Liverpool 4 [Szoboszlai 11, Salah 35, Gapko 44, 66] Ipswich Town 1 [Greaves 90]
Mohamed Salah scored his 100th Premier League goal for Liverpool at Anfield but it was the 4-1 victory over Ipswich which was more significant as Arne Slot’s side maintained their stranglehold at the top of the table.
Salah’s 19th league goal of the season and 176th ever in the competition, which puts him just one behind sixth-placed Frank Lampard (177) on the list of its all-time scorers, came in between strikes from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo as the visitors were clinically exposed in the first half.
Gakpo headed in a fourth just past the hour to afford Slot the luxury of resting the forward, fellow Dutchman Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai with 25 minutes remaining.
Ipswich, who have now lost eight of the last 11 league matches, did not manage a shot until the hour mark and got off lightly in some respects as had their hosts – for whom this was the first of six games in 18 days in four competitions – not eased off the intensity it could easily have been a repeat of last week’s humiliation at Manchester City.
After last week’s 6-0 walloping it was understandable 18th-placed Ipswich would be cautious against the league leaders but they often sat so deep they had all 11 players within 25 yards of their own goal.
Wolves 0 Arsenal 1 [Califiori 74)
Arsenal overcame the hugely controversial sending off of teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly to keep themselves in the title race after a 1-0 win at Wolves.
The 18-year-old Lewis-Skelly became the third youngest player to be dismissed in Premier League history when he was shown a straight red card by Michael Oliver in the first half for taking down Ireland international Matt Doherty in his own half.
But the Gunners overcame adversity to win the game through Riccardo Calafiori’s 74th-minute goal, four minutes after the hosts had also been reduced to 10 men when Joao Gomes was sent off.
Victory keeps Arsenal six points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand, and still clinging on to a title challenge.
For Wolves, who had chances to lead when they had a man advantage, it was a fourth defeat in a row and they remain out of the bottom three on goal difference alone.
Manchester City 3 [Gvardiol 42, Haaland 68, Foden 87] Chelsea 1 [Madueka 3]
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden spared the blushes of new team-mate Abdukodir Khusanov as Manchester City came from behind to beat Chelsea 3-1.
Khusanov, the €40 million Uzbekistan defender signed from Lens this week, made a nightmare start in the Premier League with an error that led to a Chelsea goal and a booking inside the opening four minutes.
Noni Madueke took full advantage of the mistake to put the visitors ahead at the Etihad Stadium but Josko Gvardiol equalised and the tried-and-trusted figures of Haaland and Foden settled the contest in the second half.
The win lifted City back above Chelsea into the top four and raised spirits after their midweek capitulation at Paris St Germain.
Bournemouth 5 [Kluivert 9, Ouattara 55, 61, 87, Semenyo 90+1] Nottingham Forest 0
Bournemouth comprehensively won the battle of the European gatecrashers as a hat-trick from Dango Ouattara and strikes from Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo demolished Nottingham Forest 5-0.
In-form Forest had won seven of their last eight matches to climb into in the Champions League places, but they were completely overpowered by Andoni Iraola’s free-flowing Cherries side.
When these sides fought out a 1-1 draw on the opening day of the season, few would have predicted both would be in the European shake-up – or, in Forest’s case, an outside bet for the title – by the end of January.
Forest can probably forget about catching leaders Liverpool now, fun though it was while it lasted.
But their fellow Premier League upstarts Bournemouth are now on the brink of joining them in the top four after registering a fifth win in six matches, while stretching their unbeaten record to 11, with a scintillating display.
Southampton 1 [Bednarek 10] Newcastle United 3 [Isak 26 pen, 30), Tonali 51]
Alexander Isak led an excellent attacking display by Newcastle as his two goals helped to beat Southampton 3-1 at St Mary’s to maintain their Champions League push.
Newcastle’s top scorer was on the scoresheet for the ninth game in 10 in the Premier League, but the division’s bottom side could have lost by more, with Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon outstanding for the visitors.
Saints’ position at the foot of the table looks increasingly hopeless, 10 points adrift and with now only 15 matches to try and avoid not only relegation but the ignominy of returning a record-low points tally.
Judging by the ease with which Newcastle ripped through them, nothing is guaranteed for Ivan Juric’s beleaguered side.
They briefly led here but Jan Bednarek’s 10th-minute header offered temporary and misplaced hope.
Isak quickly levelled from the penalty spot following Joe Aribo’s foul then was the beneficiary of a lovely pass from Jacob Murphy to give his team the lead at the break.
Tonali’s goal to make it 3-1 in the 51st minute was the pick of them. Newcastle also hit the post twice and had one cleared off the line, then Mateus Fernandes provided more painful false promise for home fans with a late effort belatedly ruled out by VAR.
Brighton 0 Everton 1 [Ndiaye 42 pen]
Iliman Ndiaye converted a disputed first-half penalty as Everton moved seven points clear of the Premier League relegation zone by beating Brighton 1-0.
Toffees boss David Moyes celebrated victory in his 700th top-flight match as a manager after Ndiaye capitalised when Seagulls defender Joel Veltman was punished for handball following VAR intervention.
Albion players and fans felt Veltman was fouled as he brushed the ball behind with his right hand while going to ground under pressure from Everton substitute Beto.
Referee Tim Robinson disagreed and the ninth-placed hosts were unable to find a way back into the contest, despite relentless second-half pressure.
Everton’s success secured only a second top-flight away victory in 22 games, stretching back to December 2023, to further ease relegation fears following last weekend’s win over Tottenham.
However, a positive afternoon at the Amex Stadium was tempered by the loss of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to an early injury.
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