For many years there has been something special about matches between Newcastle and Liverpool that guarantees entertainment. Fans were not disappointed in the midweek clash at St James' Park as they witnessed a 3-3 thriller in a game that some called the best of the season.
Two goals from the amazing Mohamed Salah looked like they would clinch matters for the league leaders but a last minute strike by Fabien Schar ensured the Magpies shared the points. It reminded many people of the classic 1996 meeting between the two sides which Liverpool won 4 -3 and contributed to Newcastle's failure to win the league that season.
Despite dropping two precious points, Liverpool fans will have been encouraged by what manager Arne Slot had to say after the game concerning Salah's future at the club. He called Salah's performance "outstanding" and commented "we are hoping and expecting that he can continue this for a long time."
But the action was not confined to Newcastle as on Wednesday night alone 25 goals were scored in the six matches. And when you get down to the nitty gritty of football it's goals spectators want to see.
With another 10 in the four matches on Tuesday and Thursday the net total for the 10 games was a healthy 35 goals. It doesn't quite match the record 45 goals scored in the 10 games one February weekend last year, but it's not a bad effort.
Aside from the action at St James' catching the eye was Chelsea's 5-1 demolition of a very poor Southampton side at St Mary's. Once again the Saints self-destructed with disastrous playing out from the back and some fragile goalkeeping. And then there was a silly sending off when captain Jack Stephens pulled Marc Cucurella's hair, although some might argue that it hardly warranted a red card.
The win moved Chelsea into second place but they should have a more demanding fixture tomorrow when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur despite Spurs' surprise mid-week loss to Bournemouth.
Perhaps the most significant result on Wednesday was defending champions Manchester City ending their losing streak with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. They were still below their best but it brought a huge sigh of relief from manager Pep Guardiola. It also gave City fans hope that maybe they could claw their way back into contention.
Another important result was Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Manchester United. Once again Arsenal looked dangerous from corner kicks and both of their goals were scored by defenders, Jurrien Timber and William Saliba who admittedly didn't know much about his goal as it went in off his backside. It put an end to Ruben Amorim's three-match unbeaten run with United although he will be confident of bouncing back with today's home fixture against Forest.
The most surprising scoreline came from Goodison Park where Everton, not known for their goalscoring prowess, thrashed Wolves 4-0 although they did benefit from two own goals by unlucky Wolves defender Craig Dawson. It was an important win for Everton and will give them much-needed confidence when they take on Liverpool at Goodison today.
Another side enjoying a return to form were Aston Villa who earned a 3-1 win against Brentford thanks to an excellent first-half performance.
After the mid-week excitement we can probably expect a goal drought this weekend as nervous managers bid to tighten up their defences.
Two goals from the amazing Mohamed Salah looked like they would clinch matters for the league leaders but a last minute strike by Fabien Schar ensured the Magpies shared the points. It reminded many people of the classic 1996 meeting between the two sides which Liverpool won 4 -3 and contributed to Newcastle's failure to win the league that season.
Despite dropping two precious points, Liverpool fans will have been encouraged by what manager Arne Slot had to say after the game concerning Salah's future at the club. He called Salah's performance "outstanding" and commented "we are hoping and expecting that he can continue this for a long time."
But the action was not confined to Newcastle as on Wednesday night alone 25 goals were scored in the six matches. And when you get down to the nitty gritty of football it's goals spectators want to see.
With another 10 in the four matches on Tuesday and Thursday the net total for the 10 games was a healthy 35 goals. It doesn't quite match the record 45 goals scored in the 10 games one February weekend last year, but it's not a bad effort.
Aside from the action at St James' catching the eye was Chelsea's 5-1 demolition of a very poor Southampton side at St Mary's. Once again the Saints self-destructed with disastrous playing out from the back and some fragile goalkeeping. And then there was a silly sending off when captain Jack Stephens pulled Marc Cucurella's hair, although some might argue that it hardly warranted a red card.
The win moved Chelsea into second place but they should have a more demanding fixture tomorrow when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur despite Spurs' surprise mid-week loss to Bournemouth.
Perhaps the most significant result on Wednesday was defending champions Manchester City ending their losing streak with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. They were still below their best but it brought a huge sigh of relief from manager Pep Guardiola. It also gave City fans hope that maybe they could claw their way back into contention.
Another important result was Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Manchester United. Once again Arsenal looked dangerous from corner kicks and both of their goals were scored by defenders, Jurrien Timber and William Saliba who admittedly didn't know much about his goal as it went in off his backside. It put an end to Ruben Amorim's three-match unbeaten run with United although he will be confident of bouncing back with today's home fixture against Forest.
The most surprising scoreline came from Goodison Park where Everton, not known for their goalscoring prowess, thrashed Wolves 4-0 although they did benefit from two own goals by unlucky Wolves defender Craig Dawson. It was an important win for Everton and will give them much-needed confidence when they take on Liverpool at Goodison today.
Another side enjoying a return to form were Aston Villa who earned a 3-1 win against Brentford thanks to an excellent first-half performance.
After the mid-week excitement we can probably expect a goal drought this weekend as nervous managers bid to tighten up their defences.
