The Premier League title race actually is again on. And it is all due to Harry Kane.
The striker Manchester City needed to signal within the offseason final yr consigned the leaders to their first league loss in almost 4 months by scoring twice for Tottenham in a dramatic 3-2 win on Saturday.
His second — the profitable purpose — got here within the fifth minute of stoppage time. Kane celebrating scoring targets at Etihad Stadium was one thing City followers thought they’d take pleasure in seeing this season.
They weren’t this time.
By Wednesday, City might discover its lead over Liverpool down to simply three factors.
Liverpool trimmed the hole to 6 on Saturday courtesy of a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Norwich and can be at residence to Leeds in 4 days’ time.
And Liverpool nonetheless has to go to City, in April.
Tottenham accomplished an inconceivable double over City, having crushed the champions 1-0 within the opening spherical, and the London group continues to trigger City ache.
It was Spurs, in any case, who eradicated City from the Champions League three seasons in the past following an much more dramatic recreation within the quarterfinal second legs, and in addition beat Pep Guardiola’s group final season.
City appeared to have executed sufficient to earn some extent when Riyad Mahrez transformed a penalty within the second minute of stoppage time, canceling out Kane’s first purpose. Earlier, Dejan Kulusevski scored within the fourth minute earlier than Ilkay Gundogan’s equalizer.
Kulusevski was the supplier for Kane’s winner, the England striker directing his header into the nook to cap an excellent all-round efficiency that noticed him trigger City’s protection all kinds of issues, primarily by dropping deep and slipping balls by way of.
Liverpool thump Norwich
Having two forwards injured would have been a significant downside for Liverpool not so way back.
Now, it merely relieves supervisor Jürgen Klopp of a variety dilemma.
With Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino unavailable, Klopp was nonetheless capable of choose a strikeforce of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and thrilling January signing Luis Diaz, and scored all three within the comeback win over Norwich.
It was laborious to decide on one of the best purpose, too.
Mane’s was an overhead kick to equalize within the sixty fourth and Salah’s go-ahead purpose three minutes later got here after he introduced down an extended clearance by goalkeeper Alisson, tricked his well past outrushing Norwich ‘keeper Angus Gunn earlier than sliding residence a end. Diaz added a deft third within the 81st by working onto Jordan Henderson’s by way of ball and clipping the ball over Gunn.
Battling Chelsea
Chelsea performed its first league recreation in almost a month — and because the newly topped world champions of membership soccer.
And supervisor Thomas Tuchel stated his gamers have been nonetheless feeling the consequences of their exertions finally week’s Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi within the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, secured by Hakim Ziyech’s 89th-minute volley.
“It was not the time to over-expect something from us,” Tuchel stated.
“We got here from the place we got here, performed 120 minutes within the FA Cup (on February 5), 120 minutes within the Club World Cup (within the closing towards Palmeiras) in 30C (30 levels Celsius) temperature distinction, we had jet lag towards an excellent opponent, a troublesome group to play.”
Arsenal beat Brentford
Christian Eriksen nonetheless wasn’t able to play for Brentford for its match at Arsenal. The group might have executed with him.
Arsenal eased to a 2-1 win at Emirates Stadium because of purpose by Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, with Brentford’s comfort coming from just about the final kick of the sport from Christian Norgaard.
Brentford is winless in seven video games and dropped to inside six factors of the relegation zone. Eriksen, who’s near a return to aggressive motion for the primary time since collapsing throughout final yr’s European Championship after struggling cardiac arrest, can’t be out there quickly sufficient.
Arsenal moved some extent behind fourth-place Manchester United.
Relegation combat
The relegation combat is heating up.
Norwich’s loss ended up sending the group to the underside of the standings due to uncommon wins for Burnley, simply its second of the season, and Watford, its first in three months in all competitions.
Burnley received 3-0 at Brighton to lastly transfer out of final place, with January signing Wout Weghorst scoring his first purpose for the membership and establishing one other.
Watford ended its four-match scoring drought as Emmanuel Dennis’ 78th-minute header earned a 1-0 win at Aston Villa, which has received simply considered one of its final eight video games underneath Steven Gerrard.
With fourth-to-last Newcastle drawing 1-1 at West Ham and fifth-from-last Everton shedding 2-0 at Southampton, solely 5 factors separates the underside 5.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
