Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-1 on Saturday however stay eight factors adrift of Arsenal on the high of the Premier League after Gabriel Jesus scored twice within the Gunners 4-1 win over Leeds.
In the conflict between the 2 sides which have dominated English soccer over the previous 5 years, City had been a category aside regardless of the absence of Erling Haaland on account of damage.
Liverpool went in entrance by way of Mohamed Salah’s twenty third objective of the season however had been blown away within the second half after Julian Alvarez introduced City stage earlier than the break.
Pep Guardiola’s males wanted lower than a minute within the second interval to go in entrance as Kevin De Bruyne tapped house Riyad Mahrez’s cross.
Pep Guardiola was all smiles within the City dugout.Source: Getty Images
Ilkay Gundogan slammed house the third earlier than Jack Grealish rounded off his finest efficiency in a City shirt with a superb end for the fourth.
“Now it’s the Jack we thought (we had been shopping for). Aston Villa followers know this Jack,” mentioned Guardiola of Grealish, who joined for a Premier League report £100 million ($124 million) in 2021 from the Birmingham membership.
City nonetheless have a recreation in hand on Arsenal and the 2 meet in a possible title decider on the Etihad later this month.
A sobering defeat is one other blow to Liverpool’s hopes of a top-four end because the Reds slip to eighth within the desk.
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool applauds the followers after the workforce’s defeat.Source: Getty Images
– ‘DESERVED CHANCE’ –
Arsenal didn’t really feel the stress of City briefly reducing the hole earlier than kick-off on the Emirates as Jesus marked his first league begin since November with a double.
Bukayo Saka was handed a uncommon relaxation by Mikel Arteta and Jesus took accountability from the penalty spot in his absence to open the scoring 10 minutes earlier than halftime.
Jesus was sidelined for 3 months after choosing up a knee damage on the World Cup however the former City ahead’s return for the run-in might deny his outdated membership a fifth title in six years.
The Brazilian fired house his second objective of the sport after Ben White doubled Arsenal’s lead early within the second half.
“He’s been working so exhausting the final 4 or 5 months with lots of assist clearly from the workforce and the workers,” mentioned Arteta on Jesus’ influence. “Today he deserved the possibility to start out and he grabbed the chance with lots of conviction and scoring two crucial targets.”
Tempers boil over – Wild A League end | 00:43
Rasmus Kristensen pulled a objective again for Leeds, however Granit Xhaka rounded off the scoring as Arsenal made it seven consecutive league wins for the primary time below Arteta.
Brighton and Brentford shared the factors after an exhilarating 3-3 draw on the Amex. Three occasions Brentford led by way of Pontus Jansson, Ivan Toney and Ethan Pinnock. But the Seagulls grabbed a deserved level due to Alexis Mac Allister’s late penalty after Kaoru Mitoma and Danny Welbeck additionally equalised within the first half.
A degree apiece sees either side edge above Liverpool and inside six factors of the highest 4.
Aston Villa are additionally making a late push for Europe as their excellent kind below Unai Emery continued with a 2-0 win at Chelsea.
Ollie Watkins and John McGinn scored for the guests at Stamford Bridge, who moved above Chelsea into ninth.
Granit Xhaka of Arsenal celebrates scoring the workforce’s fourth objective.Source: Getty Images
– HODGSON’S ‘WONDERFUL FEELING’ –
Roy Hodgson’s return at Crystal Palace delivered the Eagles’ first victory of 2023 as Jean Philippe-Mateta’s 94th minute objective beat Leicester 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
The Foxes appeared on target for a much-needed win when Ricardo Pereira fired house on 56 minutes.
But Eberechi Eze’s free-kick hit the woodwork and deflected in off Leicester goalkeeper Daniel Iversen to rapidly get Palace stage earlier than Mateta cooly slotted house on the demise.
“It’s an exquisite feeling,” mentioned Hodgson, who’s again within the dugout at 75. “It’s such a reduction, actually, as a result of I believed over the course of the 90 minutes we deserved to win the sport.”
Defeat sees Leicester slip into the relegation zone after Bournemouth got here from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 due to targets from Marcus Tavernier and Dominic Solanke.
Nottingham Forest and Wolves stay exterior the underside three after a 1-1 draw on the City Ground.
Daniel Podence struck seven minutes from time to grab a draw for the guests after Brennan Johnson opened the scoring for Forest.
