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Everton’s 69-year-old stay in the top flight looks even more precarious after Jarrod Bowen struck twice in West Ham United’s 2-0 win over the Toffees.
Liverpool and Chelsea did little to damage their chances of a top-four finish in the Premier League on Saturday with a 0-0 draw as Newcastle United moved into third place after another goalless draw at Crystal Palace.
In a repeat of last season’s EFL Cup and FA Cup finals, which Liverpool won on penalties after 0-0 draws, neither side could break the deadlock at Anfield, 10 points off the top four.
Chelsea did have the ball early in the net, but Kai Havertz’s shot was ruled out for offside after the assistant referee’s video.
Photo: AP
The visitors introduced 100 million euro ($108 million) Mykhailo Mudric in the second half and the Ukrainian came just as close to a winner when he fired into the side netting.
Jurgen Klopp admitted he might not have reached 1,000 games in his managerial career if the previous 999 had been very similar, but he was pleased with his first Premier League clean sheet since October last year.
“I’m fine with 0-0 because you have to accept these steps,” Klopp said.
Photo: AFP
Newcastle squandered the chance to go two points clear of Manchester United before traveling to leaders Arsenal yesterday.
The Magpies did enough to overtake United on goal difference as they extended their unbeaten run in the league to a club-record 15 games.
“All you can do is sit back every week and be very proud of what they’ve delivered,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.
Newcastle United controlled most of the game but had Nick Pope to thank for a sensational save to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta a second-half winner for Palace.
At the other end of the table, Everton’s 69-year-old stay in the top flight looks even more uncertain.
Jarrod Bowen struck twice in the first half as West Ham won 2-0 at the London Stadium to climb out of the bottom three with a first win in eight league games.
An 11th defeat in 14 games puts more pressure on Everton manager Frank Lampard.
“It was a bad run of results for all of us and Frank, but I would never say that,” Everton chairman Bill Kenwright said of whether the former Chelsea manager was in charge for the last time. “We just have to start winning.”
Leicester City secured their first point since the World Cup break but failed to grab a crucial win as they were held to a late 2-2 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion at the King Power Stadium.
Kaoru Mitoma’s superb strike gave the in-form visitors the lead but Mark Albrighton quickly leveled and Harvey Barnes gave Leicester the lead just after the hour mark.
Teenage striker Evan Ferguson came off the bench in the 88th minute to head home the crossbar and grab a point that moved Brighton into the top six.
AFC Bournemouth dropped into the bottom three despite ending a run of six consecutive defeats with a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Jadon Anthony put the hosts in front but Sam Surridge was back to chase his former club seven minutes from time.
Southampton remain bottom of the table after a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa was marred by a drone flying above the stadium.
Play was temporarily suspended and players were taken off the field for their own safety at the end of the first half.
As soon as action resumed, Villa maintained their lead under Unai Emery when Ollie Watkins headed in Douglas Luiz’s free-kick on 13 minutes.
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