Premier League: Liverpool shut in on Chelsea, City working away with title

Without all of the accidents, maybe Liverpool wouldn’t be surrendering the Premier League title so simply to Manchester City.
Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday was a reminder of the standard that noticed the champions nonetheless main the standings in December earlier than imploding. Now it’s City 17 factors in entrance of Manchester United after successful 2-0 at Leicester.
It means the win on the Emirates Stadium, secured by Diogo Jota’s double and Mohamed Salah’s strike, solely pushed Liverpool as much as fifth place.
Catching Chelsea to qualify for the Champions League grew to become extra attainable within the last eight video games of the season because of Thomas Tuchel’s 14-match unbeaten begin as supervisor surprisingly ending. Chelsea’s 5-2 loss to relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion enabled Liverpool to shut the hole on fourth to 2 factors.
First place is much out of sight with Liverpool 25 factors behind City after successful the title by 18 factors final season.
LIVERPOOL RECOVERY
While Arsenal appears set for a midtable end, Liverpool can lookup once more.
And whereas Trent Alexander-Arnold was neglected for the current England World Cup qualifiers, he offered a reminder of his enduring worth to Liverpool at the very least.

It was the appropriate again’s cross that substitute Diogo Jota headed previous Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno within the sixty fourth minute on the Emirates Stadium. After Mohamed Salah performed the ball via Leno’s legs for the second, Jota struck once more within the 82nd minute.
Should Liverpool discover a method into fourth, the six-time European champions received’t be counting on successful the Champions League to qualify for subsequent season’s competitors. Real Madrid awaits within the quarterfinals subsequent week.
“We need to show that we really fight for it,” Liverpool supervisor Jürgen Klopp stated. “If we defend like this tonight, then we are difficult to break down. If we are difficult to break down, we have a good basis to play good football and that’s what we had tonight and that’s why it was so important.”
CHELSEA COLLAPSE
Chelsea misplaced to West Brom at Stamford Bridge for the primary time since 1978 after it had all began so properly with Christian Pulisic ending his four-month purpose drought.
The roots of Chelsea’s collapse got here when defender Thiago Silva’s return from harm ended after he obtained two bookings within the first 29 minutes. Then Matheus Pereira scored twice in two minutes in first-half stoppage time to ship West Brom into the lead.
Pulisic got here again out for the second half however walked off the sector earlier than play had began with an obvious leg harm.

Callum Robinson prolonged West Brom’s benefit by sweeping in a cross from Darnell Furlong within the 63rd minute. Mbaye Diagne despatched Sam Allardyce’s guests, who’re next-from-last within the standings, into an unbelievable 4-1 lead.
Although Mason Mount tapped in from shut vary, the deficit wasn’t diminished for lengthy as Robinson clipped the ball over goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to compete the win.
“It was a tough first half for us,” Pulisic stated. “We made some simple mistakes we don’t normally make. The red card changes everything. To give them credit, they played their attacks really well. It’s no time to panic. We’ve been in good form and lost one game.”
MENDY RARITY
After not scoring in his opening 39 league video games for Manchester City, backup left again Benjamin Mendy has now scored twice in his final six as Pep Guardiola’s facet closes in on a 3rd title in 4 seasons. The Frenchman curled in a low shot within the 58th minute.
A defense-splitting throughball from Kevin De Bruyne created City’s second. Gabriel Jesus handed to Raheem Sterling, who returned the ball for the ahead to complete moderately than capturing himself.
“I am here to provide for the team,” De Bruyne stated. “If I can set my teammates up and they finish it then I am happy. It is one more win and it is good to get into the rhythm.”

Leicester missed an opportunity to dislodge United from second however was helped out by fourth-place Chelsea shedding to West Bromwich Albion because the 2016 champions pursue qualification for the Champions League for the primary time since then.
SHEFFIELD UNITED DOOMED
West Brom has a slim likelihood of avoiding relegation, sitting seven factors from security with eight video games to go.
But Sheffield United appears to be like doomed, sitting seven factors additional again in final place. The Blades misplaced 2-1 to Leeds following Phil Jagielka turning the ball previous his personal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale 4 minutes into the second half after Ben Osborn had canceled out Jack Harrison’s opener for Leeds.
Leeds moved as much as tenth place.