10 things we learned in the Premier League – Matchweek 2

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What did we learn during matchweek 2 of the 2021-22 Premier League?

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Here’s a look at 10 things which stood out, as our writers Joe Prince-Wright (JPW), Nicholas Mendola (NM) and Andy Edwards (AE) share their observations from across the most recent Premier League games.

VIDEO: PL highlights ]

Let’s get to it.


1. The Lukaku effect is very real (Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea): Fact: There’s not a striker in the world who possesses Lukaku’s terrifying combination of size, strength and mobility. Also fact: There aren’t many (read: maybe a handful) of strikers in the world who possess Lukaku’s spatial awareness and intelligent movement — the way he uses his gravity to pull defenders out of space and create gaps for others. Arsenal are severely lacking in physical center backs as well as, apparently, reliable readers of the game because Lukaku dominated the first half on Sunday with all of 13 touches (only two inside the penalty area). Not only did he score goal no. 1, but he pulled the Arsenal defense into no man’s land to set up the second — a successful second debut, all in 45 minutes’ time. (AE)

2. Clinical Jota deserves to start (Liverpool 2-0 Burnley): 14 goals in 31 Premier League games is a very good return for Jota over the last 12 months and he just gives them a directness and sharpness in attack. Roberto Firmino is probably still the main man up top in the central role for Liverpool, but Jota is pushing him all the way. With two goals in two games to start the season, he looks very clinical. (JPW)

3. Dele a bright spot again (Wolves 0-1 Tottenham): Nuno’s arrival has given Alli a new lease on life, and he appears intent on making the most of it. The 25-year-old midfielder was a bundle of energy, work rate and pressing in the season-opening win over Manchester City, and on Sunday he saw out the game-winning penalty from start to finish to reward his new manager with three more points. (AE)

4. Upward trajectory continues (West Ham 4-1 Leicester): West Ham is a club on the rise — there’s almost no way of denying that fact after years of false hopes and promises. After breaking up the Premier League’s “big six” last season (along with Leicester, it should be said), the Hammers have two wins from two games to again this season. David Moyes even has his side playing some entertaining, attractive football after years of being seen only as a grind-it-out defensive merchant. The quality of football, and in turn the results, have changed drastically in the last year and a half, about the time the West Ham recruitment team shifted its focus away from acquiring big names on massive wages, instead signing a handful of hugely smart bargain buys who have performed well above their wages (Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen, Fornals Angelo Ogbonna and Vladimir Coufal). The sky appears to, finally, be the limit. (AE)

5. Pogba shows his class (Southampton 1-1 Manchester United): He dragged United back into this game and was the reason they grabbed a point. His poise on the ball was excellent, he made the equalizer for Greenwood and was a constant threat. This is the Paul Pogba we all know and love. No matter what happens with his contract situation, let’s enjoy Pogba in the Premier League while we can. (JPW)

6. Man City message sent (Manchester City 5-0 Norwich):Five goals. Twice the passes completed of the visitors. Just under 80 percent of aerial duels won. One off-target shot conceded. This was dominance. (NM)

7. Villa nabs first post-Grealish win (Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle): This storyline is going to be around a while, but is this team already under new leadership following the departure of nine-figure man Jack Grealish (who scored his first Man City goal on Saturday)? Danny Ings looks the same line-leader who delivered Southampton from the drop last season and Burnley before that, while Tyrone Mings was an absolute force with the armband. This is going to be all about Ings and Mings, with a little bit of McGinn(s?). (NM)

8. Strong start for Rafa (Leeds 2-2 Everton): A lot of Everton fans are starting to change their opinion on Rafael Benitez. The Spanish coach is unbeaten in his first two games of the season, getting four points on the board already, and Everton look dangerous going forward. They need to clean things up defensively a little but Benitez is a master at doing that. Positive signs early on for Rafa. (JPW)

9. Brighton can do this (Brighton 2-0 Watford): The Seagulls have been advanced stats darling for a few seasons under Graham Potter but haven’t gotten the rub of the green. Since finishing is looking up after five goals in two games, don’t be surprised if you see these birds pop their heads into the Europa League picture whether through the Premier League or cup play. (NM)

10. Bees still buzzing (Crystal Palace 0-0 Brentford): If one team was going to win this, it was Brentford. Four points from their first two games is a great return and had they been a little sharper in the final third, they would have won. Mbuemo and Toney are a handful and when they win the ball back high, the entire team comes to life. What a start to life in the PL for Brentford. (JPW)

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Tigres stun Chivas with wild comeback in five-goal thriller to win Liga MX Clausura

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Tigres fought back from 2-0 down to beat Chivas 3-2 after extra time in a crazy second leg of Liga MX’s Clausura final, as Tigres were crowned Clausura champs.

