Chelsea Battle Back to Deny Liverpool Title Race Revival

PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea came from 2-0 down to earn a point from a pulsating 2-2 draw with Liverpool yesterday that does little for either side’s hopes of catching Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

City’s lead now stands at 10 points from Chelsea with Liverpool a point further back, albeit with a game in hand.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was absent along with three key players due to positive coronavirus cases, but the Reds still raced into a two-goal lead thanks to parting gifts from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah before they head off to the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel made the bold call to drop record signing Romelu Lukaku after the Belgium attacker went public with his displeasure at being used sparingly by the German.

The Blues still had the firepower to fight back before halftime thanks to Mateo Kovacic’s stunning strike and Christian Pulisic.

Chelsea have now won just one of their last five league games, while Liverpool have taken just two points from their last three matches to allow City to streak towards a fourth title in five seasons.

Elsewhere, Mads Roerslev scored his first goal for Brentford to give them a comeback 2-1 home win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday after Yoane Wissa had cancelled out an early Danny Ings opener for the visitors.

French-born Congo forward Wissa levelled in the 42nd when he took the ball in his stride and planted an unstoppable left-footed effort past visiting goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from the edge of the penalty area.

Buendia fired inches wide from long range in the 54th minute and Frank Onyeka also came close for the home side in the 75th, when Martinez tipped his low shot onto the outside of the post.

Brentford’s second-half pressure paid off in the 83rd minute when Roerslev beat Martinez at the second attempt, drilling in his own rebound after the keeper had palmed the initial shot straight back into the Danish midfielder’s path.