Leaders on Boxing Day: Liverpool FC took the lead in the Premier League on the traditional matchday on Boxing Day. Team manager Jürgen Klopp’s team won 2-0 (1-0) at penultimate FC Burnley and moved past Arsenal FC (40) with 42 points. The Gunners don’t face West Ham United until Thursday.
Aston Villa could have drawn level with Liverpool on Tuesday evening, but blew a 2-0 half-time lead at Manchester United and lost 3-2. Villa has 39 points.
Liverpool lived up to their role as favorites early on and took the lead through Darwin Nunez (6th). The guests continued to dominate the game after that, but missed further good opportunities until the break.
The Reds were the better team even after the change. The VAR conceded Harvey Elliott’s goal (55th) due to Mohamed Salah being in an offside position. Diogo Jota (90th) made the decision. John McGinn (21st) and Leander Dendoncker (26th) scored for Villa – the young Argentine Alejandro Garnacho (59th/71st) equalized. Rasmus Höjlund’s first Premier League goal (82nd) made Man United celebrate.
Premier League: Chris Wood’s hat-trick ensures Newcastle’s defeat
Boxing Day was less successful for Bernd Leno. The national goalkeeper, who got into a scuffle with a ball boy, lost 0-3 (0-1) with Fulham FC in Bournemouth. Justin Kluivert (44th), Dominic Solanke (62nd, penalty kick) and Luis Sinisterra (90th + 3) scored for the hosts. Leno didn’t look good when he conceded the first goal.
Striker Chris Wood from Nottingham Forest started the special match day with a furious hat-trick. Thanks to the New Zealander’s goals (45th + 1, 53rd and 60th), the relegation candidate celebrated their first win under new team manager Nuno Espirito Santo in a 3-1 (1-1) win at Newcastle United. At the same time, it was the first success after seven league games without a win.
Wood turned the game around after former Dortmund player Alexander Isak (23rd, penalty kick) had given the hosts the lead. Espirito Santo, former coach of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, took over Nottingham the previous week after his predecessor Steve Cooper was sacked. On his debut last Saturday, the Portuguese suffered a 2-3 defeat against Bournemouth.
Newcastle currently has four defeats from its last five league games and is in danger of losing sight of the Champions League places.
In the bottom of the table, Luton Town celebrated a 3-2 (1-0) win at bottom team Sheffield United. After the interim 1-2 deficit, two own goals from Jack Robinson (77th) and Anis Slimane (81st) gave the guests victory.