Bournemouth battle to 1-0 win over lacklustre Liverpool
IMAGE: Liverpool languish in fifth on 42 factors after losing an opportunity to shut the three-point hole to fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah missed a second-half penalty as his facet fell to a 1-0 defeat away at Bournemouth, with Philip Billing’s objective lifting the south-coast facet off the underside of the Premier League desk and out of the relegation zone.
The win within the first league recreation of the weekend sees the Cherries rise from final spot to Sixteenth within the desk on 24 factors, whereas Liverpool languish in fifth on 42 factors after losing an opportunity to shut the three-point hole to fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Liverpool began effectively, with Mohamed Salah scuffing an early shot goalwards and Cody Gakpo having an effort dominated out for offside.
Bournemouth defender Jefferson Lerma additionally needed to clear a Virgil van Dijk header off the road, however as so typically earlier than this season, the wheels shortly got here off for the guests.
Bournemouth’s Dango Outtara fired large after a one-on-one with Alisson however the Reds did not heed that warning, they usually paid for it within the twenty eighth minute when he outpaced Van Dijk and squared the ball for Billing, who steered it house.
Former Liverpool participant Dominic Solanke virtually added a second simply earlier than the break and Billing went sprawling within the field, however his appeals for a penalty have been waved away as Bournemouth closed out the half strongly.
Diogo Jota got here on for Harvey Elliot at halftime and shortly made his presence felt, forcing a save from Neto with a stinging shot 4 minutes after the break.
Jota then received a penalty for Liverpool as his goal-bound header struck the arm of Adam Smith, however to the horror of the travelling followers Salah blasted his spot kick excessive and large of the objective.
That miss within the seventieth minute appeared to deflate Liverpool completely, they usually did treasured little to threaten the Bournemouth objective, with Gakpo flashing a late opportune effort over the bar as his facet’s assault got here up brief once more.
The house followers cheered each deal with and clearance they usually erupted in pleasure on the ultimate whistle as their facet put some daylight between themselves and the remainder of the golf equipment on the backside of the desk.
“(We needed to) be diligent, be compact and work for one another, as we have finished a great deal of instances this season. Today it paid off and the help was sensible as effectively,” jubilant goal-scorer Billing informed broadcaster BT Sport.
Liverpool supervisor Juergen Klopp was left to choose over the stays of one other poor efficiency from his facet in a season that has by no means actually obtained going for them.
“The areas the place we needed to play have been super-clear, they have been super-open … we did not use that usually sufficient, we did not benefit from the problem of going through a deep, compact facet,” Klopp mentioned, and he declined in charge the defeat on Salah’s penalty miss.
“If you rating there, it would not make the efficiency higher however it might change the outcome. He (Salah) scores lots of targets, however he missed the penalty. That’s life,” Klopp mentioned.
Resurgent Chelsea declare 3-1 victory at Leicester
IMAGE: Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk in motion with Leicester City’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters
Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic obtained on the scoresheet as Chelsea continued their upturn in type with a 3-1 win at Leicester City within the Premier League on Saturday.
After a dismal run of two wins in 15 video games, Graham Potter’s facet have received three on the trot in all competitions and are tenth within the league standings with 37 factors, whereas Sixteenth-placed Leicester will now be wanting over their shoulders with concern.
“It’s been a very optimistic week for us, three wins in opposition to Leeds, Dortmund and as we speak says rather a lot concerning the improvement of the staff,” Chelsea supervisor Graham Potter informed Sky Sports.
“It’s a tough fought recreation as they at all times are however in the long run I believed we deserved to win.”
High on confidence following wins over Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund, the guests began strongly and bossed the opening spell of the sport.
They drew first blood within the eleventh minute when Chilwell scored in opposition to his former membership with a crisp left-footed volley, which beat goalkeeper Danny Ward at his close to put up.
Leicester virtually got here up with an on the spot response to going behind, as James Maddison whipped in a harmful cross two minutes later, however Daniel Amartey missed a gaping objective with a wayward header from point-blank vary.
