Liverpool held by Newcastle in thriller; Arsenal and Chelsea close gap in Premier League

NEW DELHI: Liverpool's Premier League lead shrank to seven points as Arsenal and Chelsea capitalized on the Reds' 90th-minute lapse in a dramatic 3-3 draw at Newcastle on Wednesday.
Chelsea climbed to second on goal difference with a commanding 5-1 victory over 10-man Southampton, while Arsenal secured a 2-0 win against Manchester United to stay in third.
Manchester City ended their seven-game winless streak by defeating Nottingham Forest 3-0, moving up to fourth.

Mohamed Salah’s second-half brace seemed poised to extend Liverpool's seven-game winning streak across all competitions, but the leaders faltered at St. James' Park. Twice forced to equalize, Liverpool initially canceled out Alexander Isak's first-half strike through Curtis Jones. Anthony Gordon restored Newcastle's lead before Salah struck twice from Trent Alexander-Arnold assists, bringing his season tally to 15 goals.
However, Liverpool's goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher misjudged a late cross, allowing Fabian Schar to squeeze in a 90th-minute equalizer.
"He has done remarkably well for us and even today he was good. Unfortunately, he misjudged the situation," Liverpool manager Arne Slot said of Kelleher's costly error.
ARSENAL APPLY PRESSURE
Arsenal took full advantage of Liverpool’s slip-up, handing Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim his first defeat with a clinical 2-0 win at The Emirates.

Set-pieces proved decisive, with Jurrien Timber heading in Declan Rice’s corner early in the second half before William Saliba deflected in Thomas Partey’s header from a Bukayo Saka delivery.

"A special day. It’s a joy to play in this stadium with that energy; it’s something incredible," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. "We scored two set-pieces, but we could’ve scored from open play many more."
Amorim admitted his side struggled with Arsenal’s aerial dominance. "The set-pieces killed the game. They can put a lot of players near the goalkeeper, and it’s almost impossible to fight for the ball. We already know we have to be better."

CHELSEA DOMINATE SOUTHAMPTON
Chelsea routed bottom-of-the-table Southampton 5-1 at St. Mary’s. Axel Disasi’s early header was canceled out by Joe Aribo, but a defensive lapse allowed Christopher Nkunku to restore Chelsea’s lead. Noni Madueke added a third before Southampton's Jack Stephens was sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair.

Late goals from Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho sealed Chelsea’s dominant performance, moving them to second place, seven points behind Liverpool.
DE BRUYNE INSPIRES MAN CITY
Manchester City snapped their winless run with a convincing 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Kevin De Bruyne returned to the starting lineup after nearly three months, assisting Bernardo Silva’s opener and scoring City’s second before Jeremy Doku rounded off the win.

"Kevin De Bruyne was excellent. When he’s fit, he’s so important for us. It’s just one game, but it was important to break this run," City manager Pep Guardiola said.

VILLA AND EVERTON REVIVE
Aston Villa ended an eight-match winless streak with a 3-1 victory over Brentford. Early goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins (penalty), and Matty Cash put Villa in command, with Brentford’s Mikkel Damsgaard scoring a consolation.
Everton cruised to a 4-0 win over Wolves in a critical clash at the bottom. Ashley Young became the club’s oldest goalscorer with a free-kick opener, followed by two own goals from Craig Dawson, as the Toffees moved five points clear of the relegation zone. Wolves dropped to 19th.