Liverpool reclaimed top spot in the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Burnley at Anfield on Saturday, but they were made to battle by a brave visiting side before claiming all three points.
Burnley began brightest but Liverpool took the lead in the 31st minute through a Diogo Jota header from a corner, before the visitors levelled just before the break when Dara O’Shea headed home.
It was a much better Liverpool in the second half, and seven minutes after the interval Luis Diaz dived to head home a Harvey Elliott ball across goal and in the 79th minute it was another header, from Darwin Nunez which wrapped up the win.
Liverpool are on 54 points, two clear of Manchester City who have a game in hand, following a 2-0 home win over Everton in Saturday’s lunchtime kickoff.
While City manager Pep Guardiola has often said that nothing shocks him about his bulldozer of a goalscorer Erling Haaland, the manager was pleasantly surprised to see the striker back on the scoresheet so soon after a long injury lay-off.
The 23-year-old Norwegian, who missed almost two months with a broken bone in his foot, scored a brace in City’s win.
Haaland had not scored since November 28. He injured his foot on December 6 against Aston Villa and did not play again until their January 31 match against Burnley.
“I cannot imagine him two months stopped and moving this huge body and be in shape again, but he is back. I think he is going to help,” Guardiola said.
“I told him be positive and the situations will come. The first goal is a little bit careless but the finishing is incredible and the finishing for the second was incredible as well.
“It is really important for us, having Erling with us.”
Tottenham Hotspur meanwhile moved back into the top four as substitute Brennan Johnson struck deep in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Johnson slammed the ball high into the net from a low cross from Tottenham’s returning captain Son Heung-min who had started on the bench after finishing his Asian Cup duty.
It had been hard work for Tottenham who fell behind early on to a Pascal Gross penalty after Danny Welbeck was fouled.
They improved after the break, though, and levelled in the 61st minute through Pape Matar Sarr who tucked in a rebound after his initial low cross had deflected against the post.
A point apiece would have been about fair but Johnson’s late show sent Tottenham into fourth place above Aston Villa with 47 points from 24 games.
Elsewhere, bottom side Sheffield United stunned Luton Town 3-1 at Kenilworth Road and denied the high-scoring Hatters a golden opportunity to pull four points clear of the Premier League drop zone.
Christian Norgaard and Ivan Toney scored for Brentford as they ended a six-match losing streak away from home with a 2-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Fulham ended a three-match winless streak in the Premier League with a 3-1 defeat of Bournemouth at Craven Cottage courtesy of a Rodrigo Muniz double
The hosts got off to a flying start with Bobby De Cordova-Reid firing a shot into the corner of the net in the fifth minute.
De Cordova-Reid’s header then set up Rodrigo Muniz to double Fulham’s advantage in the 36th minute.
Bournemouth got back in contention with Marcos Senesi finding the net in the 50th minute, but Fulham soon restored their two-goal cushion from Willian’s cross, which Muniz put away.
Victory lifted Fulham above Bournemouth into 12th place.
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