In an action-packed first half, Chelsea’s Joao Felix and Leicester’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall each rattled the woodwork earlier than the Portuguese worldwide had a objective dominated out by VAR for offside.
Felix then misplaced possession in his personal half within the thirty ninth minute, with the ball breaking to ahead Patson Daka, who fired his effort previous Kepa Arrizabalaga to degree the rating.
Leicester continued to press ahead after the equaliser, however it was Chelsea who scored simply earlier than halftime when Enzo Fernandez performed Havertz by with a fragile chip, which the German lobbed over the pinnacle of Ward and into the online.
The hosts didn’t let up of their depth after the break and have been denied an equaliser by a goalline clearance from substitute Conor Gallagher, earlier than Dewsbury-Hall miscued an effort from 5 metres to let Chelsea off the hook.
Chelsea made probably the most of their lifeline, as January signing Mykhailo Mudryk had a objective dominated out for offside earlier than he turned supplier for Kovacic, whose thumping volley sealed the three factors for the London membership within the 78th minute.
Leicester’s distress was full when Wout Faes was despatched off after receiving a second yellow card for his deal with on Carney Chukwuemeka.
Sitting within the stands, ex-Leicester and England ahead Gary Lineker may have taken little consolation from the outcome amid his ongoing row with the BBC, as he watched his former facet succumb to a fourth straight league defeat.
“Over the course of the sport, the gamers gave every thing and at 2-1 we had two nice possibilities,” Leicester supervisor Brendan Rodgers informed Sky Sports.
“It’s disappointing for us and we appeared just like the staff that was on prime. Then we do not get that objective and once they have that high quality, they get the prospect and rating it.
“They then make it 3-1, we obtained all the way down to 10 males and it is tough.”
Kane double helps Tottenham carry gloom with win over Forest
IMAGE: Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane scores their first objective. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Tottenham Hotspur blew away the gloom of a demoralising 10 days as Harry Kane’s double helped them to a 3-1 defeat of Nottingham Forest to cement fourth spot within the Premier League on Saturday.
Given a pre-match enhance by Bournemouth’s earlier shock win over fifth-placed Liverpool, Tottenham took full benefit to get their stalling season again on the rails.
Kane headed them in entrance after 19 minutes after which blasted house a penalty within the thirty fifth minute after Richarlison, who had earlier been denied a second-minute opener by VAR, was tripped inside the realm.
It was Kane’s first penalty since his essential miss for England in opposition to France within the World Cup quarter-final in Qatar in December and took his Premier League haul to twenty for the season, the sixth time he has reached that mark.
Tottenham – who went out of the FA Cup and the Champions League and misplaced to Wolverhampton Wanderers within the league of their final three video games – sealed the factors within the 62nd minute when Richarlison arrange Son Heung-min for a neat end.
Forest, in peril of being sucked again into the relegation zone after a resurgence, solely got here alive when it was too late with captain Joe Worrall heading house within the 81st minute.
Andre Ayew then had a stoppage-time penalty saved by Tottenham keeper Fraser Forster though it could have flattered Steve Cooper’s facet to lose by solely a objective.
Victory was a well timed enhance for Tottenham supervisor Antonio Conte whose future on the membership has been the supply of intense hypothesis since Wednesday’s Champions League elimination by the hands of AC Milan.
His facet have 48 factors from 27 video games, with Liverpool on 42 factors having performed a recreation much less. Forest keep in 14th however are solely three factors above 18th-placed West Ham United within the relegation zone.
Richarlison’s obvious criticism of Conte had dominated the build-up however the Brazilian was given a begin and thought he had scored his first Premier League objective for the membership with a strong end from Oliver Skipp’s move.
A prolonged VAR test disallowed the objective for offside however it was not lengthy earlier than Kane guided a header from Pedro Porro’s chipped cross past Keylor Navas.
