LONDON: Liverpool produced a sensational finish to beat Fulham in a seven-goal thriller on Sunday as high-flying Aston Villa battled back to draw against Bournemouth on a dramatic afternoon in the Premier League.
Ten-man Chelsea shrugged off a red card for captain Conor Gallagher to edge Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 while West Ham United drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace. Liverpool appeared set for a rare and damaging home defeat but turned the tables on Fulham at Anfield with two late goals to close within two points of the top of the table.
Trent Alexander-Arnold helped set Liverpool on their way in the 20th minute, crashing a free-kick off the underside of the bar and into the net via the unfortunate Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno for an own goal.
But the visitors were level just four minutes later when Harry Wilson poked Antonee Robinson’s cross past goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, standing in for the injured Alisson Becker.
Alexis Mac Allister produced a moment of magic to restore Liverpool’s lead, lashing a drive into the top corner from distance for his first goal for the club but Kenny Tete pounced from close range shortly before half-time to level.
Fulham looked set for a sensational victory when they scored in the 80th minute, with substitute Bobby De Cordova-Reid leaping highest.
However, Liverpool were not finished. Mohamed Salah blasted over from close range as the home side pushed for an equaliser, but he then turned provider for Wataru Endo, who found the net from the edge of the box in the 87th minute.
A minute later they were ahead again when Alexander-Arnold drove the ball home after the ball fell to him just inside the box, sparking wild scenes at Anfield.
Meanwhile, Chelsea recorded just their second Premier League home win of the season against Brighton, despite being reduced to 10 men before half-time.
Chelsea were cruising midway through first half after goals from Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill.
Facundo Buonanotte halved the deficit for the visitors shortly before half-time but there was still time for Gallagher to pick up a second yellow card, changing the complexion of the match.
Chelsea were awarded a penalty when James Milner was adjudged to have fouled Mykhailo Mudryk and Fernandez made no mistake to restore Chelsea’s two-goal cushion.
Joao Pedro pulled a goal back in the 92nd minute to ramp up the pressure on Chelsea and the home fans’ hearts were in their mouths when Brighton were awarded a penalty for a handball by Colwill in the 101st minute.
But the referee reversed the on-field decision after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor and Chelsea held on.
Elsewhere, Ollie Watkins headed home a cross from Moussa Diaby in the 90th minute to rescue a point for Aston Villa, who remain in fourth place.
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo opened the scoring early before a fine individual goal from Leon Bailey.
Dominic Solanke put the home side back ahead early in the second half and Bournemouth looked like hanging on for a win before Watkins’ late equaliser.
At the London Stadium, Mohammed Kudus put West Ham ahead in the first half, before Odsonne Edouard equalised in the second period to earn a point for Crystal Palace.
NEWCASTLE OVERPOWER UNITED
In Saturday’s late match, Anthony Gordon scored the winner as Newcastle United held off a frenzied late push by Manchester United in a deserved 1-0 victory over their top-four rivals at a chilly St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s team climbed above United into fifth in the table on 26 points after 14 games as Erik ten Hag’s side dropped to seventh on 24.
The Magpies have won three consecutive games against Manchester United in all competitions for the first time since January 1922.
Gordon scored his sixth goal of the Premier League season in the 55th minute when Kieran Trippier played a ball across the six-yard box after United lost possession in midfield.
Miguel Almiron narrowly missed getting to the ball before a wide-open Trippier swept it in from the back post for Gordon to score.
Newcastle peppering United keeper Andre Onana with 22 shots compared with the visitors’ seven.
United pressed for a late equaliser with a flurry of chances including Harry Maguire’s headed effort that was ruled out for offside.
One negative for Newcastle, already depleted by injuries, was keeper Nick Pope’s replacement by Martin Dubravka in the 86th minute after dislocating his shoulder. Pope walked gingerly off the pitch with the help of medical staff.
