Man City closes in on title, Man United and Liverpool win
LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester City needs just one more win to clinch the Premier League title after a blistering first-half display secured a 3-1 win at Everton on Saturday.
Deliciously for City fans, the three points could be secured next Saturday at home against Manchester United although with that game sandwiched between the two legs of the Champions League quarterfinal against Liverpool, manager Pep Guardiola was keen to play down the chances of a title celebration.
“We have to focus on the Champions League, we have United in the middle but for the line-up we have to think about the Champions League,” the Spaniard told reporters.
City took just four minutes to get in front with a superb volley from Leroy Sane after a fine cross from David Silva.
The game was put beyond Everton within 37 minutes with a Gabriel Jesus header and a Raheem Sterling finish making it 3-0.
Guardiola’s side took its foot off the gas in the second half and Everton restored a little pride with a 63rd-minute strike from Yannick Bolasie.
It has long been a matter of time before City formally clinched the title but next week’s opponent heads into the derby in second place and with a win under its belt after beating Swansea City 2-0 at Old Trafford.
Romelu Lukaku reached 100 league goals by scoring in the first five minutes as United dominated a Swansea side which has been revitalized under manager Carlos Carvalhal.
Alexis Sanchez struck before the interval, the Chilean forward’s second goal for United, and the hosts comfortably saw out the victory at Old Trafford.
“We have 10 points more than last season but there is a club which is making it practically impossible to follow. In other leagues we would be fighting for the title,” said United LIVERPOOL’S EGYPTIAN star Mohamed Salah will enter his team’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Manchester City in blistering form after scoring the late winner in yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, his 37th goal of the season in all competitions. manager Jose Mourinho.
Liverpool came from behind to win at Palace in manager Juergen Klopp’s 100th league game in England and moved five points ahead of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, which visits fifth-placed Chelsea on Sunday.
Mohamed Salah scored the late winner, his 37th of the season in all competitions, after the equalizer by Sadio Mane.
Palace’s Serbian penalty expert Luka Milivojevic had converted his seventh spot-kick out of eight this season to put the home side in front early on.
His old club was left in good heart ahead of an exciting week, with a Champions League quarterfinal first leg at home to Manchester City on Wednesday and the Merseyside derby at Everton three days later.
“It is usual for us that we need to fight here, especially after a difficult start, but it makes it more special at the end,” Klopp said.
Palace, however, remained in trouble, only two points above the relegation zone.
“It is a bit of a groundhog day playing against these top teams,” manager Roy Hodgson said after his side conceded a late winner again, just as it had to Manchester United and Tottenham in its previous two home games.
West Ham jumped above its London rival with a comprehensive 3-0 home victory over a poor Southampton side, which was three goals down at halftime in manager Mark Hughes’s first league game in charge and stayed in the bottom three.
Marko Arnautovic, who fell out with Hughes after leaving Stoke City for West Ham in the close-season, scored two of the goals.
Manager David Moyes was delighted with his team and its fans after protests marred the last home game, a 3-0 defeat by Burnley.
“The supporters were great, they have been great here bar a few. The players gave them something to shout about today,” Moyes said.
Huddersfield Town remained in trouble, three points above relegation, after losing 1-0 at Newcastle United to a goal by Ayoze Perez.
Bottom club West Bromwich Albion, which has won only one league game out of 30 since beating Burnley in August, lost to the same opponents 2-1 at The Hawthorns.
Ashley Barnes, with a spectacular bicycle kick, and Chris Wood against his former club, were the scorers before Salomon Rondon grabbed a late consolation for West Brom.
Brighton was beaten 2-0 by Leicester City in a dramatic finish after Glenn Murray had his penalty saved by Kasper Schmeichel and Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi was sent off.
In the other mid-table game, Jermain Defoe’s equalizer in stoppage time earned Bournemouth a 2-2 draw at Watford.