Liverpool on Wednesday wasted a chance to take complete control of the Premier League title race as Leicester City earned a 1-1 draw against the leaders, while Chelsea’s bid for a top-four finish was rocked by a humiliating 4-0 thrashing at AFC Bournemouth.
After second-placed Manchester City lost at Newcastle United on Tuesday, Juergen Klopp’s side would have moved seven points clear at the top with a win over Leicester.
However, Liverpool, chasing a first English title since 1990, had to settle for a frustrating draw that left them five points ahead of champions City.
In the third minute, Senegal winger Sadio Mane wriggled through the Leicester defense and slotted a clinical finish into the far corner for his 11th goal of the season.
However, Liverpool quickly lost their rhythm and Leicester defender Harry Maguire punished sloppy marking from Virgil van Dijk to meet Ben Chilwell’s header with a close-range finish on the stroke of halftime.
It took a superb save by Alisson Becker to stop Roberto Firmino from scoring an own-goal as Liverpool were forced to settle for a point that gave City fresh hope.
At Dean Court, Chelsea suffered a second successive defeat that left their bid to qualify for the UEFA Champions League under severe threat.
Not for the first time this season, Maurizio Sarri’s team lacked a cutting edge, even with Gonzalo Higuain making his Premier League debut following a loan from Juventus.
Bournemouth made them pay in the 47th minute when Josh King converted a David Brooks pass.
Brooks added to Sarri’s woes in the 63rd minute, when the Bournemouth winger eased past a flat-footed David Luiz to lash in the second goal.
The misery was not over for Chelsea, who conceded again in the 75th minute when King struck, before Charlie Daniels netted in stoppage-time to condemn the west Londoners to their heaviest league loss in more than two decades.
Tottenham Hotspur staged a late comeback to close the gap on Manchester City to two points with a 2-1 win over Watford.
After a miserable week that saw Tottenham knocked out of the FA and EFL cups, Mauricio Pochettino’s third-placed side lifted the gloom at Wembley.
Watford took the lead in the 38th minute after the latest mistake from error-prone goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
However, Son Heung-min was back in the Tottenham side for the first time since Jan. 13. He spared Tottenham further indignity as he pounced to drive in the 80th-minute equalizer.
Fernando Llorente completed the turnaround when he headed the 87th-minute winner from a Danny Rose cross.
Southampton rescued a crucial 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace.
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