By AFP
Man City snap seven-game winless streak by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0
LONDON: Liverpool’s Premier League lead was cut to seven points by Arsenal and Chelsea after the Reds conceded a 90th-minute equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Newcastle on Wednesday.
Chelsea thrashed 10-man Southampton 5-1 to go second on goal difference ahead of Arsenal, who beat Manchester United 2-0.
Manchester City snapped their seven-game winless run by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 to go fourth.
Mohamed Salah’s second-half double was not enough to extend Liverpool’s seven-game winning run in all competitions as they failed to win for just the third time in 21 games under Arne Slot.
Twice the league leaders were forced to come from behind at St James’ Park as Alexander Isak blasted Newcastle into a 1-0 half-time lead.
Curtis Jones levelled before Anthony Gordon restored Newcastle’s lead.
Salah twice converted Trent Alexander-Arnold assists to turn the game around, taking his tally for the season to 15 goals.
However, there was a late sting in the tale as a rare error from Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher allowed Fabian Schar to squeeze in a late equaliser for the Magpies.
Arsenal take advantage
Arsenal took full advantage by inflicting Ruben Amorim’s first defeat as Manchester United boss.
Once again the Gunners were able to rely on their prowess from set-pieces to get the job done.
Jurrien Timber broke the deadlock, heading in Declan Rice’s corner nine minutes into the second half.
William Saliba did not know much about the second, as he diverted in Thomas Partey’s header from Bukayo Saka’s corner, but the Frenchman did not care as Arsenal had the breathing space they craved.
Kai Havertz should have added more gloss to the scoreline but he was denied by Andre Onana.
But a fourth consecutive win in all competitions confirmed Arsenal’s return to form and applied a little pressure on Liverpool.
Chelsea put bottom-of-the-table Southampton to the sword at St Mary’s even before the hosts were reduced to 10 men when Jack Stephens pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair.
Axel Disasi’s early opener for the Blues was cancelled out by Joe Aribo.
But Christopher Nkunku pounced on sloppy Southampton passing from the back to make it 2-1 before Noni Madueke added a third.
Stephens then saw red in a bizarre incident as he jostled with Cucurella from a Saints corner.
Cole Palmer made sure he got in on the act with Chelsea’s fourth before Jadon Sancho’s first goal since his loan move from Manchester United rounded off the scoring.
De Bruyne eases Man City crisis
City bounced back from their barren run thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the starting line-up for the first time in nearly three months.
The Belgian teed up Bernardo Silva for the opening goal before firing in the second himself.
Jeremy Doku sealed a much-needed three points for Pep Guardiola’s men, who are now nine off the top.
Aston Villa ended their eight-game run without a win with a dominant first-half display to beat Brentford 3-1.
Morgan Rogers’ wonder strike, Ollie Watkins’ penalty and Matty Cash’s effort made it 3-0 inside 34 minutes.
Mikkel Damsgaard pulled a goal back but the Bees, who have the league’s best home record, remain without a win on the road.
Everton thrashed Wolves 4-0 thanks to two Craig Dawson own goals in a huge clash at the bottom of the table.
Ashley Young and Orel Mangala put the Toffees 2-0 up at half-time before Dawson’s goals twice rubbed salt in Wolves’ wounds after the break.
Victory lifts Everton five points clear of the relegation zone, while Wolves sink to 19th.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has categorically denied reports linking the club with a move for Liverpool star Mohamed Salah.
With Salah approaching the final six months of his contract, he will be eligible to negotiate with overseas clubs starting January 1, 2025, ahead of a potential summer transfer.
Last month, the Egyptian forward voiced his “disappointment” at not being offered a new deal, admitting he feels “probably more out than in” at Liverpool.
While PSG has been rumored as a potential destination for Salah, Al-Khelaifi dismissed the speculation, insisting that the club has no plans to target him as a free agent.
“It’s not true,” he told Sky Sports Germany. “He’s a fantastic and amazing player, but we’ve never considered him, to be honest.
“We know every club would love to have him, but this rumour about us is simply not true.”
Salah fuels speculation
At 32, Salah may be entering the latter stages of his career, but he continues to perform at an elite level. This season, he has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League matches, including his most recent strike in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City at Anfield last weekend.
Adding fuel to speculation about his potential departure from Anfield at the end of the season, Salah shared his thoughts with Sky Sports after the match: “Honestly that’s what was in my head [it possibly being his last home match v Man City].
“Probably until now this is the last City game I will play for Liverpool so I was just going to enjoy it. The atmosphere was incredible so I will enjoy every second here. Hopefully we just win the league and will see what will happen.”
When asked about Salah’s latest comments Liverpool manager Arne Slot replied: “Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 [charges] so he doesn’t expect them to be in the Premier League next season.”
The Dutchman laughed, but immediately clarified: “I do expect them to be in the Premier League. That was a joke! I do repeat, that was a joke.”
He later added: “The boring answer is always the same. This is not the place to talk about Mo’s contract and maybe I’ve said too much with the joke I’ve just made.”
Slot was alluding to the 115 charges of alleged financial irregularities currently under review in a hearing involving Manchester City.
City has denied any wrongdoing, but if found guilty, they could face severe consequences, including potential relegation.
Meanwhile, although Salah’s assertion that he has had no direct discussions with Liverpool’s hierarchy over a new contract appears accurate, The Athletic reports that negotiations with his agent, Ramy Abbas, have been “positive” and are “ongoing.”
