EPL Gameweek 23 Review: More Woes for Tottenham Hotspur

We review the key action from the weekend fixtures in the English Premier League, which once again produced some major results at both sides of the EPL ladder.

Bournemouth 5-0 Nottingham Forest: Cherries Make Major Statement

Nottingham Forest have been the surprise package of the season so far, though they were systematically taken apart by another of the EPL’s bolts from the blue, AFC Bournemouth.

Andoni Iraola has done an astonishing job since taking over at Vitality stadium in June 2023 and this result was another showcase of their unstoppable ability going forward, blowing away one of the strongest defensive units in the league. 

This result means that Bournemouth are now unbeaten in 11 games and they have taken apart two in-form rivals in two weeks, humbling high-flying Newcastle last time out. 

Bournemouth are just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City and have to be seen as genuine challengers for Champions League football - they are 6.00 chances to finish in the top four with Betway. It’s a remarkable feat for a side that almost went out of business just 17 years ago, surviving despite being deducted 17 points in the fourth tier.

Things don’t get any easier for the Cherries as they host league leaders Liverpool next, though in their current form plenty will fancy them at 4.50 with Betway to get another impressive result. 

Meanwhile, this has to be seen as a significant setback for Forest, though it certainly isn’t time to panic on the back of their first defeat in eight matches. Nuno Espírito Santo’s men remain in the hunt for the top four (4.30 chances with Betway) and will hope to get back on track next week against Brighton, who were humbled at home to struggling Everton at the weekend. 

Tottenham 1-2 Leicester: Spurs Fans Turn on Levy 

Tottenham keep writing headlines for all of the wrong reasons and under-fire manager Ange Postecoglou had no respite at the weekend, as they lost at home to struggling Leicester City. 

There have been several low moments for Spurs of late, but surrendering a lead to a side that arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium having lost their last seven games is a damning indictment of the issues in North London. 

It leaves Spurs still just eight points clear of the relegation zone, though their price of +1600 with Sportingbet to go down shows that it’s still highly unlikely. With that being said, they have won just one of their last 11 games, winning one, drawing one and losing nine. 

Postecoglou is fighting for his job, though the Spurs fans were airing their frustrations at those higher up in the club. It’s worth noting that three of Spurs’ former managers are currently thriving around Europe, at Nottingham Forest (Nuno), Fenerbache (Jose Mourinho) and Napoli (Antonio Conte) respectively – posing the question whether the man in the dugout is the issue. 

The fans clearly have a similar idea and the scrutiny has moved towards chairman Daniel Levy, with a banner in the South Stand reading: "24 years, 16 managers, one trophy - time for change".

It isn’t just Ange who’s under pressure and this result will serve as a major tonic to Foxes manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who arrived here having won just one of his opening nine matches in the dugout.

There can be no doubt that the Foxes are fighting for their manager on this evidence, though they remain overwhelming -275 favourites with Sportingbet to go down. Their next game will be key, when they head for a six pointer away at fellow strugglers Everton (+900). 

Fulham 0-1 Manchester United: Have United Turned a Corner?

Manchester United continue to have a tumultuous season, though it feels as though they have turned a corner with victory at Fulham on Sunday evening. 

The Red Devils had to fight hard to see off Rangers in the Europa League in midweek and they showed similar grit here, when Lisandro Martinez's deflected strike won a drab game. 

United are far from inspiring, but they have now won three of their last four games, showing a resolve that was lacking earlier in the season. 

And perhaps the most notable moment came after the game, when Ruben Amorim dismissed the prospects of a recall for misfit Marcus Rashford – claiming he’d rather select his 61-year-old goalkeeping coach. It suggests that the culture may slowly be changing at Old Trafford, though time will be paramount for Amorim as he slowly gets his ideas across. 

United remain mid-table despite this result and their priorities will likely lie in the Europa League, in which they are on track to seal a top-eight finish. They are the current 5.41 favourites with YesPlay to win the competition, which holds the reward of direct qualification for next season’s Champions League. 

This was a disappointing result for Fulham, who now sit seven points from potential European qualification. The Cottagers are now winless in their last five at home and they may instead turn their attentions to the FA Cup, for which they are 21.06 with YesPlay to win it. 

Fulham will certainly fancy going deep into the competition and face a fourth-round tie away at League One side Wigan Athletic, who have one of the poorest home records in the third tier. With the FA Cup winner qualifying for the Europa League, this could be their preferred route.