Liverpool powered seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as the title favourites survived a scare in their 3-1 win against Leicester, while Bruno Fernandes was sent off in Manchester United's dismal 2-0 defeat at lowly Wolves.
Erling Haaland missed a penalty as crisis-torn Manchester City failed to end their dismal run with a 1-1 draw against Everton, but it was United's travails and Liverpool's remarkable run that took centre-stage on Thursday.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-man-city-pay-penalty-for-erling-haaland-miss-in-everton-draw-8568400" rel="dofollow">Premier League: Man City pay penalty for Erling Haaland miss in Everton draw</a>
Arne Slot's side were shocked by Jordan Ayew's early strike at Anfield, but the leaders recovered their composure to equalise just before the interval through Cody Gakpo.
England midfielder Jones marked his 100th top-flight appearance with the second goal soon after half-time.
Mohamed Salah's 19th goal this term wrapped up Liverpool's 11th win in their last 13 games in all competitions.
"We created enough, but because we went 1-0 down it was a game," Liverpool manager Slot said.
"Then you saw how good we are and Leicester didn't want to come back into the game."
Liverpool's comeback lifted them well clear of second-placed Chelsea, who were defeated 2-1 by Fulham earlier in the day.
United suffered a third successive loss in all competitions to leave new boss Ruben Amorim with five defeats in his first 10 games.
Fernandes was dismissed two minutes into the second half at Molineux for a second bookable offence.
United's 10 men cracked in the 58th minute when Matheus Cunha's corner went straight in as goalkeeper Andre Onana flapped under pressure.
Hwang Hee-chan compounded Amorim's misery when he tapped in with just seconds left.
Losing to fourth-bottom Wolves was another bitter blow for United, who endured a humiliating 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Old Trafford last weekend after losing 4-3 in the League Cup at Tottenham.
With his team marooned in 14th place -- just eight points above the relegation zone -- Amorim's woes might not be over, with United facing in-form Newcastle on Monday before travelling to Liverpool in their first game of 2025.
"It's so tough to win games in this league with 11 men. With 10 men, it's more difficult," Amorim said.
Champions Manchester City have just one victory in their last 13 games in all competitions as their Christmas schedule started in disappointing fashion.
Bernardo Silva put City in front early on before Iliman Ndiaye salvaged a point for Everton.
Seven minutes into the second half, Haaland had the chance to end his longest goal drought at the Etihad but Jordan Pickford denied him.
City are languishing in seventh place and sit five points adrift of the top four, with their astonishing decline showing no sign of ending.
"Of course we need results and we didn't get it. The team played really good again in all departments and unfortunately could not win," said City boss Pep Guardiola.
<h2>Chelsea stunned</h2>
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were stunned by Fulham's late fightback in a dramatic west London derby.
It was Chelsea's first home defeat against Fulham since 1979.
Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead after 16 minutes, the England forward drilling home from the edge of the area after weaving through the Fulham defence in dazzling style.
But Fulham levelled with eight minutes left when Harry Wilson nodded in from close range.
There was worse to come for the Blues when Rodrigo Muniz completed the turnaround in the 95th minute.
Nottingham Forest climbed to third place after a 1-0 win against sputtering Tottenham at the City Ground.
Forest's fourth successive win was sweet revenge for boss Nuno Espirito Santo, whose former club Tottenham had Djed Spence sent off in the closing moments for a second booking.
Tottenham are stuck in 11th as the pressure mounts on boss Ange Postecoglou.
Newcastle swatted aside 10-man Aston Villa 3-0, moving up to fifth place after winning three consecutive league games for the first time since 2023.
Jarrod Bowen's 59th-minute goal gave West Ham a 1-0 win at bottom of the table Southampton after the visitors saw Guido Rodriguez's red card overturned by VAR.
It was a frustrating start for new Saints boss Ivan Juric, who has replaced the sacked Russell Martin.
Bournemouth and Crystal Palace shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Football: Manchester United suffered a third successive loss in all competitions to leave new boss Ruben Amorim with five defeats in his first 10 games.

