Liverpool have hit form at the right time ahead of a season-defining month with a first trophy possible under new manager Juergen Klopp, midfielder James Milner has said.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Tuesday
Such is the level of consistency of Manchester City (nine straight wins) and Liverpool (five straight victories), that it can be easy to lose sight of just how good this title race is.
Christian Benteke's last-gasp penalty completed 10-man Liverpool's fightback against Crystal Palace to keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish. Substitute Benteke went down after a faint challenge by Damien Delaney deep in stoppage time and coolly slotted home to add to Robert Firmino's equaliser on 72 minutes. James Milner's dismissal for a second yellow card on 62 minutes put Liverpool on the back foot, but Firmino took advantage of a scuffed clearance from Palace goalkeeper Alex McCarthy to cancel out Joe Ledley's low drive just after the break. "First half we started OK but forgot to shoot on the goal. But what we did in the end was brilliant," Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told Sky Sports. "I feel sorry for Palace but I have just seen the replay (of the penalty decision) in the dressing room and it was a clear penalty. If there was no contact, Benteke would have been in a great position to shoot."
Rewind five years and Liverpool hosted Chelsea with three games remaining, knowing victory would have left them six points clear and a first league title since 1990 almost secure.
Chelsea to host Burnley in Premier League season ope
Premier League clubs West Bromwich Albion and Watford were knocked out in the League Cup second round by lower-league opponents on Tuesday as a strong Liverpool side crushed championship Burton Albion 5-0.
Daniel Sturridge's return from injury to the starting line-up is a massive bonus and will bring the 'fear factor' back to Liverpool, captain Jordan Henderson has said.
Borussia Dortmund playmaker Ilkay Guendogan, who was set to leave the German club this summer, could stay on under new coach Thomas Tuchel, his agent said on Tuesday.
Following is reaction to the sacking of Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who was dismissed by the Premier League club on Tuesday.
A summary of Saturday's matches in the English Premier League.
Inter, Liverpool sweating on last-16 spots
Barcelona will meet Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals following the draw on Friday while Manchester City face Tottenham Hotspur in an all-Premier League clash.
Schalke 04 beat rivals Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Bundesliga Ruhr valley derby on Saturday to confirm their improving form after a bad start to the season.
Liverpool took the lead against West Ham United but then had to come from behind in another game of thrills and spills for Juergen Klopp's unpredictable side who where held to a 2-2 home draw in the Premier League on Sunday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Champions Leicester City will begin their Premier League title defence with a trip to newly promoted Hull City on August 13, according to the 2016-17 fixtures released on Wednesday.
Here are five talking points from the final weekend of the Premier League season:
Whatever happens in the title battle between Manchester City and Liverpool, which will go down to the final day of the season
Sergio Aguero's hat-trick led Manchester City to a 3-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday and back into second place in the English Premier League, two points behind leaders Liverpool.
'We have to be hard in the tackles, we have to try to dominate the game and score the goals when we create chances. We will see what happens'
He increasingly looks like a manager unable to cope with the modern tactical realities of football. His display of a fear of failure has been appalling to watch. But Mourinho getting the sack at this juncture will hardly solve the problem, says Dhruv Munjal.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is readying his squad for a final tilt at the Premier League title, aware that he can ask his players to remain focused on one game at a time when a bulk of them return from the international break.
A last-minute own goal gave Liverpool a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur to keep them top of the Premier League but Manchester City stayed two points behind having won at Fulham. Huddersfield Town were relegated after their defeat by Crystal Palace.
Roberto Firmino struck a stoppage-time winner as Liverpool beat Paris St Germain 3-2 at Anfield on Tuesday after Kylian Mbappe looked to have secured a point for the French side in a compelling Champions League Group C clash.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
An impudent individual goal from Philippe Coutinho steered Liverpool comfortably into the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday after a 1-1 draw at bitter rivals Manchester United completed a 3-1 aggregate win.
Liverpool finished 2016 second in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over third-placed Manchester City on Saturday.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain became the second England international to leave Arsenal in two days when he joined Premier League rivals Liverpool for a reported 40 million pounds on Thursday.
Borussia Dortmund fans will be offered tea and pies at Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday but there will be no such generosity on the pitch with the Russians intent on reaching their first Champions League quarter-final.
'I think they're in a big fight now'
United beat Leicester City at Old Trafford in the opening game of the season but Spurs present a very different quality of opponent.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Liverpool survived a late spell of Everton pressure to stretch their record unbeaten run in Merseyside derbies to 17 games
IMAGES from the Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur brutally exposed Liverpool's defensive frailties as Harry Kane plundered two more goals in his side's 4-1 romp at Wembley on Sunday.
City are looking to retain the title they won in record-breaking fashion last year and secure their fourth Premier League crown in eight years.
Riyad Mahrez scored one and set up another as Leicester City strolled to a 3-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Monday.
The English Premier League boasts some of the top managers in the game but to see the best players in the world you have to watch Spanish soccer, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu said.
