RICHARLISON SCORED FOR the third consecutive match to haunt old club Everton and ensure Tottenham would spend Christmas in the Premier League’s top-four thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 home win.
It was harsh on Sean Dyche’s visitors, who created the better of the chances in the capital and crucially had a Dominic Calvert-Lewin effort ruled out following a VAR review in the 51st minute which could have changed the complexion of the match.
Everton also hit the crossbar deep into added time through substitute Arnaut Danjuma, whose effort was then cleared by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario before it could cross the line. Although the offside flag was raised, the goal would have been given on VAR review as Danjuma was marginally onside.
Those missed chances cost the away side and enabled Ange Postecoglou’s team make it three wins in a row after first-half goals by Richarlison and Son Heung-min, with Andre Gomes’ late effort a mere consolation.
Andros Townsend’s first-half goal saw Luton beat Newcastle 1-0 at Kenilworth Road to boost their Premier League survival hopes.
Eddie Howe’s visitors were made to look ordinary by a side tipped widely for the drop.
The winner came during Newcastle’s only spell of sustained first-half pressure as Luton’s star pair of Townsend and Ross Barkley combined at a corner.
The gap to safety now stands at just two points after a third victory on the Hatters’ top-flight return.
Luton had laid out the kit of captain Tom Lockyer in their dressing room, seven days after he suffered a cardiac arrest that forced the abandonment of their game against Bournemouth. The 29-year-old’s name rang around the ground throughout.
Burnley scored two superb goals to give Vincent Kompany’s side a deserved victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League where referee Rebecca Welch became the first woman to take charge of a Premier League match.
Two long-range strikes from Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge gave Burnley their first win since 2 December.
The 2-0 score-line meant a second straight league defeat for Marco Silva’s Fulham following last week’s 3-0 setback at Newcastle.
Burnley were camped in Fulham’s half in the early stages and created a chance in the sixth minute.
Brazil international Vitinho tucked inside and played a whipped cross to the head of Lyle Foster whose effort sailed over the crossbar.
Fulham went close themselves in the 13th minute after a moment of brilliance from Harry Wilson.
The tricky Welshman picked up the ball on the edge of Burnley’s box, sliced through the defence before his outside of the boot shot was saved by James Trafford.
Two more quickfire chances through Timothy Castagne and Alex Iwobi showed the Cottagers’ intent but Fulham missed the quality of the suspended Raul Jimenez.
Dominic Solanke completed a last-gasp hat-trick to earn Bournemouth a 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest and ruin Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game in charge at the City Ground.
Forest had looked like overcoming the controversial first-half red card of Willy Boly to earn a worthy point after Chris Wood had headed them level in the 74th minute.
But Solanke, who had earlier scored twice in seven minutes to overturn Anthony Elanga’s opener for Forest, broke their hearts when he headed home in the fifth minute of time added on.
Forest will have grave complaints about the 23rd-minute dismissal of Boly, who was sent off for two yellow cards, with referee Rob Jones brandishing the second despite the defender clearly winning the ball.
Nuno, who replaced the sacked Steve Cooper earlier in the week, will be enthused by what he saw from his side, but he has inherited a relegation battle and Forest could be in the bottom three if results do not go in their favour in the Boxing Day fixtures.
Life is much better for the Cherries, who won for the fifth time in six matches to climb into mid-table and Solanke took the matchball home for the first time in his career.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
