IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Sunday.
IMAGE: Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho in action with Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva at Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain. Photograph: Peter Powell/Reuters
Manchester United and Manchester City played out an anticlimactic 0-0 Premier League draw on Sunday in a low-key derby that dealt a blow to City’s bid for Champions League qualification.
Pep Guardiola’s team are fifth in the table on 52 points, one behind Chelsea, and United are languishing in 13th place on 38.
With both sides struggling through difficult campaigns, neither created many clearcut chances, particularly in a drab first half at a sun-drenched Old Trafford.
The game picked up after the interval and City striker Omar Marmoush unleashed a blistering shot from 25 yards that forced United goalkeeper Andre Onana into a terrific save.
Joshua Zirkzee had United’s best opportunity midway through the second half when he turned and struck a half-volley that forced City keeper Ederson into an outstanding two-handed save.
United’s clean sheet was their first at Old Trafford since a 4-0 rout of Everton on December 1.
The previous meeting between two had been far more entertaining with United stunning the champions in December with a 2-1 win at Etihad Stadium thanks to late goals by Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo.
There were no such fireworks in Sunday’s 196th Manchester derby across all competitions, however, with many fans heading to the exits before the final whistle blew.
The second half at least hinted at goals. City squandered a terrific chance soon after the break when Marmoush flicked a pass to send Phil Foden through on goal, but United defender Noussair Mazraoui swooped in to make a clean tackle from behind.
United players screamed for a penalty when Ruben Dias tripped and ended up falling on the ball in the box, but the referee and VAR disagreed.
City fans periodically broke into Kevin De Bruyne chants, for their beloved Belgian midfielder who was playing in his final Manchester derby after announcing on Friday that he would leave the club at the end of the season.
Several hundred United fans lingered behind in a sit-in protest after the final whistle, hoisting banners that read: “RIP fan culture, 1878-2025” and “Glazers out” in reference to the club’s majority owners.
Fulham’s first-half blitz puts Liverpool’s title procession on hold
IMAGE: Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz scores their third goal against Liverpool at Craven Cottage, London. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters
Fulham put Liverpool’s procession towards the Premier League title on pause with a deserved 3-2 win on Sunday, capitalising on some dreadful defending to boost their push for European football next term.
Alexis Mac Allister gave the champions-elect an early lead after Liverpool were arguably fortunate to not concede a penalty, but that was as good as it got for the Reds who then shipped three poor goals in 14 minutes.
Ryan Sessegnon rifled home a superb first-time volley, after stand-in right-back Curtis Jones failed to clear a cross, before a series of mistakes from Andy Robertson let Alex Iwobi score.
Rodrigo Muniz completed the turnaround, winning a second ball with a lovely first touch ahead of Virgil van Dijk then producing a sublime finish through Caoimhin Kelleher’s legs.
Conor Bradley set up a nervy finish when he played in fellow substitute Luis Diaz to poke home with nearly 20 minutes to play, but Fulham held on for the three points.
Liverpool remain top with 73 points from 31 games, 11 ahead of Arsenal. They need a maximum of 11 points from their remaining seven matches to win the title and, while that remains a virtual certainty, their form will concern boss Arne Slot.
Fulham moved up to eighth with 48 points, three behind Manchester City in fifth, a spot likely to be enough to secure a Champions League place next term.
Liverpool came into the game with one hand on the Premier League trophy but started poorly and could have given up the opener inside five minutes when Ibrahima Konate dawdled in his own box and was dispossessed by Andreas Pereira.
Pereira tried to feed Muniz, with Kelleher taking down Pereira as Van Dijk clattered Muniz to the floor, but referee Chris Kavanagh waved away Fulham’s protests.
Liverpool then took the lead through Mac Allister, who shrugged off a weak challenge from Sander Berge and had time to pick his spot from 25 metres.
But Fulham drew level in the 23rd minute through academy product Sessegnon, who met Jones’s skewed clearance with an unstoppable finish.
Robertson then had a shocker, giving the ball to Iwobi whose shot was blocked and then headed back to him by Robertson, who deflected Iwobi’s effort past Kelleher in the 32nd minute.
