Liverpool, Metropolis in Anfield stalemate as Hazard lifts Chelsea

LONDON: Manchester Metropolis’s report signing Riyad Mahrez missed an 86th minute penalty because the Premier League champions have been held to a 0-Zero draw at Liverpool on Sunday as each side failed to put down an early marker within the title race.

Substitute Leroy Sane was introduced down within the space by the lunging Virgil van Dijk however Algerian winger Mahrez blasted the spot kick excessive over the bar at Anfield.

Metropolis stay high of the desk on purpose distinction, however each side are actually locked with Chelsea, who have been 3-Zero winners earlier at Southampton, on 20 factors from eight video games, two forward of fourth-placed Arsenal, who’re degree on factors with north London rival Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool and Metropolis typically present open, expansive video games with objectives aplenty, however this assembly was a boring affair brief on aptitude and pleasure.

Liverpool, who stay unbeaten of their final 18 dwelling video games towards Metropolis, got here out roaring and dominated the opening 10 minutes however Pep Guardiola’s visiting aspect weathered that early storm and have been the extra harmful after the break.

Liverpool, Metropolis in Anfield stalemate as Hazard lifts Chelsea

Mahrez twice pressured good saves out of Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker however then failed to search out the goal from the pnelaty spot when it mattered most.

Eden Hazard was the inspiration as Chelsea cruised to victory at Southampton. The Belgium playmaker scored the primary and arrange the third for substitute Alvaro Morata, whereas in between Ross Barkley claimed his first Chelsea purpose.

“It’s too early to be fascinated with the title, we all know it’s robust to win,” stated Hazard. “However it’s good to be up there. We’re having fun with taking part in effectively and scoring objectives.”

Chelsea went forward on the half-hour when Barkley did effectively to win possession in midfield and arrange the unmarked Hazard to fireplace the ball previous Alex McCarthy for his seventh league purpose of the season.

Barkley then added the second purpose from tap-in vary after Olivier Giroud produced an acrobatic cross-shot following a free kick by Willian and Hazard performed in substitute Morata to seal the win in stoppage time.

In Sunday’s different sport, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang every netted twice as a resurgent Arsenal loved a sixth straight league victory with a 5-1 rout of Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Lacazette sparked Arsenal’s energy surge, along with his excellent second-half strike restoring their lead after Andre Schurrle had cancelled out his opener.

Aaron Ramsey’s audacious back-heeled purpose put Arsenal in full management to cap a surprising transfer earlier than Aubameyang netted twice within the closing stage.

“We labored very exhausting within the second half for this outcome,” Arsenal supervisor Unai Emery instructed reporters. “We should be the identical manner in our matches: calm, discovering our greatest efficiency and mixture of gamers.”

In Saturday’s late match, Manchester United produced a surprising fightback to alleviate a number of the stress on supervisor Jose Mourinho as they got here from two objectives all the way down to beat Newcastle United 3-2 and transfer as much as eighth place within the standings.

Following a newspaper report that he might be fired due to poor outcomes and frequent criticism of his gamers, Mourinho was an image of abject distress on the touchline as United went 2-Zero down towards Newcastle after solely 10 minutes at Outdated Trafford.

Kenedy gave Newcastle the lead with a sensible end earlier than Yoshinori Muto made it 2-Zero following poor United defending at a nook.

The hosts turned it round within the second half, although, Juan Mata sparking the comeback with a low, curling free kick within the 70th minute. Anthony Martial equalised six minutes later earlier than substitute Alexis Sanchez headed within the dramatic winner within the final minute of regular time.

Whereas Outdated Trafford was celebrating wildly and singing Mourinho’s title, the stress switched to Newcastle supervisor Rafa Benitez as his aspect remained winless within the league and second-bottom of the desk.

Mourinho was relieved however nonetheless irritated by weeks of criticism following United’s worst seven-game begin to a season for 29 years amid the breakdown of his relationship with star midfielder Paul Pogba and several other different key gamers.

“As a good friend of mine was saying to me this morning, if tomorrow it rains in London it’s my fault,” Mourinho stated. “If there [are] some difficulties with the agreements of Brexit, it’s my fault.

“I believe a whole lot of wickedness, and clear man-hunting, in soccer is an excessive amount of. It’s my life. It’s a life I like, and since I used to be a child I work for this.”