Liverpool share top spot with Arsenal after Fulham win

London — Liverpool climbed level on points with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table with a 3-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, thanks to goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota.

Liverpool trail Arsenal on goal difference with both on 74 points with five games remaining, however holders Manchester City, who are third on 73 points, have a game in hand.

Alexander-Arnold, in his first league start since February 10, curled a stunning free kick into the top corner in the 32nd minute that keeper Bernd Leno had little chance of stopping.

Timothy Castagne fired home for Fulham just before the break with a sidefooted shot past keeper Alisson. Yet Gravenberch put the Reds back on top in the 53rd minute when he curled a shot inside the far post for his first league goal, and Jota sealed the win in the 72nd minute.

Earlier Aston Villa stormed back from a goal down to beat Bournemouth 3-1, with strikes from Morgan Rogers, Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey helping the Birmingham side to strengthen their grip on fourth place.

With the top four from the English top flight all qualifying directly for 2024’s Champions League group stage, the win means Villa have 66 points after 34 games, six more than Tottenham Hotspur, who have two games in hand.

Bournemouth took the lead through a 31st-minute Dominic Solanke penalty after a foul by Matty Cash, but Rogers equalised in first-half stoppage time to send them in level at the break.

Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who has scored 19 goals so far this term, turned provider in the second half, teeing up Diaby and Bailey for simple close-range finishes to wrap up the three points for the home side.

Everton secured three crucial points when they beat relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Goodison Park to ease their own Premier League survival hopes and move five points clear of the drop zone.

With Everton and Forest being docked eight and four points respectively for financial breaches, Everton are 16th in the standings with 30 points, having played one game fewer than Forest, who sit four points below in 17th place.

Forest were furious at being denied three penalty claims and issued a strongly worded complaint on social media immediately after the game.

There was little to separate the sides in the opening minutes, but the hosts stepped up the pace and were rewarded in the 29th minute when Idrissa Gueye’s clinical strike from outside the box found the bottom corner past Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.

It was the Senegal international’s first goal for Everton since 2017.

Dwight McNeil doubled their advantage in the second half with a low shot from distance.

Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta netted a brace as they romped to a 5-2 rout of West Ham United with four goals inside 31 minutes including an exquisite bicycle kick by Eberechi Eze.

Reuters