Everton 1 Leeds 0
Séamus Coleman’s stunning goal was the stroke of luck Everton needed to lift them out of the relegation zone and plunge managerless Leeds into it following their 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park.
New manager Sean Dyche knew he would need some good fortune after the Premier League’s lowest scorers failed to make a January signing despite the injury-prone striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggling for fitness all season.
But even he could not have envisaged winning his second successive home match in the manner they did after the Toffees captain’s shot caught out goalkeeper Ilan Meslier at his near post.
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Everton’s long-serving Irishman is the club’s lucky charm as they have never lost in all 28 matches in which he has scored and if they can keep eking out home wins like this – which lifted them a point clear of the bottom three – then survival is a realistic possibility.
The same cannot be said for Leeds, whose 10th match without a win dropped them to 19th after fellow strugglers Southampton and Bournemouth both won.
A feeling of crisis has enveloped the club as having sacked Jesse Marsch a fortnight ago they have failed to recruit a successor and taken only one point from a possible nine.
While all their relegation rivals are finding a way of picking up the odd result Leeds are on a dangerous downward spiral and, finishing without a shot on target showed just how much work caretaker manager Michael Skubala has to do just to get them into a position to be able to fight for survival.
That is not a problem Dyche seems to have after making it two wins from two at home either side of Monday’s Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield.
But even he will admit it was more by luck than design after his right-back chased a hopeful 64th-minute ball down the right from Alex Iwobi.
With only Neal Maupay in the middle he hooked in a ball which embarrassed Meslier, who had left a large gap at his near post anticipating the cross going somewhere in the vicinity of the penalty spot.
It was Coleman’s first goal since scoring in the 3-0 win over Leeds a year ago, one of just six victories in the final three months of the season which helped keep them up with a game to go.
The first goal was always going to be vital in a match between two teams who had managed just 14 between them from their last 19 combined games before kick-off.
After a period of applause for Christian Atsu, who played 13 games for Everton in the 2014-15 season on loan from Chelsea, following news of the midfielder’s death in Turkey in the earthquake there the match began with Everton trying to build on their last home appearance.
But without the focal point of Calvert-Lewin, who had played in the win against Arsenal last time out at Goodison, the tactic of firing in crosses to the smallest man on the pitch in Maupay looked a forlorn one as the 5ft 6in striker struggled against Leeds’ centre-backs.
When they did benefit from some aerial supremacy it was Amadou Onana beating Meslier to Conor Coady’s high ball on the edge of the area but Maupay, Dwight McNeil and Abdoulaye Doucoure all delayed shooting with the goalkeeper out of position.
Onana then leant back and blazed over after Alex Iwobi had released Idrissa Gana Gueye to nutmeg Max Wober and cut back a low cross.
Everton’s best chances were always going to come from set-pieces and from a 33rd-minute corner Wober hacked out Coady’s header from underneath the crossbar before Weston McKennie cleared Maupay’s rebound off the line.
Everton’s other centre-back James Tarkowski’s header was parried by Meslier from another McNeil corner with Onana also nodding over as the hosts made all the running until Leeds’ Crysencio Summerville headed on to the roof of the net in first-half added time.
That came just after a 21-man melee sparked after Tyler Adams pushed McNeil into the hoardings, with the two protagonists, plus Doucoure and McKennie, booked.
Wober was replaced by Rasmus Kristensen as Leeds moved Luke Ayling into the centre of defence for the second half but Everton continued to pose more threat with McNeil volleying wide.
But it was left to Coleman to inadvertently apply the decisive blow as hope springs eternal at Goodison Park.
Chelsea 0 Southampton 1
Chelsea’s season sunk to a new and alarming low as they were beaten 1-0 at Stamford Bridge by the Premier League’s bottom side Southampton.
A converted free-kick from James Ward-Prowse on the stroke of half-time put the Saints’ captain one goal behind David Beckham in the competition’s all-time standings, and sent Graham Potter’s team to a fourth consecutive winless match in the league.
With five of the club’s eight January signings in the staring XI, Potter saw his team labour to find any invention against a Saints side set up by interim boss Ruben Selles to frustrate the hosts’ expensively assembled attacking cavalry. Victory in their first match since the sacking of Nathan Jones was everything they deserved.
Chelsea have scored just once at home in 2022, and the lack of a recognised striker was made painfully apparent yet again.
The game started ominously for Potter. Benoit Badiashile, so impressive until now in Chelsea blue, was caught out by Kamaldeen Sulemana as the ball dropped over his shoulder, only for Southampton’s January signing to be denied a first Premier League goal by the foot of Kepa Arrizabalaga. From the follow-up, Kalidou Koulibaly steered Stuart Armstrong’s effort to safety from in front of the goal line.
