The battle for a spot in the Champions League is heating up in the Premier League as Chelsea triumphed over the newly crowned champions Liverpool, while Newcastle experienced a setback at Brighton.
Chelsea’s victory and Newcastle’s stumble have narrowed the gap between the top contenders.
Chelsea greeted Liverpool, the freshly minted champions, with a guard of honor at Stamford Bridge, only to then take the game by storm with a convincing 3-1 win.
Enzo Fernandez scored early, Jarell Quansah suffered an own goal, and Cole Palmer netted a penalty in stoppage time to seal the victory.
Liverpool’s only mark on the game came from Virgil van Dijk, who reduced the deficit to 2-1 with a header, but the team looked far from their champion selves.
This win has placed Chelsea, now in fifth, level on 63 points with fourth-place Newcastle.
Newcastle managed to scrape a draw against Brighton, courtesy of an 89th-minute penalty from Alexander Isak, and now shares its standing at fourth with Chelsea.
As the league approaches its climax, Manchester City holds a slender advantage in third, while Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa trail closely in sixth and seventh with equal points.
Forest holds a potential advantage with an extra game yet to play against Crystal Palace.
Meanwhile, Manchester United seems to have shifted its focus away from the Premier League, evidenced by their disappointing 4-3 defeat at Brentford.
United languishes in 15th place with 39 points, anticipating its lowest Premier League finish ever.
Their sights are instead set on the Europa League, where a victory could secure a Champions League spot.
United’s encounter with Brentford was book-ended by vital Europa League matches against Athletic Bilbao, where they currently hold a 3-0 advantage from the first leg.
Manager Ruben Amorim opted for a youthful lineup, prioritizing European success for the remainder of the season.
Newcastle’s fortunes were saved when Alexander Isak converted a late penalty at Brighton.
Brighton had initially taken the lead through former Newcastle player, Yankuba Minteh, but Isak’s composed strike ensured his side a point.
Isak’s tally for the season now stands at 23 league goals, behind Mohamed Salah’s impressive 28.
For Chelsea, Cole Palmer’s late penalty not only confirmed victory but marked an end to his goal drought dating back to January.
He came close earlier in the match, narrowly missing from a tight angle, but was rewarded with a penalty after a foul on Moises Caicedo, confidently converting the opportunity.
Despite Liverpool fans’ spirited chants of “champions, champions,” their team’s performance fell short.
Chelsea’s dominance on the day has them neck-and-neck with Newcastle, only trailing by goal difference.
The two will face off soon at St. James’ Park in a crucial match that could further shake up standings.
In an otherwise grim day for Manchester United, small positives emerged as Mason Mount found the net for the first time this season, and Amad Diallo marked his return from injury with a stoppage-time goal.
Brentford’s Kevin Schade put on a show with two goals, along with a contribution from Yoane Wisse, who now matches his teammate Bryan Mbeumo with 18 league goals.
Turning to Tottenham, they too appear to have their focus elsewhere, having also reached the Europa League semifinals.
In the London derby, they ended in a 1-1 draw against West Ham, with manager Ange Postecoglou resting key players in anticipation of the impending Europa challenge.
Spurs had recently overcome Bodø/Glimt in their first leg clash and are bracing for a challenging return fixture in Norway.
Spurs’ shuffled lineup was enough to see Wilson Odobert in the spotlight, netting his first league goal for the team before Jarrod Bowen equalized for West Ham.
However, Tottenham had to manage without James Maddison, who is sidelined with a knee injury.