PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

Walker’s relief as Pep talk at break helped to rescue a draw but it was still two points dropped for Guardiola’s title-chasers

Liverpool Arsenal

Aston Villa Tottenham Man Utd Brighton Newcastle West Ham

P W D 25 17 6 25 17 4

L 2 4

F A Pts 59 24 57 58 22 55

25 15 4 6 52 33 49 25 14 5 6 52 38 47 25 14 2 9 35 34 44 25 10 8 7 48 40 38 25 11 4 10 53 41 37 25 10 6 9 36 44 36

Wolves 25 10 5 10 39 40 35 Fulham 25 8 5 12 34 41 29 Bournemouth 24 7 7 10 33 46 28 Brentford 24 7 4 13 35 43 25 Nottm Forest 25 6 6 13 32 44 24 Crystal Palace 24 6 6 12 27 43 24 Luton 24 5 5 14 34 47 20 Everton 24 8 5 11 26 32 19 Burnley 25 3 4 18 25 55 13 Sheff Utd 25 3 4 18 22 65 13

KYLE WALKER said it took a serious half-time Pep talk in the home dressing room to help Manchester City salvage a draw at the Etihad.

But Walker knows it was still two dropped points for the champions in their titanic title tussle with Liverpool and Arsenal at the top of the table.

Raheem Sterling’s first-half strike – his first league goal since November – looked to have given Chelsea a shock win.

But Rodri was in no mood to lose his first game in more than 12 months, and blazed home a late equaliser to make sure Pep Guardiola’s (right) men didn’t finish up with nothing.

And Walker reckons a few home truths at the interval helped City make sure they didn’t lose at home in the league for the first time since November

2022.

He said: “I think it was two different halves. The second half we actually played really well, much more like we’ve been playing in the last couple of months.

“We knew we weren’t at standard (expected). The manager came in, had words, we all had words with each other, and I think in the second half we probably could have gone and won it.

“But to go one behind for us then to start playing, that’s something that we need to learn from.

“Especially when teams come to the Etihad, we need to take the game to them, not them to bring the game to us. We need to really get on the front foot and start quick.”

The draw saw City concede vital ground in the title scrap, with Guardiola’s side slipping to third in the table, four points behind leaders Liverpool, albeit with a game in hand in the shape of the visit of Brentford tomorrow night.

Walker (far right) knows Liverpool (who thrashed Brentford on Saturday, top circle) are desperate to win the title again to give boss Jurgen Klopp the perfect send-off.

But the England star admits City have their own motivation in becoming the first team to win back-to-back Trebles and four Premier League titles on the spin.

He added: “We’re up against two very, very good teams in Liverpool and Arsenal (who cruised past Burnley on Saturday, above).

“Liverpool have got the momentum, obviously with the manager leaving maybe it’s a little bit of enthusiasm that they’ve got now to let him go out on a high.

“But we want to do something that no one’s ever been able to do and that’s win four in a row, so we’ve got our own motivation.

“The best team wins at the end of a tough, tough, 38 games. And I’m sure we’ll be fighting on four fronts, as we always are.” Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino would have taken a point at the start of the game, given the season his team have had so far.

But he headed home knowing it might have been all three, considering how brave and attacking the visitors had been.

But the result will give them a major shot of confidence heading into this weekend’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.

Pochettino said: “The effort was massive and the spirit is the way we want to compete with the talent we have. I think we will reach the levels we expect one day.

“To play the best team in the world is never easy, but the character and personality made me very happy.”