Manchester City look unstoppable as they hunt a fifth Premier League title in six years whereas Liverpool are refusing to surrender the chase for a top-four berth.
Bottom-club Southampton seem doomed however the groups above them are braced for a nerve-racking survival battle within the closing weeks of the season.
Here’s the massive speaking factors from the Premier League this weekend:
Haaland scores fiftieth as City go prime | 01:41
Man City survive title check
Manchester City survived a tough check of their title defence with a significant 2-1 win towards Fulham to return to the highest of the desk for the primary time in two months.
After crushing Arsenal 4-1 in midweek, Pep Guardiola’s males knew a win at Craven Cottage on Sunday would take them above the Gunners into first place.
Erling Haaland transformed an early penalty to develop into the primary top-flight participant to attain 50 targets in all competitions in a single English season since 1931.
Haaland’s thirty fourth Premier League purpose of the season equals the competitors file held by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer — set within the days of 42-game campaigns.
But that was not the set off for a swaggering City show, with Carlos Vinicius punishing poor defending to equalise.
It was harking back to City’s 1-1 draw towards Nottingham Forest, instantly after they beat Arsenal to go prime of the desk in February.
But there was to be no repeat of that stumble as Julian Alvarez’s excellent long-range strike sealed City’s eighth successive league victory.
City are a degree forward of Arsenal with a sport in hand and it might be an enormous shock if they didn’t win the title now.
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Klopp pulls hammy after Reds winner | 00:55
Big Liverpool threat in prime 4 hunt
Newcastle beat Southampton 3-1 on Sunday to remain third within the Premier League whereas Manchester United edged previous in-form Aston Villa 1-0.
The two groups are robust favourites to seal Champions League locations for subsequent season behind Manchester City and Arsenal.
But neither Newcastle boss Eddie Howe nor United supervisor Erik ten Hag will probably be comfy about seeing Liverpool of their rear-view mirror.
Jurgen Klopp’s males beat Spurs 4-3 in a thriller at Anfield, with Diogo Jota scoring a last-gasp winner.
They have received their previous 4 league video games to climb to fifth within the desk — seven factors behind United, having performed a sport extra.
Liverpool’s run-in doesn’t look unduly taxing whereas Newcastle and United have some tough
video games nonetheless to play.
United supervisor Erik ten Hag stays assured forward of a conflict with Brighton. “We look from sport to sport and subsequent we’ve Brighton so we have to work exhausting once more,” Ten Hag instructed the BBC.
“We want to point out ardour once more and never fear in regards to the desk. We are completely in management (within the race for the highest 4). It’s all about us and it’s in our arms.”
For Liverpool, defender Trent Alexander-Arnold embodies the membership’s rebound in fortunes.
The Reds fullback grew to become the first-ever Premier League participant to twice go on a run of helping a purpose in 5 consecutive video games, as he notched his 53rd league help towards Spurs.
The England right-back has been criticised brutally this season, however a tactical shift has pushed the staff’s latest run of type.
Alexander-Arnold has drifted into the midfield to overload defences and supply the Reds extra attacking impetus, one thing which leaves them extremely susceptible on the counter.
The tactic requires the centre-backs (Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate on this case) in addition to the centre-defensive midfielder (Fabinho at present) to place themselves higher to cowl for the hole left by the precise again.
They struggled deeply to take action towards Spurs, and on one other day they may simply have been punished extra.
Liverpool’s high-risk strategy will get the very best out of their much-maligned proper again, and helped the Reds win 4 in a row. But if they’ll’t repair the defensive frailties it exposes, they may quickly slip away.
Brighton’s outstanding growth
Brighton loved the largest win of their season with a 6-0 crushing of Wolves. Four targets within the first half for the primary time since 2016, and two extra to spherical issues out within the second time period. It was probably the most targets they’ve ever scored in a prime flight match and their greatest win in league competitors since 2000.
The Seagulls sit eighth, however have two video games in hand on fifth-placed Liverpool to make up a four-point deficit. They have one sport in hand on Man United, 11 factors up the street – however these two groups face off subsequent. Maybe the Champions League locations are out of attain, however European qualification appears a really stay chance.
The win was the proper response to a tough week, overwhelmed on penalties by Manchester United within the FA Cup semi-finals earlier than a midweek defeat to Nottingham Forest.
“We suffered quite a bit within the final two video games. This reply at present was incredible. I’ve little question in regards to the stage of the individuals contained in the dressing room,” coach Roberto De Zerbi stated. “The most vital is to not lose our DNA and magnificence. We deserve to realize our goal, Europe, however we will see.”
EPL Wrap: Brighton seize greatest ever win | 01:31
Crucially, de Zerbi rested star trio Alexis Mac Allister, Kaoru Mitoma, and Moises Caicedo – and their replacements had been completely excellent. Pascal Gross scored a brace, whereas Billy Gilmour was labelled the participant of the match by De Zerbi.
De Zerbi solely took cost on September 18 after Graham Potter departed to Chelsea. Since then, he has guided the Seagulls to wins over Chelsea – twice – and over the likes of Liverpool.
Under Potter final season, Brighton performed a splendidly engaging model of soccer – however typically failed to seek out the targets to point out for it. Under de Zerbi, they’ve develop into way more scientific within the closing third, scoring 61 targets in 31 video games – that’s as many targets as third-placed Newcastle, in two fewer video games! It’s additionally blown away the variety of targets they scored within the entirety of final season — 42 in 38 video games. Only Arsenal have had extra totally different purpose scorers within the league this season, which signifies that de Zerbi’s fringe gamers proceed to make their mark – and crucially, permitting him to rotate the squad within the testing closing few weeks of the season. It may make all of the distinction of their race for Europe.
Luongo targets as Ipswich get promoted | 00:50
Relegation race hots up
There seems to be no escape for Southampton — six factors from security with simply 4 video games remaining — however the 4 groups above them are locked in a tense battle for survival.
Either Leicester or Everton, who meet on Tuesday morning AEST, will climb out of the underside three, with Nottingham Forest dropping into the relegation zone.
Leeds are perilously positioned, only one level above 18th-placed Leicester after their 4-1 defeat by Bournemouth — a fourth loss of their previous 5 matches. And they’ve a tricky run dwelling, with Man City this weekend earlier than Newcastle, West Ham, and Tottenham.
Bournemouth, 10 factors away from Leicester, seem secure and Wolves look prone to survive regardless of their 6-0 humbling by Brighton on Saturday.
But West Ham are usually not but assured of top-flight survival after a 4-3 defeat by Crystal Palace left them 5 factors away from the drop zone, with a visit to Manchester City looming on Wednesday.
