Man City stay with Arsenal, Liverpool boo more dropped points

MANCHESTER, England (AP):

Manchester City kept the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League after beating Brentford 3-0 yesterday.

Cheers rang around Etihad Stadium after second-half goals from Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland, and Omar Marmoush helped second-place City close the gap on leaders Arsenal to two points.

It was a different atmosphere at Anfield, where Liverpool fans jeered as the defending champions dropped more points in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

Third-place Manchester United drew at Sunderland 0-0 while there were wins for Champions League-chasing Bournemouth and Brighton.

CITY KEEPS TITLE HOPES ALIVE

Another big goal from Doku settled City nerves and kept manager Pep Guardiola in contention for a seventh Premier League title.

"I love it. I love to be here again," Guardiola said, adding he feels no tension in the heat of the title race.

A well-organised Brentford managed to frustrate City until Doku came up with a moment of magic on the hour — curling a right-footed shot into the far corner.

It was a near-carbon copy of his late equaliser against Everton that salvaged a 3-3 draw for Guardiola's team on Monday.

That draw put the title race in Arsenal's hands, but victory against Brentford ensured the pressure remained on the Gunners to get a win at West Ham today.

"Come on you Irons!" Guardiola said at the end of his post-game news conference in reference to West Ham's nickname.

Haaland bundled the ball over the line in the 75th for City's second and his 50th of the season for his club and national team Norway.

Substitute Marmoush got the third in added time.

JEERS FOR LIVERPOOL

The draw with Chelsea at Anfield saw Liverpool move a step closer to guaranteed Champions League qualification — fourth in the table with two rounds left — but another unconvincing performance sparked a frustrated reaction from the crowd.

There were boos at the final whistle to mark growing unrest from Liverpool supporters in a season that has seen the team tamely surrender the title despite spending around US$570 million in the transfer market.

There has been speculation about the job of coach Arne Slot, who insists there will be improvements next term.

"This season they (fans) will have their opinion, and it will not change, but if we can have the summer that we are planning to have, I am 100 per cent convinced we will be a different team next season," he said. "Different in terms of results, different in how things look."

Liverpool can make certain of a place in the Champions League with a victory at Aston Villa next Friday. But they could find themselves in fifth place by the time that game kicks off.

Villa were fifth and would leapfrog Liverpool by beating relegated Burnley on Sunday. The top five automatically qualify for the Champions League, and English clubs could get a sixth spot if Villa win the Europa League and finish outside the top four.

The draw allowed Chelsea to break their six-game losing streak. Enzo Fernandez's bouncing free kick went in before halftime to equalise after Ryan Gravenberch's early goal.

Liverpool twice went close to a winner in the second half when Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk hit the woodwork.

UNLIKELY CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CONTENDERS

Bournemouth and Brighton were still pushing for Champions League qualification after both recorded wins.

Sixth-placed Bournemouth won at Fulham 1-0 in a game in which both teams were reduced to 10 men.

Brighton were seventh and beat last-place Wolverhampton 3-0.

A goal after 35 seconds for Jamie Hinshelwood was the fastest Brighton has ever recorded in the Premier League, according to stats provider Opta.

MAN U MISS PLAYERS

Without injured striker Benjamin Sesko and Brazil midfielder Casemiro, United failed to find a breakthrough at Sunderland.

United managed just one shot on target in a dour match that could have ended in a Sunderland win when Lutsharel Geertruida hit the post late on.

CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS

Middlesbrough and Southampton drew 0-0 in the first leg of their Championship playoff semi-final.

Build-up to the match was dominated by allegations Southampton spied on Boro's training. The English Football League charged Southampton with a breach of its rules after Boro complained there was "unauthoriszed filming on private property" ahead of the game.

After the first leg, Boro coach Kim Hellberg let his feelings be known, saying "someone has made a decision to cheat".

He said he was angry and disappointed "because it's a big game and you try to get advantage in an ugly way ... unfair way".

The second leg is at Southampton on Tuesday.

Yesterday’s Results

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea

Fulham 0-1 Bournemouth

Sunderland 0-0 Man United

Brighton 3-0 Wolves

Man City 3-0 Brentford