Arsenal have the upper hand in the EPL title race after a 3-0 win at Brighton, allied to Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Manchester United, allowed the Gunners to end the weekend on top thanks to their superior goal difference.
Defending champions Manchester City are just one point behind the top two after a Kevin De Bruyne-inspired 4-2 victory at Crystal Palace.
At the bottom of the table, Everton and Luton ended long waits for a win to enliven the battle to beat the drop.
Here are the top five players from the EPL this weekend
Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne was the star of the show as Manchester City fought back to secure a 4-2 win over Crystal Palace to boost their title bid.
The 32-year-old scored a brace and provided an assist for Erling Haaland to end his goal drought.
Jean-Philippe Mateta gave the home side a shock early lead, but De Bruyne levelled in the 13th minute with a curler into the top corner to quell any nerves from the visitors.
De Bruyne added his second with a stinging shot in the 70th minute—his 100th goal for the club.
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa’s bid to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since its inception hit a rock after a 3-3 draw against Brentford.
Ollie Watkins opened the scoring in the 38th minute, with Morgan Rogers scoring to give the side a 2-0 lead. Three goals in nine minutes from Mathias Jorgensen, Bryan Mbeumo, and Yoane Wissa turned the match on its head.
Watkins levelled in the 80th minute to ensure Villa earned a point. The team sits fifth on the EPL table.
Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz’s fine form continued for Arsenal, scoring his fifth goal in his last nine games in the 3-0 win over Brighton.
The German attacking midfielder scored the second goal off a Jorginho assist after Bukayo Saka opened up the scoring from the penalty spot.
Havertz provided the assist for Leandro Trossard’s goal to seal a comfortable victory for the Gunners.
Micky van de Ven
Dutch defender Micky van de Ven scored a blistering goal for Tottenham as the North London side moved fourth on the Premier League table.
Tottenham took the lead after Forest defender Murillo scored an own goal in the 15th minute. Chris Wood equalised in the 27th minute.
Micky van de Ven bagged Tottenham’s second in the 52nd minute with a blistering strike from just inside the area. Pedro Porro produced a powerful half-volley six minutes later from 14 yards to put the result beyond doubt.
Kobbie Mainoo
The youngster continued his superb form for the season scoring a belter in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Sunday.
Mainoo found space to net United’s second with an eye-catching curler in the 67th minute, after Bruno Fernandes cancelled out Luis Dias opener.
He was named Manchester United’s Man of the Match.
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/04/week-32-top-5-players-in-the-epl-this-weekend/
