Liverpool regained their place at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win at Cardiff City on Sunday that restored their two-point lead over Manchester City.

Juergen Klopp’s side, who have lost just once in the league all season, have 88 points, a club record in the Premier League era, while City, who beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Saturday, are on 86 but have a game in hand.

That extra game for City will be played on Wednesday when Pep Guardiola’s side travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United and the champions will make the short trip with the pressure firmly back on.

Against a Cardiff side battling for Premier League survival, it was a confident, patient performance from Liverpool who have now enjoyed nine straight wins in all competitions.

“It was prepared to be a proper banana skin and we knew that, the boys were unbelievable. It was clear, difficult for all of us,” said Klopp.

“The boys try really with all they have, we only speak about the things we have to do.”

“Their attitude is outstanding and it’s a tough season but a very positive one as well,” added the German.

Cardiff defended deep and in numbers and limited Liverpool’s opportunities but Roberto Firmino missed a great chance to open the scoring in the 22nd minute, finding himself one-on-one with keeper Neil Etheridge but lifting the ball over the bar.

Etheridge was then quick off his line to save with his legs from Mohamed Salah while Cardiff offered a warning when Alisson Becker tipped over Oumar Niasse’s close-range effort.

After an intense spell of pressure following the interval, Georginio Wijnaldum broke the deadlock for Liverpool in fine style with a first-time strike from a clever short corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Sean Morrison then missed a golden opportunity for relegation-threatened Cardiff to equalise, making a hash of a header when he had an open goal at his mercy after Alisson misjudged a cross.

Late in the game, Morrison was judged to have pulled down Mohamed Salah in the box and substitute James Milner converted the 81st-minute penalty to make sure of the crucial three points for Klopp’s side.

Liverpool’s ability to avoid slip-ups against lowly opposition has been a key part of their season — they have taken 52 points from a possible 54 against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Cardiff remain in 18th place, the final relegation spot, and are three points behind 17th placed Brighton & Hove Albion, having played a game more.

Phil Foden’s first Premier League goal ensured Manchester City edged past Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Saturday to return to the top of the Premier League and avenge their Champions League elimination by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

With Liverpool playing Cardiff on Sunday, City completed their 10th successive league win to move one point clear with four games left and remain masters of their own fate in what promises to be a thrilling finale to the title race.

However, their joy was muted by another injury to Kevin De Bruyne, who went off late in the first half and will almost certainly miss the midweek trip to Manchester United

Elsewhere, relegation-threatened Brighton & Hove Albion scraped a key point in a goalless draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers and relegated Fulham recorded their first away win of the season at Bournemouth.

Newcastle United erased any lingering relegation doubts as Ayoze Perez scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Southampton that lifted them 10 points clear of the drop zone.

City struck early when Foden headed home on five minutes after a clever ball back across goal from Sergio Aguero.

Foden shines as City lose De Bruyne for derby

“I couldn’t have done that” says Guardiola after City bounce back

They struggled to assert themselves, however, against ever dangerous opponents who always looked capable of scoring with Son Heung-min twice free on goal and Christian Eriksen failing to make City pay.

The champions could have extended their lead in a fast-flowing game in which both keepers produced excellent saves, but there was to be no repeat of Wednesday’s thriller which City won 4-3 but went out of Europe on goal difference.

“It’s my first Premier League goal so it will live with me forever,” said Foden, who admitted he was surprised to be given the chance to start such a vital game.

Of De Bruyne, Guardiola said: “I don’t know — he’s played a lot of minutes without preparation. After injury they don’t train properly to be able to take a game every three days.”

Defeat may prove costly for third-placed Spurs who are struggling to hang on to their top-four place. Three points separate them from sixth-placed United, who have played one game fewer.

“It was an amazing game again,” Pochettino said. “It was tough again. Both teams competed really well and I think we deserved more. (City keeper) Ederson was man of the match.

“I am happy, disappointed with the result but so happy with the performance — we were always in the game.”

At Molineux, Brighton hardly oozed confidence after a run of four straight league defeats with no goals scored, but they scrambled a draw to go three points clear of Cardiff with four games remaining. Crucially, they also have a much better goal difference.

