LIVERPOOL, England (AP) Liverpool and Manchester City appear to be preparing for another heavyweight clash for the Premier League crown.
Liverpool defeated Chelsea 4-1 on Wednesday, restoring Jürgen Klopp’s team’s five-point advantage at the top of the table before facing third-placed Arsenal this weekend.
City defeated Burnley 3-1 and climbed back to second place, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference and having played one fewer game than its two opponents.
With their fourth consecutive wins, the Premier League’s top teams demonstrated strong rosters, rapidly improving young stars, and, for City, the hesitant return of feared attacker Erling Haaland after nearly two months out injured.
Haaland joined City’s three-goal advantage after Julián Álvarez scored twice. Kevin De Bruyne, making his first Premier League start since August, set up the second goal.
Liverpool’s Diogo Jota filled in for Mohamed Salah and struck the scoring early against a dismal Chelsea, thanks to an assist from the outstanding Conor Bradley.
Bradley, an unheralded 20-year-old right-back standing in for Trent Alexander-Arnold, then scored his first goal for the club before assisting Dominik Szoboszlai to virtually seal the victory in the 65th minute.
Liverpool had the luxury of forward Darwin Núñez missing a first-half penalty, one of the Premier League record four times one player struck the frame of the goal in a game.
Man City edged Liverpool in epic title battles in 2019 and 2022, and north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are also in contention.
Tottenham scored three goals in eight second-half minutes to defeat Brentford 3-2 and move into fourth place, eight points behind Liverpool.
CUP FINALS REHEARSAL
Liverpool and Chelsea will meet again in the League Cup final on February 25.
Maybe this time there will be a winner at Wembley Stadium within 90 minutes, after the teams halted their two-and-a-half-year skid of seven consecutive draws.
Two of the seven were English domestic cup finals during the 2021-22 season. Liverpool won both the League Cup and FA Cup finals in penalty shootouts after the games ended 0-0.
Liverpool, as it did two years ago, is aiming for an unprecedented quadruple trophy sweep in every competition it enters.
Similar to two years ago, the Premier League appears to be the most difficult to win, with three-time reigning champion Manchester City embarking on another mid-season surge.
Happy birthday!
On his 24th birthday, Julián Álvarez scored twice in the first 22 minutes, leading Manchester City to a comfortable victory over Burnley. Rodri doubled his lead 30 seconds after the second half restart.
Álvarez had six goals in his last five games, helping the English, European, and global champions handle Erling Haaland’s injuries.
On December 22, the Argentina attacker began his scoring run with two goals in a 4-0 Club World Cup final victory over Fluminense.
That title victory capped a week in the Saudi sunlight that appeared to reset City’s league season following a run of losing points caused by inexplicably conceding late goals.
City has won six consecutive games since returning from Jeddah, and Haaland is now back in action. The Norwegian, who has 19 goals in all competitions this season, returned in the 71st minute after missing six Premier League games and the Club World Cup.
Haaland had several shooting opportunities, but the only additional goal was Ameen Al-Dakhil’s consolation for Burnley in stoppage time.
TITLE-CHASING TOTTENHAM?
Tottenham cannot be ruled out just yet. Whatever course Ange Postecoglou’s club takes in the Premier League, it should be one of the most entertaining.
Tottenham took a 3-1 lead over Brentford in the second half, after a disappointing first half at home.
Destiny Udogie tied the game in the 48th minute, one minute before Brennan Johnson scored the winning goal. Richarlison scored the game-winner in the 56th minute.
Ivan Toney has trimmed the lead scoring for the second straight game since returning from an eight-month sentence for betting violations.
Brentford forward Neal Maupay added a testy edge by mocking Tottenham playmaker James Maddison’s dart-throwing goal celebration after scoring in the first half.
Maddison challenged Maupay in the center circle, and Johnson and Richarlison repeated the gesture when Tottenham took the lead.
“I just said to (Maupay) he probably hasn’t scored enough goals of his own over the last few years to have his own celebration,” Maddison said, “so he probably had to copy mine.”
