Liverpool Deepens City’s Wounds and Strengthens Title Hopes in the Premier League

At Anfield, Liverpool continued their dominance at home, following their impressive 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League just four days earlier. They defeated Manchester City with goals from Dutch forward Cody Gakpo in the 12th minute and Egyptian star Mohamed Salah from the penalty spot, moving nine points clear of Arsenal (second). Meanwhile, City dropped to fifth place with 23 points. Liverpool, who deserved their win, hopes to repeat historic patterns, as all teams leading by nine points or more at this stage of the season have gone on to win the title.

On the other hand, Manchester City’s situation worsened, as they have failed to win in their last seven matches across all competitions. The defending champions are clearly struggling with defensive and attacking frailty, and their manager, Pep Guardiola, faces the worst run of his career.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea continued their impressive form with a 3-0 win over the tough Aston Villa, reigniting the title race. Villa entered the match after seven consecutive winless games across all competitions. Despite this, Chelsea secured their seventh win of the season, raising their tally to 25 points and intensifying the fight for second place and the top four.

Aston Villa, who have won only one of their last eight matches in the league, remain in 11th place with 19 points. The match saw Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson score early in the 7th minute with a powerful shot that hit the post and went into the net. Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez added the second goal in the 36th minute, and Cole Palmer sealed the win with a third goal in the 83rd minute.

At Old Trafford, Manchester United claimed a big 4-0 victory over Everton, with goals shared by Marcus Rashford and Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee. Ivorian winger Amad Diallo played a pivotal role in all goals with his skills and decisive passes. This was United’s first league win under new manager Ruben Amorim, lifting them to 19 points in 9th place. Everton, who failed to win for the fifth consecutive match, remain in 15th place with 11 points.

United opened their scoring in the 34th minute through Marcus Rashford, who was back to his scoring ways for the second consecutive match. Zirkzee doubled the lead in the 41st minute, and Rashford scored again in the 46th minute, with Zirkzee adding a fourth in the 64th minute. Amorim’s reign began with a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town and continued with a 3-2 win over Norwegian side Bodo Glimt in the Europa League.

Fulham earned a 1-1 draw at Tottenham in a London derby after a goalless first half. Brennan Johnson put Spurs ahead in the 54th minute, but Tom Cairney equalized for Fulham in the 67th minute. Fulham played the last few minutes with ten men after Cairney was sent off in the 83rd minute. Tottenham pushed for a late winner but failed, leaving both teams with a point. Spurs are 7th with 20 points, while Fulham sit 10th with 19 points.

Elsewhere, Arsenal’s 5-2 win over West Ham on Saturday showcased an outstanding performance from their attacking duo, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard, vital in keeping the Gunners in the title race. Manager Mikel Arteta expressed his satisfaction with the team’s momentum after a difficult period, noting that they are now back to their best after four winless matches before the international break. With goals from Gabriel, Leandro Trossard, Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, and Saka, Arsenal reached 25 points, securing second place in the league.

Arteta emphasized the importance of maintaining this form and preparing well for upcoming challenges, especially with the next match against Manchester United on Wednesday.