The 2024/25 Premier League season did not enter a winter break during the New Year, but instead entered a more intensive Christmas schedule. In the early hours of this morning, the last match of the 19th round of the Premier League took place, with Arsenal, the Gunners, challenging Brentford away. In the match, Arsenal conceded a goal in the 13th minute of the first half, but Jesus equalized with a rebound and scored six goals in four matches, while Raya made a goal-line save. In the second half, Merino and Martinelli scored two goals in three minutes. Ultimately, Arsenal turned the game around to win 3-1 away against Brentford.
This season has seen a huge change in the Premier League landscape. The reigning champions, Manchester City, have suddenly collapsed, experiencing a significant decline in performance. Since the 10th round, City have been in a continuous slump, winning only two out of their last ten Premier League matches, losing six of them. They were eliminated from the League Cup by Tottenham and face the crisis of failing to qualify for the Champions League playoffs. City have fallen from the top of the league at the start of the season to outside the European competition zone, effectively ending their title challenge this season, which is unimaginable given that they won the Premier League four times in a row last season. Now, they can only fight for a place in the Champions League.
While some big clubs are falling, others are rising. Liverpool, who experienced managerial turmoil this summer, have impressed fans. Klopp's departure did not lead to a collapse for Liverpool. Under Sloot's leadership, the team maintained the entire starting lineup from Klopp's era, keeping their tactics and results stable. In the new season, they lost only one match at home to Nottingham Forest, remaining unbeaten in all other matches. They topped the group in the Champions League with a perfect record and have remained unbeaten in 14 consecutive rounds in the Premier League. Currently, they lead the Premier League table with a clear advantage, taking the initiative in the title race.
For Arsenal, the past two seasons have seen them compete with City for the title until the last moment, only to narrowly miss out on the championship. However, with City unexpectedly falling behind this season, Arsenal were considered strong contenders for the title. Yet, Arteta's team showed signs of falling behind early on, going four rounds without a win and being overtaken by Liverpool in the points table. Recently, Arsenal's form has improved, remaining unbeaten in eight consecutive rounds.
In the 19th round of the Premier League, Arsenal faced Brentford away. The match began with Brentford scoring in the 13th minute after Odegaard's midfield pass was intercepted and Dams' counterattack led to Mbeumo's low shot into the near corner, making it 1-0 to Brentford. In the 29th minute, Arsenal's small-scale pressing in the frontcourt resulted in Thomas' long-range shot causing Fleck to fumble the ball, allowing Jesus to head in the rebound and equalize, making it 1-1. In the 50th minute, Nwanele's corner kick was partially cleared by Fleck, leading to a scramble in the small penalty area where Merino seized the opportunity to score, making it 1-2 to Arsenal. In the 53rd minute, Nwanele's cross from the right was cleared, leaving Martinelli unmarked to volley home, extending the lead to 1-3.
Nottingham Forest has emerged as the biggest dark horse in the Premier League this season. Although they achieved back-to-back victories in the European Cup in the late 1970s, they have been lingering in the Championship since entering the 21st century. It was not until the 22/23 season that they returned to the Premier League. Last season, they successfully avoided relegation under the leadership of Nuno Santo after a mid-season managerial change. This season, Nottingham Forest has risen unexpectedly, recently achieving five consecutive victories, surpassing Chelsea in points and ranking to enter the top three, becoming a disruptor in the title race.
In contrast, among the other three BIG6 teams, Manchester United suffered four consecutive defeats, plunging into a trough, and even changing managers could not reverse the trend. Tottenham, after three consecutive winless rounds, can only fight for European qualification. Chelsea, although showing some improvement under Maresca, recently suffered two consecutive defeats and three winless rounds, making it unlikely for them to challenge Liverpool for the title. It would be satisfactory if they could secure a Champions League qualification at the end of the season.