Liverpool and Arsenal kept up their race for the English Premier League title with victories over relegation-threatened opposition on Saturday, but the charge of third-placed Nottingham Forest’s faltered as they were hammered 5-0 by surging Bournemouth.
Liverpool cruised to a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town while Arsenal overcame the loss of defender Myles Lewis-Skelly to a harsh straight red card to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0.
Six points clear of the Gunners on 53 points, Liverpool came roaring out of the traps at Anfield with Cody Gakpo scoring one goal and creating another for Mohamed Salah to send his side in 3-0 up at the break.
Photo: Reuters
Gakpo netted a second in the 66th minute as Ipswich wilted, and though they managed to pull a late goal back through Jacob Greaves, the Reds held on for a convincing victory.
“Everyone is in good form, but we have to keep going,” Gakpo told the BBC, quickly putting aside an excellent performance that added three more points to their total.
Arsenal had to work a lot harder for their victory after Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the first half of their clash with Wolves, but substitute Riccardo Calafiori grabbed the winner with a superb half-volley in the 74th minute.
Photo: Reuters
“It was clearly not a red card. I saw him [Lewis-Skelly] at halftime, and he was so disappointed for the team, but in the end, we won, so nothing happened,” Calafiori told Sky Sports.
Nottingham Forest had won plenty of plaudits during their recent eight-game unbeaten run in the league, but it came to a shuddering halt away to Bournemouth as Dango Ouattara grabbed a hat trick en route to a 5-0 win for Andoni Iraola’s side.
Bournemouth’s 11-game unbeaten run has seen them rise to seventh in the table on 40 points, four behind Forest.
Photo: Reuters
“It’s always difficult when you are in the Premier League, you are facing the best teams in the country. The players are giving everything, and they are getting good results,” Iraola told the BBC.
“There will be a moment when we do not do this, [but] I think the supporters understand this and they enjoy not only when we win, but all they ask is we give everything, and that’s what we try to do,” he added.
Manchester City conceded an early goal to Chelsea, but came back to beat the Londoners 3-1 to move to fourth place in the table on 41 points, three behind Forest.
Defender Josko Gvardiol leveled for the home side before the break, with Erling Haaland scoring midway through the second half and then creating a goal for Phil Foden to wrap up the victory in Saturday’s late kick-off.
“I think it was overall a great performance, even though we started horrific. It was a fantastic team performance, and I am really happy,” Haaland said.
Newcastle United, beaten 4-1 by Bournemouth last week, bounced back with a 3-1 win at Southampton, with Swedish striker Alexander Isak netting two first-half goals for the visitors after Jan Bednarek gave the Saints the lead in the 10th minute.
Southampton remain bottom of the table on six points. They are eight points behind 19th placed Leicester City. Ipswich are 18th with 16 points, behind Wolves on goal difference.
New Everton manager David Moyes celebrated his 700th Premier League game as a manager by steering his side to a 1-0 victory away to Brighton & Hove Albion, putting some daylight between his side and the rest of the relegation candidates as they moved up to 16th spot on 23 points.
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