Liverpool powered seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as the title favourites survived a scare in their 3-1 win against Leicester, while Bruno Fernandes was sent off in Manchester United's dismal 2-0 defeat at lowly Wolves. Erling Haaland missed a penalty as crisis-torn Manchester City failed to end their dismal run with a 1-1 draw against Everton, but it was United's travails and Liverpool's remarkable run that took centre-stage on Thursday. ALSO READ: Premier League: Man City pay penalty for Erling Haaland miss in Everton draw Arne Slot's side were shocked by Jordan Ayew's early strike at Anfield, but the leaders recovered their composure to equalise just before the interval through Cody Gakpo. England midfielder Jones marked his 100th top-flight appearance with the second goal soon after half-time. Mohamed Salah's 19th goal this term wrapped up Liverpool's 11th win in their last 13 games in all competitions. "We created enough, but because we went 1-0 down it was a game," Liverpool manager Slot said. "Then you saw how good we are and Leicester didn't want to come back into the game." Liverpool's comeback lifted them well clear of second-placed Chelsea, who were defeated 2-1 by Fulham earlier in the day. United suffered a third successive loss in all competitions to leave new boss Ruben Amorim with five defeats in his first 10 games. Fernandes was dismissed two minutes into the second half at Molineux for a second bookable offence. United's 10 men cracked in the 58th minute when Matheus Cunha's corner went straight in as goalkeeper Andre Onana flapped under pressure. Hwang Hee-chan compounded Amorim's misery when he tapped in with just seconds left. Losing to fourth-bottom Wolves was another bitter blow for United, who endured a humiliating 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Old Trafford last weekend after losing 4-3 in the League Cup at Tottenham. With his team marooned in 14th place -- just eight points above the relegation zone -- Amorim's woes might not be over, with United facing in-form Newcastle on Monday before travelling to Liverpool in their first game of 2025. "It's so tough to win games in this league with 11 men. With 10 men, it's more difficult," Amorim said. Champions Manchester City have just one victory in their last 13 games in all competitions as their Christmas schedule started in disappointing fashion. Bernardo Silva put City in front early on before Iliman Ndiaye salvaged a point for Everton. Seven minutes into the second half, Haaland had the chance to end his longest goal drought at the Etihad but Jordan Pickford denied him. City are languishing in seventh place and sit five points adrift of the top four, with their astonishing decline showing no sign of ending. "Of course we need results and we didn't get it. The team played really good again in all departments and unfortunately could not win," said City boss Pep Guardiola. Chelsea stunned At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were stunned by Fulham's late fightback in a dramatic west London derby. It was Chelsea's first home defeat against Fulham since 1979. Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead after 16 minutes, the England forward drilling home from the edge of the area after weaving through the Fulham defence in dazzling style. But Fulham levelled with eight minutes left when Harry Wilson nodded in from close range. There was worse to come for the Blues when Rodrigo Muniz completed the turnaround in the 95th minute. Nottingham Forest climbed to third place after a 1-0 win against sputtering Tottenham at the City Ground. Forest's fourth successive win was sweet revenge for boss Nuno Espirito Santo, whose former club Tottenham had Djed Spence sent off in the closing moments for a second booking. Tottenham are stuck in 11th as the pressure mounts on boss Ange Postecoglou. Newcastle swatted aside 10-man Aston Villa 3-0, moving up to fifth place after winning three consecutive league games for the first time since 2023. Jarrod Bowen's 59th-minute goal gave West Ham a 1-0 win at bottom of the table Southampton after the visitors saw Guido Rodriguez's red card overturned by VAR. It was a frustrating start for new Saints boss Ivan Juric, who has replaced the sacked Russell Martin. Bournemouth and Crystal Palace shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: Liverpool beat struggling Leicester; Manchester United crash at Wolves

Tension is mounting at the bottom of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/premier-league">Premier League </a>as the fight to avoid relegation heads towards a dramatic conclusion.

With just five games left, rock bottom Norwich are seven points from safety and are sliding towards the Championship.

Bournemouth and Aston Villa, who currently fill the remaining two places in the relegation zone, are locked in a four-team battle for survival with fellow strugglers Watford and West Ham.&nbsp;

AFP Sport takes a closer look at the teams scrapping to preserve their top-flight status:

<h2>Bournemouth</h2>

Thrashed 5-2 at Manchester United on Saturday, Eddie Howe's side are in free-fall after an eight-game winless run featuring five successive defeats.

The second bottom Cherries, one point from safety, face Tottenham, Leicester and Manchester City in their next three games.

That sequence that will surely determine whether Bournemouth can extend their five-season stay in the top-flight for another year.

Bournemouth's lack of goals has been a huge part of their downfall, with the starting line-up at Old Trafford managing just eight between them so far this season.

"Games are running out. If we're going to stay in the division, we're going to have to start picking up points," Bournemouth winger Junior Stanislas said.

"We'll have no excuses. We can't keep talking. It's time for action.

"There's no reason why from now until the end of the season we can't pick points up."

<h2>Aston Villa</h2>

A wretched run of nine matches without a win has left third bottom Villa one point from safety.

Dubious pre-season investment in several underwhelming signings have left Villa relying on captain Jack Grealish to inspire their survival bid.

But Dean Smith's side have lost three of their five games since the restart and still have to face Manchester United and Arsenal before a potential final-day shootout with West Ham.

They could count themselves unfortunate not to have secured what would have been a point at Anfield in Sunday's 2-0 defeat against champions Liverpool.

That obdurate display offered hope that Villa could still avoid an immediate return to the Championship, but Smith knows they will have to be more ruthless to achieve that aim.

"I don't want to be a valiant loser, we're scrapping for points," Smith said.

"To out-shoot Liverpool at home at Anfield, in terms of efforts on goal, it's excellent, but we need to take our opportunities. We never found the quality in the final third they did."

