Liverpool Tighten Grip on Title Race as Forest Stun Man City in Champions League Chase
Liverpool strengthened their hold at the top of the Premier League table with a hard-fought 3-1 comeback win over Southampton. Despite a sluggish first half, Arne Slot’s men turned the game around after trailing at halftime, thanks to Mohamed Salah’s brace from the penalty spot.
Liverpool Overcome Early Scare to Extend Lead
Southampton stunned the league leaders just before the break when Will Smallbone capitalized on a defensive mix-up between Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk to fire the visitors ahead. However, Liverpool responded strongly in the second half, with Darwin Nunez making an immediate impact off the bench. The Uruguayan equalized before winning a penalty that Salah calmly slotted home. The Egyptian forward then added another spot-kick late in the game to seal all three points for the Reds.
Forest Shake Up the Top-Four Race with Shock Win Over Man City
Over at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest pulled off a stunning 1-0 victory over defending champions Manchester City, delivering a major blow to Pep Guardiola’s side in the race for Champions League qualification. Callum Hudson-Odoi was the hero, finishing off a brilliant assist from Morgan Gibbs-White in the 83rd minute to hand Forest a historic win.
The result pushes Forest four points clear of City in third place, putting them in prime position for a top-five finish. With English clubs excelling in Europe this season, a fifth-place spot is likely to secure Champions League football. Meanwhile, City slumped to their ninth league defeat, and they could drop even further if Chelsea secure a win over Leicester.
Villa, Brighton Keep European Hopes Alive
Aston Villa bolstered their European ambitions with a 1-0 win at Brentford, courtesy of Ollie Watkins’ strike against his former club. The in-form England striker slipped his shot through goalkeeper Mark Flekken’s legs early in the second half, netting his sixth goal in as many games against Brentford.
Brighton also kept their Champions League dream alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Fulham. Raul Jimenez gave Fulham the lead, but Jean Paul van Hecke equalized before Joao Pedro converted a stoppage-time penalty to lift the Seagulls to sixth place—just one point behind City.
Palace, Wolves, and Everton Round Off the Action
Crystal Palace continued their impressive run with a 1-0 win over Ipswich, despite losing top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta to a serious ear injury. Ismaila Sarr’s winner secured Palace’s ninth victory in 11 games, propelling them to 11th in the standings.
Meanwhile, Wolves and Everton played out a 1-1 draw, with Marshall Munetsi canceling out Jack Harrison’s opener for the Toffees. The result keeps Wolves six points clear of the relegation zone, while Everton extended their unbeaten league run to eight matches.
With the title race and Champions League spots heating up, all eyes will be on the next round of fixtures as teams battle for crucial points in the season’s final stretch.