Muniz doubled the lead five minutes later when he plucked the ball out of the air with a fantastic touch matched by a clinical finish to stun the league leaders.
Bradley’s 67th-minute introduction for the lacklustre Konate gave Liverpool some impetus and Diaz’s goal five minutes afterwards gave the visitors late momentum.
Former Fulham player Harvey Elliot hit the bar and fellow substitute Federico Chiesa and Elliot forced saves from Bernd Leno in added time, but Liverpool simply did not deserve a point.
Chelsea blow up for top four hopes
Matthew Childs/Action Images via Reuters
Chelsea extended their long run without a Premier League away win when they were held to a 0-0 draw at their west London neighbours Brentford on Sunday, dealing a fresh setback to their push for a Champions League spot.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made five changes to the team that beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Thursday with strikers Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto coming on only as second-half substitutes.
Their introduction gave Chelsea a bit more bite in attack after a flat first 45 minutes but they failed to really test Mark Flekken in the Brentford goal.
Bryan Mbeumo drew a good save from Robert Sanchez and Sepp Van Den Berg headed over from close range in the final 10 minutes before Palmer shot narrowly over with the last kick of the game.
The draw means Chelsea have not won in the league away from Stamford Bridge since beating Spurs 4-3 in early December.
Maresca’s men are fourth in the table, occupying the last of the guaranteed Champions League spots, two points ahead of Manchester City who were visiting Manchester United later on Sunday. Aston Villa, and Newcastle — who have two games in hand on Chelsea — are close behind.
Five English clubs are likely to be in next season’s Champions League under UEFA’s rules, offering some hope for Chelsea whose U.S. investor owners want a return to top European competition as much for the financial returns as for the glory.
Brentford, who have not won at home since early December, stay in 12th position.
Southampton suffer earliest relegation after 3-1 loss at Spurs
IMAGE: Tottenham Hotspur’s Brennan Johnson scores their first goal against Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Photograph: David Klein Reuters
Southampton suffered the earliest-ever relegation in Premier League history when they lost 3-1 at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, confirming their demotion to the second tier despite having seven games left in the season.
Southampton had needed a victory to stay alive in their fight for survival after 17th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers moved up to 32 points with Saturday’s comeback win at Ipswich Town.
The south-coast club, who earned promotion to the top flight only last season, have 10 points after 31 games to sit rock bottom and 22 points from the safety zone.
“We knew it was probably going to be inevitable at some point, we haven’t been good enough all season… It is a sad day and one that this group of players will learn from,” Southampton keeper Aaron Ramsdale told Sky Sports.
“We need wins, points, performances. It has to come to a point where the fans are happy and singing… We have to build some momentum going into the Championship season.”
Southampton nearly took the lead 12 minutes in when Tyler Dibling’s cross found Kamaldeen Sulemana at the far post but his shot was blocked as it rebounded off the woodwork.
If there was any hope of Saints taking a shock lead, Spurs put that notion to bed a minute later when they went down the other end where Djed Spence’s cut-back found Brennan Johnson and he fired his shot into the roof of the net.
Lucas Bergvall thought he had made it 2-0 with a stroke of luck from a set-piece when he stuck out his leg for a loose ball which ended up in the bottom corner, but VAR chalked off the goal for offside after a check that took nearly five minutes.
But Johnson doubled their lead minutes later when James Maddison headed the ball into the box where the Welsh forward slipped the ball past Ramsdale.
Ramsdale, however, denied Spurs several times, saving efforts from Spence and Dominic Solanke to limit the damage but Southampton did not have any luck at the other end until the 90th minute.
A cross from Sulemana found Mateus Fernandes, who expertly chested down the ball before fizzing a shot past Guglielmo Vicario to make it 2-1.
But there would be no late comeback after Welington brought down Johnson in the box, allowing Bayern Munich loanee Mathys Tel to step up and convert the penalty to score his first Premier League goal as Spurs sealed the three points.
The victory moved Spurs to 13th in the standings on 37 points, level with Manchester United who were hosting Manchester City later on Sunday.
“The first half was really good, really pleased. We were a bit sloppy with the ball in the second half,” Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said.
“Stuff to improve on but it is a victory with three goals, so (that is a) positive. We looked threatening every time we went forward in the first half.”
