EPL game reviews – 2025-12-31

Premier League Matchday Wrap: Goals, Stalemates and Standout Performances

It was a busy night of Premier League action with a full slate of fixtures and plenty for punters to digest. We saw heavyweights respond, underdogs frustrate, and a couple of high-tempo draws that will have neutrals buzzing – and bettors reaching for the stats pages.

From Arsenal putting on a second-half clinic against Aston Villa, to Everton grinding out a vital 2–0 away win at Nottingham Forest, through to tight contests like Wolves vs Man Utd finishing level, the data paints a clear picture of how each clash unfolded. Below is a game-by-game review drawn directly from the official stat lines and scoring records.

Nottingham Forest vs Everton

Everton left the City Ground with all three points, claiming a 2–0 away win over Nottingham Forest. The final score, taken from the standard full-time records, shows Forest (home) 0 – 2 Everton (away). The Toffees built their victory with a goal in each half: 1–0 up at the break and then closing the deal with another strike in the second period.

Interestingly, Forest enjoyed a sizeable edge in corners: 9–2 overall, with a 3–1 advantage in the first half and 6–1 in the second. That tells you the hosts had territory and pressure, particularly after the break, but couldn’t convert that into goals.

Everton’s match-winners

The JSON makes Everton’s key contributors clear:

James Garner – 1 goal, 1 assist, and 4 total shots (1 on target). His player goals and player assists metrics both show a return, and his player score or assist value of 2 reinforces that he was directly involved in both Everton goals.
Thierno Barry – 1 goal from 1 shot on target (1 shot total). His player goals and player shots on target metrics line up with a sharp, clinical outing.
Dwight McNeil – 1 assist registered in the player assists metrics and 1 contribution in player score or assist. While he didn’t hit the target himself, he still had a hand in creating chances.

Defensively, Jordan Pickford was not called upon to make a registered shot or goal contribution – which is exactly what you want from your keeper in a professional away performance: quiet and solid.

Forest’s threat without reward

The home side failed to find the net, with every Forest player logging 0 in the player goals category. That said, there were signs of attacking intent:

Morgan Gibbs-White – 3 shots (1 on target). He was the most active shooter for Forest and one of the few to seriously test the Everton defence.
Taiwo Awoniyi – 2 shots, 1 on target. His numbers suggest he got himself into good positions but fell just short of converting.
Douglas Luiz and Igor Jesus – each with 2 total shots, Luiz also recording 1 on target.
Neco Williams – 2 shots, both on target. That’s standout efficiency, even if it didn’t translate into a goal.

In spite of nine corners and multiple players getting shots away, Forest’s player score or assist metrics were all 0 across the board – a blunt attacking display, punished by Everton’s clinical moments at the other end.

Newcastle United vs Burnley

In a lively encounter, Newcastle United came away 3–1 winners over Burnley. The full-time standard record reads Newcastle (away) 3 – 1 Burnley (home). Burnley actually struck first, leading 1–0 at half-time, but Newcastle turned it around with a strong second-half push, adding another to seal the 3–1 scoreline.

On corners, Newcastle edged it 4–3 over the 90 minutes. Interestingly, they dominated early with a 3–0 advantage in first-half corners, while Burnley rallied a bit more in the second half (3–1 to the hosts). That mirrors the hosts’ early whip in wide areas before Newcastle’s quality took over.

Newcastle’s attacking depth on show

Newcastle’s goals came from a spread of contributors, supported by some seriously busy shooters:

Bruno Guimarães – 1 goal from 3 shots (2 on target). He was central to Newcastle’s attacking play, with his player score or assist metric sitting at 1.
Joelinton – 1 goal from 1 shot (1 on target). Classic Joelinton impact: few chances, maximum physical presence and end product.
Yoane Wissa – 1 goal, with 4 total shots and 2 on target. His player goals and player shots on target numbers highlight how consistently dangerous he was.
Harvey Barnes – 2 shots (both on target) but no goal or assist this time. Even without direct returns, his involvement is obvious in the shot data.
Anthony Gordon – 1 shot on target, 1 total shot, keeping Burnley’s defence honest down the flank.

Despite a raft of attacking players, Newcastle recorded no assists in the player assists column. That doesn’t mean there weren’t key passes; it simply reflects how the goals were logged in the dataset (often direct plays or deflections).

Burnley’s bright start fades

Burnley’s lone goal came from Josh Laurent, who turned in a solid shift:

Josh Laurent – 1 goal from 2 total shots (1 on target) and a player score or assist of 1. He was Burnley’s standout attacking figure.
Lucas Pires – 2 shots, though none on target, showing a willingness to get forward from deeper areas.
Marcus Edwards and Loum Tchaouna – each recorded 4 shots and 2 shots on target (for Edwards) and 1 on target (for Tchaouna). Despite those numbers, neither found the net, summing up Burnley’s frustration.

Armando Broja supplied Burnley’s only credited assist in the match, underpinning his role as a link-up striker even without scoring himself.

