Late goals stall City’s title drive, revive Reds’ top-four bid
One stoppage-time goal slowed Manchester City’s march to the Premier League title. Another ignited Liverpool’s push for the Champions League qualification positions.
A day of dramatic finishes in England’s top flight began with City losing 2-1 to 10-man Leeds, whose winning goal — scored by Stuart Dallas for his second of the match — came from a breakaway in the first minute of added-on time.
City’s fourth league defeat of the season should only delay the inevitable as they close in on regaining the title. Pep Guardiola’s team lead by 14 points with six matches remaining, though secondplaced Manchester United had played two fewer games going into their visit to Tottenham overnight.
Leeds played the second half against City with 10 men after the sending-off of centre back Liam Cooper for a tackle on Gabriel Jesus that saw him get the ball but follow through, with his studs showing, into the Brazilian striker’s leg.
The red card turned what had been an end-to-end game into one resembling a training-ground exercise of attack v defence, with Leeds bidding to protect a 42ndminute lead earned by Dallas after a mistake by Joao Cancelo.
Leeds, one of the Premier League’s flair teams, demonstrated unlikely resilience to hold off City until Ferran Torres’ goal in the 76th minute, but Dallas had the final say. He ran on to a pass from Ezgjan Alioski, pierced the centre of City’s defence and slid a low shot past Ederson.
City’s dominance showed in the stats — Pep Guardiola’s team had 29 shots to Leeds’ two — but that didn’t translate into one of the four wins needed to regain the league trophy.
Liverpool were heading for another disappointing result at home when right back Trent AlexanderArnold curled a stunning effort into the corner, also in the first minute of stoppage time, to secure a 2-1 win against Aston Villa.
Alexander-Arnold is playing with a point to prove after his recent axing by England. A week after his brilliant cross set up Liverpool’s opening goal in a win at Arsenal, the right back scored a crucial goal for the Reds — in front of England coach Gareth Southgate, who was at Anfield to watch the game.
“He has to challenge himself, but not because of the national team, but because as a young player, he has to challenge himself,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said.
“To be in the squad of England, you have to play outstandingly good football. Trent did this very often from a very young age.”
Liverpool rallied from conceding the opening goal in the 43rd minute to Ollie Watkins, who scored a hattrick in Villa’s 7-2 win over Klopp’s team in October. Mohamed Salah equalised in the 57th with his 19th goal of the league campaign, tying him in first place with Harry Kane in the Golden Boot standings.
Liverpool, who had lost their last six league games at Anfield, moved into fifth and stayed two points behind Chelsea, who jumped to fourth after a 4-1 win at Crystal Palace.
Christian Pulisic netted twice, and Kai Havertz and Kurt Zouma were the other scorers for Chelsea, who are two points behind Leicester and two ahead of Liverpool and West Ham.