Premier League 2019-20: 3 talking points from Match Week 28
After the conclusion of match week 28 in the Premier League, there are just 10 games to go in a season that has been full of drama, shocking results and scintillating victories. Week 28 continued the trend of shocking results and drama as we saw the relegation battle take an unexpected turn with the likes of West Ham and Watford picking up what could be season-defining victories. Watford, especially, will feel as though this was a turning point after shocking the world by ending Liverpool's 45-game unbeaten run with a dominant 3-0 victory.
With that being said, here are 3 talking points from match week 28 of the Premier League.
#1 Watford end Liverpool's streak
Going into the game against Liverpool, Watford sat inside the bottom 3 and looked likely to go down which left even a draw against Liverpool unlikely. However, what looked to be a routine game for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side, soon turned into a nightmare when they found themselves 3 goals behind after an uncharacteristic second-half performance.
The first Watford goal came just 9 minutes after the restart, completely throwing out any of Jurgen Klopp's halftime words of wisdom, and giving Watford a shock lead via an Ismaila Sarr finish. And it was a goal that Liverpool never really recovered from and when the second came just 6 minutes later, Watford were in dreamland and so was Sarr after netting a brace.
Klopp could only sit back and watch as his side threw away their unbeaten run and their chances of becoming 'Invincibles' in the process. Watford completed the rout when Troy Deeney capitalised on another poor piece of Liverpool defending before finishing into the top corner of Alisson's net. The win has seen Watford move out of the relegation zone, ending Liverpool's incredible unbeaten run in the process.
#2 Bournemouth fail to hold on to victory yet again
It has been a season to forget for Bournemouth so far after dropping into the relegation zone and after failing to keep a 2-1 lead against Chelsea, relegation is looking increasingly likely for the Cherries.
However, despite the end result, Bournemouth showed their fighting spirit to take the lead in the space of 3 minutes with goals from Jefferson Lerma and Josh King cancelling out Marcos Alonso's opener. And, in fairness to Bournemouth, it looked as though they would keep hold of the lead to secure a crucial 3 points. But, as the clock hit the 85th-minute mark, Chelsea found the equaliser and Marcos Alonso doubled his tally for the afternoon. And it turned out to be the last goal of the game, a game that Eddie Howe may look back on with regret as his side edge nearer to relegation.
#3 Wolves damage Spurs' top 4 hopes
After Chelsea dropped points to Bournemouth, the game against Wolves was a crucial one for Spurs in the race for top 4. A win would leave them 2 points behind Chelsea with 10 games to go, leaving top 4 as a realistic target. However, a loss would leave Jose Mourinho's side 5 points away from the Champions League places.
And it was the latter result that Spurs endured at the hands of Wolves who have become known as the giant killers in the Premier League. The game ended in a 3-2 victory for Nuno Esperito Santo's Wolves side who have now gone above Spurs into 6th and well within a shout for a top 4 place.
In fact, Wolves are now just 2 points behind Chelsea and with a top 4 place now a real possibility, Wolves could well join Leicester in the Champions League next season to form the story of the season. By contrast, Spurs are now likely to miss out on Champions League football just 9 months after reaching the final.
To conclude, match week 28 will forever be remembered as the week Liverpool's incredible unbeaten run came to an end as Watford took a huge step towards survival.
Also see | Everton 1-1 Manchester United: 3 talking points as United's unbeaten streak comes to an end | Premier League 2019-20