City retain lead after draw with Liverpool

MANCHESTER City retained their slender lead at the Premier League summit as their crunch clash with title rivals Liverpool ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw.

Kevin De Bruyne fired the champions into a fifth-minute lead at the Etihad Stadium but Diogo Jota levelled eight minutes later for the second-placed Reds.

Gabriel Jesus restored City’s advantage before the break but Sadio Mane marked his 30th birthday with a second equaliser for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Raheem Sterling thought he had put City ahead for a third time against his former club but VAR ruled against him in a tight offside decision and substitute Riyad Mahrez hit the post late on.

The result ended Liverpool’s 10-match winning league run and left City a point clear with just seven games of the season remaining.

Goals from Pierre Lees-Melou and Teemu Pukki helped reinvigorate Norwich’s slim survival hopes with a 2-0 home win over relegation rivals Burnley.

The Canaries were 10 points from safety before kick-off, but LeesMelou’s early deflected strike gave Dean Smith’s men a precious lead and Pukki’s composed finish late on clinched a first Premier League victory in nine attempts.

Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney combined to sink West Ham 2-0 and surely banish any lingering relegation fears for Brentford.

Two second-half goals lifted the Bees 12 points clear of the drop zone after a Sunday afternoon stroll in the west London sunshine.

Mbeumo lashed in the opener after being teed up by Toney, and then returned the favour for his strike partner as Toney grabbed his 14th goal of the season.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall inspired Leicester to a narrow 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.

Kasper Schmeichel saved two Wilfried Zaha penalties – after VAR ordered a retake – only for the striker to nod in the rebound from the second which gave Palace secondhalf hope.

But a leveller never came and the Foxes move above Palace to ninth in the Premier League.