Fulham produced the shock of the afternoon by beating Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium — their second successive victory of an underwhelming season.

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored the winner from the penalty spot to ruin Eddie Howe’s 500th game as a manager.

Gerard Deulofeu scored an impressive double as FA Cup finalists Watford kept their European ambitions alive with a comfortable 2-1 victory over Huddersfield while Leicester City twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with West Ham United at London Stadium.

Jamie Vardy bagged their first equaliser with his 16th goal of the season before Harvey Barnes pounced in stoppage-time with his first goal for the Foxes.

“It’s obviously a great feeling to score — it’s been a long time coming,” Barnes said.

Perez struck twice in three first-half minutes for Newcastle but Mario Lemina replied as Southampton threatened a comeback. Perez sealed the points late on to become the first Newcastle player to score a Premier League hat-trick since 2015.

A woeful Manchester United suffered their fifth straight away defeat, in all competitions, with a 4-0 Premier League hammering at the hands of a vibrant Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

United did not manage a shot on target until the 86th minute as they fell to their sixth loss in eight games since their memorable victory at Paris St Germain in the Champions League.

The euphoria felt in Paris and at the start of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign already seems a distant memory after a United performance that lacked not only quality but aggression and fire.

“We just didn’t perform. That was not worthy of a Manchester United team,” said Solskjaer.

Everton loss “not worthy of a Manchester United team” – Solskjaer

“We hold our hands up and apologise to everyone associated with the club,” added the Norwegian who went over to the travelling United support after the final whistle.

“Everton were better than us at all the basics. There are so many things that we need to do better to get a result. Talent has never been enough.”

United must now somehow pick themselves up in time for the visit of Manchester City to Old Trafford for the derby on Wednesday.

For Marco Silva’s improving Everton, in seventh place, this was their third top-six scalp in as many home games following victories over Chelsea and Arsenal.

Brazilian Richarlison fired Everton ahead in the 13th minute with an acrobatic high volley after Dominic Calvert-Lewin flicked on a long throw.

Gylfi Sigurdsson made it 2-0 with a low drive from over 25 yards out that United keeper David De Gea was slow to react to as the home side ran rampant.

Solskjaer took off the ineffective Fred for Scott McTominay at the break while Ashley Young came on for the injured Phil Jones at the back but the change in personnel made no difference to the flow of the game.

Everton were faster, sharper and more aggressive while United’s midfield pair of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba were spectators for most of the game.

Lucas Digne then blasted in the third in the 56th minute after De Gea punched out a corner to the French full-back with United struggling to get even a foot in the game.

Icelandic playmaker Sigurdsson then put substitute Theo Walcott through with a clever pass through the legs of Victor Lindelof which the former Arsenal striker confidently converted.

“The first goal was the key,” said Sigurdsson.

“After that we defended really well. It was important for us to get the next goal after going 2-0 up. It gave us constant belief and we controlled the game after that.”

United, eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona on Tuesday, remain in sixth, outside the four qualification spots for next season’s campaign.

Statistics showed the Red Devils, who had not lost five straight away games since 1981, ran 8.03 km less than Everton.

Crystal Palace put a dent in Arsenal’s Champions League qualification hopes after strikers Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha made the most of defensive errors in a 3-2 win at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The visitors took a shock early lead inside 20 minutes when captain Luka Milivojevic’s freekick found an unmarked Benteke, who headed it past Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno for his first league goal since April last year.

Arsenal boss Unai Emery responded with the introduction of Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Alex Iwobi at the start of the second half but it was Mesut Ozil who scored the equaliser after a sweeping move.

The German playmaker combined with Iwobi and striker Alexandre Lacazette before scooping the ball past Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.

But Arsenal paid for a lapse in concentration at the back as Zaha took advantage of Shkodran Mustafi’s error in judgement to grab the lead for the visitors, before Palace added a third with a headed goal from James McArthur.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reduced the deficit for the hosts with his 19th league goal of the campaign to set up a pulsating final 10 minutes but Palace held on to end Arsenal’s 16-match unbeaten run at home in the league.

The result ensured Palace’s Premier League status for another season as they moved to 12th spot in the standings with 42 points.