WATCH FULL REPLAY

Tied at 0-0 from the first leg of the final in San Nicolas on Thursday, Chivas roared into an early 2-0 lead at Akron Stadium as Roberto Alvarado and Victor Guzman both scored inside the opening 20 minutes.

But then Tigres roared back in the second half with Andre-Pierre Gignac scoring a penalty kick with 25 minutes to go, then six minutes later Sebastian Cordova made it 2-2 to force extra time.

[ TRANSFER NEWS: Arsenal | Liverpool | Chelsea | Tottenham | Man City | Man United

When the game looked destined for penalty kicks Guido Pizarro then scored a deflected winner in the 110th minute for Tigres, as two late red cards saw Cordova sent off for Tigres and Gilberto Sepulveda sent off for Chivas.

At the final whistle it was Tigres’ players who celebrated one of the most incredible comebacks in Liga MX final history, as they secured an eight Liga MX trophy and their first since winning the Clausura in 2019.


How to watch Chivas vs Tigres live, stream link and start time

Kick off: Sunday, May 28 – 9:25pm ET 
TV Channel: Telemundo, Universo
Online: Stream via Peacock


Second leg Chivas vs Tigres video highlights – 2-3

First leg Tigres vs Chivas video highlights – 0-0


Premier League final table: Final standings for 2022-23 season

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If it’s the 2022-23 Premier League table you’re after, you’ve come to the right place.

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After the break for the 2022 World Cup, the Premier League returned with a bang and the start to 2023 delivered plenty of fun and it continued into the business end of the season.

Manchester City chased down Arsenal to win yet another Premier League title. Manchester United’s new-look side reclaimed a place in the top four, and so did Newcastle. Brighton and Aston Villa surprised by qualifying for Europe, while Liverpool dips into an unusual competition for its recent standards.

Teams were relegated. Managers were sacked. And here’s how the table looked when all was said and done.


Premier League final table – End of season

Premier League standings

NBC Sports’ standings and scoreboard



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Leicester relegated despite final day win over West Ham

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Leicester City has been relegated to the Championship despite getting the win it needed to have hope of survival: a 2-1 defeat of West Ham United at the King Power Stadium on Championship Sunday.

Leicester entered the day two points back of Everton for 17th place on the Premier League table and got goals from Harvey Barnes and Wout Faes to secure three points, but Everton outlasted Bournemouth 1-0 to match the Foxes and keep them below the dreaded line.

WATCH LEICESTER vs WEST HAM FULL MATCH REPLAY STREAM – LINK

Leicester finishes its season with 34 points in 18th place on the Premier League table.

West Ham, on the other hand, will be forgiven for focusing on the Europa Conference League Final but fought hard for an equalizer even though it only found a Pablo Fornals marker after Leicester had gone ahead two. The Irons finish 14th with 40 points.

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Too little, too late for Foxes

“Too little, too late” may go down as the story of the Foxes season.

Leicester did not get its recruitment plans correct — somewhat forced by Financial Fair Play — and then put too much faith in Brendan Rodgers to make things work.

Dean Smith got some performances out of this men, few better than Sunday, but this ultimately feels like a fait accompli: Sometimes, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Despite big seasons from Harvey Barnes and James Maddison, this was that.

There’s also the question of playing for a draw against Newcastle on Monday, but let’s not heap criticism on Dean Smith for taking a calculated risk. He deserves better.


Leicester vs West Ham player ratings: Stars of the Show

Leicester vs West Ham player ratings
fotmob.com

Harvey Barnes goal video: Leicester lifeline!


Wout Faes goal video: Foxes double the lead


Pablo Fornals goal video: Irons pull one back


How to watch Leicester vs West Ham live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 11:30am ET Sunday
TV Channel: SYFY
Online: Watch live on Peacock + Watch live on NBCSports.com


Key storylines & star players

Leicester would love to see Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Wilfred Ndidi pass fitness checks, but Dean Smith will have rested and ready Harvey Barnes and James Maddison in a bid to score more goals than the Irons.

