The Wrap: What's happened in Matchweek 22

Football writer Ben Bloom analyses an incredible weekend of Matchweek 22 action in which there were big results at the top and bottom of the table.

Liverpool left it late at Brentford to maintain their push towards the Premier League title, while Nottingham Forest extended their unbeaten run to eight games as they moved level on points with Arsenal at the head of the chasing pack.

A mauling of Ipswich Town catapulted Manchester City back into the top four ahead of Chelsea’s Monday night fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In the bottom half, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur’s woes continued with defeats against Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton respectively, as the two struggling clubs slipped lower down the table ahead of their return to European action.

NEW

1-4

BOU

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Newcastle United’s club-record winning streak came to a crashing halt as Eddie Howe once again felt the curse of his former club.

The hosts had won their last nine matches in all competitions, but were powerless in the face of a Justin Kluivert-inspired AFC Bournemouth, who are now unbeaten in 10 Premier League games.

With three goals and an assist, Kluivert became the first Bournemouth player ever to be involved in as many as four goals in a single Premier League match. He capped off his second hat-trick of the season in stoppage time before setting up Milos Kerkez to rub salt in Newcastle’s wounds.

Kluivert completes his hat-trick v Newcastle

It was the latest example of Andoni Iraola’s side excelling on their travels, having taken 14 points from their last six away matches - more than any other team has done in the equivalent span. Incredibly, Bournemouth have also scored at least two goals in seven consecutive away outings.

It meant huge disappointment for Newcastle, with Howe’s record against his old club now standing at two defeats and four draws in the six league matches since he departed Bournemouth.

Alexander Isak’s goalscoring streak also came to a juddering halt. The Swede had scored in his previous eight Premier League appearances, but failed to register a shot from open play.

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0-2

LIV

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Just as they looked set to depart west London frustrated after a dominant but toothless performance, Liverpool substitute Darwin Nunez popped up with the latest of doubles to hand the league leaders a much-wanted win.

The table-toppers had drawn their last two league matches and looked to be on course to drop points again, despite peppering Mark Flekken’s goal.

Their 37 shots was both a Premier League record for an away side and the club’s joint-highest on record (since 2003/04).

But after the first 35 of those efforts were unsuccessful, substitute Nunez converted the final two in stoppage time.

Since his first Premier League campaign in 2022/23, only Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, with eight, has scored more goals having come off the bench than the seven of Nunez.

His first was set up by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 21st assist for a winning goal in the Premier League. Only Steven Gerrard (27) and Mohamed Salah (25) have registered more for Liverpool.

After winning seven of their first eight home Premier League matches, Brentford’s form at the Gtech Community Stadium has tailed off alarmingly. They have now failed to win any of their last four at home.

LEI

0-2

FUL

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Ruud van Nistelrooy’s time at the Leicester City helm went from bad to worse as yet another defeat means he has now overseen the club’s worst run of results in more than two decades.

The hosts have lost seven consecutive league matches for only the fourth time in their history, also doing so in April 2001 (a run of eight), September 1990 and January 1932.

They have also failed to score in four consecutive home league matches for the first time since 1983.

Having been above the relegation zone when Van Nistelrooy took over, the club find themselves in 19th, with only floundering Southampton beneath them.

Relegation battle

Position Pos	Club	Played Pl	GD	Points Pts
16	Everton EVE	21	-10	20
17	Wolves WOL	21	-17	16
18	Ipswich IPS	22	-23	16
19	Leicester LEI	22	-25	14
20	Southampton SOU	22	-35	6

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Victory for Fulham came through goals from Emile Smith Rowe - making his 100th Premier League appearance - and Adama Traore.

It gave Marco Silva’s side breathing room in 10th place as they begin to entertain thoughts of potentially bringing European football back to Craven Cottage for the first time in 13 years.

WHU

0-2

CRY

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After a chastening start to the season, Crystal Palace’s unbeaten league run now stands at five matches, leaving West Ham United's new boss Graham Potter in no doubt as to the scale of his task.

Palace have gone seven consecutive away games without losing for the first time in their top-flight history, with Jean-Philippe Mateta again the architect of their joy at the London Stadium.

Two goals from the Frenchman took Mateta's tally to four in his last three matches. Remarkably, while his opener was his 31st goal for Palace in the Premier League, it was his first scored from outside the box.

Mateta's first goal v West Ham

With players such as Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville and Michail Antonio all absent, Potter opted for Mohammed Kudus to lead the line.

The outcome was far from what the West Ham head coach desired as his side failed to record a shot on target in a Premier League home game for the second occasion this season - the first time they have done so on multiple occasions at home in the same campaign since 2005/06.

Indeed, visits from Palace are fast becoming a source of dread, with the south Londoners now unbeaten in their last six Premier League matches at West Ham.

ARS

2-2

AVL

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For an hour at the Emirates Stadium, with the hosts two goals to the good, all seemed to be heading in one inevitable direction.

