Liverpool is in control of the Premier League title race. Manchester City is in free fall.
Liverpool moved nine points clear at the top of the standings after a 2-0 win against the four-time defending champion on Sunday (December 1, 2024). Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah exposed the gap between the title rivals and emphasised the deepening crisis at City.
Defeat left Pep Guardiola’s serial title winners languishing fifth in the standings and 11 points adrift of Liverpool.
Ruben Amorim got Manchester United fans smiling again after a 4-0 win against Everton.
In his first Premier League game at Old Trafford, the home crowd serenaded United’s players with “ole” as they played one of their best performances of the season. It marks a big change from the boos that rang around the stadium toward the end of former manager Erik ten Hag’s reign.
In Amorim’s third game in charge in all competitions since taking over last month, United produced its best performance under him, with Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee scoring two goals each.
“It is a nice result. It is important with a new coach and a new way of playing; we are still learning. We have to back up this performance,” Rashford said.
Amorim is undefeated since taking over last month and United is ninth – four points off the top four.
While performances on the field are pleasing supporters, there were protests off it over increasing ticket prices.
A banner displayed both inside and outside the stadium read: “Stop exploiting loyalty”.
Third-place Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3-0 and Tottenham drew 1-1 with Fulham a week after thrashing Manchester City 4-0.
It hasn’t taken long for Amorim to get United’s strikers scoring.
Rashford has three goals in three games under the Portuguese, having managed four in 18 before that.
Rasmus Hojlund scored twice in the Europa League win against Bodo Glimt and Zirkzee’s double on Sunday were his first goals since the opening game of the season.
Goals had been hard to come by under Ten Hag, with United only scoring eight in nine games in the league before he was fired.
Rashford began the rout against Everton in the 34th minute and Zirkzee doubled United’s lead five minutes later. Rashford scored again a minute into the second half and Zirkzee’s second came in the 64th after a swift break.
Chelsea moved back level on points with second-place Arsenal after inflicting the latest loss on Aston Villa.
Goals from Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer ensured Chelsea kept up with London rival Arsenal.
For Villa, it’s eight games without a win in all competitions and a fifth defeat during that run.
Villa dropped into the bottom half of the standings in 12th place.
Tottenham couldn’t follow up last week’s stunning victory against City with another win that would have seen it edge closer to the top four.
Brennan Johnson put seventh-place Spurs in front in the second half, but substitute Tom Cairney levelled the game before getting sent off late on.