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LONDON, UK | Xinhua | Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes look to have ended on Saturday when it was held to a 2-2 draw away to West Ham in the London Stadium.
The result leaves Liverpool two points behind Manchester City, who has played two fewer games, and two points behind Arsenal, who has a game in hand ahead of its matches on Sunday.
Luis Diaz hit the woodwork for Liverpool in the first half, before Jarrod Bowen headed West Ham ahead two minutes before halftime.
Cody Gakpo’s shot took several deflections — the last of which was off West Ham goalkeeper, Alphonse Areola.
Liverpool wasted chances to add to its lead, but poor defending allowed Michail Antonio to make it 2-2 in the 77th minute and Liverpool’s frustrations was made clear by a pitch-side argument between striker Mohamed Salah and coach Jurgen Klopp as Salah was preparing to come on as a late substitute.
Aston Villa let a 2-0 lead slip at home to Chelsea, who nearly claimed a late win, but for a VAR decision to rule out what would have been a winning goal from Axel Disasi.
The home side opened the lead when Marc Cucurella deflected a shot that was going wide into the back of the net, and Morgan Rogers doubled its lead with a low shot shortly before halftime.
Chelsea reacted after the break, with Noni Madueke giving it a lifeline, before Conor Gallagher’s 81st-minute screamer made it 2-2, and only the VAR stopped Chelsea completing what would have been a spectacular comeback after a push in the buildup to the goal.
Newcastle United kept its top-six hopes very much alive with a 5-1 thumping of Sheffield United, whose relegation to the Championship was confirmed by the result.
Anel Ahmedhodzic gave Sheffield a fifth-minute lead, but that was as good as it got for the visitors, whose defensive failings were exposed again and again by Newcastle.
Alexander Isak equalized in the 26th minute, before three goals in the second half assured Newcastle’s win. Bruno Guimaraes put it ahead after 54 minutes, before Isak netted his second of the day from the penalty spot and Ben Osborn turned the ball into his own net to make it 4-1.
Callum Wilson scored Newcastle’s fifth in the 72nd minute to mean his side has scored 13 times in two meetings against its rivals.
Manchester United remains sixth, a point ahead of Newcastle, after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Burnley, who keeps its survival hopes intact after Zeki Amdouni’s penalty in the 87th minute committed by Andre Onana canceled out Antony’s 79th-minute opener for United.
Luton’s situation got worse as it lost 2-1 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers with a first-half goal from Hwang Hee-Chan and a second-half goal from Toti Gomes, before Carlton Morris scored a consolation for the visitors, who remained a point behind Nottingham Forest.
Everton no longer has to worry about relegation after Idrissa Gueye’s 60th-minute goal gave it a 1-0 win at home to Brentford. The result combined with Luton’s defeat means that neither side can be relegated this season.
Saturday also saw Fulham and Crystal Palace draw 1-1 in a game between two sides with nothing to play for other than South London pride. ■
