Football: Liverpool held in title blow, Chelsea humiliated

LONDON -- Liverpool wasted a chance to take complete control of the Premier League title race as Leicester earned a 1-1 draw against the leaders, while Chelsea's bid for a top-four finish was rocked by a humiliating 4-0 thrashing at Bournemouth on Wednesday.

After second-placed Manchester City lost at Newcastle on Tuesday, Jurgen Klopp's side would have moved seven points clear at the top with a win over Leicester.

But Liverpool, chasing a first English title since 1990, had to settle for a frustrating draw that left them five points ahead of champions City.

"We put Leicester under pressure but we were unlucky with the goal in the last second before half-time. You have to take it how it is," Klopp said.

Following a warm-weather training break in Dubai, Liverpool were ahead in the third minute at snowy Anfield.

Senegal winger Sadio Mane wriggled through the Leicester defence and slotted a clinical finish into the far corner for his 11th goal of the season.

Liverpool's quickest league goal since April 2016 had the Kop belting out songs of praise for their former manager Rafael Benitez, who masterminded Newcastle's victory against City.

But Liverpool quickly lost their rhythm and Leicester defender Harry Maguire punished sloppy marking from Virgil van Dijk to meet Ben Chilwell's header with a close-range finish on the stroke of half-time.

Liverpool appealed in vain for what looked a clear penalty when Naby Keita went down under a challenge from Ricardo Pereira.

"It was probably the clearest penalty situation we have had. You will have to ask the ref why he didn't give it," Klopp fumed on BT Sport.

It took a superb save from Alisson Becker to stop Roberto Firmino scoring an own goal as Liverpool were forced to settle for a point that gave City fresh hope.

At Dean Court, Chelsea suffered a second successive defeat that left their bid to qualify for the Champions League under severe threat.

The Blues, winners in just one of their last four league games, drop down to fifth place -- below Arsenal on goals scored -- with Manchester United only two points behind in sixth.

"We reacted very badly. We stopped being a team. Everybody tried to solve the problem in an individual way. I can't understand why after a good first half," Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said.

"Maybe it's my fault because I'm not able to motivate this group of players. I don't know why. I have to understand very soon."

Not for the first time this season, Sarri's team lacked a cutting edge, even with Gonzalo Higuain making his Premier League debut following the Argentine striker's loan move from Juventus.

Bournemouth made them pay in the 47th minute when Josh King converted a David Brooks pass.

- Furious fans -

Brooks added to Sarri's woes in the 63rd minute as the Bournemouth winger eased past the flat-footed David Luiz to lash in the second goal.

Chelsea's fans were furious, chanting "you don't know what you're doing" at Sarri when he substituted Higuain.

But the misery wasn't over for Chelsea, who conceded again in the 75th minute when King struck, before Charlie Daniels netted in stoppage time to condemn the west Londoners to their heaviest league loss in over two decades.

Tottenham staged a late fightback to close the gap on Manchester City to two points with a 2-1 win over Watford.

After a miserable week that saw Tottenham knocked out of the FA and League Cups, Mauricio Pochettino's third-placed side lifted the gloom at Wembley.

Watford took the lead in the 38th minute after the latest mistake from error-prone keeper Hugo Lloris.

Lloris completely missed his attempt to catch a corner and Watford defender Craig Cathcart headed into the empty net.

But Son Heung-Min was back in the Tottenham side for the first time since January 13, having missed three games while on duty for South Korea at the Asia Cup.

Son spared Tottenham further indignity as he pounced to drive in the 80th-minute equaliser.

Fernando Llorente completed the turnaround when he headed the 87th-minute winner from a Danny Rose cross.

Southampton rescued a crucial 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace, who had goalscorer Wilfried Zaha sent off at St Mary's.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Liverpool beat Man Utd to go top as Chelsea keep up chase

LIVERPOOL, England - Liverpool regained top spot in the Premier League after an impressive 3-1 victory over old rivals Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday put them a point ahead of title rivals Manchester City.

After City's 3-1 win over Everton on Saturday, Juergen Klopp's side rose to the challenge with two second-half goals from substitute Xherdan Shaqiri.

Earlier, Chelsea won 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion to consolidate their hold on fourth place ahead of Arsenal, who were surprisingly beaten 3-2 at Southampton to end a run of 22 games without defeat.

Liverpool, the only unbeaten side left in the league, never looked in danger of letting that record slip in their home fortress and the only surprise was that it was not until the final 20 minutes that they made sure of the win.

Sadio Mane had put Liverpool ahead in the 24th minute with a fine finish, bringing down a Fabinho pass on his chest before slipping the ball past David De Gea.

United had been outclassed early on but, against the run of play, managed to get back on level terms when home keeper Alisson fumbled a low cross from Mane into the path of Jesse Lingard who accepted his early Christmas present gleefully.

As the game wore on, Liverpool were increasingly forced into hopeful long-range efforts but the introduction in the 70th minute of Shaqiri, a summer signing from relegated Stoke City, turned the game.

Both of the Swiss international's efforts, in the 73rd and 80th minutes, were deflected but the good fortune had been earned by a enterprising Liverpool display that highlighted the 19-point gap between the two clubs -- the biggest at this stage of a season in 46 years.

"I'm over the moon about the performance. The way the boys played tonight was outstanding," said Klopp.

"The timing of Shaqiri's introduction was not too bad. We need somebody to score the goals. But how the boys fought. The mix of big fight and really playing football against an unbelievably strong team," he added.

The win puts Liverpool on 45 points from 17 games, with Man City on 44 and Tottenham Hotspur third on 39.

Defeat, though, leaves United sixth on 26, 11 points away from the fourth Champions League qualification slot with manager Jose Mourinho, who had left France midfielder Paul Pogba on the bench, accepting that was the best his side could now hope for.

"We can still finish fourth," said the Portuguese manager. "It's not easy. For sure, we are going to finish in the top six. Best we can get is fourth.

"Now we look to the fifth and then later the fourth," he added, noting that United's fixtures are easier in the second half of the season.

Eden Hazard starred in Chelsea's win at Brighton, setting up the first goal for Pedro and scoring the second himself.

Manager Maurizio Sarri agreed that the last few minutes were difficult, however, after the home side revived and scored through Solly March.

"We conceded a goal in a moment when we were in full control," he said.

"The last five minutes against a very physical team were difficult to manage."

The win took Chelsea to 37 points, three points clear of London rivals Arsenal, who conceded three headed goals in defeat at lowly Southampton, the last of them in the 85th minute.

Danny Ings scored the first two and although Henrikh Mkhitaryan equalised each time, substitute Charlie Austin scored the winner with goalkeeper Bernd Leno at fault in not cutting out Shane Long's cross.

It was Southampton's first win since Sept. 1, achieved in new manager Ralph Hasenhuettl's first home game.

"I'm very proud of how focused and uncompromising they were, and when they had the chances, how merciless they were," the Austrian said.

(Reporting by Simon Evans Additional reporting by Steve Tongue Editing by Ian Chadband )

source: news.abs-cbn.com