NFL
This weekend’s matches brought nothing but goals and memes to the table. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his first Premier League hat trick against Leeds United, Jamie Vardy all but killed off Liverpool’s title defense, and İlkay Gündoğan left Spurs face down in the grass after continuing his world-class form.
Arsenal: 4 Leeds United: 2
Arsenal versus Leeds was a must-win game for either side to keep their top-four hopes alive. The game started with Arsenal out on the front foot. The Gunners high press saw them have a lot of the ball throughout the first 45 minutes.
Arsenal opened up the scoring when a combination play between Emile Smith-Rowe and Granit Xhaka led the ball to Aubameyang’s feet. The striker then drove into the United box and with a couple of stepovers, creating enough space to rifle the ball into the bottom left corner to give Arsenal a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute. Then in the 33rd minute, winger Bukayo Saka went down in the Leeds penalty box and was awarded a penalty. However, after a VAR check, the penalty was ruled out.
Six minutes after the decisive decision, Saka pressured Leeds United keeper Illan Meslier who made a crucial mistake with the ball at his feet. The keeper then tripped Saka in the penalty box awarding Arsenal a definite penalty. Aubameyang would step up and slot the ball into the side netting to give the Gunners a 2-0 lead. In the 45th minute after a cross from Aubmayeng into the Leeds penalty box, where the ball found the head of Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin. Bellerin then headed the ball in the direction of midfielder Dani Ceballos. Then with a clever nutmeg, Ceballos threaded the ball back into Bellerin who slotted the ball past the keeper to give the Gunners a 3-0 lead going into halftime.
The Gunners picked up right where they left off in the first half to start the second. After Saka dispossessed the Leeds midfielder in his own half, Smith Rowe made a run into the box and crossed the ball in the direction of the back post. The ball was met by no other than Captain Aubameyang, and the striker nodded the ball into the back of the net to give Arsenal a 4-0 lead.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s first-ever Premier League hat-trick ⚽️⚽️⚽️
Arsenal 4-2 Leeds was some game 🍿 pic.twitter.com/nlhUyCJKCB
— GOAL (@goal) February 15, 2021
Leeds would not go away and in the 58th minute, they were able to get themselves on the score sheet. Off a corner kick, midfielder Pascal Strujik blasted the ball into the back of the net with a powerful header to bring the score to 4-1. Then in the 69th minute, Leeds would score again when Helder Costa placed the ball into the back of the net to make it 4-2. Arsenal would hit the post twice in the last 20 minutes, but the game would go on to end 4-2 in Arsenal’s favor.
Leicester City: 3 Liverpool: 1
After bringing in two defenders in the transfer window, it seemed as though Liverpool were taking steps in the right direction, but once again it seems that the Reds title defense has faded away, this time at the hands of Vardy and Leicester City.
The first chance for Liverpool came in the 20th minute with defender Trent Alexander-Arnold sprinting down the field with the ball at his feet. He then played in winger Mohamad Salah who then drew the keeper out and attempted to chip the keeper as he came out of his 6-yard-box. The ball was then met by winger Sadio Mane who put the ball way wide, not threatening the goal. In the 42nd minute, Vardy got in behind the Liverpool defense and was one on one with the keeper. The striker then chose power and blasted the ball off the woodwork. The teams would go into halftime tied 0-0.
Liverpool would have a chance to take a lead in the 56th minute off an Alexander-Arnold freekick that hit the wall and smashed off the frame of the goal. In the 67th minute, Liverpool would take a 1-0 lead when Salah passed the ball into the back of the net, following a combination play at the top of the box. The Foxes would tie up the game in the 78th minute when a driven-in freekick by James Maddison made its way into the Liverpool net.
In the 81st minute, Youri Tielemans played an over-the-top through ball in the area of Harvey Barnes. Liverpool keeper Alisson came out to clear the ball and collided with defender Ozan Kabak. That resulted in the ball ending up in the path of Vardy who practically dribbled the ball into the open net. Leicester would then score another goal in the 85th minute when Wilfred Ndidi played in the Barnes in between the Liverpool defenders. Barnes would then slot the ball past Alisson to seal the 3-1 lead for Leicester City.
"Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes running in behind can cause problems for any side – and that's how it turned out." – @MattElliott01 🏃♂️ pic.twitter.com/Y7rsGIJRqQ
— Leicester City (@LCFC) February 15, 2021
Manchester City: 3 Tottenham: 0
After a poor start to this year’s season, Manchester City is firing on all cylinders as it seems as though they are unstoppable having a commanding 13 point lead at the top of the table. Tottenham found themselves to be the next victims of City’s superb form as they never even looked to have a chance to pull off the win. Spurs have now slipped even further down the table as the once title contenders are now fighting for European play.
Spurs would have the first real chance of the game when striker Harry Kane rattled the frame of the goal after a superb freekick from just outside the penalty box. However, the game would turn in City’s favor when Gündoğan drew a penalty in the 21st minute. Midfielder Rodri would step up as the new City penalty kick taker and just barely get the ball past Hugo Lloris to give City a 1-0 lead. City would take the 1-0 lead into the dressing room.
Five minutes into the second half City would double their lead over Spurs when winger Raheem Sterling slid the ball into the path of the sprinting Gündoğan who poked the ball into the near post past Lloris to give City the 2-0 lead.
City would continue their offensive stomping when keeper Ederson decided to get in on the action. The Brazilian, from his own 18-yard-box, played and over the head ball past Tottenham’s defense into the path of no one other than Gündoğan. The German used a clever bit of skill to make defender Davinson Sanchez face plant into the ground and went on to pass the ball into the back of the net giving City the commanding 3-0 lead. That’s how the game would end with City taking all three points leaving Spurs with nothing but a bad meme on their hands. Gündoğan’s two goals now put him at 11 on the season which is the most goals he has ever scored in one season.
Davinson Sanchez ain’t gonna hear the end of this one for awhile https://t.co/0FPOz4IO65
— TroopzTV (@TheRealTroopzTV) February 13, 2021
