Premier League Matchday 36 Roundup

Matchday 36 of the Premier League is history, and with the champion and relegated teams already decided, the excitement in these final weeks is focused on the battle for European competition spots—and there have been many changes.

The champions, Liverpool, hosted a struggling Arsenal side and drew 2-2, leaving the Gunners just one step away from securing their place in next season’s Champions League.

Nottingham Forest’s Champions League run continued as they missed a huge opportunity, drawing with already-relegated Leicester and dropping to seventh place, which grants a spot in the Conference League.

Newcastle defeated a direct rival, Chelsea, 2-0 and climbed up to third place, while Manchester City failed to take advantage of facing the league’s bottom team, settling for a goalless draw.

In another crucial battle, Aston Villa earned a 0-1 win over Bournemouth, while the two Europa League finalists, Manchester United and Tottenham, lost at home 0-2 to West Ham and Crystal Palace, respectively.

Premier League Matchday 36: Results

Premier League Matchday 36 Roundup: Southampton vs. Manchester City

Manchester City suffered a setback that could be fatal in their fight for a Champions League spot after a goalless draw against bottom side Southampton.

The ‘Citizens,’ playing away, fielded all their top players but were unable to break the deadlock. It wasn’t so much due to the performance of Aaron Ramsdale, but rather the lack of finishing from City’s attackers. They had 26 shots but only five on target, leaving Pep Guardiola with plenty to criticize regarding their accuracy.

The hosts focused on defending and waiting for a mistake from City, which never came. With this draw, Southampton reached 12 points, while City sits fourth with 65 points, withonly three points separating them from seventh place.

Premier League Matchday 36 Roundup: Newcastle vs. Chelsea

Newcastle secured a crucial victory by defeating Chelsea 2-0 to climb to third place in the Premier League, while their opponents remain fifth but are now in a difficult position.

The ‘Magpies’ got off to a quick start, with Sandro Tonali scoring just two minutes in by finishing off a cross from the right by Jacob Murphy to make it 1-0.

Things got worse for the ‘Blues’ in the 24th minute when VAR called the referee to review a Nicolas Jackson elbow to Sven Botman’s face. The forward was shown a red card, leaving the London side with ten men.

Nick Pope came up with a couple of big saves for Newcastle, and Bruno Guimarães sealed the win in the 90th minute with a long-range shot that deflected and looped over goalkeeper Robert Sánchez.

It ended 2-0, and now, Eddie Howe’s side sits third with 66 points, while Chelsea is fifth with 63. Only four points separate third from seventh place.

Premier League Matchday 36 Roundup: Liverpool vs. Arsenal

What was expected to be a final, given how things had been shaping up in the league, ended up being just another match that finished in a 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Arsenal.

The ‘Reds,’ already crowned champions, were playing at home and hoped to celebrate with a victory for their fans. Things seemed to be going their way early on, as they stormed to a 2-0 lead with goals in the 20th and 21st minutes.

Cody Gakpo opened the scoring with a header from an Andrew Robertson cross, and Luis Díaz tapped in the second after a great assist from Dominik Szoboszlai.

However, in the second half, the ‘Gunners’ got back into the match early with a header from Gabriel Martinelli in the 47th minute.

Then, in the 70th, Martin Ødegaard fired a shot from a distance that Alisson saved with help from the post, but the rebound fell to Mikel Merino, who dove in with a header to level the score. The Spaniard was later sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

Liverpool now have 83 points, while Arsenal sit second with 68 and need just one more win to secure their spot in next season’s Champions League—from which they were eliminated last week in the semifinals.

Premier League Matchday 36 Roundup: Nottingham Forest vs. Leicester

One team that could end up regretting this weekend for a long time is Nottingham Forest, which failed to hold onto their lead and drew 2-2 against already-relegated Leicester.

The ‘Foxes’ struck first with a header from Conor Coady in the 16th minute, following a great save from goalkeeper Matz Sels after a shot by Bilal El Khannouss.

Forest, who are fighting for a Champions League spot, managed to turn the game around—first with a header from Morgan Gibbs-White, and then with another headed goal by top scorer Chris Wood.

However, in the 81st minute, Argentine Facundo Buonanotte entered the box, dribbled past a defender, and calmly finished into the corner to secure the 2-2 final score, severely hurting the home side’s hopes.

With a win, Forest would have climbed to fifth, but now they sit seventh with 62 points, just one behind fifth place. Leicester, already relegated, are 19th with 22 points.