Premier League highlights: Week 29

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: BEREHULAK / GETTY IMAGES NEWS / THINKSTOCK
Returning to the Premier League after a long absense, it seems as though Steve McClaren might already be losing his touch after his exciting spell at Derby County.

McClaren out of time

With the club sitting in 19th place, second to the bottom of the Premier League table, Newcastle United look to be preparing to part ways with their manager Steve Mc- Claren. The former Derby County and Middlesbrough manager has spent significant time away from the game’s highest level, and the Newcastle job was to be his return to the top of the English game. Instead, he has won just seven of his 30 matches in charge and has the club firmly locked in a relegation battle. Bigger names such as David Moyes and Rafael Benitez are being touted to replace him, both of which would be vast improvements over the current coach. If McClaren is sacked, it is unlikely that he will manage a top-flight English club again, and will remain best known for his failed tenure in charge of the national team.

Crystal Palace still failing to shine

Things were looking pretty good for Crystal Palace eight games into the season. They were sitting in fourth place, having won five of their opening games and scoring 11 goals, a huge improvement on their usual early season form. However, since then fortunes at Selhurst Park have taken a turn for the worse, with the club only winning four more games, the last coming in December. This statistic surprisingly leaves Palace as the only team in the entire English football pyramid without a victory in the calendar year. Their collapse against 10-man Liverpool last round encapsulated everything wrong with the team this year, having been a goal up and in control before gifting their opponents an equalizer and conceding a last minute penalty to lose all the points. While there has been no word from the board, fans are growing increasingly impatient with manager Alan Pardew and the poor run of form he’s led his men on.

Leicester wins North London derby

It takes remarkable fortune to win a football match that you haven’t even played in, but Leicester City managed to do just that when Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur played out a 2–2 draw last matchday. While it was the best result possible for the league leaders, it was a significant blow to the title challenges of both London clubs. A win for Arsenal would have drawn them level with Spurs, and a win for Tottenham would have allowed them to leap above Leicester and top the Premier League for the first time in more than 30 years. Arsenal looked to have surrendered their lead, and the points, having Francis Coquelin dismissed before conceding two quick fire goals. Fortunately for the Gunners, Alexis Sanchez was on hand to break Spurs’ hearts and split the points between them in the showpiece match of the season.

Fox watch: Week 29

As I stated above, Leicester could have ended the weekend in second place in the table, but thanks to a wonder goal from Riyad Mahrez, they won 1–0 at Watford and now lead the table by five points with nine matches left. They may just do it.