MANCHESTER:
Manchester Metropolis shrugged off the absence of Erling Haaland to shut to inside two factors of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 1-0 win at Leeds on Saturday, whereas Liverpool beat West Ham 5-2 to climb into fifth.
Haaland was absent for the journey to town of his start as a result of a minor harm that Pep Guardiola described as “not an enormous drawback”.
With out the Norwegian, Metropolis had been removed from their greatest however floor out a significant three factors in opposition to a Leeds aspect that had misplaced simply twice of their earlier 16 video games.
Leeds had been left to rue not benefiting from their early dominance as Dominic Calvert-Lewin skewed large an excellent probability simply three minutes in.
Antoine Semenyo as an alternative proved to be the match-winner along with his sixth aim in 11 video games since becoming a member of Metropolis final month.
“It was an enormous victory to nonetheless be there (within the race),” mentioned Guardiola, whose aspect and Arsenal are nonetheless concerned in 4 competitions.
“One recreation at a time. Get well now and begin the actual season when there are lots of, many video games and everybody’s drained.”
Tempers flared at full-time as Leeds boss Daniel Farke was proven a pink card for confronting referee Peter Bankes, whereas Guardiola was additionally livid on the officers.
The strain is now on Arsenal to reply once they host Chelsea within the choose of Sunday’s motion.
Liverpool’s set-piece turnaround
Liverpool’s new-found energy from set-pieces masked one other unconvincing efficiency in opposition to struggling West Ham.
All three first-half targets from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister got here from corners, placing Arne Slot’s males in a commanding place.
Liverpool have gone from the worst Premier League performers by way of set-pieces on the finish of 2025 to the most effective since January 1.
“In my view we now have performed higher after we misplaced,” mentioned Slot. “We begin scoring from set-pieces and issues begin wanting brighter and higher than when you do not.”
Cody Gakpo added one other aim after the break earlier than an Axel Disasi personal aim capped off the win for Liverpool.
Defeat offers one other blow to the Hammers’ hopes of survival as they continue to be two factors adrift of security.
However they hit again twice within the second half by means of Tomas Soucek and Valentin Castellanos and will have scored extra at Anfield.
A spot within the prime 5 is sort of sure to safe Champions League soccer subsequent season because of the robust outcomes of English sides in European competitors this season.
Liverpool transfer three factors away from sixth-placed Chelsea.
Brentford edge Burnley in thriller
Burnley’s slim probabilities of survival took one other physique blow in an agonising 4-3 defeat at dwelling to Brentford.
The Bees had been cruising to victory and inside two factors of Chelsea when targets from Mikkel Damsgaard, Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade put them 3-0 up inside 34 minutes at Turf Moor.
Michael Kayode’s personal aim gave the Clarets hope earlier than half-time they usually levelled by means of Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming.
Flemming thought he had accomplished a exceptional comeback just for a VAR assessment to rule the aim out for offside.
As an alternative, it was Brentford who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when Damsgaard netted his second aim in stoppage time.
There was nonetheless time for one more VAR assessment to disclaim Burnley some extent when Ashley Barnes was adjudged to have dealt with earlier than scoring a 98th-minute equaliser.
Everton notched one other wonderful away win to take care of their hope of European soccer subsequent season with a 3-2 victory at Newcastle.
3 times the Toffees led at St James’ Park by means of Jarrad Branthwaite, Beto and Thierno Barry.
Everton have struggled to adapt to their new dwelling on the Hill Dickinson Stadium, however solely Arsenal have received extra factors on the highway, with David Moyes’ males climbing into eighth.
Bournemouth stretched their unbeaten league run to eight video games after coming from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw at dwelling to Sunderland within the lunchtime kick-off.
