DREARY DERBY
Title-chasing Liverpool held to tie at Everton
Liverpool may have to wait a little longer for their Premier League title celebrations after they were held to a 0-0 tie at Everton in the behind closeddoors Merseyside derby on Sunday.
But it could have been worse for the leaders after Tom Davies hit the post in the 80th minute for Everton, who will feel a little disappointed they did not take full advantage of a below-par performance from the European champions.
Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool team went into the game, their first competitive match in 103 days, knowing a victory would allow them to secure their first league title in 30 years on Wednesday with a win at home to Crystal Palace.
With eight games remaining of the season which has resumed after the novel coronavirus stoppage, Liverpool need five more points to be sure of their first title of the Premier League era, unless Manchester City loses at home to Burnley today.
Liverpool has 83 points from 30 games, while Pep Guardiola’s second-placed City is at 60 points from 29.
“It was very intense,” Liverpool defender Virgil van
Dijk said. “Both sides created small opportunities, they had the big one against the post. Everyone is just happy to be back, we didn’t lose and it is another point towards our goal.”
There were few opportunities for either team in a tight and ultimately disappointing game at Goodison Park but it was mid-table Everton, without a win over their local rivals since 2010, who came closest to taking the points.
PULISIC RALLIES CHELSEA
Chelsea boosted their hopes of securing Champions League football next season as secondhalf goals from Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud secured a 2-1 comeback win at relegation-threatened Aston Villa.
The result left Chelsea fourth on 51 points from 30 games, five ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United, while Villa’s hopes of avoiding the drop were dented as they stayed secondbottom on 26 points, one point adrift of the safety zone.
Substitute Pulisic equalized on the hour and Giroud netted the winner two minutes later after defender Kortney Hause had fired the home team ahead against the run of play in the 43rd minute with his first Premier League goal.
JOELINTON ENDS DROUGHT
Record signing Joelinton scored his first Premier League goal since August as Newcastle United secured a convincing 3-0 win over 10-man Sheffield United.
The Brazilian striker found the net from close range to round off a dominant display for Newcastle, who were playing their first game since the Premier League restart.
Sheffield United did not create many opportunities at St James’ Park and were reduced to 10 men early in the second half when defender John Egan collected his second yellow card.
Egan, who was cautioned for clashing with Joelinton over an offside decision in the first half, brought down the Brazilian striker to receive his marching orders from referee David Coote.