Manchester City now need, at most, 11 points from their remaining seven matches to secure their third Premier League title in four seasons.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Liverpool, inspired by two-goal Egyptian Mohamed Salah, took a big step towards the Champions League final with a 5-2 win over AS Roma in their semi-final, first leg at Anfield on Tuesday.
Knee injuries have sidelined him for large parts of this season, however, and the Belgium international has started only four Premier League games.
The 24-year-old limped off the pitch in the first 15 minutes of the match at Vicarage Road and was replaced by Adam Lallana but manager Juergen Klopp said that the Brazilian had not been badly injured.
Liverpool fielded a starting lineup consisting mainly of reserves and youth team players with an average age of 19.4, a club record.
Liverpool kept their push for a top-four finish in the Premier League on course as Emre Can thundered home a second-half winner to complete a hard-earned 2-1 comeback win over Burnley at a relieved Anfield on Sunday.
Mamadou Sakho faces an uncertain future at Liverpool after the defender was sent back to England from the Premier League club's pre-season tour of America. According to British media reports, manager Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with the 26-year-old's attitude during their stay in California and ordered his return to Liverpool.
The two-legged ties will be played from February 16.
Following is a match by match look at the English Premier League's weekend fixtures
Juergen Klopp has said his Liverpool team must be prepared to play ugly football to secure Champions League qualification following the injury to productive forward Sadio Mane ahead of Wednesday's Premier League clash against Bournemouth.
'In this spirit of camaraderie between professional and non-professional football, we have decided, as a team, to give up part of our Euro 2020 qualification prize money.'
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
However, one goal proved enough for City who picked up their sixth successive league win to move four points clear of Liverpool, who host Aston Villa later on Saturday, at the top of the standings.
Liverpool are on course to shatter the English Premier League's record points haul and the way Juergen Klopp's side are churning out wins it would now be a surprise if they failed to do so. With 19 wins and a draw they are averaging 2.90 points per game, putting them on course for 110 from 38 games which would also be a record for Europe's top five leagues.
European champions Liverpool made an emphatic start to the new Premier League season by scoring three times in the opening half an hour as they taught promoted Norwich City a harsh lesson with a 4-1 thrashing at Anfield on Friday.
Leaders Manchester City kept up their unbeaten run with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday. Manchester United salvaged a 2-2 draw at Southampton, who sacked manager Mark Hughes on Monday.
An 87th-minute header from defender Diego Llorente gave Leeds United a 1-1 home draw with Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday after the home side staged a protest against the breakaway Super League prior to the kickoff.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Liverpool's English Premier League title winning captain Jordan Henderson was named England's Footballer of the Year on Friday in the annual vote of the Football Writers' Association (FWA).
Twelve months ago Liverpool were ripping up the record books on the way to their first English top-flight title for 30 years but defeat by Everton on Saturday left them mulling a host of far less flattering statistics.
Paris St Germain buried the ghosts of their embarrassing 2017 exit as they drew 1-1 at home with Barcelona on Wednesday to complete a 5-2 aggregate victory that sent them into the Champions League quarter-finals.
Hazard extra-time goal sends 10-man Real Madrid through to Copa del Rey final.
Liverpool and Manchester United have warned fans that they will be removed from Anfield and could face criminal charges if found engaging in "offensive or discriminatory behaviour" in Monday's Premier League clash.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
The strip made a memorable debut in the 7-0 thrashing of Maribor in the Champions League group stage, marking Liverpool's biggest ever away win in European competition.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday night
Liverpool have found their identity under manager Juergen Klopp, who has transformed the Merseyside club into genuine Premier League title contenders this season, former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has said. Liverpool have won nine of their 12 games in all competitions this season and are third in the league behind leaders Manchester City only on goal difference. "He has done a really good job and revived Liverpool's enthusiasm," Ferguson, who won the league 13 times, told British media. "It can happen that big clubs lose it. For two decades, Liverpool changed managers without building their own identity.
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Wednesday
Salah's strikes brought him to a remarkable 43 goals in all competitions this season, keeping him at the front of the list of top scorers in Europe
Liverpool added on their website that the furloughed staff would continue to receive 100% of their salaries. Several English top-flight clubs, such as Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth and Newcastle United, have already put non-playing staff on furlough, with football's return in England contingent on medical guidance and government support.
Liverpool head to United with widest gulf in years
Liverpool surrendered a two-goal lead as they were held to a 2-2 draw by third-tier Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday after second-half substitute Jason Cummins struck twice to inject some much-needed late magic into the competition. Earlier, Harry Maguire's thunderbolt for Manchester United started a goal rush at Tranmere where the Reds scored five times before halftime. Diogo Dalot, Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood also scored.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday
A preview of the line-up action in the English Premier League.
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos risks being hit with an extra game suspension which would rule him out of a potential Champions League quarter-final first leg after admitting he got booked on purpose in Wednesday's 2-1 win at Ajax Amsterdam.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
A preview of the line-up action in the English Premier League.
'I think it's a bit clever from him to get the attention of the referee but I will just play my football like I'm always doing'
'I'm very excited to be here. I'm very happy'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances