With the Premier League again following the worldwide break, all eyes had been set to be on the Emirates Stadium for a heavyweight conflict between Arsenal and Liverpool.
Or, that’s what the nostalgia of the Premier League needed us to anticipate – the truth was quite totally different, as Arsenal’s present standing as Europa League-hopefuls at greatest was made brutally clear.
In reality, because it turned out, the day’s most-compelling viewing got here from elsewhere in London, as Chelsea suffered an abysmal residence defeat by West Brom.
Within the East Midlands, Manchester Metropolis took their customary step nearer to the title, whereas Leeds United got here out on prime in an all-Yorkshire affair.
We’ve got taken a have a look at all the perfect Opta information from the 4 video games.
West Brom boss Sam Allardyce is the st supervisor to win away at Stamford Bridge within the #PL with 3 totally different golf equipment#CHEWBA pic.twitter.com/lRNjYhdcJg
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 3, 2021
Chelsea 2-5 West Brom: Blues bruised by Huge Sam’s Baggies in momentous defeat
It was a day to overlook for Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea as their honeymoon interval got here to a bruising and humiliating finish in a 5-2 residence defeat by relegation-threated West Brom.
Chelsea did take the lead by Christian Pulisic, his first objective in 21 video games throughout all competitions, however Thiago Silva’s purple card for 2 bookings within the twenty ninth minute supplied encouragement to West Brom.
Matheus Pereira’s first-half stoppage-time brace – the targets separated by simply two minutes and 46 seconds – put the Baggies in entrance, and Callum Robinson received a double of his personal within the second interval, changing into the primary participant in Premier League historical past to attain a minimum of twice residence and away in opposition to Chelsea in a single marketing campaign.
Mason Mount and Mbaye Diagne received the opposite targets, with Chelsea conceding 5 instances in a house Premier League sport for under the second time, the final being in opposition to Arsenal in October 2011.
Victory ensured Sam Allardyce grew to become the primary supervisor in Premier League historical past to win at Stamford Bridge with three golf equipment, whereas it was Tuchel’s first defeat since changing Frank Lampard in January.
The laborious work begins right here.
Chelsea conceded 8 targets of their 2 matches @WBA within the #PL this season, essentially the most they’ve shipped in opposition to one facet in a single marketing campaign within the competitors#CHEWBA pic.twitter.com/1BgSaueFSh
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 3, 2021
Leeds United 2-1 Sheffield United: Blades approaching new low
Sheffield United have regarded doomed nearly all season – no win over Leeds United at this stage of the season was going to alter that.
However in dropping at Elland Highway, it took them to 24 defeats within the league this time period from 30 video games – solely twice of their complete historical past have they suffered extra losses in a single marketing campaign, 26 in 1975-76 and 2010-11, although on each events had been from many extra matches (42 and 46, respectively).
For Leeds, nevertheless, the win noticed them full a league double over their Yorkshire rivals for the primary time since 1991-92 after they truly received the top-flight title.
Whereas nobody is anticipating them to go near repeating that title feat anytime quickly, Saturday’s go to of Blades did present one other reminder of the positivity Leeds have dropped at the Premier League – it was the fifth time this time period they’ve tried a minimum of 20 pictures (23 this time) in a single sport, with solely Manchester Metropolis doing so extra typically (six).
Jack Harrison’s opener was one among them, with the winger netting his seventh objective of the season to make this his greatest ever marketing campaign in English soccer, whereas Raphinha teed him as much as transfer on to a Leeds-high six assists within the Premier League in 2020-21.
They wanted a serving to hand, although. The seventh personal objective of Phil Jagielka’s profession – solely Richard Dunne (10) has extra – proved decisive, making him the oldest outfield participant (38 years, 229 days) to attain in his personal internet within the prime tier since Stuart Pearce in 2001 (38y, 252d).
Raphinha’s help for Jack Harrison was his th within the #PL this season – no @LUFC participant has extra within the competitors this time period#LEESHU pic.twitter.com/a7nSWA6WLh
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 3, 2021
Leicester Metropolis 0-2 Manchester Metropolis: Guardiola has the important thing to cleansheets
When you concentrate on what Pep Guardiola the coach is related to, ‘tiki-taka’, free-scoring groups and ball-playing centre-backs spring to thoughts instantly.
However now, maybe we should always add defensive solidity to that checklist?
Granted, Guardiola has coached nice groups for almost all of his profession, and so they wouldn’t often have poor defensive data, however his runaway Metropolis facet appears arguably one among his shrewdest ever.
After Saturday’s 2-0 win at Leicester, who though third within the desk had been totally subjugated, Metropolis have saved extra clear sheets (28) and conceded fewer targets (26) in all competitions than some other facet in Europe’s prime 5 leagues.
They prevented Leicester from mustering a single first-half shot for the primary time within the league since December 2019 (in opposition to Liverpool), and the Foxes suffered simply their third defeat of their final 17 top-flight outings.
Among the many scorers for Metropolis was Gabriel Jesus, who continued his outstanding unbeaten run in video games he’s scored (41 – W39, D2), a report solely James Milner (54) and Darius Vassell (46) can higher.
It was the fifth league objective Jesus has managed in opposition to Leicester, making them his second-favourite opponent after Everton (seven targets in opposition to).
Nonetheless, Sergio Aguero was unable to cross one other stadium off his checklist. He’s performed 4 instances on the King Energy Stadium with out scoring – solely two different grounds has he a worse goalless report (eight video games at Anfield, six at Selhurst Park). Following the announcement of his end-of-season departure, it appears Leicester have largely averted his wrath.
Gabriel Jesus has scored in 41 #PL matches, and stays unbeaten in all of these (W39 D2)
Solely James Milner (54) and Darius Vassell (46) have scored in additional with out ever struggling defeat#LEIMCI pic.twitter.com/xH4ABGLVtX
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 3, 2021
Arsenal 0-3 Liverpool: Arteta questions mount together with his report not standing as much as Emery’s
Mikel Arteta’s fiftieth Premier League match as Arsenal coach was one to overlook – although it looks like let’s imagine the identical factor about quite quite a lot of his earlier 49 video games.
Introduced in as Arsenal tried a tough restart, ushering in a brand new ‘period’ with contemporary concepts, Arteta it was hoped would flip the Gunners again into title challengers, however it appears as if they’re even additional away from that than below much-maligned predecessor Unai Emery.
This was Arteta’s seventeenth Premier League defeat, 4 greater than Emery suffered in his first 50 video games, and the sport itself steered there stays a major gulf between Arsenal and a Liverpool facet that’s nowhere close to what it was final season.
However, it’s true that Liverpool’s points have principally been consigned to Anfield lately, with every of their final six league wins – together with this one – coming away from residence. That is solely the second time they’ve ever achieved such a run, the primary recording since 1955.
Maybe outcomes in opposition to Liverpool aren’t the perfect barometer to measure Arsenal in opposition to given they’ve overwhelmed the Reds as soon as of their previous 12 Premier League conferences.
However Arsenal seem like treading water below Arteta, with their points-per-game dropping to 1.3 from 1.7 in his second 25 league matches in cost.
3 – Liverpool have registered their largest ever margin of victory in an away top-flight match in opposition to Arsenal. Cruise. #ARSLIV pic.twitter.com/YVzba6JR5f
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 3, 2021