Southampton’s game plan hinged on frustrating Chelsea by slowing the play down wherever possible, but there was little in the first half to suggest the hosts’ advanced midfield three of Mason Mount, Noni Madueke and Joao Felix held the key to unlocking Saints.
Five minutes before half-time, David Fofana – in for his first Chelsea start – snatched at a shot from 20 yards that revealed more about his team’s first-half frustrations than their attacking ambition.
Southampton took the lead in a familiar fashion. Ward-Prowse’s free-kick, the 17th he has now scored in the Premier League, could not have been more finely placed, arcing over Chelsea’s wall and dropping crisply into the bottom corner beyond Arrizabalaga’s despairing dive. Stamford Bridge, quiet until now, made its displeasure known.
The required response almost arrived within minutes of the second half starting. Raheem Sterling, on as a substitute to make his return from injury, shoved Ainsley Maitland-Niles off the ball near the touchline and whipped in a cross that Mount, rising highest, failed to connect with.
It heralded a change in intensity for Chelsea’s attack. Minutes later, Cesar Azpilicueta found himself unmarked inside the box but could only side-foot his shot wide as the ball dropped. On the hour mark, Graham Potter sent on Kai Havertz and Mykhailo Mudryk to try to harness his side’s newly acquired energy, as the game shifted permanently into Southampton’s defensive half.
Chelsea were getting closer. Havertz escaped down the left and delivered for Sterling, arriving at the back post to fling his head at the ball – he was denied first by a flying block from Romain Perraud, then again on the rebound by Romeo Lavia. The pair celebrated as if top-flight safety had already been secured.
Arrizabalaga saved at the feet of Armstrong as Saints threatened to extend their lead on the break. There was yet more worry for Chelsea when Azpilicueta was carried from the field on a stretcher with an oxygen mask after being struck in the head by the boot of Sekou Mara as he attempted to clear.
But inspiration for Chelsea would not strike. Southampton held on for a deserved win.
Brighton 0 Fulham 1
Substitute Manor Solomon came back to haunt former boss Roberto De Zerbi as Fulham snatched a dramatic 1-0 Premier League win over fellow high-fliers Brighton.
Israel international Solomon, who played under De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk, struck two minutes from time at the Amex Stadium after Albion had dominated.
Solly March and Facundo Buonanotte had goals disallowed for the Seagulls, who failed to score in the top flight for the first time since October, despite registering 21 attempts.
Fulham, without star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic due to a minor injury, struggled for a foothold in the game for the majority of the afternoon before the late twist boosted their hopes of European qualification at the expense of their hosts.
Loanee Solomon’s second goal in as many matches moves Marco Silva’s men above Brighton into sixth spot, albeit they have played two games more.
De Zerbi, who berated referee Darren England following the final whistle, had spoken candidly of his desire to bring continental football to Sussex on the back of taking 20 points from the last 30 available.
His in-form side began with purpose and intent as they controlled proceedings against top-half rivals missing their main source of goals.
Evan Ferguson lashed over and March curled wide early on, while Joel Veltman’s powerful attempt at the end of a well-worked free-kick routine was later blocked by Tim Ream.
Fulham offered almost nothing from an attacking perspective but continued to defend doggedly, although they often looked susceptible to being carved open by the Seagulls’ slick interplay.
Cottagers goalkeeper Bernd Leno had to be alert to smother the ball as Ferguson burst through on goal and was then well-positioned to stop Alexis Mac Allister’s stinging volley.
The pattern of play, with Brighton patiently probing as the visitors sat back, persisted into the second period.
Seagulls captain Lewis Dunk headed narrowly off target from an out-swinging March corner before the hosts, who suffered VAR frustration in last weekend’s 1-1 at Crystal Palace when Pervis Etupinan incorrectly had a goal ruled out for offside, called for Stockley Park intervention to aid a penalty appeal.
Veltman tumbled in the box under a challenge from Antonee Robinson following Kaoru Mitoma’s low cross but, after Leno denied March from the loose ball, match official England stuck with his decision to award a corner.
With the perceived injustice firing up the home crowd, Albion continued to push forward in search of a breakthrough.
March poked home at the back post after Adam Webster nodded on a Pascal Gross corner but was clearly offside before Leno produced a fine reflex stop to deny Mac Allister’s close-range volley.
Fulham’s top-flight scoring statistics suggest an over-reliance on the absent Mitrovic.
Four-goal Bobby De Cordova-Reid was their leading scorer on show on the south coast and he threatened with a blocked attempt during a rare burst forward.
But the one-way traffic was largely unrelenting.