Arsenal had won their last 46 Premier League home matches (dating back to October 2019) in which they led by 2+ goals, while Villa had not managed so much as a point when facing a deficit of 2+ goals in a Premier League away fixture for 52 matches (since November 2013).

But, having barely troubled Arsenal for the opening 60 minutes, up popped Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins to secure an unlikely share of the spoils and put a dent in the hosts’ title aspirations.

Last season, Mikel Arteta’s side relinquished only nine points from winning positions - the second-lowest total in the Premier League.

Already this season, they have dropped 12, their most in a single campaign since 2019/20 (21).

Leandro Trossard crossed for both Arsenal goals - converted by Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz - ensuring Arteta’s side have scored more often from crosses (11) than any other Premier League side this season.

EVE

3-2

TOT

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David Moyes’ second Everton era got up and running in spectacular fashion as his previously goal-shy team banged in three inside the opening half to condemn struggling Spurs to a seventh defeat in their last 10 league matches.

Prior to kick-off, Everton had scored a division-low 15 goals in 2024/25. But they tore into the visitors from the outset, Dominic Calvert-Lewin opening the scoring with his first league goal since last September, ending a barren run of 16 matches.

Iliman Ndiaye and an Archie Gray own goal then ensured Everton led by 3+ goals at half-time in a home Premier League match for the first time since February 2017.

Spurs rallied late on. Dejan Kulusevski pulled one back before Richarlison added another, meaning the Brazilian has now scored on all three of his return visits to Goodison Park since making the switch from Everton to Spurs.

However, a point would have been undeserved for the injury-hit visitors, who now sit only three places above the relegation zone.

Spurs have already suffered 12 league defeats this campaign - the first time they have lost a dozen of their opening 22 matches since 1997/98.

MUN

1-3

BHA

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Ruben Amorim did not hold back after watching his side fall to their latest defeat, suggesting "we are the worst team, maybe, in the history of Manchester United".

United have lost 10 of their 22 Premier League matches this season, the earliest in a league campaign that they have reached double figures for defeats since 1989/90.

It was also their sixth Premier League loss at Old Trafford this season, the most from their opening 12 home matches of a league campaign since 1893/94.

Amorim's side fell behind to a Yankuba Minteh strike before Bruno Fernandes equalised from the penalty spot.

The United captain has scored 22 penalties in the Premier League. Only Mohamed Salah (23) has netted more from the spot since Fernandes joined the Red Devils.

Brighton then restored their lead through Kaoru Mitoma, who became the outright highest-scoring Japanese player in Premier League history, with 15 goals, moving one clear of former Leicester striker Shinji Okazaki.

Mitoma's history-making goal v Man Utd

Georginio Rutter then turned the ball into an empty net for Brighton's third.

It was Brighton’s sixth win in seven meetings with United, and meant they joined Man City as the only clubs to claim three successive wins at Old Trafford in the Premier League era.

NFO

3-2

SOU

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Nottingham Forest extended their unbeaten run to eight Premier League matches to maintain their unlikely title push and stay on track to qualify for Europe next season.

In a remarkable start to the campaign, Forest’s 44-point tally from their opening 22 matches is their second-highest ever at this stage of a top-flight season, behind only 1977/78, when they had acquired 49 points.

They have won seven and drawn one of their most recent eight matches and now have a six-point cushion over fourth-placed Man City.

The hosts took the lead through Elliot Anderson’s first goal for the club - the 18th time Forest have scored first in 22 league matches.

Anderson's goal v Southampton

Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood then extended the lead before half-time. Since Nuno Espirito Santo took charge in December 2023, only Isak (25) and Erling Haaland (24) have scored more non-penalty goals in the Premier League than Wood's tally of 23.

Southampton showed late spirit to pull goals back through Jan Bednarek and Paul Onuachu, but they have now lost all five league matches since Ivan Juric was appointed in December.

Only three sides in English Football League history have had fewer points from their first 22 matches of a league season (since the introduction of three points for a win) than Southampton’s six.

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0-6

MCI

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A resurgent Phil Foden helped Man City to their biggest win of the season, firing the reigning Premier League champions back into the top four.

Foden had looked a shadow of his former self in the early stages of this campaign, not scoring in his opening 11 Premier League appearances.

However, he has appeared rejuvenated of late, scoring in three successive league matches for the first time since October 2022.

He grabbed two goals against Ipswich Town to take his tally to five in his past three Premier League outings - more than any other player in the top flight since the turn of the year.

Foden's two goals v Ipswich

Foden also assisted for Mateo Kovacic, while Jeremy Doku, Haaland and James McAtee all got their names on the scoresheet.

The win marked the 13th time Man City have scored 6+ goals in a Premier League match under Guardiola. Only Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd (14) have done so on more occasions in the competition.

Ipswich remain in the relegation zone.