After that it was a comparatively comfy day for Tottenham who ought to have been additional forward with Navas making sharp saves to disclaim Richarlison and Son earlier than Forest’s late riposte.
Everton earn important factors with 1-0 win over Brentford
IMAGE: Brentford’s Mikkel Damsgaard in motion with Everton’s Seamus Coleman. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters
An early objective from Dwight McNeil earned Everton a treasured 1-0 win over Brentford at Goodison Park that dragged Sean Dyche’s struggling facet out of the Premier League relegation zone on Saturday.
McNeil discovered the online with an outstanding left-footed end within the opening minute after an help by Abdoulaye Doucoure to finish Brentford’s 12-match unbeaten league run.
The house facet spurned a number of possibilities to increase their lead within the first half.
Michael Keane missed with a header from an Everton free kick within the fifteenth minute and Amadou Onana blazed large with the objective at his mercy 5 minutes later, after Brentford keeper David Raya parried Alex Iwobi’s cross into his path.
Raya additionally obtained down effectively to maintain out Iwobi’s snap shot from shut vary following an Everton nook.
Demarai Gray, who shot straight at Raya when put clear by by Idrissa Gueye simply after the half-hour mark, bundled house minutes earlier than halftime however the video assistant referee dominated the objective out for handball.
“It was undoubtedly a recreation of two halves,” Dyche mentioned. “We have been very sturdy within the first half and created two or three golden possibilities. And then within the second half they got here at us.
“But the resilience of the facet is rising, the mentality of the facet is rising and typically you have to struggle. There are not any mugs within the Premier League these days and we have delivered a efficiency that might get us the three factors.”
Everton keeper Jordan Pickford denied Rico Henry with a wonderful save minutes into the second half in a match by which Everton’s again line did brilliantly to disclaim Brentford’s prolific goal man Ivan Toney the time and house to function.
Brentford pushed arduous for an equaliser and dominated possession after the break, coming agonisingly shut in damage time when Raya went up for a nook within the dying minutes however headed narrowly large.
Victory moved Everton out of the underside three to fifteenth within the desk on 25 factors, whereas Brentford stayed ninth.
Harrison makes up for personal objective in Leeds draw with Brighton
IMAGE: Brighton & Hove Albion’s Solly March in motion with Leeds United’s Junior Firpo. Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters
Jack Harrison made amends for scoring an personal objective as his late equaliser rescued some extent for Leeds United of their 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion within the Premier League on Saturday.
Leeds had arrived at Elland Road with loads of stress on them after Bournemouth’s 1-0 upset of Liverpool earlier within the day dropped them into the relegation zone.
They breathed a sigh of reduction when Harrison discovered the online within the 78th minute after a brief nook from Wilfried Gnonto, giving them a beneficial level though they continue to be in nineteenth place.
“If you requested me earlier than the sport I might let you know we have been in search of three factors, however we’ve got to worth the purpose,” mentioned Leeds supervisor Javi Gracia. “Every level counts. We have been twice behind.
“To play this staff could be very demanding . . . they’re an excellent staff. That’s why my gamers deserve credit score.”
The equaliser got here after Harrison, underneath stress from Solly March, had put the ball into his personal web within the 61st minute.
“I feel Jack is an instance in lots of issues,” Gracia mentioned. “He works for the staff. The high quality he has is out of doubt.”
Argentine midfielder Alexis MacAllister had opened the scoring for Brighton within the thirty third minute, heading in his ninth objective of the season for the Seagulls in all competitions.
Patrick Bamford then scored his forty ninth objective general for Leeds within the fortieth minute, when his strike from the sting of the field was deflected and went in off the underside of the crossbar.
Bamford had been one among two modifications Gracia made to the line-up after Leeds’ 1-0 loss at Chelsea every week earlier, slotting Bamford and Marc Roca into the beginning 11 rather than Weston McKennie and Georginio Rutter, who have been each dropped to the bench.
Brighton, who arrived with a club-record 11 Premier League wins already this season, are seventh within the desk on 39 factors.