As Matchday 20 marks the halfway point of the 2024/25 English Premier League season, the excitement is palpable.
This week’s highlight was the 2-2 draw between Manchester United and league leaders Liverpool on Sunday. By only securing one point, Liverpool allowed some ground to be gained by their competitors like Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, and Manchester City. Nonetheless, Liverpool remains atop the league, leading Arsenal by six points and holding a game in hand.
Nottingham Forest clinched their sixth consecutive Premier League victory by defeating Wolves, bouncing back from a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. This puts Forest on 40 points, tying with Arsenal, and in strong contention for the second spot in the upcoming weeks.
Bournemouth also made a positive stride with a narrow 1-0 win over Everton, maintaining their position in 7th place.
Let’s delve into some of last week’s significant matches and their impact on the league standings.
Manchester United Secure Crucial 2-2 Draw Against Liverpool
Coming off a difficult loss to Newcastle at the end of 2024, Manchester United faced the formidable challenge of playing against league leaders Liverpool on Sunday. They delivered one of their best performances this season, achieving an impressive 2-2 draw despite being the underdogs.
The first half concluded without any goals, although both sides created a few challenging opportunities. It wasn’t until the 52nd minute that Manchester United broke the deadlock, with Lisandro Martinez launching a powerful shot past Alisson, putting them ahead 1-0.
Liverpool quickly responded, with Cody Gakpo netting a brilliant goal seven minutes later, leveling the score.Mohamed Salah further extended his position as the league’s top scorer by netting his 18th goal of the season from the penalty spot, matching Thierry Henry’s record of 175 Premier League goals. With just 20 minutes remaining, it appeared that Liverpool was on track to secure another victory.
However, fate had other plans as Amad Diallo scored a crucial goal by redirecting Alejandro Garnacho’s cut-back into the net.
Harry Maguire nearly snatched the win for United but narrowly missed the target from around 12 yards out right before the final whistle.
Despite the draw, Liverpool maintains a strong position in the league standings, leading second-place Arsenal by six points with a game in hand.
Man City Triumphs Over West Ham 4-1, Haaland Nets Twice
Erling Haaland showcased his scoring prowess again, netting two goals in Manchester City’s 4-1 victory against West Ham this week, marking his first multi-goal match in over three months.
Haaland’s first goal came from a header late in the first half, followed by a composed chip over West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. Earlier in the match, Savinho initiated the scoring with a deflected own goal off Vladimir Coufal in the 10th minute.
Phil Foden sealed the win in the 58th minute with a simple tap-in, thanks to an unselfish assist from Kevin de Bruyne.
West Ham did pull one back when Niclas Fullkrug converted a Tomas Soucek cross, but it was too little too late. This defeat marks West Ham’s second consecutive loss, dropping them to 14th in the standings.
Manchester City has climbed back to sixth place but remains 12 points behind Liverpool.
EPL 2024/25 Matchday 20 Results
| Tottenham | 1 |
| Newcastle | 2 |
| Bournemouth | 1 |
| Everton | 0 |
| Aston Villa | 2 |
| Leicester City | 1 |
| Crystal Palace | 1 |
| Chelsea | 1 |
| Southampton | 0 |
| Brentford | 5 |
| Man City | 4 |
| West Ham | 1 |
| Brighton | 1 |
| Arsenal | 1 |
| Fulham | 2 |
| Ipswich Town | 2 |
| Liverpool | 2 |
| Man United | 2 |
| Wolves | 0 |
| Nottingham Forest | 3 |