LONDON: Chelsea handed London rivals Arsenal a welcome boost in the Premier League title race as Enzo Fernandez struck a stoppage-time equalizer that prevented Manchester City closing the gap at the top to four points on Sunday.
City led through a Tijjani Reijnders goal in the first half and it looked like being enough for them to cut into Arsenal’s lead at the summit, but Fernandez pounced to give Chelsea a worthy 1-1 draw, three days after the club sacked coach Enzo Maresca.
Fernandez’s goal at a freezing Etihad Stadium means Arsenal end a packed festive program with a six-point lead. They have 48 points from 20 games with City and Aston Villa on 42.
On a day of draws, Liverpool stretched their unbeaten Premier League run to eight games but were left to rue conceding yet another late goal as they drew 2-2 at Fulham.
Cody Gakpo thought he had won it for Liverpool in the fourth minute of stoppage time but Harrison Reed’s 30-meter rocket in the 97th minute earned Fulham a deserved share of the spoils.
The result left the reigning champions fourth with 34 points, three ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea and Manchester United who were grateful for a Matheus Cunha equalizer to secure a 1-1 draw at Leeds United.
Pep Guardiola’s City had ramped up the pressure on Arsenal with a six-game winning run and were within touching distance heading into Christmas, but they have failed to take the momentum into the new year with back-to-back draws away against Sunderland and now at home to Chelsea.
“It’s frustrating of course but at the end it is what it is,” City midfielder Rodri, whose return to action after injury is some comfort for Pep Guardiola, said.
“We created enough chances to win the game three or four nil, but this is football.”
LIVERPOOL CONCEDE LATE AGAIN
Liverpool’s hopes of retaining the title are all but over, and their worrying knack of conceding late goals could threaten their top-four aspirations.
They trailed to Harry Wilson’s 17th-minute effort at Craven Cottage but Florian Wirtz’s second goal in three games after a barren start to his Liverpool career levelled it up.
Gakpo seemed to have snatched it for Arne Slot’s side but Liverpool were left stunned by Reed’s screamer.
Liverpool conceded late winners at Crystal Palace and Chelsea in back-to-back league games in October and an added-time equalizer at Leeds United last month and Slot said it was now less of a shock to him.
“Unfortunately I’m experiencing this for months now,” he said.
Ruben Amorim’s United side have lost only two of their last 14 league games, but too many of them have been draws against teams they would be expected to beat.
After Tuesday’s humiliating home draw with bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers, they wasted another opportunity at Leeds and it could have been worse as they trailed to a goal by Brenden Aaronson.
Cunha’s equalizer, only the Brazilian’s fourth goal since his 62.5 million pounds ($84.14 million) move from Wolves, ensured United got something from the feisty fixture but it did not improve the mood of Amorim whose future remains a subject for debate.
“I just want to say that I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach,” the Portuguese said in his post-match press conference.
“And every department — the scouting department, the sports director — needs to do their job. I will do mine for 18 months and then we move on.”
THIAGO HAT-TRICK
Brentford’s Brazilian striker Igor Thiago has seen his goal tally dry up after a superb start to the season, not scoring since November, but he returned to form with a hat-trick in his side’s 4-2 win at Everton.
Thiago opened the scoring in the 11th minute and struck again after Nathan Collins made it 2-0 soon after halftime.
Beto replied for Everton before Thiago grabbed his third goal to seal the points as Brentford moved into seventh place with 30 points after a five-game unbeaten league run.
“Strikers live and breathe (goals) and get a lot of confidence from it,” Brentford manager Keith Andrews said of Thiago, who now has 14 Premier League goals this season.
“His performance today was sensational.”
Tottenham Hotspur’s woeful home form continued in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland that increases the pressure on manager Thomas Frank. Ben Davies’s close-range effort looked as though it might give Spurs only their third home league win of the season but Brian Brobbey powered home an 80th-minute equalizer.
Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes paved the way for a 2-0 home win against Crystal Palace that took Eddie Howe’s stuttering side into the top half of the table.
He broke the deadlock with a 71st-minute header and Malick Thiaw wrapped it up for the hosts from close range.
Premier League action continues with a full midweek program including Arsenal at home to Liverpool on Thursday and Manchester City hosting Brighton on Wednesday.
