reds yet another win in a season that has seen Liverpool win 26 out of 27 games with a lone draw.
To conclude, Match Week 27 of the Premier League saw Liverpool go within 4 wins of a first Premier League title and Manchester United close the gap to three points in the race for top 4 behind Chelsea, with Bruno Fernandes netting his first of potentially many Manchester United goals.
Also see | Liverpool 3-2 West Ham: 3 reasons why the Reds won the game | Premier League 2019-20
