It was a night of drama all across England on Wednesday, as Tammy Abraham scored during a heavy defeat for Chelsea, Odion Jude Ighalo got off the bench in a torrid draw at home for Manchester United, while Semi Ajayi celebrated promotion with West Bromwich Albion in the lower division, despite in-form Nigerian-born midfielder, Eberechi Eze scoring against his club.
Megasportsarena.com reports that, although Abraham hit target in Wednesday’s high-profile clash at Anfield, his side came up short in a thrilling 5-3 loss to Liverpool, thereby leaving The Blues’ top-four hopes at the end of this season on a cliffhanger into the final day of the season, as they are now fourth on the log.
A draw would have secured confirmed UEFA Champions League qualification for Chelsea, but they capitulated in the first half, as Liverpool went ahead through Naby Keita’s 23rd minute stunner, after which Trent Alexander-Arnold converted a 38th minute free-kick and Gini Wijnaldum’s volley in the 43rd.
Although Olivier Giroud pulled one back for Chelsea just before the break, the hosts kept hunting and Roberto Firmino headed home Alexander-Arnold’s delivery ten minutes after the restart, only for Abraham to reduce the deficit again following a brilliant assist by his fellow-substitute, Christian Pulisic, who was at his best again to make it 4-3 on 73 minutes, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain turned home Andrew Robertson’s centre for Liverpool’s fifth goal.
It means Chelsea dropped to fourth place, as Manchester United played out a 1-1 draw at home with West Ham United earlier on Wednesday, in which Ighalo got off the bench with just five minutes left to play, but still had enough time to get close to scoring what would have been a winning goal for the Red Devils and an assured spot in the UCL.
However, both Chelsea and United now need a point each in their final games of the season this Sunday to secure spots in the Champions League; with The Blues home to Wolverhampton Wanderers while Ighalo’s side visit Leicester City, who need victory to secure a top-four spot.
United moved closer to a Champions League spot despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side having to come from behind to secure a point at Old Trafford, after a bizarre incident gave West Ham the lead at the end of the first half, when Paul Pogba gave away a penalty when he raised his arms to block Declan Rice’s free-kick from hitting his body.
A VAR review showed that it was a clear handball, and Michail Antonio stepped up to hit home his sixth goal in three games from the penalty spot, following which Solskjaer threw on Ighalo on as a replacement for Marcus Rashford in the 85th minute, for the former Super Eagles’ striker’s first EPL appearance since July 9, following two bench roles on the trot.
However, playing the last five minutes of Wednesday’s match saw Ighalo reach a milestone in English football, as he notched his 100th appearance since his debut with Watford in the lower division on August 19, 2014.
Back then, Ighalo played 35 matches in the English Championship in his debut season in England and has since gone on to enact 65 appearances combined for Watford and United altogether in the EPL, in which the star on loan from Shanghai Shenhua of China will hope his side maintain third place after their trip to Leicester; as Sunday’s final-day clash at King Power Stadium will be a straight shootout for a ticket to the UEFA Champions League.
In the English Championship, Semi Ajayi ‘s club confirmed themselves for promotion thanks to a 2-2 draw with Queens Park Rangers on an incredible final day to the season across various venues of the second-tier league on Wednesday.
At the end of it all, Ajayi and The Baggies claimed the second automatic promotion spot behind Leeds United, as previous second-placed Brentford Town slipped up amazingly at home against Barnsley, whose late winner kept them out of relegation zone.
Ajayi played alongside Kyle Bartley in West Brom’s central defence, as he made the best of his 43rd appearance of the season and, though he could not stop Ryan Manning from opening scoring for the visitors with a shot from 20 yards out, the hosts hit back just before half-time through Grady Diangana.
Callum Robinson, on 49 minutes, put Ajayi’s side 2-1 up, but a moment of individual brilliance from Super Eagles’ hopeful, Eberechi Eze in the 61st minute earned the London team a share of the spoils; and could yet get the chance to battle Albion again next season in the English Premier League should he move to either West Ham United or Crystal Palace this summer.
Ryan Manning and Eze scored for The Rs during the game at The Hawthorns, but Ajayi, who was previously Arsenal’s under-23 team captain and joined The Baggies from Rotherham United when they were relegated last season, will now finally play in the EPL, after his side got a return ticket to the top-tier with goals from Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson.
Ajayi’s side, however barely crawled across the line to seal second spot after Brentford lost at home to Barnsley; but had The Bees won, Albion would have dropped into the promotion play-offs, yet Slaven Bilic’s side survived an agonising final few minutes to celebrate their elevation.
