Achi news desk-
LONDON (AFP) – Manchester City moved level with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League on Saturday after beating Crystal Palace 4-2 as Everton secured a vital win in their bid to avoid relegation.
City’s Kevin De Bruyne netted twice and top scorer Erling Haaland hit his 19th league goal of the season, with Rico Lewis also on the scoresheet. The win lifts City to 70 points – behind leaders Liverpool on goal difference – ahead of Arsenal’s game at Brighton later on Saturday, where a win for the Gunners would put them top.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool face a trip to mercurial Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday in the next chapter of an exciting three-way title race. Jean-Philippe Mateta gave Crystal Palace an early shock lead at Selhurst Park in the kick-off but De Bruyne leveled in the 13th minute with a curler into the top corner to calm any nerves from the visitors.
Palace had an attacking threat but Lewis put City ahead just after half-time and De Bruyne and Haaland combined for the third. Midfielder De Bruyne added his second with a solo effort in the 70th minute – his 100th goal for the club – to make the game safe, before substitute Odsonne Edouard scored a consolation.
City boss Pep Guardiola praised the Belgium international, who missed five months of the season with a hamstring injury suffered in the opening game at Burnley. “Sometimes Phil (Foden), Erling or Julian (Alvarez), today it was Kevin,” he said. “Without him we wouldn’t be able to win this. You talk about managers but players like Kevin make this game easy.”
Everton end a miserable run
Everton went into their game against second-bottom Burnley desperately looking for a spark of inspiration after a 13-game Premier League winless run. They struggled to impose themselves but benefited from a huge mistake by visiting goalkeeper Arijanet Muric in the first half.
Muric took too long to clear the ball and when he did it was straight to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the ball bouncing off the forward into the net. The win means Everton are now four points above the relegation zone. But the club need everything they can get as they nervously wait to find out if they will receive a second points deduction this season for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.
Fourth-placed Villa, beaten by City in midweek, will be reeling from a second-half slump that could prove costly in their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Unai Emery’s men drew 3-3 against Brentford but only after throwing away a 2-0 lead. Villa led 2-0 moments into the second half after goals from Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rodgers but three goals in nine minutes from Mathias Jorgensen, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa turned the game upside down.
Watkins scored his second goal of the game in the 80th minute but Villa could not find a winner and they are just three points above fifth-placed Tottenham, who have two games in hand. Carlton Morris scored a 90th minute goal in Luton’s 2-1 win against Bournemouth – a result that leaves them in the relegation zone but now level on points with Nottingham Forest in 17th place.
Newcastle beat Fulham 1-0 courtesy of a late goal from Bruno Guimaraes to keep their hopes of European football alive next season while West Ham came from behind to beat Wolves 2-1.
