EPL 2016-17: 5 Talking points from Matchweek 12
Chelsea were the biggest winners of Week 12 as they moved to the top of the English Premier League league for the first time this season. On the other hand, David Moyes’ Sunderland side, after grabbing back-to-back victories, moved out of the bottom of the ladder.
Manchester United and Arsenal played out an entertaining draw in the biggest match of the week, while Liverpool stumbled at Southampton. Now, let’s look at the biggest talking points from the matchweek.
#1 Chelsea and City claim vital wins
Chelsea continued their excellent run when they beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at The Riverside Stadium. Diego Costa struck the only goal of the game to help the Blues to a vital three points. The win also sent Antonio Conte’s side to the top of the league with 12 games played. Chelsea have now won all of their last six games without conceding a single goal.
Manchester City also claimed valuable three points when they visited Crystal Palace. Despite the home side managing to level the match at 1-1, Yaya Toure scored his second of the game to ensure victory for the Citizens. It was Toure’s first league appearance of the season and his first game since August. The Ivorian showed that he is not ready to be written off just yet, as he looks to regain the faith of Pep Guardiola.
The Sky Blues remained in the third position but are now level on points with Liverpool, after the Reds failed to get past Southampton in a 0-0 draw. Jurgen Klopp’s side ended a three-game winning run with much credit going to a resilient Southampton side. The Saints were rock solid at the back against a very attack minded Liverpool side, with their performance meriting a crucial point.