“It’s nice to get over the 40-point marker and to have safety mathematically confirmed,” Palace manager Roy Hodgson said.

“Our defensive shape was fantastic. We remained compact and narrow. We made it difficult to find spaces behind us. I then thought on the counter-attack we were remarkably dangerous.”

Hodgson was particularly impressed by Benteke’s return to the scoresheet after 19 league games and now expects the Belgian striker to finish the season with a flourish.

“Christian Benteke must be very confident after today’s performance,” the manager added.

“It wasn’t the fact he scored and set one up, he worked tirelessly and did a job offensively and defensively. He and Wilfried Zaha will feel they really did a job for the team.

“For Christian who’s had a rough time with injuries and not scoring the amount of goals he wants maybe with the final few games he will score a few more.”

Arsenal remain fourth but fail to take advantage of defeats for Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United earlier this weekend.

Chelsea suffered a setback in their push for a Champions League spot when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Burnley in the Premier League on Monday and tempers flared at the end of the match when Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri was sent to the stands.

Jeff Hendrick gave Burnley an early lead with a crisp volley before N’Golo Kante and Gonzalo Higuain put the home side 2-1 ahead by the 14th minute. However, Ashley Barnes drew the visitors level 10 minutes later.

After Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Arsenal all lost at the weekend, Chelsea had an opportunity to tighten their grip on the Premier League’s top four places.

The draw pushed Chelsea up a place into fourth spot in the Premier League, level on points with third-placed Spurs and one point ahead of Arsenal, both of whom have a played a game less. Burnley remained 15th are nine points clear of the relegation zone with three games left to play.

On a frustrating night for Chelsea, teenager Callum Hudson-Odoi had to be helped off the pitch shortly before halftime after suffering a serious Achilles tendon injury.

Chelsea’s frustration at failing to claim all three points boiled over when referee Kevin Friend sent Sarri off after the Italian coach became embroiled in a scuffle amongst players on the touchline in the dying moments.

“You can understand he is frustrated about the game,” said Chelsea assistant coach Gianfranco Zola, who stood in for Sarri in the post-match news conference.

Zola said Sarri had sought to get his players out of the scuffle but the referee “misinterpreted it; we are very unhappy about it.” Zola added Sarri had been offended by a comment from the Burnley bench.

Chelsea defender David Luiz accused Burnley of playing “anti-football” by wasting time and employing negative tactics.

Burnley coach Sean Dyche bristled at the “anti-football” suggestion and praised his players for withstanding Chelsea’s pressure.

“There are nights like tonight when you just have to give everything, every inch,” he said. “You know, it used to be a really good thing when fans see their team give everything. They used to love it and maybe it’s still got a place.”

It was Burnley — seeking to avoid being sucked back into the relegation fight — who struck first when Hendrick volleyed home in the eighth minute after a headed clearance found him in space on the edge of the penalty area.

Chelsea hit back with two goals in two minutes. First, winger Eden Hazard bamboozled Burnley’s defence before cutting the ball back for Kante to sweep home. Then Higuain blasted a shot in off the underside of the crossbar in the 14th minute.

Ten minutes later, Burnley were level again when Barnes evaded his marker at the back post to connect with a headed flick-on from Chris Wood.

After the end-to-end drama of the first 45 minutes, Chelsea dominated possession in the second half but failed to break down Burnley’s defence.

Christian Eriksen’s 88th minute goal finally broke Brighton and Hove Albion’s brave resistance to give Tottenham Hotspur a precious 1-0 victory in their quest for a top-four finish in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Until the Danish playmaker’s low shot from just outside the penalty area whizzed across the lush turf and past Mat Ryan, it seemed Brighton had withstood a second-half siege and would escape with a priceless point in their relegation battle.

Chris Hughton’s side erected a green wall in front of Tottenham for more or less the entire game, leaving the home fans groaning in frustration — none more so than when Toby Alderweireld’s shot with 20 minutes remaining hit the inside of the post and rolled across the face of goal.

In his desperation, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino even sent on outcast Dutch striker Vincent Janssen in the 80th minute for his first action of the season.

But in the end it was Eriksen who punctured Brighton’s armour from Tottenham’s 29th goal attempt — 21 of which were from outside the penalty area.

Leave a Reply