LONDON: Diogo Jota's strike made sure Liverpool regained their 12-point lead atop the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Everton in a controversial Merseyside derby.
Jota's first league goal since mid-January was one of his most important of the campaign as this kept second-placed Arsenal at more than arm's length.
It came after Everton defender James Tarkowski received only a yellow card for an excessive challenge on Alexis Mac Allister in the first half.
Former Toffees striker and renowned hard man Duncan Ferguson called it a "straight red all day" in his role as a Sky Sports pundit.
Jack Grealish scored his first league goal in 16 months as Manchester City moved up to fourth in the table with a 2-0 win over Leicester, whose slide towards relegation continued.
Grealish opened the scoring after two minutes, with hundreds of City fans having not taken their seats as part of a protest against a ticketing issue, before Omar Marmoush doubled the lead before the half-hour.
It was a seventh successive loss without scoring a goal for Ruud van Nistelrooy's side, who sit only below Southampton in the standings, 12 points adrift of safety with eight games left. Sandro Tonali blasted Newcastle firmly into the race for Champions League qualification with a stunning strike to seal a hard-fought 2-1win over Brentford.
Playing for their first time since their Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool, Alexander Isak had given the hosts the lead in first-half stoppage time with his 24th goal of the season and 20th in the league. Bryan Mbeumo equalised with a penalty before Tonali lit up St James' Park with a remarkable 74th-minute strike from an unlikely angle to move his side into fifth, with a game in hand on the teams above them.
Marcus Rashford struck his first Premier League goal for Aston Villato set his side on course for a comprehensive 3-0 win over fellow Champions League hopefuls Brighton at the Amex Stadium. The on-loan Manchester United forward added to his brace in Sunday's 3-0 FA Cup quarterfinal success away to Preston by bobbling home a finish after Villa countered from a Seagulls corner.
Marco Asensio doubled the lead with his eighth goal in his last seven appearances before fellow substitute Donyell Malen's maiden goal for the club sealed victory and kept them two points behind Newcastle. Ipswich gave their survival hopes a shot in the arm as Nathan Broadhead's first top-flight goal helped secure a 2-1 win at faltering Bournemouth.
Broadhead's opener and Liam Delap's strike secured Ipswich's first win of 2025 although Evanilson scoring pulling one back made the Tractor Boys sweat.
Ipswich are still nine points off 17th-placed Wolves but their first three-point haul since beating Chelsea on December was at least a step in the right direction.
Matheus Franca's stoppage-time goal for Crystal Palace sealed a 1-1draw at rock-bottom Southampton, who were denied a third win of the season despite Paul Onuachu opening the scoring. Saints will be relegated at the weekend if they lose at Tottenham and Wolves beat Ipswich. — PA Media/dpa
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