Arsenal ensured they will top the Premier League at Christmas with a 1-0 over Everton, while Liverpool survived a nervy finale to beat nine-man Tottenham 2-1 on Saturday.
Manchester City briefly moved top of the table after Erling Haaland’s double inspired a 3-0 win over West Ham.
Arsenal restored their two-point lead thanks to Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty but failed to shine in grinding out victory on Merseyside.
It was a tale of penalty appeals at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Arsenal had strong claims waived away for a foul on Gyokeres seconds before they were awarded a spot-kick for a Jake O’Brien handball, that the Swede converted.
Leandro Trossard and Martin Zubimendi hit the post after the break for the visitors, but Everton were furious that two challenges on Thierno Barry inside the area went unpunished.
City continued to apply pressure to the Gunners with a seventh consecutive win in all competitions.
Yet, Pep Guardiola was still far from satisfied as he demanded improvements if City are to win a seventh Premier League title under his tenure.
“I want to be honest. I said to the players, ‘Merry Christmas everyone but it will not be enough if we don’t improve’.”
The Hammers feared a rout when Haaland smashed home after just five minutes.
Haaland turned provider for City’s second just before half-time as Tijjani Reijnders scored his first goal at the Etihad.
And he netted his 38th goal of the season already for club and country when the ball broke his way 21 minutes from time to move City one point ahead of Arsenal.
Isak injured
Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to six games to inflict a miserable Christmas on Spurs boss Thomas Frank.
Xavi Simons’ dangerous lunge on Dutch international team-mate Virgil van Dijk on 33 minutes left the home side with a mountain to climb.
Despite the absence of Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations, Alexander Isak again started on the bench.
Arne Slot introduced the most expensive Premier League player of all time at the break.
The Swede netted just his third goal since joining Liverpool for £125 million in September but suffered another injury setback in the process and had to be replaced.
Hugo Ekitike headed in his fifth goal in three league games to double Liverpool’s lead.
But Slot’s men still wobbled in the closing stages once Richarlison pulled a goal back.
“The thing in football is you always remember the last few minutes and they were the worst minutes of our total game,” said Slot. “It became very chaotic and hectic.”
A fifth defeat in nine home league games this season intensified the pressure on Frank and the Dane was not helped by his captain Cristian Romero, who got himself needlessly sent off in stoppage time.
Liverpool climb up to fifth, while Spurs are rooted down in 13th.
Chelsea remain above the Reds in fourth on goal difference as a second-half fightback rescued manager Enzo Maresca from more speculation over his future.
The Italian claimed after last weekend’s win over Everton that he and his players had not received enough support during a difficult run of results.
Maresca was then linked with being Guardiola’s successor at City in recent days.
Chelsea have won just once in their last five league games to see ambitions of a title challenge wilt.
But it could have been even worse for Maresca as Nick Woltemade’s double put Newcastle 2-0 up in a dominant first half from the Magpies.
A brilliant Reece James free-kick brought the Blues back into the game before Joao Pedro pounced on an error from Malick Thiaw to equalise.
Wolves remain without a league win this season and on course to enter the record books as the worst side in Premier League history after a 2-0 home defeat to Brentford.
Burnley ended their seven-game losing streak as Armando Broja’s 90th-minute goal snatched a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
Leeds moved six points clear of the bottom three as Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored twice in a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Sunderland edged up to sixth after a 0-0 draw at Brighton.
AFP
