PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW
ERLING Haaland scored four goals – including a first-half hattrick – as champions Manchester City crushed Wolves 5-1 to retain control of the Premier League title race.
Haaland struck twice from the penalty spot in the first half, either side of a towering header, before adding a fourth with a stunning strike.
Substitute Julian Alvarez also got on the scoresheet, while Wolves’ consolation came from Hwang Hee-chan.
The victory lifted City, chasing an unprecedented fourth successive league crown, back within a point of Arsenal with a game in hand.
Arsenal had kept the pressure on with a 3-0 win against Bournemouth.
Bukayo Saka put the Gunners in front just before half-time with a penalty after Kai Havertz had been fouled by goalkeeper Mark Travers.
Leandro Trossard doubled their lead in the second half and Declan Rice wrapped up victory deep into stoppage time with low finish from a tight angle.
Liverpool beat Tottenham 4-2. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring with Andrew Robertson doubling the advantage. Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott stretched the lead further before Spurs hit back late on with goals by Richarlison and Son Heung-min.
Aston Villa’s quest for Champions League qualification suffered a setback after Joao Pedro ended Brighton’s six-match Premier League winless run with a dramatic 87th-minute winner.
Villa, who are juggling their topflight commitments with a run to the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, laboured for large parts of a tight encounter and were beaten 1-0 after Pedro headed home the rebound when his late penalty was saved by Robin Olsen.
Chelsea boosted their hopes of European football with a 5-0 thrashing of West Ham.
Chelsea were three up at the break. First, Cole Palmer steered a loose ball into the corner, then Conor Gallagher volleyed home. Noni Madueke headed the third before Nicolas Jackson bagged a brace after the interval.
Burnley’s slim hopes of survival were dealt a huge blow after being hammered 4-1 by Newcastle at Turf Moor.
Callum Wilson fired Newcastle ahead before two goals in five minutes just before the break from Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes gave them a commanding lead.
Newcastle were awarded a penalty in the second half and although his spot-kick was saved by Arijanet Muric, Alexander Isak soon scored his 20th league goal before Burnley earned a consolation in the final stages through Dara O’shea’s header.
Defeat nudged Burnley closer to relegation after Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win at Sheffield United left them five points from safety with two games to play.
The Blades took the lead through Ben Brereton Diaz’s penalty but Callum Hudson-odoi equalised 10 minutes later.
Forest went ahead when Ryan Yates fired in and Hudson-odoi struck again as Forest moved three points clear of 18th-placed Luton with two games left.
Brentford and Fulham drew 0-0.