Images from the English Premier League matches played on Monday.
Man United end miserable month with home loss to Newcastle
Newcastle United beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Premier League on Monday thanks to early headed goals from Alexander Isak and Joelinton at Old Trafford, an ugly culmination of one of the most miserable months in the home side's recent memory.
With five losses in their last six league games, Manchester United languish 14th in the standings on 19 points, their worst placing to end a calendar year since they were 15th in 1989. Newcastle are fifth on 32 points.
"One of the more difficult moments in the history of Manchester United," said manager Ruben Amorim, who called the team's position in the table embarrassing.
"It's a very difficult moment, but we have to fight to win the next game."
Isak got the visitors on the scoresheet in the fourth minute when he leapt to head home a pinpoint cross from Lewis Hall with both Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez failing to pick him up.
It was the 11th goal in 11 games for Isak, who has scored more Premier League goals in December than any other player with eight.
Newcastle doubled their lead in the 19th minute in near carbon copy fashion with Anthony Gordon sending in a cross that Joelinton headed in.
The win marked Newcastle's second victory at Old Trafford in 40 league visits, dating back to 1972.
"We know the hurt this fixture has had for us historically, it wasn't lost on us," Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said. "We didn't necessarily use that with the players, but it was a big step forward for us today. I think we need to win games like this to achieve what we want on a regular basis."
It is also the first time since 1979 that Manchester United have lost three consecutive league games at home. Their 18 goals conceded in all competitions in December is their most in a single month since March 1964 (also 18).
The score could have been more lopsided, with Isak lashing a shot past keeper Andre Onana in what would have made it 3-0 in the first half before the offside flag went up to the relief of United fans.
Soon after, Sandro Tonali missed an absolute sitter when he ran onto a flick from Gordon but clattered it off the woodwork.
"It feels great. We haven't won in a long time here, it was a great performance and the perfect way to end the year," Isak said. "The challenge was to have the same intensity here as we do at home - the first half paid off."
While the home side, who were playing without captain Bruno Fernandes, who was serving a suspension, struggled to get out of their end in the first half, Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro both squandered chances just before halftime.
Hojlund was played in by Martinez but sent his shot across the face of goal, inches from the far corner, while Casemiro unleashed a shot that sailed wide, burying his head in his hands.
Amorim's men were better after the break and Maguire's diving header that goalkeeper Martin Dubravka grabbed at least had the Old Trafford crowd -- who had booed their squad off the pitch at the break -- cheering their effort.
One of the game's ugliest moments was when the Old Trafford crowd lustily booed struggling Joshua Zirkzee when Amorim took him out of the game in the 33rd minute. There were huge swaths of empty seats, however, by the time the final whistle blew.
Ipswich shock Chelsea for first home win since 2002
Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson scored either side of the break as Ipswich Town finally ended an almost 23-year wait to win a Premier League match at Portman Road with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea on Monday.
Not since April 2002, and a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough, have Ipswich celebrated home success in the top flight but on Monday hauled themselves one place up the standings to 18th with a tenacious triumph and handed Chelsea’s title hopes another blow.
Delap’s 12th minute penalty and a fine finish in the 53rd minute from former Chelsea product Hutchinson made for the perfect finish to an exciting year for the club, who were promoted at the end of last season.
Defeat for Chelsea, on the other hand, left them with one point from their last three outings and down to fourth spot, 10 points behind Liverpool and having played one game more than the leaders.
Home hopes were raised early with the penalty award, as Leif Davis’ searching pass found Delap, who slid in to try and reach the ball and had his dangling leg caught by Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen as he came rushing off his line.
It was Ipswich’s first penalty of the league season and Delap fired it underneath Jorgensen to the delight of the home crowd.
Soon thereafter followed a strong save from Jorgensen as Delap struck a firm effort across goal from a tight angle before Chelsea took control of the encounter and did almost everything but score.
Joao Felix had the ball in the back of the net after coming in at the back post with a 24th minute effort that was ruled offside after a lengthy VAR check.
Cole Palmer struck the woodwork twice, first with a quickly taken and curling freekick where the rebound fell to Christopher Nkunku, who hit it straight at Christian Walton.
The Ipswich keeper also denied Palmer with a sharp stop near the end of the first half.
But the expected equaliser never came, with Ipswich instead going 2-0 up early in the second half.
Hutchinson, who moved from Chelsea to Ipswich in a club record 20-million-pound ($25.10 million) deal before the season’s start, paid back some of his transfer fee with a smart finish for the second goal.
It came courtesy of an errant pass from Chelsea’s French international Axel Disasi, snatched up by Delap who was full of hard running throughout the match, often the lone man left upfront.
Delap checked as he ran into traffic before laying it off to Hutchinson, who needed to step inside before firing off the perfect finish.
"It's good to write history and finally get the first win at home," Hutchinson told television reporters.
Ipswich have let potential victories slip this season, so it was a tense atmosphere as the final whistle approached, before exuberant celebrations got underway.
"We've worked so hard this season and it's not gone right. The performances have deserved a win and today we showed we are excellent and we defended well, attacked them well. We're buzzing," said Delap.
Lamptey rescues point for Brighton at Aston Villa
Brighton & Hove Albion's Tariq Lamptey drove home a late equaliser to earn his side a point in a lively 2-2 draw at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday.
Villa had come from behind to lead with an Ollie Watkins penalty and a Morgan Rogers effort just after the interval but Brighton deservedly left with a share of the spoils.
Lamptey was played in by Joao Pedro's clever flick and volleyed home first-time in the 81st minute.
Villa remained in ninth place with 29 points from 19 games with Brighton's second draw of the festive period leaving them two points behind in 10th spot.
Both sides will enter the new year with aspirations of qualifying for Europe and there was plenty of evidence to suggest both could realise that ambition in 2025 although Brighton are now on a seven-match winless streak.
A game of 33 goal attempts made for great viewing and a point apiece was about right in the end, even if both managers will feel they could have bagged all three points.
"We reacted and came back with 2-1. I have to accept it but I am a little bit frustrated with it. The table is very tight but we are in the race for the second part of the season," Villa manager Unai Emery said.
"We are ninth in the table and we have to try to start again against Leicester (City)."
Brighton went ahead in the 12th minute when Lewis Dunk launched a pass forward and Joao Pedro did well to knock the ball into the path of Simon Adingra who curled home a beauty.
Villa then had two penalty appeals in quick succession analysed by VAR. The first was when Rogers weaved his way into the area and fell under a challenge by Jan Paul van Hecke with the defender just getting enough of the ball to escape trouble.
Moments later Villa were again appealing for a penalty again as Rogers again went down in the area, this time after a stretching tackle by Joao Pedro. This time referee Craig Pawson, after a lengthy stare at the pitch-side monitor, awarded a penalty and Watkins thumped in the equaliser.
Two minutes after the restart, Villa went ahead as Watkins, back in the starting line-up after being dropped to the bench for the last three games, dinked a superb pass for Rogers to dispatch a superb shot past Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen.
Villa appeared to be edging towards a victory that would have put them seventh but Lamptey had other ideas.
Even then there was still time for Villa to win and Watkins had a glorious chance from a corner but fired over the bar.
"We were the better team. We dominated 20-25 minutes of the game and then we conceded a goal. It doesn't make sense for me. We struggled a little bit but I think we deserved to win," Brighton boss Fabian Huerzeler said.
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