Premier League roundup: Leeds earn vital win over Forest in big night for relegation battle
Bournemouth 0 Brighton & Hove Albion 2
Brighton & Hove Albion registered their first away victory at the Vitality Stadium since October 2007 to move within four points of the UEFA Champions League qualification positions following a 2-0 away win over Bournemouth.
Having written a new chapter in the Premier League history books after registering 33 shots on goal in their pulsating 3-3 draw with Brentford, Brighton had the first sight on goal in the contest as Alexis Mac Allister’s effort flew wide in the opening minutes.
Seeking their maiden appearance in a UEFA competition, the Seagulls were ahead shortly before the half-hour mark as Brighton wonderkid Evan Ferguson marked his return to the starting XI with an exquisite back-heeled finish.
Undefeated in over a decade at the Vitality Stadium across the top three tiers of English football against Brighton, Gary O’Neil’s relegation-threatened side should have been level heading into the interval.
Hamed Traore should have been wheeling away in celebration with his new teammates, however, the Ivorian international fired Jefferson Lerma’s defence-splitting pass wide of the mark.
Bournemouth were in desperate need of an improvement in front of goal to stand a chance of registering a hat-trick of home PL victories for the first time since February 2018.
Despite coming close, the Cherries were denied by Jason Steele, who sublimely rerouted Lerma’s speculative long-range strike over the top of the crossbar.
With only league-leaders Arsenal scoring more away goals than Brighton (25) across the 2022/23 PL campaign, the Seagulls surprisingly struggled to replicate their goalscoring threat after the restart, convincing Roberto De Zerbi to respond with the introductions of Danny Welbeck and Julio Enciso.
The Italian’s gamble paid dividends in stoppage time as Enciso slotted his strike into the corner for his first-ever league goal for Brighton.
Brighton’s hard-fought victory on the south coast will look even more significant if they can emerge victorious from the match they still have in hand over the teams around them.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth remain firmly in the heavily-congested relegation zone, staring at the possibility of an immediate return to the second tier of English football, despite only losing one of their last four matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Evan Ferguson (Brighton & Hove Albion)
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Leeds United 2 Nottingham Forest 1
Nottingham Forest’s winless run in the Premier League extended to eight matches, as Leeds United came from behind to claim a crucial 2-1 victory and land a potentially decisive blow in the battle for survival.
Even with the high stakes of this relegation six-pointer, both sides served up an entertaining battle, and despite having the worst away record in the top-flight, the visitors started well, with Emmanuel Dennis hitting the post from close range following a near-post corner.
Forest midfielder Orel Mangala had never scored in English football before tonight, but ended that painful wait in just the 12th minute, after he received a pass from Dennis and took the ball past Luis Sinisterra, before curling into the right corner from just inside the area to give his team their first away lead since January 4th.
Spurred on by their typically-vocal home crowd, Leeds roared back into the contest just eight minutes later, when Marc Roca’s shot from outside the area was pushed away by Keylor Navas.
But it only fell into the path of Jack Harrison, who struck past the Costa Rican to draw the Whites level.
Now with their tails firmly up, the hosts completed their turnaround in the first of two minutes added on, when Sinisterra cut onto his right foot before creating space for a shot from the left side of the area, which found the right corner to deal the visitors a crushing blow.
Sinisterra was bursting with confidence, and he continued to fizz in the second half when his effort just after the hour mark curled narrowly wide of the right post.
Ironically, Leeds were the last team Forest were victorious against, but that joyous day at the start of February seems a distant memory for Steve Cooper’s side. And despite their unquestionable endeavour, Forest never looked likely to get back into the contest, as their away day woes continued.
This potentially costly defeat sees the City Ground outfit drop one place to 17th, and only outside the relegation zone on goal difference. Leeds, meanwhile, climb out of the bottom three and all the way up to 13th, as they give their survival prospects a timely boost.
As well as match winner Sinisterra, Harrison in particular will be pleased with his performance on a personal level too, having now had a hand in five of Leeds’ last six home league goals.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Luis Sinisterra (Leeds United)
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Leicester City 1 Aston Villa 2
Bertrand Traore netted late on for continental-chasing Aston Villa to make it six games unbeaten in the Premier League, while extending Leicester City’s winless run in the top flight to seven matches.
Entering the week with the European positions firmly in their sights having despatched Chelsea on Saturday, Villa continued their positive form in the early part of this all-Midlands encounter, taking a deserved lead midway through the first half.
As he so often does on the road, it was Ollie Watkins who found the net first, poking home from inside the penalty area having broken in behind the Leicester backline.
Parting ways with Brendan Rodgers on Sunday afternoon, the Foxes were searching for a much-needed new manager bounce, but it looked like being the same old story for the home fans inside the King Power Stadium.
Just when hope might’ve been dwindling, Harvey Barnes stepped up with a sensational solo goal to restore parity at the break. Dancing his way through the Villa defence, the 25-year-old expertly converted with a composed right-footed strike.
Having worked hard to carve a route back into the contest, it looked as if Leicester’s endeavours would count for nothing when the home side were reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes to go.
Charging into Ashley Young on the halfway line, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall wouldn’t be granted a reprieve by referee Graham Scott, as the Leicester man picked up a second yellow of the evening.
Unsurprisingly, Villa, now sensing blood, began to put the pressure on in search of a winning goal that would take them even closer to the continental positions.
It would arrive stylishly from Traore, whose curling left-footed strike lobbed over Daniel Iversen in the Leicester goal to send the travelling Villa fans into raptures.
In truth, it was somewhat of a let-off for Villa, who had failed to create a great deal since Dewsbury-Hall’s clumsy red card.
However, as has often been the case in the Premier League this season, the drama wouldn’t end there. Just when it looked as if Leicester would be condemned to their seventh defeat in eight matches, Scott pointed to the spot to give the home side a chance to equalise. Or at least that’s what they thought.
Patson Daka and Watkins had come together inside the 18-yard box, but upon a VAR review, the referee overturned his original decision, denying Leicester the opportunity of a point.
The result continues the upwards trajectory for Unai Emery and co, whereas for managerless Leicester, they now have less than 10 games to drag themselves out of a cutthroat relegation battle.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)