Manchester City remain top of the Premier League as the relegation battle took centre stage in the latest round of action.
Riyad Mahrez’s 40th minute penalty plus a 69th minute strike from Kevin De Bruyne saw league leaders, Manchester City snatch a clinical 2-0 home win against Brentford.
Second-placed Liverpool managed to keep their deficit to Man City down to nine points as Diogo Jota’s brace fired Jurgen Klopp’s Reds to a 2-0 home win over Leicester.
Third-placed Chelsea weren’t in domestic action due to their participation at 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, where they defeated Al-Hilal 1-0 to qualify for the Final against Brazil’s Palmeiras.
Down in the relegation zone, Burnley fought back to snatch a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United as Jay Rodriguez cancelled out Paul Pogba’s opener.
Watford remain second bottom after suffering a scrappy defeat at West Ham as Jarrod Bowen’s 68th minute winner saw the Hammers climb to fourth.
Newcastle climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time since late September following a comeback 3-1 home win over Everton, with Ryan Fraser and Kieran Trippier’s second-half goals proving key after Jamaal Lascelles and Mason Holgate both scored own goals in the first half.
Norwich consequently slipped into the bottom three following a 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace, after Teemu Pukki’s first minute opening strike was cancelled out by Wilfried Zaha’s 60th minute curler.
Elsewhere, James Ward-Prowse provided late assists for headers from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Che Adams as Southampton came from behind to win 3-2 at Tottenham.
Gabriel’s 26th minute poke-in from Alexandre Lacazette’s bundled pass saw ten-men Arsenal scrape a 1-0 winner at Wolves, despite Gabriel Martinelli’s 69th minute red card for dissent following a foul on Chiquinho.
Finally, Diego Llorente rescued Leeds a dramatic 3-3 draw at Aston Villa after Phillippe Coutinho provided a goal plus assists for Jacob Ramsey’s brace in-between two goals from Daniel James for the visitors, prior to a late red card for Villa’s Ezri Konsa.
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