Premier League 2017-18 – Match Week 15

Sunday 3rd December 2017

Manchester City came from behind to win their 13th Premier League match in a row with victory over stubborn West Ham at Etihad Stadium.

Angelo Ogbonna’s header on the stroke of half-time put the lowly Hammers ahead, but Nicolas Otamendi responded with a predatory finish shortly after the break.

David Silva won it for City, acrobatically converting a Kevin de Bruyne pass with seven minutes left.

Victory meant Pep Guardiola’s side re-established their eight-point lead over Manchester United, who they play next Sunday

Charlie Austin scored his third goal in three games as Southampton salvaged a point from their south-coast derby at Bournemouth.

Austin, who scored twice against Everton last month, swept home the equaliser just after the hour mark.

The Cherries had taken the lead just before the break, when Scotland winger Ryan Fraser slotted a first-time effort past Fraser Forster.

Saturday 2nd December 2017

Manchester United ruthlessly punished defensive errors to become the first side to win a league game at Arsenal since January in one of the games of the season so far.

Jose Mourinho’s side were reduced to 10-men late on when Paul Pogba was sent off for a dangerous tackle and they were aided by a stunning goalkeeping display by David De Gea throughout.

But they did telling damage early on when Antonio Valencia pounced on a loose Laurent Koscielny pass to drill the opener, before Jesse Lingard side-footed a second after robbing Shokdran Mustafi to link smartly with Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial.

Eden Hazard scored twice in a brilliant display as Chelsea beat Newcastle to draw level on points with second-placed Manchester United in the Premier League.

On his return to the starting XI, Hazard fired the Blues level with an angled strike after Dwight Gayle’s poked effort had given the Magpies a surprise lead.

Striker Alvaro Morata made it 2-1 to the hosts when he headed in from close range following Victor Moses’ driven cross.

Hazard made sure of Chelsea’s 10th league win of the season with a penalty after Matt Ritchie fouled Moses in the area.

Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino buried Brighton to keep Liverpool’s top-four charge on track.

The Brazilian duo, ably assisted by Mohamed Salah, tore the Seagulls to shreds in a thumping 5-1 victory.

Emre Can opened the scoring before Firmino added a quickfire second and then doubled his tally in the second half.

Glenn Murray pulled one back from the penalty spot but Coutinho hit the fourth and then forced an own-goal from Lewis Dunk to complete the rout.

Sam Allardyce made a winning start at Everton as Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored second-half goals to defeat Huddersfield.

Allardyce, appointed as manager on an 18-month contract on Thursday, oversaw a performance that was strong on effort, even if short on quality at times.

Sigurdsson had a poor game overall, but finished neatly less than two minutes into the second half after Calvert-Lewin’s lovely angled back-flick played him in.

England youth forward Calvert-Lewin, Everton’s outstanding player, added a deserved goal when he ran on to Wayne Rooney’s pass and scored via a deflection off Mathias Jorgensen.

An early goal from Demarai Gray was enough to give Leicester victory against Burnley at the King Power Stadium.

Gray got on the end of a Riyad Mahrez cross for the opener and hit the post with another effort in the second half.

Stoke came from behind to send Swansea City to the bottom of the Premier League and add to the pressure on their manager Paul Clement.

Wilfried Bony’s first top-flight goal for more than a year gave the visitors an early lead, but Xherdan Shaqiri and Mame Biram Diouf had the home side in front by the interval.

Ten-man Tottenham hold on to secure a point in a hard-fought encounter against Watford at Vicarage Road.

Christian Kabasele headed the Hornets into the early lead, before Son Heung-min Son’s tap-in dragged Spurs level at the break.

Colombia defender Sanchez was rightly dismissed just shy of the hour for clattering Watford forward Richarlison with a forearm to the face.

And 10-man Spurs struggled for fluency for the remainder of the contest, forced to shift Eric Dier into defence and to grind out the point.

Alan Pardew’s first match in charge of West Bromwich Albion ended in a goalless draw with Crystal Palace, who moved off the foot of the Premier League.

Pardew’s new side had the better chances in a match against the club that sacked him last Christmas after a poor run of form.