Premier League

Watford left back Adam Masina has played just 33 minutes so far this season due to injury, but should the club gain promotion at the end of the campaign, Hornets fans will look back on his heroic tackle during a tense Boxing Day match as the defining play of their season.

The Championship club found in the northwest outskirts of London entered Saturday's fixture against league leaders Norwich in a comfortable fifth place, just four points off an automatic promotion spot.

Everton's Premier League match at home to Manchester City on Monday has been called off due to new COVID-19 cases reported at City, the league said in a statement.

City returned a number of positive cases for COVID-19 after confirming four positives last week, including striker Gabriel Jesus and defender Kyle Walker. The Premier League board agreed to rearrange the game as a precaution after City lodged a request following the latest round of testing.

A tale of two halves at Anfield on Sunday — one in which Liverpool controlled 81% possession; one in which West Brom landed more shots on target — ended in a 1-1 draw between the sides of a clearly frustrated (and booked) Jürgen Klopp and a triumphant Sam Allardyce. 

West Brom made the first managerial change of the Premier League season on Dec. 16 when sacking Slaven Bilić in favor of Big Sam, and the Baggies are now the first team to take points off Liverpool at Anfield — although the club remains five points from safety after 15 matches.    

Ben Johnson and Tomas Soucek scored second-half goals as West Ham United twice came back from a goal down to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday.

Brighton created the early chances at London Stadium and deservedly took the lead just before halftime when striker Neal Maupay pounced on a loose ball in the box to score his first goal since October.

A fifth-minute penalty from Patrick Bamford was enough to give Leeds United a 1-0 win over Burnley at Elland Road in the Premier League on Sunday, but Sean Dyche's side were left furious after an Ashley Barnes effort was ruled out.

Bamford, who spent a spell on loan at Burnley earlier in his career, drilled home the early spot kick after referee Robert Jones ruled that Burnley keeper Nick Pope had brought down the Leeds forward. It was the Leeds man's 10th league goal of the season.

Manchester City breezed to a 2-0 home win over Newcastle United thanks to goals in each half from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres, a result that lifted them to fifth in the Premier League on Saturday.

On a rainy, cold night at the Etihad Stadium, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce started with a five-man backline but there was little his side could do to keep control of City's array of attacking talent.

Man City Newcastle Highlights

For Arsenal fans, it feels like the last time the Gunners won in the Premier League was a couple million years ago. In reality, it was nearly two months ago that Arsenal edged Manchester United. Since then, Mikel Arteta has watched his side lose five and draw two in league play. 

So it’s safe to say not even the most ardent of Arsenal fans expected what happened on Boxing Day.

Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings was sent off just before halftime with his side nursing a one-goal lead against Crystal Palace. Then Villa really showed how good it is.

Despite playing the entire second half down a man, Aston Villa throttled Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday. Remarkably, it was Villa’s fifth 3-0 victory of the season, which begs the question: Can this club actually compete for a spot in Europe?

LEICESTER, England — Leicester City came back twice to end Manchester United's away winning streak in the Premier League with a 2-2 draw at the King Power stadium on Saturday.

A Jamie Vardy shot which deflected off United defender Axel Tuanzebe, five minutes from the end, secured a point for Brendan Rodgers' side after Bruno Fernandes appeared to have secured another victory on the road for United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, who had won their last ten away games in the Premier League, stay third on 27 points, a point behind second-placed Leicester.

Brentford made club history on Tuesday by beating Newcastle in the League Cup quarterfinals, the fourth Premier League side the Bees have usurped in this year's competition.

The victory marked the first time in club annals that Brentford has reached the semifinals of a major tournament (that classic Johnstone's Paint Trophy run of 2010-11 doesn't count).