Bournemouth vs Chelsea

Bournemouth and Chelsea played out an entertaining 2–2 draw, all four goals coming in a frantic first half. The full-time standard metrics show home 2 – 2 away, with both sides scoreless in the second half.

From a territorial point of view, Chelsea applied enormous pressure. The Blues racked up 12 corners to Bournemouth’s 3, including a 10–2 margin in the second half alone. For punters who backed Chelsea on corner spreads, this was a dream scenario.

Chelsea’s midfield and forward line produce

Chelsea’s goals and contributions were well spread among their young core:

Enzo Fernández – 1 goal from 2 shots (1 on target), plus a player score or assist of 1. He continues to chip in with crucial attacking moments from midfield.
Cole Palmer – 1 goal from 1 shot on target (1 shot total). Efficient and decisive, as reflected in his player score or assist value of 1.
Alejandro Garnacho – although he didn’t score, he registered 1 assist and a player score or assist metric of 1, highlighting his creative influence.
Estêvão – 2 shots (1 on target) and heavy involvement in forward areas, even without a goal or assist in the final records.
Liam Delap and Malo Gusto – each added 1 shot, Gusto also finding the target once.

Bournemouth’s sharp finishing

Bournemouth’s attack was headlined by:

David Brooks – 1 goal from 3 shots on target (3 shots total). The numbers confirm he was Bournemouth’s most potent weapon.
Justin Kluivert – 1 goal from 1 shot on target (1 shot total), demonstrating clinical finishing.
Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson – both with 1 shot on target (Semenyo with 2 total shots, Evanilson with 1). They stretched Chelsea’s back line and contributed to the first-half chaos.
Marcus Tavernier and Alex Scott – each logged 1 shot, plus 1 shot on target apiece, though they didn’t find the net or register assists in the dataset.

While Bournemouth didn’t have any recorded assists in the stats, the collective effort in the final third was enough to land two goals and a point against a dominant but occasionally open Chelsea outfit.

Newcastle vs Burnley (duplicate fixture record)

There is a second JSON block for Newcastle vs Burnley with identical scorelines and near-identical stats to the “Newcastle United vs Burnley” entry. The full-time standard record again reads home 1 – 3 away, and the shot and goals data for key players such as Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton, Yoane Wissa, Josh Laurent and others mirror the previous listing.

For all practical purposes, this appears to be the same match represented twice. The same story holds: Burnley struck first and led at half-time, but Newcastle’s attacking quality flipped the result, with Guimarães, Joelinton and Wissa all getting on the scoresheet and Newcastle edging the corners 4–3 over the 90 minutes.

Bettors and number-watchers should treat these as a single fixture when analysing trends and player performance.

Brighton vs West Ham

Brighton and West Ham played out a 2–2 thriller, with the Londoners (West Ham) listed as the home side in one dataset instance. The full-time standard score has both teams on 2, with West Ham leading 2–1 at half-time before Brighton clawed one back after the restart.

Corners were evenly split at 5–5 across the match, with West Ham having a slight 3–1 edge in the first half and Brighton responding with a 4–2 advantage in the second period in some of the data. That balance underlines just how evenly matched these sides were territorially.

West Ham’s creators and finishers

A look at the “home” (West Ham) numbers highlights who drove their attacking output:

Jarrod Bowen – 1 goal from 2 shots on target (2 shots total), plus a player score or assist of 1. In the final-third metrics, he remains West Ham’s talisman.
Lucas Paquetá – 1 goal from 1 shot on target (1 shot total), and 1 assist recorded in the player assists data, giving him 2 combined goal contributions for the match.
Crysencio Summerville – 1 shot on target from 1 shot, and 1 assist credited in some data, indicating bright involvement even though he didn’t score.
Oliver Scarles and Max Kilman – contributed with 2 and 1 shots respectively, helping West Ham’s push from deeper positions.

Brighton’s response

On the Brighton (away) side:

Joël Veltman – 1 goal from 1 shot on target, a big moment from the full-back.
Danny Welbeck – 1 goal from 1 shot on target, 2 shots total, illustrating how efficient he was when chances did come his way.
Ferdi Kadıoğlu – 1 shot on target (1 shot total) and a constant outlet down the flank, even though he didn’t score.
Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter – each recorded 1 shot on target and 1 total shot, contributing to Brighton’s multi-pronged attack.
Yasin Ayari – registered 3 total shots, giving Brighton a busy presence through the middle even if he didn’t manage to convert.

Neither side registered a stack of assists on the Brighton side of the ledger – the stat shows zeros across the board – suggesting goals came from quick transitions, individual moments or deflections rather than drawn-out passing combinations.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham (alternate data instance)

As with the Newcastle vs Burnley duplication, the Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham JSON mirrors the Brighton vs West Ham record: full-time 2–2, 2–1 to West Ham at half-time, and level pegging after the break. Corners again finish 5–5.

The player-level stats are effectively the same: Bowen and Paquetá providing West Ham’s goals, while Veltman and Welbeck do the damage for Brighton, backed by lively contributions from Mitoma, Rutter and Yasin Ayari in the shots department.

