Chelsea win key battle, City edge Foxes
LONDON: Chelsea strengthened their grip on a Premier League top-four place on Saturday by beating London rivals Tottenham 2-1 as Manchester City edged past Leicester despite another attack of the penalty jitters.
Sheffield United will rue missing out on the chance to clamber above Tottenham into fifth place after drawing at home to struggling Brighton.
Liverpool’s staggering 19-point lead over second-placed Manchester City means the title race is effectively over, with much of the focus turning to the scramble to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Frank Lampard’s fourth-placed Chelsea went into their match against Jose Mourinho’s Spurs at Stamford Bridge without a win in their past four Premier League matches and just one point clear of Spurs.
Fringe players Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso were recalled by Lampard and both rewarded their manager’s confidence by scoring in the home win.
But the match was overshadowed by a VAR controversy, with officials ruling that Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso did not deserve to be sent off for a “leg breaker” stamp on Cesar Azpilicueta.
World Cup winner Giroud put Chelsea ahead in the 15th minute when he reacted quickest to finish beyond Hugo Lloris after Ross Barkley had struck a post.
Chelsea doubled their advantage three minutes into the second half, Alonso drilling in a first-time shot after being set up by Barkley.
Alonso’s free-kick hit the bar before Antonio Rudiger deflected Erik Lamela’s shot into his own net in the 89th minute to give Spurs late hope.
Lampard criticised VAR after Lo Celso was allowed to stay on the pitch.
“I hate to call for red cards but that is a leg breaker,” he said. “Everybody knew they made a mistake. I was just waiting for the red card to be shown.”
As it stands, a fifth-placed finish could guarantee Champions League football next season because Manchester City have been banned from Europe’s elite competition for two years.
City hope to have their appeal against the ban heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport before the start of next season.
Substitute Gabriel Jesus struck late on for City at the King Power Stadium after Aguero saw his second-half spotkick saved by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
The 1-0 win leaves them seven points clear of Leicester, cementing their position in second place.
Sheffield United had a chance to steal a march on their rivals for a Champions League place next season, with Manchester United, Wolves, Arsenal and Everton not in action until Sunday.
They took the lead at home against Brighton through Enda Stevens but Neal Maupay equalised for the south coast club on the half-hour.
The 1-1 draw leaves Sheffield United in sixth place on 40 points, level with Tottenham.
Runaway league leaders Liverpool host struggling West Ham today.