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On the last day of 2023, the 20th round of the Premier League continues, with Tottenham and Arsenal playing at the same time, but the fates are very different. Bukayo Saka scored a lightning goal, but Arsenal suffered a miserable reversal, losing 1-2 to Fulham, and only one win in the last six rounds. Tottenham paid the price of injuries to Sarr and Bellis, beating Bournemouth 3-1 and leaving them just one point clear of the Champions League places.
Arsenal 1-2 Fulham
It took Arsenal a few days to lose 2-0 to West Ham United, not only missing out on the halfway title, but also squeezing them into fourth place in the table. Coupled with Manchester City's win in this round, the pressure on the Gunners increased, facing Fulham in the middle and lower tables, Arteta suddenly chose to rotate, Jesus sat on the bench, Havertz, Odegaard and Rice came on one after another.
Just five minutes into the game, Raya instigated a counter-attack with a long pass, and accurately connected Martinelli, who cut inside on the left and was saved by Leno, and Bukayo Saka scored in front of the goal, and Arsenal played a dream start. Seeing this, fans may think that Arsenal will easily win a victory, but the reality is the opposite.
With a goal in hand, Arsenal played very conservatively, giving up the ball to Fulham, and the home team organized wave after wave of attacks. Until the 43rd minute, the ball was broken at the back, the veteran Willian passed through the left, Kellni did not adjust the cross, Kiwior seriously leaked, Jimenez inserted a shovel and scored, and Fulham equalized.
Coming back in the second half, Arteta made timely adjustments to bring on Kenhiro Tomiyasu for Kiwior, but it was too late. In the 59th minute, Willian crossed from a corner, Palhinha's header hit Rice, Arsenal was in a mess in front of the goal, Reid took the lead and easily stabbed into the net, and Fulham took a 2-1 lead.
In the 88th minute, Andres Pereira took a free-kick, the ball went around the wall and into the corner, but fortunately hit the crossbar and bounced off the crossbar, and Arsenal escaped. However, in the end, Arsenal still lost 1-2 to Fulham and swallowed two consecutive defeats in the Premier League. After this campaign, Arsenal was 2 points behind Liverpool in one more game, and failed to overtake Manchester City, and the title situation is not optimistic.
Tottenham 3-1 Bournemouth
When Arsenal overturned in the city derby, Tottenham Hotspur, playing at home, also suffered a heavy victory. Against Bournemouth, who had beaten Manchester United 3-0, Postecoglou insisted on a 4-3-3 formation and attacked his opponent from the very beginning of the game.
Just three minutes into the game, Brennan Johnson's cross from the right was just right, and Son Heung-min missed a good chance with a one-handed push. In the 9th minute, Bournemouth made a mistake at the back, Lo Celso cut off the ball with a tackle, and Sarr stepped in to volley and score, still giving Tottenham the lead.
In the 25th minute, Richarlison broke the ball and passed straight through, and Son Xingmin strode into the penalty area on the left side, and his single shot was bravely defused by Neto. In the 32nd minute, Sarr could not hold on due to injury and was replaced in tears, and Tottenham lost the midfield barrier and fell into passivity.
However, Bournemouth's forwards did not wear shooting boots, especially Solanke, who wasted a number of good chances to score. After returning to the pitch, Bournemouth's attack was still fierce, and in the 50th minute, Solanke received a corner cross, and then nodded the ball vigorously, which was saved by Vicario.
In the 60th minute, Kluivert Jr. crossed from the right side of the penalty area, and Solanke's close-range push missed again. Tottenham, who escaped the catastrophe, finally killed the game in the 71st minute, Son Heung-min received a wonderful pass from Lo Celso, ran into the penalty area, and hit a volley from a small angle, 2-0!
In the 80th minute, Brennan Johnson advanced a counterattack on the right and sent a precise cross to the goal, and Richarlison made it 3-0!Although Scott pulled one back in the 84th minute and added another in the 99th minute, Spurs won 3-1 for offside.
Although Tottenham is only one point away from Arsenal, this game has paid the price of injuries to Sarr and Baylis, plus Van der Ven, Maddison, Romero and Perisic are all injured, and Son Xingmin is about to participate in the Asian Cup and is missing, Bo Shuai is really unavailable.