Brighton were denied by a flag for a second time in the 77th minute due to Deniz Undav being marginally offside before squaring for fellow substitute Buonanotte to slot in.
German forward Undav – still seeking his first goal in English football – then threatened with two quick-fire headers, a glancing effort which flashed wide following a tame close-range attempt.
Albion had never beaten Fulham in the top flight and that run continued following the painful sucker-punch.
After a Seagulls attack broke down, Solomon was released by fellow replacement Carlos Vinicius before expertly steering a low effort into the right corner.
Wolves 0 Bournemouth 1
Marcus Tavernier marked his return from injury with a winner off his thigh as Bournemouth snatched a vital 1-0 victory in their relegation battle with Wolves.
The midfielder, who was making his first start since November, flicked in Dominic Solanke’s cross in the 49th minute at Molineux to end the Cherries’ long winless run.
It was the south-coast club’s first league triumph since the World Cup break and their first since confirming Gary O’Neil as full-time manager in November.
Tavernier’s goal was also only their third in that time and, while there was an element of fortune about it, there was no denying its value.
Until then Wolves, seeking a third successive win, had been the brighter side but, while the contest was an open one, there was a distinct lack of quality in front of goal.
In Adama Traore, Wolves did have a player capable of troubling the Bournemouth defence on a regular basis but chances were few and far between.
Matheus Cunha had an early Wolves penalty appeal rejected after apparently minimal contact from Jefferson Lerma before the Bournemouth defence scrambled clear when Neto fumbled a corner.
Traore excited the crowd when he retrieved a seemingly lost cause on the touchline to get in a cross but it came to nothing. The Spaniard then made a lung-bursting run from deep only to be crudely hauled down by Philip Billing.
Pablo Sarabia had the best chance of the first half when he forced Neto into a save although Hamed Traore almost caught home keeper Jose Sa out with a corner that curled and appeared to clip the outside of the post.
Wolves hoped to step it up after the break but they were caught out as Solanke burst into the box and drove the ball across goal. Tavernier was in the right place and stuck out his leg to divert it in.
The hosts responded positively but continued to struggle in the final third.
When Traore finally did create a clear-cut chance by laying off for Cunha, Jack Stephens slid in to make a brave block.
A neat move ended with Ruben Neves shooting well over and Neto palmed over a Craig Dawson header from a corner.
Wolves sent on Diego Costa and Raul Jimenez as they pushed to the end but to no avail.
Neves did threaten when he struck a sweet long-range volley in stoppage time but Neto saved and Bournemouth held on.
Brentford 1 Crystal Palace 1
Vitaly Janelt snatched a dramatic Brentford injury-time equaliser against Crystal Palace to stretch their unbeaten run to 11 matches.
Palace were on the brink of a first win in 2023 after substitute Eberechi Eze headed them in front.
Eze’s goal was his fourth of the season and only shot-shy Palace’s 21st from their 23 Premier League matches.
The visitors also successfully shackled Bees sharpshooter Ivan Toney, with Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen rock solid at the back.
But in the sixth minute of stoppage time another sub, Janelt, struck to secure a 1-1 draw for the high-flying hosts.
Brentford had more than their fair share of chances, though, and almost opened the scoring after seven minutes when, after a spot of head tennis in the Palace area, Christian Norgaard volleyed narrowly wide.
Moments later Palace midfielder Michael Olise’s fierce drive was tipped over the crossbar by Bees keeper David Raya.
Toney’s first sight of goal came midway through the first half when he controlled Mathias Jensen’s pass on his chest, but he scuffed his volley into the arms of Vicente Guaita.
Then strike partner Bryan Mbeumo skipped past a couple of challenges in midfield before firing just wide from 20 yards.
Brentford appealed for a penalty early in the second half when Toney spun in the area and fell under Andersen’s challenge, but referee Paul Tierney waved play on.
Moments later Palace almost caught the Bees out on the counter-attack but Jeffrey Schlupp’s header flew wide.
Norgaard glanced a header just off target from Aaron Hickey’s free-kick and Guaita came out of his goal smartly to deny Yoane Wissa as he raced through on goal.
Guaita then held Norgaard’s shot before Palace threatened with Jordan Ayew’s cross headed wide by Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The goal arrived in the 69th minute when Ayew raided down the Brentford right and pulled the ball back across goal.
It was played out to Olise who lifted the ball back into the area for Eze to powerfully head home.
Brentford attempted to hit back with Toney making room for himself in the area only to blaze his shot over the crossbar.
Palace almost had a second late on when new signing Naouirou Ahamada’s shot beat Raya’s dive, but the ball rolled inches wide of the far post.
Instead, as the clock ticked down, Mbeumo crossed from the right and Janelt buried the header to secure a point.
