Clubs show the signs of brutal load
Liverpool the latest to scratch out a draw
Liverpool manager Ju¨rgen Klopp had just seen his team fall behind after getting outplayed in the opening 25 minutes by a supposed contender for relegation, and he’d had enough.
“WAKE UP!” Klopp barked to his players, his chest out and his teeth gritted.
Liverpool ended up escaping from Craven Cottage with a 1-1 draw against Fulham thanks to a late penalty by Mohamed Salah but it was hardly the stuff of champions from Klopp’s team.
They weren’t alone, in what has proved a tough weekend for the Premier League’s likely title candidates.
Earlier yesterday, Tottenham, the league leaders, were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace.
On Sunday, Chelsea lost for just the second time in the league this season, 1-0 at Everton, and the two Manchester clubs played out a drab 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.
If this was some kind of hangover from the teams’ latest midweek exertions in European competition, then the schedule is only going to getmore hectic now English football is entering the festive period where the show goes on unlike with many leagues on the continent.
“I don’t want to make excuses — I’ll let you all talk about that and the amount of games players are playing, especially European teams,” Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said. “We’ve just got to prepare and play whenever we’re told. That’s all we can do.”
As it was, there was no harmdone by the champions for what was one of their sloppiest displays of the season.
Liverpool ended the weekend in second place after 12 games, tied on 25 points with Tottenham.
The pair meet at Anfield on Thursday in the headline fixture in a midweek round of games in the Premier League where rotation might be heavy across the division.
Salah to rescue
Salah moved to 13 goals for the season in all competitions with Liverpool’s 79th-minute equaliser at Fulham, with the Egypt forward scoring for the third straight game.
Liverpool looked to be heading
for the second loss of their title defence, when a shot by Georginio Wijnaldum at a free kick struck the outstretched elbow of Fulham substitute Aboubakar Kamara, who was jumping in the defensive wall.
A penalty was awarded and Salah struck his attempt low and down the middle, with goalkeeper Alphonse Areola getting a hand to the ball but unable to keep it out.
Bobby De Cordova-reid gave Fulham the lead in the 25th minute with one of a series of chances created by the home team.
Unstoppableduo
There’s just no stopping Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
They teamed up for a goal for the 12th time this season, as Kane opened the scoring for Tottenhamat Palace by collecting a pass from Son
and smashing a fierce, swerving shot from about 30m that goalkeeper Vicente Guaita lost track of.
Only Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, with 13, have combined formore goals in a single top-flight season than Kane and Son. That came in the 1994-95 title-winning campaign for Blackburn.
Guaita made amends with two outstanding saves, denying first Kane and then Eric Dier at a free kick, to preserve a point for Palace after Jeffrey Schlupp’s 81st-minute equaliser at Selhurst Park.
Tottenham’s only loss this season remains against Everton on the opening weekend.
Blunt Blades
Sheffield United became the first Premier League team since Queens Park Rangers in 2012 to fail to win
any of their first 12 games in a season after losing 3-0 at Southampton.
Goals by Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong and substitute Nathan Redmond consigned United to an 11th loss so far, leaving Chris Wilder’s beleaguered side in last place on one point — five behind nearest team West Bromwich Albion.
Southampton, meanwhile, are the beneficiaries of the poor returns this weekend from the league powerhouses and climbed into the top four, just two points behind Tottenham and Liverpool.
Othergames
Burnley hoisted themselves one spot clear of the relegation zone and will be looking to kick on after a 1-0 away win over Arsenal while third placed Leicester City were far too good for Brighton, winning 3-0.— AP