London: Liverpool moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to a 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa.
Darwin Nunez put Liverpool in front in the 20th minute after a swift counter-attack following an Aston Villa corner. Mohamed Salah carried the ball forward, before feeding Nunez to score with a shot over goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from a tight angle.
Salah netted Liverpool’s second of the match six minutes from time after his side again won possession in the middle of the park, with the striker keeping his cool before beating Martinez, reports Xinhua.
Earlier in the day, Brighton came back from conceding a goal from Erling Haaland to produce an excellent second-half display to beat Manchester City 2-1.
The result means Pep Guardiola’s side has lost its last four games – the first time that Guardiola has seen one of his sides lose four times in a row in 16 years.
Haaland opened the scoring with a shot that bounced up off Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen in the 23rd minute, but his injury-hit side then stepped off the gas and allowed Brighton back into the game.
The home side had the better of the second half and scored a deserved equalizer in the 78th minute when substitute Joao Pedro poked home after Danny Welbeck’s assist.
Brighton had wasted several chances and the goal did justice to their performance, while Matt O’Riley went one better in the 83rd minute when he raced onto Pedro’s pass to rifle home the winner.
Crystal Palace remains in deep trouble after a 2-0 defeat at home to an ever-consistent Fulham. The visitor took advantage of Palace’s absences in attack due to injury, with a goal in first half injury time from Emile Smith Rowe after Raul Jimenez’s assist, before substitute Harry Wilson added the second seven minutes from time.
Wilson had the ball in the net again in injury time, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Wolverhampton Wanderers claimed its first win of the season with a 2-0 triumph at home to Southampton.
Pablo Sarabia opened the scoring after finishing off a flowing move in the second minute, and Matheus Cunha added the second with a ripping shot into the corner six minutes after the break.
Brentford took three points after a wildly entertaining 3-2 win at home to Bournemouth.
Evanilson put Bournemouth ahead in the 17th minute, but Yoane Wissa quickly leveled, before the game went crazy in 13 second-half minutes that saw Justin Kluivert put Bournemouth back ahead in the 49th minute.
Mikkel Damsgaard immediately leveled again for Brentford, and Wissa won the game in the 58th minute when he found space and clipped the ball over Kepa in the Bournemouth goal.
West Ham United and Everton drew a dreadful match 0-0, with the result doing little to lift the pressure on West Ham coach Julen Lopetegui or to lift Everton away from the relegation zone.
Chelsea hosts Arsenal in the big game on Sunday, with both sides needing three points to remain in the title chase.
–IANS
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