LONDON: Diogo Jota rescued Liverpool as the Premier League leaders recovered from Andy Robertson’s early red card to snatch a 2-2 draw with Fulham, while Arsenal’s title challenge was dented by a goalless stalemate against Everton on Saturday.
With just four minutes left at Anfield, Arne Slot’s side were in danger of losing for just the second time in 15 top-flight games this season.
But Jota grabbed a valuable equalizer as Liverpool extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 19 matches since a loss to Nottingham Forest in September.
With last weekend’s Merseyside derby at Everton postponed by severe weather, Liverpool have now gone two league games without a win following their 3-3 draw at Newcastle.
The Reds sit five points clear of second-placed Chelsea, who can close the gap with a win against Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Liverpool were rocked in the 11th minute as Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira met Antonee Robinson’s cross with an agile volley that deflected in off Robertson.
The Reds suffered another blow when Scotland left-back Robertson was sent off in the 17th minute for a professional foul on Harry Wilson.
But Slot’s men have made a habit of coming from behind this season and Cody Gakpo equalized in the 47th minute with a stooping header from Mohamed Salah’s cross.
The Dutch forward’s ninth goal in all competitions this season was the prelude to a period of sustained Liverpool pressure.
But Fulham forward Rodrigo Muniz delivered a sucker punch as he bundled over the line from Robinson’s cross in the 76th minute.
That set the stage for a dramatic finale as Jota levelled in the 86th minute with a cool finish past Bernd Leno from the edge of the area.
Arsenal failed to take advantage of Liverpool’s rare stumble as the Gunners were kept at bay on a frustrating afternoon at the Emirates Stadium.
The north Londoners have become a force from set-pieces, scoring 23 goals from corners since the start of last season.
But their lack of firepower outside of that route has been questioned this season and once again they were hampered by a failure to turn pressure and possession into goals.
After a second successive league draw, third-placed Arsenal remain six points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand on last season’s runners-up.
Newcastle handed Ruud van Nistelrooy his first defeat as Leicester boss with a 4-0 rout at St. James’ Park.
Former Manchester United striker Nistelrooy had taken four points from his first two games since replacing the sacked Steve Cooper.
But Newcastle ended that encouraging start as Jacob Murphy drilled a clinical finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the area in the 30th minute.
Bruno Guimaraes nodded in Newcastle’s second goal in the 47th minute after Lewis Hall headed Anthony Gordon’s free-kick toward the Brazilian.
Alexander Isak bagged the Magpies’ third two minutes later with a close-range finish and Murphy struck again on the hour to leave Leicester two points above the relegation zone.
Jack Taylor’s stoppage-time goal gave Ipswich a priceless 2-1 win over relegation rivals Wolves at Molineux.
Kieran McKenna’s team went ahead through Matt Doherty’s 15th minute own goal after Wolves made a hash of clearing Liam Delap’s cross.
Just as Wolves fans were calling for chairman Jeff Shi and owners Fosun to sell the club, Matheus Cunha grabbed a 72nd minute equalizer as his shot beat Arijanet Muric’s weak attempted save.
But Taylor headed home from a 94th minute corner to seal Ipswich’s second league win since their promotion to the top tier.
Third-bottom Ipswich are just one point adrift of safety, while second-bottom Wolves are three points behind them after an 11th loss in 16 league games piled further pressure on boss Gary O’Neil.
Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa in a battle of top four contenders in Saturday’s late game.
Jota rescues 10-man Liverpool in Fulham draw, Arsenal frustrated
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Jota rescues 10-man Liverpool in Fulham draw, Arsenal frustrated
- With just four minutes left at Anfield, Arne Slot’s side were in danger of losing for just the second time in 15 top-flight games this season
- Jota grabbed a valuable equalizer as Liverpool extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 19 matches
Middle East war puts Asian Football Confederation in a tricky situation
- Asian football has long been structured around regions, with competitions split between East and West
- With conflict in the Middle East escalating on Feb. 28, the AFC was forced into emergency mode as the knockout stages of its club competitions approach
DAMMAM: Football in Asia has never been an easy task to manage. Long flights, numerous time zones, conflicting calendars, vastly different football cultures and — perhaps more than any other confederation in the world — politics.
