Leicester gratitude in order for Liverpool effort
Unlikely front-runners stand to benefit from draw between Reds and second-place Spurs
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND— On a day Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea swept to 4-0 victories in the English Premier League, Leicester was the biggest winner of them all.
Leicester, the unlikely league leader, doesn’t play until Sunday but was given a boost in its remarkable title challenge when second-place Tottenham was held to a 1-1 draw at Liverpool.
Leicester can move seven points clear with six games left by beating Southampton at home.
“We need to believe. Leicester deserve to be in the place they are but in football anything can happen,” said Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, who will be hoping for a favour by Southampton — his former team — at King Power Stadium.
Harry Kane’s 63rd-minute equalizer earned Spurs a point and gave him 22 league goals for the season — something never previously achieved in the league by a Tottenham player.
Twenty-seven goals were scored over eight games, on a day England’s major powers flexed their muscles.
Alexis Sanchez and Alex Iwobi assisted each other for first-half goals to set Arsenal on its way to a victory against Watford that cemented third place. Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott grabbed the other goals.
Iwobi took most of the plaudits, with the19-year-old Nigerian scoring for the second straight game and proving why he is being selected ahead of Walcott.
“I am pleased with AlexIwobi’s talent,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, “but even more with his attitude and his willingness to learn.”
Man City has struggled away from home this season but was a comfortable winner at Bournemouth, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring on his re- turn to the team after a two-month injury layoff, and Sergio Aguero heading in his 22nd goal of the season. City was 3-0 up after19 minutes, and Aleksandr Kolarov added a late fourth.
Fourth-place City moved three points ahead of West Ham, which drew with Crystal Palace 2-2 after conceding a 75th-minute equalizer soon after going down to 10 men following Cheikhou Kouyate’s sendingoff. Dwight Gayle, the player fouled by Kouyate, scored the equalizer at Upton Park.
Manchester United can leapfrog West Ham into sixth by beating Everton on Sunday.
At the bottom, Newcastle slipped six points adrift of safety after conceding an injury-time goal to lose at relegation rival Norwich 3-2.
“We have seven games to play and we have to start winning as soon as possible,” said Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez, still without a victory in three games in charge.
Chelsea thrashed last-place Aston Villa 4-0, with Alexandre Pato scoring on his debut after coming on as a substitute. Ruben Loftus-Cheek opened the scoring and Pedro Rodriguez scored the other goals, leaving Villa 15 points from safety with six games left.