Premier League leaders Manchester City and title challengers Liverpool and Chelsea all needed penalties to secure victories on Saturday, leaving the top of the table unchanged.
Manchester City beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Etihad thanks to a Raheem Sterling spot kick after a controversial penalty award.Wolves had limited City in the opening period before their striker Raul Jimenez’s dismissal for two yellow cards in quick succession in first-half stoppage time shifted the odds against them.
City dominated from then on, edging in front through Sterling’s penalty — a decision that required a lengthy VAR check — in the 66th minute, with the ball striking Joao Moutinho.Chelsea midfielder Jorginho scored twice from the spot, including a stoppage-time winner, as Thomas Tuchel’s side beat Leeds United 3-2 at Stamford Bridge.
England forward Sterling’s 100th Premier League goal was just enough to earn leaders City victory over 10-man WolvesLiverpool also won by a single goal against Aston Villa, managed by former Anfield favourite Steven Gerrard, with the visitors upset at the decision to award a penalty when Mohamed Salah went down in the box before converting the 67th-minute winner.
A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty in the 75th minute helped Manchester United to an unconvincing 1-0 win at bottom team Norwich City, their second successive league victory under interim manager Ralf Rangnick.Referee Jon Moss ruled the ball had hit the Portuguese midfielder’s arm and although the television images suggested it had struck him in the upper ribs, VAR backed the on-field decision.
At Anfield, there was a surprisingly low-key reception for Gerrard, the Liverpool-born former captain and Champions League winner, before a game where his Villa team set about frustrating the home side.Liverpool dominated the first half with Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez doing well to save efforts from Andy Robertson and Salah.
After the break, Martinez produced a brilliant reflex stop to keep out a powerful header from Virgil van Dijk but Liverpool’s pressure finally paid off when Salah went down in the box under challenge from Tyrone Mings.The Egyptian fired home an unstoppable spot-kick to secure the win for Juergen Klopp’s side.
“We’ve lost to a soft penalty because if you watch it properly, Tyrone’s been fouled first,” said Gerrard.The disappointing thing is that the referee hasn’t gone to look at it,” he added.
Chelsea could ill afford another slip-up, after last week’s loss at West Ham United, but they were pushed all the way by Leeds, before ending up with a 3-2 home win.Leeds went ahead against the run of play in the 28th minute when Daniel James went down under a challenge by Marcos Alonso to win a penalty that Brazilian playmaker Raphinha stroked home.
But the Blues clawed their way back into the game when Alonso, trying to atone for his earlier error, stole the ball from Stuart Dallas, exchanged passes with Timo Werner and crossed for Mason Mount to score with a first-time angled shot.Tuchel’s men turned the game around when referee Chris Kavanagh, after a VAR check, awarded them a penalty after a Raphinha challenge on Antonio Rudiger and Jorginho fired high into the net.
Chelsea were then caught out in the 83rd minute when 19-year-old Joe Gelhardt, barely on the field as a substitute, connected with a Tyler Roberts cross to score his first league goal.
Just when the Blues looked like they had slipped further behind in the title race, Rudiger went down under a challenge by Mateusz Klich and Jorginho slotted home.
United lacked ideas at Norwich, with home keeper Tim Krul making two fine saves in the second half before Ronaldo won and converted his spot-kick against the second-half run of play.A late save by David De Gea and a last-gasp intervention by substitute Eric Bailly denied Norwich a draw, lifting United to fifth place in the standings behind fourth-placed West Ham on goal difference.
Arsenal weathered storms on and off the pitch before coasting to a 3-0 Premier League win over Southampton on Saturday as boss Mikel Arteta dropped captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the match-day squad for disciplinary reasons.24″>Southampton were on top in the early stages but the Gunners broke through in the 21st minute with Alexandre Lacazette finishing off a sweeping break.
Goals from midfielder Martin Odegaard and defender Gabriel made sure of the win for Arsenal, who are sixth on 26 points.
Brentford scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to come from behind and deny Watford victory.
Bryan Mbeumo slotted in a stoppage-time penalty to make it 2-1, minutes after captain Pontus Jansson had equalised with a header at the back post.
Watford led for an hour thanks to Emmanuel Dennis’ first-half header but a late surge from Brentford was eventually rewarded.
Defeat means Watford remain just three points above the relegation zone.
Dennis, who has been directly involved in nine of Watford’s last 12 Premier League goals, was left unmarked as he nodded in the opener against the run of play in the first half.
Brentford had controlled the first 20 minutes, coming close through Shandon Baptiste and Mbeumo but Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann made several smart saves.
Frank praises ‘unbelievable’ Brentford performance
Joshua King’s curling effort then struck the post, giving Watford their first corner of the match, and Dennis converted.
Watford looked set to take all three points home too but Brentford burst into life late on when Jansson got on the end of a curling cross to nod in the equaliser.
Brentford piled on the pressure as the game went deep into stoppage time and substitute Saman Ghoddos was brought down by William Ekong to set-up a dramatic finale.
Mbeumo kept his cool to send goalkeeper Bachmann the wrong way and the win, which sparked jubilant scenes at the Brentford community Stadium, moves the Bees up to ninth in the table for at least a night
David Moyes urged some of his West Ham players to “get back up to the high standards” they have set after a frustrating goalless draw with relegation-threatened Burnley at Turf Moor.
The Hammers boss David Moyes was frustrated as Burnley – who have won just once in the Premier League this season – repelled his side, with central defenders Ben Mee and James Tarkowski standing up to a stream of crosses at the heart of the resistance
Youri Tielemans scored twice as Leicester City bounced back from their Europa League exit to earn an emphatic Premier League victory over Newcastle United at the King Power Stadium.
Making his first Premier League start since 7 November following a calf injury, Tielemans converted a 38th-minute penalty after Jamaal Lascelles was adjudged to have brought down James Maddison.
A quality attacking move, initiated by Maddison’s sublime pass for Harvey Barnes using the outside of his boot, resulted in a simple finish for Patson Daka as the Foxes moved out of sight in the second half.
After Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel did brilliantly to sprint back and prevent a Timothy Castagne own-goal, Tielemans was set up by Maddison for his second before the England midfielder got the goal his impressive performance deserved with five minutes remaining.
Brendan Rodgers’ side – eliminated from the Europa League group stage with a 3-2 defeat by Napoli on Thursday – move up to eighth in the table after only a second victory in seven league games.
Newcastle, meanwhile, remain in the relegation places and three points from safety.
Everton’s wretched season continued as fans booed Rafael Benitez’s decision to substitute Richarlison during another defeat at Crystal Palace.
Demarai Gray’s poor pass let in Jordan Ayew who found Conor Gallagher to sweep home his fifth Premier League goal since joining from Chelsea on loan at the start of the season.
At 1-0, manager Benitez replaced Brazil forward Richarlison – who was clearly unhappy to go off – with Salomon Rondon, which provoked an angry reaction from the travelling fans at Selhurst Park.
Four minutes later, James Tomkins made it 2-0 from close range following a corner by Will Hughes, who was making his first start since joining Palace in August.
Rondon’s first goal for Everton gave Benitez’s side hope but Gallagher’s wonderful finish from outside the box in the closing moments secured a thoroughly deserved win that lifts Palace above the Toffees into 12th spot in the Premier League table.
Palace were the more threatening team, with Jordan Pickford forced to save from Ayew and Wilfried Zaha before England midfielder Gallagher struck in the closing stages of the first half.
Everton have won 10 points from losing positions this season but were unable to avoid a fourth defeat in five games.
