The twenty-second round of the English Premier League season got underway on Jan. 1. Brighton hosted Bournemouth at the Amex Stadium. The match started early, with a 12:30 p.m. kick off. The home side taking an early 5th minute lead when a left wing cross was played on the Jose Izquierdo to find an onrushing Anthony Knockaert unmarked at the far post inside the 6 yard box, driving into the unguarded net with Asmir Begovic stranded at the near post, Stephen Cook heading the equaliser for Bournemouth in the 33rd minute when connecting with a header at the near post from a right wing corner kick and guiding it past goalkeeper Matt Ryan and into the top left hand corner of the net off the underside of the bar, Brighton re-taking the lead from Glenn Murray’s 48th minute strike after Jose Izquierdo set him up after receiving a pass from Pascal Gross, and then Bournemouth grabbing an equaliser in the 79th minute for a 2-all draw when Callum Wilson forced the ball into the net following a goalmouth scramble.
Burnley entertained Liverpool at Turf Moor, with Liverpool leaving Philippe Coutinho out of the match day squad, and losing Mohamed Salah to injury, both sides struggling to adapt to the wet and windy conditions, Liverpool taking the lead in the 61st minute when Sadio Mane collected a cross and swivelled before firing a shot into the top corner of the net, a spell of end to end play culminating in Burnley equalising in the 87th minute when Taylor’s cross was flicked on by Sam Vokes for Johann Berg Gudmundsson to stoop to head the ball into the net, but Liverpool fighting back with a 94th minute injury time winner when a free kick into the box from mid way in the half was headed goalbound by centre back Dejan Lovren, and headed over the line from on the line by centre back partner Ragnar Klavan, possibly offside, for a 2-1 victory which lifted Liverpool to the same points as Manchester United before their later game.
