Liverpool on Tuesday climbed to the top of the English Premier League as Darwin Nunez ended his goal drought to inspire a 2-0 win against Burnley, while Rasmus Hojlund broke his own barren run to cap Manchester United’s thrilling fightback to beat Aston Villa 3-2.
Manager Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool took an early lead through Nunez at Turf Moor and held on despite wasting a host of chances.
Nunez’s eighth goal this season was his first in 12 games since he netted against AFC Bournemouth in the EFL Cup on Nov. 1.
Photo: AFP
Diogo Jota, back from a month’s injury absence, wrapped up the victory late on to leave Liverpool two points above second-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
Arsenal can regain top spot with a victory at home to West Ham United today.
After successive draws with Manchester United and Arsenal before Christmas, this was an essential victory for Liverpool’s title ambitions.
On Liverpool being in pole position, Klopp said: “That’s nice. It will probably change, and that’s no problem. It was not perfect, but we are where we are.”
At Old Trafford, United were in danger of another damaging defeat when goals from John McGinn and Leander Dendoncker put Villa in control by halftime.
Manager Erik ten Hag’s team were booed off at the interval, but they staged a much-needed revival, sparked by Alejandro Garnacho scoring their first goal in seven hours and 20 minutes.
Garnacho struck again to equalize before Hojlund finally scored his first Premier League goal, in his 15th appearance, with eight minutes left.
Hojlund’s cathartic strike ended Manchester United’s four-match winless run in all competitions and lifted them to sixth in the Premier League.
“At halftime I said to the team: ‘Keep believing.’ The atmosphere changed a lot from the first half to the second. If we play our best we can beat anyone,” Ten Hag said.
United’s victory came in front of INEOS director of sport Dave Brailsford, who was in the directors box in the first sign of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement after buying a 25 percent stake in the club on Christmas Eve.
Two games without a win have dented Villa’s unexpected title challenge. Manager Unai Emery’s men remain third, three points behind Liverpool after their first defeat in 11 matches in all competitions.
Chris Wood’s hat-trick against his old club Newcastle United gave Nuno Espirito Santo his first victory as Nottingham Forest manager, a 3-1 success at St James’ Park.
Wood left Newcastle to join Forest in June, but had scored only four times for his new club.
Alexander Isak’s first-half penalty put Newcastle ahead before New Zealand striker Wood equalized late in the first half.
Wood struck twice more in the second half to hand former Tottenham Hotspur manager Nuno his maiden victory with Forest in his second game in charge after replacing the sacked Steve Cooper.
It was Forest’s first win in eight games, and only their second success in their past 15 matches.
Luton Town manager Rob Edwards said South Yorkshire Police are investigating an alleged racist comment toward Carlton Morris in his side’s 3-2 win at fellow strugglers Sheffield United.
Morris complained of a comment made from a Sheffield United fan late in the second half, which left him “pretty angry,” and the police have spoken to him.
“There was an alleged racist comment, the police are dealing with that, they have spoken to Carlton and got his take on it,” Edwards said.
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