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Weekend awards: Best performance, goal, celebration and more!

By Adrian Kajumba 7 Apr 2025
Weekend awards

Adrian Kajumba hands out his personal accolades following the Matchweek 31 action so far

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Football writer Adrian Kajumba looks at the standout players and moments from Matchweek 31 so far.

Best team performance - Fulham 3-2 Liverpool 

Take your pick of the statistics which underline just how impressive it was for Fulham to beat leaders Liverpool 3-2.

Fulham became just the second team to overcome Arne Slot’s side in the Premier League this season and the first to inflict an away defeat on them, ending Liverpool's hopes of becoming just the fifth side to go an entire Premier League season without an away loss.

The Cottagers’ victory marked the first time in Premier League history that Liverpool have shipped three first-half goals after scoring first. 

Fulham also became the first team to be more than one goal ahead of Liverpool during a game this season. 

Going into Matchweek 31, Liverpool were the only side not to have faced a two-goal deficit in a match all season.

The final result, secured largely thanks to a burst of three goals in 14 first-half minutes and voted the most impressive win of the weekend by fans on our Premier League WhatsApp channel, was no fluke for Fulham.

“Throughout the game we were the best team on the pitch,” said head coach Marco Silva, whose team also troubled Liverpool in December’s 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Fulham now have 48 points, five short of their Premier League record total of 53, and are firmly in the mix for European football too, currently sat in eighth position.

Watch Fulham v Liverpool highlights
 
Best celebration - Andre (Wolves)

Wolverhampton Wanderers, and one supporter in particular, will not forget Jorgen Strand Larsen’s winner at Ipswich Town in a hurry.

After the Norwegian struck, midfielder Andre grabbed the fan’s phone and turned the camera on himself to make a cameo appearance in the goal celebration video being filmed. 

Andre Wolves celebration 4x5 on 16x9 background

It did not take long for the clip to surface on social media and go viral. 

Along with leading to the unexpected souvenir for the supporter, Strand Larsen’s goal also sealed a vital 2-1 win for Wolves, which left them on the brink of safety, 12 points above the bottom three.

And the striker’s recent form has handed head coach Vitor Pereira a welcome dilemma.

In the absence of suspended talisman Matheus Cunha, Strand Larsen has stepped up and scored four times in his last three Premier League games. All of those matches have ended in Wolves wins.

On top of that, and as Pereira highlighted, Larsen has thrived playing alongside Marshall Munetsi during that run, with the latter occupying defenders to help create more space for the former.

That has coincided with increased attacking output and effectiveness from Larsen, as highlighted in the table below.

Pereira was keen to reiterate Cunha’s quality as he prepares to welcome him back from his ban, but Strand Larsen’s Munetsi-aided impact may have given the Wolves boss something to think about.

Strand Larsen when starting with Cunha or Munetsi 24/25
  Cunha Per 90 Munetsi Per 90
Starts with 19 - 4 -
Minutes 1,534 - 342 -
Goals 6 0.35 4 1.05
Assists 2 0.12 0 0
Goals + assists 8 0.47 4 1.05
Shots 28 1.64 8 2.11
Big chances 9 0.53 4 1.05
Big chances created 3 0.18 2 0.53
Touches in opp. box 61 3.58 20 5.26
Best assist - Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa) 

“He is important because he is a player who we need to take the tempo on the field,” Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery said of midfielder Youri Tielemans

Indeed, Villa’s Belgian is one of the Premier League’s most influential players, with Tielemans fourth among the division’s midfielders for progressive passes, with 121, and ninth among all players for touches, with 2,185.

And he dictated proceedings to help decide the latest crucial game in Villa’s pursuit of UEFA Champions League football next season, their 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

His best moment was his assist for Morgan Rogers' goal. Tielemans displayed outstanding vision and execution to find Rogers with a pass clipped perfectly over Forest’s defence, which the England youngster brilliantly brought down before firing past Matz Sels.

Watch Tielemans' assist v Forest

Tielemans was also involved in the move that led to Donyell Malen’s winning goal two minutes later.

Forest struggled to pin down Tielemans in the first half, allowing him and Villa too much space as he pulled the strings.

A half-time tactical switch by Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo from a back five to a 4-2-3-1 and more aggressive defensive approach did help his side wrestle back control of the game.

But by then most of the damage had already been done, by a Villa side inspired by Tielemans.

Best individual performance - Brennan Johnson (Spurs)

When they needed a morale-boosting win, Tottenham Hotspur were able to rely on one of their more successful scorers this season and his familiar method of finding the net.

Brennan Johnson netted twice, and also won the penalty Mathys Tel converted, as Spurs ended their four-game winless Premier League run by beating Southampton 3-1. The result sets them up nicely for their crucial UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday. 

And if the outcome was nothing new for Saints - a 25th defeat in 31 league games, confirming their relegation - neither were the goals for Johnson, who is now in double figures for the first time in a Premier League season.

Watch Johnson's goals v Southampton

The Wales international is Spurs’ top scorer in the competition, on 11 goals, with his first-time finishes becoming his trademark.

Johnson's brace against Southampton took his tally of first-time finish goals to 10 out of his 11 in total.

He has also proved to be a repeated danger at the back post too, with the right winger scoring six goals from the left - a joint-Premier League high with Erling Haaland.

“As a wide player there aren't many around that are a constant goal-threat like he is,” Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou said of Johnson, whose return to form and what he does best was timely. 

Most goals assisted from the left in 2024/25
Player Assisted goals Goals assisted from the left
Erling Haaland 15 6
Brennan Johnson 11 6
Liam Delap 7 5
Alex Iwobi 6 5
Chris Wood 11 4
Cole Palmer 10 4
Nicest touch - Tribute to Kevin Campbell 

In the ninth minute at Goodison Park, allegiances were put to one side as both clubs united to honour Kevin Campbell

Campbell, who passed away last June aged 54, played for both Everton and Arsenal.

The striker started his career with Arsenal, making 228 appearances and scoring 60 goals.

Later in his career he joined Everton, where he wore the No 9 shirt, playing 160 times for the Toffees and scoring 50 goals.

His popularity at the two clubs was reflected during a touching moment in the 1-1 draw between them in their final Goodison Park meeting.

A minute’s applause broke out while banners were held up by both sets of fans bearing his name and picture, as a poignant tribute was paid and supporters rose to their feet to remember Campbell.

Kevin Campbell
Best goal - Rodrigo Muniz (Fulham) 

In a weekend containing a number of impressive strikes, the best was the decisive goal in the standout game of Matchweek 31, scored by Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz in their shock win against Liverpool. 

Muniz controlled Alex Iwobi’s skied ball with a brilliant first touch that former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher described during his co-commentary on Sky Sports as “absolutely out of this world.”

As he controlled the ball, Muniz also managed to hold off Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk before spinning and bursting on to it and firing Fulham’s third goal into the net. 

Watch Muniz's goal v Liverpool

“He is a proper quality striker,” Fulham head coach Silva said. “He is still very young but he is growing so quick and so well. We have in our hands a very good striker. He has very high quality for a No 9.”

Muniz showed that with a brilliant run of eight goals in eight games towards the end of last season. He is now on another scoring streak. 

The Brazilian’s goal against Liverpool was his third in three games and he became only the second Fulham player to score home and away against Liverpool in the same Premier League season, after Collins John in 2005/06.

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