While the war in the Middle East falls under the AFC’s umbrella, its direct effects have so far been limited to the clubs in West Asia. Asian football has long been structured around regions, with competitions split between East and West, although for a period, the second-tier AFC Cup operated in five separate regions.
As a result, AFC club competitions in East Asia continued uninterrupted in the first week of March. A crowd of 31,225 watched Johor Darul Ta’zim’s historic 3-1 victory over Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the AFC Champions League Elite round of 16. Bangkok United defeated Tampines Rovers in the AFC Champions League Two quarter-final, and an all-Cambodian clash between Phnom Penh Crown and PKR Svay Rieng in the AFC Challenge League ended in a 4-1 victory for the visitors.
The situation in West Asia, however, is vastly different.
With the conflict in the Middle East escalating on Feb. 28, the AFC was forced into emergency mode as the knockout stages of its club competitions approach.
Within 24 hours, the confederation announced that all first-leg matches involving West Asian clubs in AFC competitions would be rescheduled until further notice. The same decision was taken for the second-leg matches fixtures just 48 hours later.
Domestic football has also been heavily disrupted. Leagues in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon have been postponed indefinitely, with matches continuing behind closed doors in Jordan.
Leagues in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq and Syria continue to operate, but flights in the region are limited.
With the season already compressed by the FIFA Arab Cup, FIFA Intercontinental playoffs and the upcoming FIFA World Cup, member associations throughout the Middle East now find themselves scrambling alongside the AFC to solve a problem that ultimately lies outside their control.
Another issue looms on the horizon. The AFC Champions League final stage will be hosted in Saudi Arabia next month for the second year in a row. While football has not halted in the Kingdom and the security situation is stable, it remains to be seen whether East Asian clubs will be willing to travel if the conflict continues.
What is the real solution, fans ask?
One proposal that has been circulated is to centralize the knockout rounds from the Round of 16 stage instead of the quarter-finals. That option, however, presents its own challenges. East Asian clubs have already begun their journey in the round of 16, and the idea of centralized hosting has historically not been popular across the continent.
When Saudi Arabia and Qatar were selected to host the AFC World Cup Qualifiers fourth round last year, the decision sparked backlash from Indonesia, Iraq, Oman and the UAE. More recently, journalist Ali Al-Marshoud claimed on Saudi sports program “In the 90” that the UAE’s Al-Wasl rejected a proposal for their AFC Champions League Two quarter-final against Al-Nassr as a single-leg match in Jeddah.
The AFC therefore finds itself in a difficult position. It cannot control regional geopolitics, nor can it influence government policies. At the same time, there is no guarantee that East Asian clubs will travel to the region, or that West Asian clubs will agree to surrender their right to play matches at home.
The conflict has also begun to affect international football.
With the FIFA World Cup intercontinental playoffs scheduled for later this month and Iraq facing a crucial qualifier in Mexico on March 31, uncertainty continues to grow.
In a statement released by the Iraqi Football Association, officials confirmed they were in constant contact with FIFA and the AFC regarding potential travel complications.
Head coach Graham Arnold is currently unable to leave the UAE, while several players and staff have struggled to obtain visas to Mexico due to embassy closures. All the while flights through Iraqi airspace have been suspended.
Political complications are not new to Asian football. For years, Saudi and Iranian clubs played each other at neutral grounds. Conflicts in Syria, Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon also forced the AFC to adopt special arrangements at various times. And of course, the COVID-19 pandemic, which fundamentally reshaped the state of football in Asia.
Yet the current situation presents a different scale of challenge.
For the first time in modern history, the AFC must navigate a regional conflict that touches nearly every part of the confederation. With the season entering its decisive stages and the largest World Cup in history approaching, solutions must be found quickly, or Asian football risks a crisis that could reshape the continental game.
