Premier League Matchday 24 Review

As the race for the title and European spots intensifies, Matchweek 24 of the Premier League showcased in-form teams as well as unexpected setbacks, particularly at the top of the table. Nottingham Forest delivered a statement win, Chelsea made the most of the weekend, and Tottenham finally got back on track. Here’s a roundup of the results.

Tottenham Ends Premier League Winless Streak

After seven league games without a win, Tottenham finally returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory away at Brentford. The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Vitaly Janelt inadvertently turned a Heung-min Son corner into his own net. Despite multiple attempts from the Bees—most notably a Yoane Wissa shot that skimmed the crossbar—Tottenham held firm defensively. Djed Spence made a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Fabio Carvalho before Pape Sarr sealed the win in the 87th minute, finishing off a brilliant assist from Son.

This victory lifts Ange Postecoglou’s men to 14th place, while Brentford slumps to a fifth defeat in six home games.

Wolves Secure Crucial Derby Win Over Aston Villa

Wolverhampton gave themselves some breathing room in the relegation battle with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde opened the scoring in the 12th minute, finishing off a well-worked team move with a near-post strike. Despite several missed chances from Gonçalo Guedes and Matheus Cunha, Wolves held their lead at halftime.

Villa thought they had equalized through Donyell Malen, but his goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review. In stoppage time, Matheus Cunha capitalized on a defensive error from Ezri Konsa to wrap up the win (97’). This result lifts Wolves to 17th place, while Villa, seemingly fatigued from their midweek European clash, drops to eighth.

Chris Wood Hat-Trick Inspires Nottingham Forest’s 7-0 Thrashing of Brighton

Nottingham Forest bounced back emphatically from their 5-0 defeat to Bournemouth last weekend, dismantling Brighton & Hove Albion 7-0 at the City Ground. Nuno Espírito Santo’s men took full advantage of Brighton’s defensive frailties, which stemmed from manager Fabian Hürzeler’s bold decision to field five attacking players with just one defensive midfielder, leaving his side unbalanced.

The hosts took control early, with Lewis Dunk turning a Morgan Gibbs-White cross into his own net in the 12th minute. Anthony Elanga was instrumental, registering three assists—setting up Gibbs-White for Forest’s second goal (25’) before providing for Chris Wood’s quick-fire brace. The New Zealand striker completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 69th minute, while late goals from Neco Williams and Jota Silva added to Brighton’s humiliation.

This emphatic win—Forest’s biggest ever in the Premier League—brings them level on points with Arsenal (47). Meanwhile, Brighton remains stuck on 10 points, now seven away from the top five.

Other Key Results from Matchweek 24

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Arsenal stunned Manchester City with a resounding 5-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium. This win brings the Gunners within six points of league leaders Liverpool, who cemented their position at the top with a win over Bournemouth, thanks to a Mohamed Salah brace.

Manchester United suffered a shocking 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace, marking their seventh home loss of the season—a dubious record last matched in the 1893-94 campaign when they were relegated.

Everton recorded an impressive 4-0 victory over Leicester, securing their third consecutive win since David Moyes’ return. This result moves them up to 16th place, significantly extending their cushion above the relegation zone.

Southampton claimed their second win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Ipswich, but they remain bottom of the table, trailing the team they just defeated by seven points and sitting ten points away from safety.

Newcastle, whose recent resurgence had them climbing the table, suffered a major setback with a 2-1 home defeat to Fulham. A win would have put Eddie Howe’s side back in contention for European places, but instead, they remain sixth on 41 points.

Finally, Chelsea battled hard to secure a crucial 2-1 win over West Ham in a fiercely contested London derby. Despite dominating possession, the Blues found themselves trailing at halftime after Jarrod Bowen—returning from injury—capitalized on a defensive mistake by Levi Colwill.

Chelsea’s persistence paid off in the final 30 minutes. Pedro Neto equalized in the 64th minute before a Cole Palmer cross, deflected into his own net by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, sealed the win. With Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Manchester City all losing, Chelsea capitalized on their rivals’ slip-ups to climb to fourth place, while West Ham remains in 15th.