EPL MATCHDAY 15 SATURDAY EDITION: DRAMATIC WINS AND STRUGGLES AT THE BOTTOM

Written by: Floyd Nkanyane

The latest round of Premier League fixtures delivered thrilling encounters, with Brentford, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest securing impressive victories that could prove crucial in their campaign. Storm Darragh on the other hand proved too strong for the Merseyside Derby to take place, forcing a postponement. Here is a quick Flo Report on what took place on Saturday from the “Best League” in the world.

Bees Sting The Toon Army in Goal-Fest

Brentford produced a memorable 4-2 triumph over Newcastle United at the Gtech Community Stadium, braving Storm Darragh’s harsh conditions. The match was a rollercoaster of excitement, with both teams trading blows in a pulsating first half. Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring for Brentford, quickly answered by Alexander Isak’s equalizer. Yoane Wissa then restored the hosts’ lead, with Harvey Barnes leveling once more.

The game’s decisive moment came in the second half, with Nathan Collins and Kevin Schade securing the win for Brentford.  Since the start of 2021-22, both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have scored in 15 different Premier League games for Brentford, the most of any duo for a side in the competition. This victory is particularly significant, as it marks the first time the club has won five successive home league games in the top flight since Christmas Day 1936.

Villa Edges Past The Saints in Tight Encounter

At Villa Park, Aston Villa secured a narrow 1-0 victory against struggling Southampton. Jhon Duran’s 24th-minute goal proved the difference in a match characterized by limited clear-cut chances. The win lifts Aston Villa to fifth place, while Southampton remains rooted to the bottom of the table with just five points from 15 games. This means that The Saints (W1 D2 L12) are just the fourth side to have five or fewer points after 15 games in a Premier League season, after Sunderland (5 points in 2005-06), and Sheffield United twice (5 points in 2023-24 and 2 points in 2020-21).

Forest Shocks Ruben Amorinm at Old Trafford

In the most surprising result of the day, Nottingham Forest handed Manchester United a 3-2 defeat at their own stadium. Nikola Milenkovic opened the scoring after just 92 seconds, with Rasmus Hojlund equalizing later in the first half. Forest came out strong in the second period, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood extending their lead before Bruno Fernandes pulled one back for United. Unwanted records for new manager Ruben Amorim who has now lost a home league match for the first time since February 2023, when he was in charge of Sporting CP (1-2 v FC Porto), having won each of his last 23 such games prior to today, while he has lost back-to-back top-flight matches for just the second time in his managerial career.

Nottingham Forest have won back-to-back league matches against Manchester United for the first time since 1992, when Brian Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson were in the respective dugouts. Manchester United have conceded six goals in the opening two minutes of Premier League matches at Old Trafford, with two of those occasions having come in their last two home outings against Nottingham Forest.

The results shuffle the Premier League table, with Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest climbing to fifth and seventh place respectively before the Sunday matches kick-off, while Manchester United remains in 13th. As the season progresses, these outcomes could prove pivotal in the race for European spots and the battle against relegation.