Never one to hide his emotions, the relief was plain to see for Jordan Ayew on Saturday as he netted the opener for Crystal Palace against Bournemouth, ending his own considerable goal drought in the process.
Another Ghanaian, Eddie Nketiah, made it two in two as Arsenal dispatched Brighton & Hove Albion, while Seko Fofana was in imperious form as Racing Club de Lens stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue 1 title race.
Heading into Palace’s final match of 2022 on Saturday, Ayew was approaching his 17th Premier League game without finding the net.
While the Ghana international’s work rate and tactical discipline remain wholly appreciated by Eagles boss Patrick Vieira, the striker’s lack of goals has begun to wear a bit thin with the club’s supporters.
You’d have to go back to May 19, and Palace’s 3-2 loss at Everton to find the last time Jordan scored in the Premier League, with his profligacy increasingly coming in for scrutiny in the intervening seven and a half months.
Despite his miserable run, he was the main beneficiary of a tactical reshuffle by Vieira as the ex-France international gave Jordan a role leading the line, with Eberechi Eze in behind, and Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise on the flanks in a menacing attacking foursome for the trip to troubled Bournemouth.
The younger Ayew had gone close in Palace’s defeat by Fulham on Boxing Day — slamming an inviting effort against the woodwork — but against the Cherries, there was to be no mistake, as he headed Olise’s corner beyond Mark Travers in the 19th minute.
It set Palace on their way to ending a three-game losing streak in all competitions, with Nigerian prospect Eze adding a second from distance in the 36th minute as sorry Bournemouth ran out of ideas with their new owners watching.
The star of the show, however, was Olise, who provided both assists with two excellent corners, and would have set up more goals had it not been for the wastefulness of his teammates.
The youngster was the game’s outstanding individual, as he created three goalscoring opportunities and won four freekicks as the Cherries’ defenders struggled to contain him.
Never before has a Palace player younger than 21-year-old Olise registered two assists in a single Prem game, and the former Queens Park Rangers man is now already only one assist behind his league tally for the entirety of last season.
One player who’s also come to the end of a recent goal drought is Jordan’s potential international teammate Nketiah, whose life as injured Gabriel Jesus’s replacement continues to go to plan at Arsenal.
After marking his first league start of the season with a goal in the Boxing Day victory over West Ham United, the 23-year-old made it two in two in the Premier League with another strike as Arsenal downed Brighton 4-2.
Including the League Cup goal against the same opponents before the World Cup, Nketiah has now scored in his last three matches, taking his tally to 10 goals in his last 16 starts for the Gunners.
With Manchester City stuttering, Arsenal extended their advantage at the top of the table to seven points, with Nketiah lauded for his role — yet again — in another valuable victory.
“I think his contribution [on Saturday] with the way he worked, the way he understood what he had to do, the way he brought the team together with the way Brighton were pressing really high was really good,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “I’m really pleased with his goal again.”
In a match featuring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Taiwo Awoniyi and Hakim Ziyech, it was Nottingham Forest full-back Serge Aurier who proved the unlikely hero as his second-half strike ensured the points were shared when Chelsea came to the City Ground.
Aurier, who had earlier sent a decent chance wide, cancelled out Raheem Sterling’s opener when he chested down Willy Boly’s cushioned header, turned, and slammed home a volley beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga.
It was Aurier’s first goal for Forest since signing as a free agent in the summer, and takes them level with West Ham United in 17th place ahead of the trip to fellow strugglers Southampton on Wednesday.
It was also the first time since August 2015 that an Ivorian player assisted another Ivorian in the top flight, when Africa Cup of Nations winners Wilfried Bony and Yaya Toure combined in Manchester City’s victory over West Bromwich Albion.
The only other Ivory Coast duo who combined to score in the Premier League were Chelsea duo Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba. With Aubameyang looking a shadow of his former self after coming off the bench, how Graham Potter could do with players of that calibre again now.
Finally, in the Premier League, Riyad Mahrez made the most of a rare start for Manchester City to set up Erling Haaland for the reigning champions’ opener in their disappointing 1-1 draw with Everton.
Despite being City’s top scorer last season, Mahrez has been reduced to a peripheral role this term, starting just five league games before being promoted to the starting XI for the visit of Everton.
Looking motivated, he was the game’s standout individual, duping Vitaliy Mykolenko before swinging in a delicious cross for Haaland to add his 21st league goal of the campaign already.
It was the first time Mahrez has set up his new Norwegian teammate in the top flight this term, and on the evidence of this showing, Pep Guardiola would be wise to use the pair in tandem more often.
Paris Saint-Germain’s undefeated start to the Ligue 1 campaign came to an abrupt halt on Sunday as they were defeated 3-1 at second-placed Racing Club de Lens, who appear determined to keep the pressure on the reigning champions.
Fofana, ESPN’s pick for the outstanding African player in Ligue 1 through 2022, was again superb in the heart of the park for the Blood and Gold, setting up Lois Openda to give Lens the lead again after Hugo Ekitike had cancelled out Przemyslaw Frankowski’s opener.
Forging an excellent midfield tandem with Ghana international Salis Abdul Samed, Fofana constantly sought to turn defence into attack during the contest, regularly picking the ball up from the Black Star and driving at his opponents.
He completed a game-high three dribbles during the course of the contest — eclipsing Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappe among others — while demonstrating admirable courage in possession.
Lens now sit four points behind PSG, and have themselves also lost just one game since the campaign began.
Also in France, Brighton loanee Abdallah Sima had the unfortunate privilege of scoring for both sides when FC Lorient came to visit Angers.
Sima’s 10th-minute goal – his first of the season – gave the hosts an advantage which they held until the final ten minutes of the contest, when the Senegal international turned Enzo Le Fee’s corner past his own goalkeeper.
Le Fee duly scored the winner two minutes from time.
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