Premier League, the results: Liverpool beat Leicester 2-1, West Ham defeated by Brentford

The new collapse of the Italians’ West Ham, despite Scamacca, Ogbonna and Emerson starting together for the first time, and Liverpool’s own goal victory over Leicester open the menu of the 18th day, the one that brings the Premier League into the new year with matches tomorrow and in New Year’s.

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

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Another disaster. West Ham also sink in at home to Brentford, accepting their fifth straight defeat with two first-half counterattack goals from a team who are everything Irons are not: solid, dependable, pungent attacking, and mid-table . Not even the Italian turning point manages to shake Moyes’ team: Gianluca Scamacca, Angelo Ogbonna and Emerson are all starters in an unusual (at least for the Premier League) 3-4-2-1, but things go badly for West Ham anyway. Ogbonna, the central pivot of the defence, is the best of the Azzurri: Emerson has the second best chance of the home side’s game but pushes little on the left, Scamacca is a diesel but never manages to sting. Moyes’ situation, with fans booing increasingly impatient, is starting to get tough: West Ham had left to challenge the big teams, but ends 2022 in the relegation zone. Brentford, who scared Tottenham on Boxing Day, take their 5th consecutive useful result but are trembling for Ivan Toney, their striker with 12 goals this season in the Premier League (only Haaland and Kane have scored more) out on a stretcher at 90′ due to a worrying right knee injury.

THE MATCH

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Rice hit the post in the 5th minute, West Ham played better but went under in the 18th minute, when Toney pounced on a clearance by Fabianski in the area and converted it into his 12th goal of the season. Toney also had a hand in Brighton’s second goal, which doubled in the 43rd minute after Ogbonna had created West Ham’s two best chances (first by serving Emerson who was defused by Raya and then with a header): the Brentford forward on the counterattack Dasilva, who burns Cresswell and scores again. The Irons restart 2-0 down, booed by their usually very enthusiastic fans who begin to doubt Moyes: in the 64th minute the coach inserts an extra striker, Antonio, in place of Emerson, but he has the best opportunity to score Brentford, with Fabianski overtaking himself in the 71st minute to deflect Ghoddos’ treacherous shot. The result doesn’t change anymore.

Liverpool 2-1 Leicester

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Anfield’s hero, for one night, is an adversary. Liverpool score their fourth consecutive victory against Leicester thanks to the mistakes of Wout Faes, the Belgian defender of the Foxes who scores a brace… in the wrong goal. Not since 2013 have we seen two own goals scored by the same player in the Premier League. They are both incredible, devastating because Leicester went first after just 4′ and were looking for precious points for salvation. Instead, under the eyes of new signing Gakpo, who is familiar with Anfield even if it is not yet available (he could make his debut in the Reds’ next match, on 2 January at Brentford), Liverpool are celebrating a victory which serves as a reminder that the The goal of the Reds is to go back up to fourth place, the one currently occupied by Tottenham, currently two points ahead with equal games. The goals were scored by Faes, but Darwin Nunez could have scored at least a couple as well, who confirms his growth but continues to make mistakes when he arrives in front of goal. The Reds need the goals of their center forward paid 100 million in the summer, above all to turn around a season that started badly but which now seems to have changed direction. The arrival of Gakpo also serves this purpose.

THE MATCH

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The visitors made a surprise pass after 4′, with Dewsbury-Hall putting Alisson on after having caught the Reds’ defense on the counterattack. Rodgers in the 20th minute loses Data due to injury and replaces him with Vardy, who shortly after creates a sensational opportunity for Barnes on which Alexander-Arnold puts a providential patch. Liverpool equalized in the 38th minute thanks to a sensational own goal by Faes: the defender scored a cross from Alexander-Arnold, the ball reared up and went unstoppably over the goal line. The Leicester defender sensationally repeats the mistake before the break, when the ball sent on the post by Nunez slams on him and ends up inside. In the second half the Reds, now masters of the field, look for the safety goal, but can’t find it. The party is still theirs.