<h2>Watford</h2>

Saturday's 3-0 drubbing at Chelsea condemned Watford to a third consecutive loss, leaving them perilously positioned one point above the bottom three.

Nigel Pearson's fourth bottom team have not won just their stunning 3-0 success against Liverpool on February 29.

After five years in the top-flight, the Hornets, who face Manchester City and Arsenal in their last two games, could find their fate settled by Tuesday's home clash with Norwich and a visit to West Ham on July 17.

"The important thing is we understand our situation, that we don't fear it," said Pearson, whose men have managed just two goals in their last five games.

"We need to show fighting spirit, and we also need to have the ability to still make good decisions."

<h2>West Ham</h2>

Sitting four clear of the relegation zone in 16th place, West Ham are in the best position to stay up thanks to their surprise 3-2 win over Chelsea last week.

Twice blowing the lead in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Newcastle was a setback in their survival bid, but David Moyes' side have control of their own destiny.

West Ham have now lost 24 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other side.

But with games against Norwich, Watford and Aston Villa to come, their forward Michail Antonio is confident of beating the drop.

"The mindset for our next few games is that we want three points from each of them, and that's what we believe we can get," said Antonio, whose club have not been in the Championship since 2012.

"Now we've managed to show our attacking form and we are scoring goals, we need to shore up our back as well."

Tension is mounting at the bottom of the Premier League as the fight to avoid relegation heads towards a dramatic conclusion. With just five games left, rock bottom Norwich are seven points from safety and are sliding towards the Championship.

Tension is mounting at the bottom of the Premier League as the fight to avoid relegation heads towards a dramatic conclusion. With just five games left, rock bottom Norwich are seven points from safety and are sliding towards the Championship. Bournemouth and Aston Villa, who currently fill the remaining two places in the relegation zone, are locked in a four-team battle for survival with fellow strugglers Watford and West Ham. AFP Sport takes a closer look at the teams scrapping to preserve their top-flight status: Bournemouth Thrashed 5-2 at Manchester United on Saturday, Eddie Howe's side are in free-fall after an eight-game winless run featuring five successive defeats. The second bottom Cherries, one point from safety, face Tottenham, Leicester and Manchester City in their next three games. That sequence that will surely determine whether Bournemouth can extend their five-season stay in the top-flight for another year. Bournemouth's lack of goals has been a huge part of their downfall, with the starting line-up at Old Trafford managing just eight between them so far this season. "Games are running out. If we're going to stay in the division, we're going to have to start picking up points," Bournemouth winger Junior Stanislas said. "We'll have no excuses. We can't keep talking. It's time for action. "There's no reason why from now until the end of the season we can't pick points up." Aston Villa A wretched run of nine matches without a win has left third bottom Villa one point from safety. Dubious pre-season investment in several underwhelming signings have left Villa relying on captain Jack Grealish to inspire their survival bid. But Dean Smith's side have lost three of their five games since the restart and still have to face Manchester United and Arsenal before a potential final-day shootout with West Ham. They could count themselves unfortunate not to have secured what would have been a point at Anfield in Sunday's 2-0 defeat against champions Liverpool. That obdurate display offered hope that Villa could still avoid an immediate return to the Championship, but Smith knows they will have to be more ruthless to achieve that aim. "I don't want to be a valiant loser, we're scrapping for points," Smith said. "To out-shoot Liverpool at home at Anfield, in terms of efforts on goal, it's excellent, but we need to take our opportunities. We never found the quality in the final third they did." Watford Saturday's 3-0 drubbing at Chelsea condemned Watford to a third consecutive loss, leaving them perilously positioned one point above the bottom three. Nigel Pearson's fourth bottom team have not won just their stunning 3-0 success against Liverpool on February 29. After five years in the top-flight, the Hornets, who face Manchester City and Arsenal in their last two games, could find their fate settled by Tuesday's home clash with Norwich and a visit to West Ham on July 17. "The important thing is we understand our situation, that we don't fear it," said Pearson, whose men have managed just two goals in their last five games. "We need to show fighting spirit, and we also need to have the ability to still make good decisions." West Ham Sitting four clear of the relegation zone in 16th place, West Ham are in the best position to stay up thanks to their surprise 3-2 win over Chelsea last week. Twice blowing the lead in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Newcastle was a setback in their survival bid, but David Moyes' side have control of their own destiny. West Ham have now lost 24 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other side. But with games against Norwich, Watford and Aston Villa to come, their forward Michail Antonio is confident of beating the drop. "The mindset for our next few games is that we want three points from each of them, and that's what we believe we can get," said Antonio, whose club have not been in the Championship since 2012. "Now we've managed to show our attacking form and we are scoring goals, we need to shore up our back as well."

Tension mounts in Premier League relegation battle

premier-league-table

Premier League Table, News on Premier League Table, stories on Premier League Table, articles on Premier League Table, Premier League Table stories at Wion, Premier League Table news, Premier League Table latest news

premier league-table

PL: Liverpool beat struggling Leicester; Manchester United crash at Wolves

Tension mounts in Premier League relegation battle