Whether you label it “Brighton vs West Ham” or “Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham”, the story is clear: a hard-fought draw with attacking talent on both sides turning up.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal

Arsenal produced a dominant second-half performance to defeat Aston Villa 4–1 away from home. The full-time standard record reads home 4 – 1 away, but in terms of the player data, Arsenal’s players occupy the “home” side and Villa’s the “away” side.

Remarkably, the first half ended 0–0, before exploding into life after the break: 4–1 to Arsenal in the second half alone. Corners were dead even at 3–3 over 90 minutes, with Villa edging the first-half corners 2–0 and Arsenal responding 3–1 in the second.

Arsenal’s second-half surge

Arsenal’s goalmouth action was layered and heavily supported by their midfield:

Gabriel Magalhães – 1 goal from 1 shot on target (1 shot total). A big contribution from the centre-back, especially considering he didn’t record an assist.
Martín Zubimendi – 1 goal from 1 shot on target (1 shot total), plus steady midfield work reflected in his shots figures.
Leandro Trossard – 1 goal from 2 shots on target (3 shots total) and 1 assist. That’s 2 direct goal contributions, underlined by a player score or assist tally of 2.
Gabriel Jesus – 1 goal from 1 shot on target (1 shot total). Clinical as ever, and also chipped in with an assist in the datasets that credit him indirectly, though his official player assists value is 0.
Martin Ødegaard – while he didn’t score, he registered 4 shots (2 on target) and 1 assist. His creative fingerprints are all over this win, and his player score or assist value of 1 confirms his direct involvement.

Elsewhere, Viktor Gyökeres (2 shots, 2 on target) and Bukayo Saka (2 shots, 0 on target) were constant threats, even without goals to their names.

Villa’s lone bright spot

Aston Villa’s consolation came via their star striker:

Ollie Watkins – 1 goal from 4 shots (1 on target). His player score or assist metric of 1 reflects that single but significant contribution. He also carried most of Villa’s attacking burden, with Donyell Malen and John McGinn adding 2 and 1 shots respectively.

Villa did not record any assists in the data, underlining just how isolated their attacking success was. After a solid first-half defensive display, they simply couldn’t live with Arsenal’s wave of pressure in the second 45.

Wolves vs Man Utd

The final fixture on the slate saw Wolves and Manchester United share the spoils in a 1–1 draw. The full-time standard record shows 1–1, with both goals arriving in the first half and a goalless second period.

Corners were another area where United held the edge: 8–4 overall, including a strong 5–3 showing in the second half as they pressed for a winner. For total corner backers, United’s dominance in that metric was important.

United’s early strike

In the data, Manchester United’s players appear on the “home” side. Their goal came courtesy of:

Joshua Zirkzee – 1 goal from 1 shot on target (1 shot total). His player score or assist of 1 confirms his direct contribution to United’s tally.

There’s a notable statistical quirk here: Benjamin Šeško posted a huge 6 shots and 4 shots on target, but is recorded with 0 goals and 0 assists. That suggests he was heavily involved and generated high shot volume, but either met a strong keeper or lacked finishing luck on the night.

Manuel Ugarte also popped up with 1 shot on target (1 shot total), and Diogo Dalot chipped in with 1 shot as well, but none of United’s other players registered goals or assists in the provided stats.

Wolves’ equaliser and attacking threat

Wolves – logged on the “away” side – found their goal through a defender:

Ladislav Krejčí – 1 goal from 3 shots (2 on target). He also recorded a player score or assist of 1, making him Wolves’ key figure in front of goal.

Supporting him in attack:

Mateus Mané – 1 shot on target (1 shot total), keeping the United back line honest.
Hugo Bueno – 1 shot on target and 1 shot overall, contributing from left-back.
Tolu Arokodare and Hee-Chan Hwang – each with meaningful shot volume (Arokodare 1 shot, Hwang 2 shots and 2 on target), though neither found the net.

No Wolves player picked up an assist in the dataset, which hints at their goal coming via second-phase play or a recycled set piece rather than a clear, final pass.

Conclusion: What Punters Can Take from the Day – and Where Odds Come In

Across the card, a few patterns stood out. Arsenal’s second-half demolition of Villa showed the value of backing quality sides in “late goal” or second-half markets. Brighton vs West Ham and Bournemouth vs Chelsea reminded us that attacking, open games can still finish level – great for both teams to score and total goal lines. Meanwhile, Everton’s efficient 2–0 away win at Forest highlighted how a side can win without dominating corners or shot volume.

For anyone betting across the Premier League, having access to granular data like shots, shots on target, goals, assists and corner counts is critical. It’s exactly the kind of detail that should inform your bets on goal-scorer markets, player shots lines, both teams to score, and over/under totals.

If you want to turn these insights into an edge, make sure you’re getting the best possible price on every selection. Use our odds comparison tool to line up prices from all the major bookies in one place, lock in the best value on your Premier League bets, and take the guesswork out of shopping for odds.