West Ham could be seeing the penultimate appearance of Declan Rice in an Irons shirt, as the big-money midfielder is being linked to several big clubs in the Premier League.


Leicester team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: James Justin (calf), Jannik Vestergaard (calf), Wilfred Ndidi (thigh), Caglar Soyuncu (thigh), Ryan Bertrand (other)

West Ham team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Gianluca Scamacca (knee)

Leeds relegated from Premier League as Harry Kane hits 30-goal mark

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Leeds (31 points – 19th place) have been relegated from the Premier League after they were beaten 4-1 by Tottenham at Elland Road on the final day of the 2022-23 season.

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Harry Kane scored twice more to complete his second 30-goal season, as Tottenham (60 points – 8th place) missed out on the Premier League’s final European place with Aston Villa beating 6th-place Brighton to qualify for the Europa Conference League. Now, a painfully pivotal summer of hirings and signings awaits for Spurs.

It was a nightmare start for Leeds, who needed not only a victory of their own but also points to be dropped by both Everton and Leicester above them. Tottenham’s first foray into Leeds’ penalty area ended with Kane hammering the ball past Joel Robles.

WATCH LEEDS vs TOTTENHAM FULL MATCH REPLAY

New half, same story for Leeds, who conceded once again barely a minute into the second half. Kane turned provider this time, as he lofted a blind ball into the channel for the overlapping Pedro Porro, who barely had a sight of goal with Robles smothering the near post. But, Porro placed a pinpoint strike just inside the far post from a tight angle.

Leeds gave themselves a faint hope when he slotted home after Georginio Rutter picked him out between two defenders in the 67th minute, but Kane answered just two minutes later with his second of the day and the 280th — and potentially final — goal of his Tottenham career.


Leeds United relegation reaction

Club statement:

“Everyone connected with Leeds United is deeply disappointed by the club’s relegation back to the Sky Bet Championship, after three seasons in the Premier League.

“Relegation is painful, and we apologize to our fanbase that the performances this season have not seen the club consolidate our status as we had all hoped.

“However, Leeds United remains in a strong position to build a team that can challenge for promotion from the Championship next season.

“We know things have not been good enough, we know we have to improve, but please be assured that behind the scenes we have worked hard to ensure that the past will not be repeated. Our focus is now on how we get straight back to the Premier League.

“Thank you for your unwavering support for the players and the badge, our objective is to continue to build the club into the one you deserve.”


Stars of the show

Leeds vs Tottenham
Photo: FotMob.com

Leeds vs Tottenham, final score: 1-4

2nd minute – Harry Kane hammers home Tottenham’s opening goal

47th minute – Pedro Porro places a pinpoint strike inside the far post for 2-0

67th minute – Jack Harrison gives Leeds a late lifeline

69th minute – Harry Kane answers immediately with his 30th goal of the season

90th minute +4 – Lucas Moura adds to Leeds misery with Spurs’ 4th goal


How to watch Leeds vs Tottenham live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 11:30 am ET, Sunday
TV channel: CNBC
Online: Stream via Peacock Premium + Watch on NBCSports.com


Key storylines & star players

Leeds have had plenty of time opportunities to drag themselves out of the bottom-three and away from the relegation scrap as a whole, but they are now winless in their last eight games (0W-2D-6L) and have won just three of their last 24. Their biggest problem? The Premier League’s worst defensive record in 2022-23 — 74 goals conceded in 37 games. In each of the last four seasons, the side to concede the most goals has been relegated.

With another summer of uncertainty (from the manager to most of the first-team squad) on the cards for Spurs, Sunday could be the final time Harry Kane pulls on the white shirt of Tottenham, following reports this week that he will ask — or perhaps has already asked — to leave the club if a fair offer is made. Kane’s 278 goals make him the club’s all-time record goal scorer, and his departure could signal a full-blown tear-down and rebuild for the incoming manager still to be hired.


Leeds team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Tyler Adams (hamstring – out for season), Luis Sinisterra (ankle – out for season), Patrick Bamford (thigh)

Tottenham team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Cristian Romero (undisclosed), Rodrigo Bentancur (torn ACL – out for season), Hugo Lloris (hip), Eric Dier (hernia), Ryan Sessegnon (thigh), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (undisclosed)

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