EPL : Liverpool Extend Lead after 3-1 victory over Leicester

Liverpool surged seven points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 3-1 victory over Leicester, with title contenders showing resilience despite an early scare.

Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes was sent off in Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat at struggling Wolves, marking their third consecutive loss.

Erling Haaland missed a penalty as Manchester City’s troubles continued, drawing 1-1 with Everton, but Liverpool’s dominant performance and United’s misfortune were the headlines on Thursday.

Liverpool faced an early setback when Jordan Ayew put Leicester ahead, but they responded strongly. Cody Gakpo equalised just before half-time, and Curtis Jones added a second shortly after the break to mark his 100th Premier League appearance. Mohamed Salah sealed the win with his 19th goal of the season, making it 11 wins in their last 13 games across all competitions.

“We created enough, but after going 1-0 down, it became a game. Then you saw how good we are, and Leicester couldn’t get back into it,” said Liverpool manager Arne Slot.

The result extended Liverpool’s lead over second-placed Chelsea, who were beaten 2-1 by Fulham earlier in the day.

United’s woes deepened as they slumped to their third straight defeat under new manager Ruben Amorim. Fernandes was shown a second yellow card early in the second half at Molineux, and United struggled with 10 men. Matheus Cunha’s corner, which went in directly after a misjudged attempt by goalkeeper Andre Onana, gave Wolves the lead in the 58th minute. Hwang Hee-chan sealed the win with a tap-in late on.

“We need results and didn’t get them. It’s so tough to win games in this league with 10 men,” said Amorim.

Manchester City also continued to struggle, drawing 1-1 with Everton. Despite taking an early lead through Bernardo Silva, City was unable to hold onto the advantage. Haaland missed a penalty in the second half, as City’s winless run stretched to one victory in their last 13 games, leaving them in seventh place and five points off the top four.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s home defeat to Fulham was a shock, marking their first loss to their west London rivals at home since 1979. Cole Palmer gave Chelsea the lead, but Fulham equalised late through Harry Wilson, and Rodrigo Muniz completed the comeback in injury time to secure a 2-1 win.

Nottingham Forest moved up to third place after a 1-0 win against Tottenham, their fourth consecutive victory. Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo got revenge on his former club, and Tottenham’s Djed Spence was sent off late on. Spurs are now 11th, with pressure mounting on manager Ange Postecoglou.

Newcastle’s 3-0 win over 10-man Aston Villa propelled them into fifth, their third consecutive league win. Meanwhile, Jarrod Bowen’s 59th-minute goal gave West Ham a 1-0 victory over bottom-placed Southampton, whose manager Ivan Juric had a frustrating start in charge after a red card for Guido Rodriguez was overturned by VAR.

Bournemouth and Crystal Palace played out a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium.