Several games in England were postponed but four games saw Yanks in action in England on Boxing Day, from the Premier down to League One.
Aston Villa 1 – 3 Chelsea
Christian Pulisic started as center forward for Chelsea in their win over Aston Villa.
Pulisic didn’t have many chances for himself in the opening half and it was Villa who struck first. The home team worked the ball out wide and a whipped cross in was headed over Edouard Mendy by Chelsea defender Reece James in the 28th minute.
Chelsea got back in the game through Jorginho in the 34th minute after Callum Hudson-Odoi was hauled down in the box. The penalty taker did his usual hop, skip and a jump and rolled the pk to his left and in.
The visitors wasted no time in their quest for top spot and made a substitution at half time bringing on Romelu Lukaku at forward, which pushed Pulisic out wide. The move proved to be spot on by Thomas Tuchel as the forward headed the goal that put Chelsea in front in the 56th minute.
Pulisic had a half chance at the back post in the 83rd minute but couldn’t get to the other side of his defender to meet the cross. Lukaku proved to be the ultimate difference maker though, as his run from half resulted in earning a penalty kick, in which Jorginho easily dispatched.
Pulisic and Chelsea will look to keep on their winning ways against Brighton on Wednesday in more Premier League action.
Watch the game highlights here:
Norwich 0 – 5 Arsenal
Folarin Balogun did not retain his place in the Arsenal team while Josh Sargent started and played 72 minutes for Norwich in a very one-sided game. Jonathan Tomkins did not make the bench for Norwich.
The opening goal came from Bukayo Saka in the sixth minute as he was found at the top of the box, and his low shot beat stand-in goalkeeper Angus Gunn. The rest of the half saw plenty of chances but it took until the 44th minute for Kieran Tierney to get the killer blow for Arsenal after a great run at the far side of the field, and his shot beat the goalkeeper back across the face of goal.
The second-half floodgates opened in the 67th minute as Saka got his second on the night, after he picked up the ball in a similar space on the field, and his shot from outside the box bent in at the far post.
Lacazette was brought down in the box to earn an 84th-minute penalty, which he calmly dispatched. Emile Smith-Rowe came on as a sub and added a fifth in the 91st minute with a back-post tap in.
Norwich hope to turn their fortunes around against Crystal Palace on Tuesday while Arsenal play Wolves.
Watch the game highlights here:
Huddersfield 3 – 2 Blackpool
Duane Holmes started and went 79 minutes in Huddersfield late win over ten-man Blackpool.
It only took Blackpool 45 seconds to get off the mark as Jerry Yates capitalized on a Huddersfield turn over in the middle of the field, his finish to the far post being clinical.
However, parity was returned just two minutes later as Huddersfield found the immediate equalizer in the third minute through Danny Ward. The wide ball was whipped in and the Huddersfield man’s thumping header left the Blackpool goalkeeper still in his tracks.
Blackpool took the lead for the second time in the game in the 18th minute after taking advantage of Huddersfield’s lackluster defending. Keshi Anderson floated a ball in to the back post where Gary Medine was able to leap the highest to head in his goal at the back post.
Blackpool had more chances to close out the first half, but Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel was lucky to stay on the field as his thunderous tackle on Holmes only resulted in a yellow card at the end of the half.
The game was turned on its head when Lawrence-Gabriel was shown a red card in the 61st minute after another late tackle.
After a flurry of changes in the second half, including Holmes in the 79th, Huddersfield made their run to victory through a Sorba Thomas brace. The equalizing goal came in the 80th minute and it sent Kirklees Stadium into an uproar. Thomas picked the ball up on the wing and after a few intricate give-and-go’s, he slotted the ball past the Blackpool goalkeeper.
Riding the emotion, Thomas went down the field and earned the home side a corner kick. The ball in wasn’t dealt well with, and Blackpool headed it out to Thomas who thumped his volley to the back post.
Huddersfield are now in the playoff hunt, sitting in sixth place at the end of the match day. They face Nottingham Forest on Thursday in more Championship action.
Watch the game highlights here:
Doncaster Rovers 0 – 3 Sunderland
Lynden Gooch went the distance for Sunderland as the Black Cats finally find themselves in the promotion zone of League One.
Leon Dajaku earned an early penalty after a skillful run into the box, which allowed Ross Stewart to step up and convert in the seventh minute.
The Black Cats doubled their lead through Elliot Embleton after a fantastic interchange saw the goalscorer pop the ball up to himself before slotting past the Rovers goalkeeper.
Gooch will feel hard done by after his surging run and good cross was flicked goalwards by Alex Pritchard. The clever flick hit the mid drift of Rovers defender Ben Blythe to be registered as a 50th minute own goal.
Sunderland turn their attention to Thursday’s game against Sheffield Wednesday.
Watch the game highlights here:
Notes
Zack Steffen was on the bench for Manchester City in their win in a 6-3 thriller over Leeds United.
Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream’s Fulham saw their match against Birmingham City postponed due to COVID guidelines.
Ethan Horvath was on the bench, but Alex Mighten missed out on Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 loss against Middlesborough.
Matthew Olosunde’s Preston North End saw their game postponed against West Brom due to COVID protocols.
