Liverpool's title hopes hurt by Spurs, Utd humbled at Brighton
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (R) and Naby Keita reacts after a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, England, May 7, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

Liverpool's dreams of an unprecedented quadruple were dented by the stalemate against Spurs, while struggling Man Utd's season went from bad to worse after a 4-0 thumping by mid-table Brighton



Liverpool's hopes of winning the Premier League title was dented by Tottenham Hotspur when Antonio Conte's men held the Reds to a 1-1 draw at home on Saturday.

Manchester United's season, on the other hand, can hardly end soon enough after a 4-0 hammering by Brighton and Hove Albion, while Watford was relegated from the top flight as it lost to Crystal Palace.

Liverpool reached the Champions League final Tuesday with a victory over Villarreal but the mood was gloomy as it was unable to ratchet up the pressure on Manchester City at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp's pupils had won their last 12 Premier League home games and were unbeaten at Anfield in the league for 14 months but trailed to Son Heung-min's 56th-minute goal.

Son's 20th league goal of the season looked like earning Tottenham the win they needed to move fourth but Luis Diaz equalized with a deflected shot in the 74th minute.

Liverpool moved top with 83 points from 35 games with City also on 83 from 34 games. Reigning champions City can go three points clear if it beats Newcastle United on Sunday.

"The dressing room is not flying, come on, but there are other games to play. We just have to keep going," Liverpool manager Klopp said.

Watford goes down

Watford's 1-0 defeat by Palace soured former manager Roy Hodgson's return to Selhurst Park.

Wilfried Zaha's penalty earned Palace the points to send Watford down and inflict a first relegation from the Premier League in Hodgson's long managerial career.

Watford's Northern Irish defender Craig Cathcart reacts after a Premier League match against Crystal Palace, London, England, May 7, 2022.

Manchester United's soon-to-be ex interim manager Ralf Rangnick apologized after a display he described as "humiliating" on the south coast.

Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard were all on target for Brighton as United suffered a fifth successive away defeat in the league to end any remaining hope of a top-four finish.

"It was a terrible performance. From the first until the last minute it was not enough. We can only apologize for this performance and a humiliating defeat," said Rangnick, who will hand over to Erik ten Hag at the end of the season.

Burnley's resurgence, which had seen them escape the relegation zone, came to a halt as they lost 3-1 at home to Aston Villa for whom Danny Ings, Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins were all on the scoresheet.

Burnley is in 16th place with 34 points but 18th-placed Everton has 32 points with two games more to play.

Wolves players celebrate after a Premier League match against Chelsea, London, England, May 7, 2022. (EPA Photo)

Blues held by Wolves

Chelsea is not yet assured of a top-four place as it was held to a 2-2 home draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With potential new owner Ted Boehly watching at Stamford Bridge, Romelu Lukaku scored twice to put the hosts ahead.

But Francisco Trincao scored a spectacular goal 11 minutes from time before Conor Coady headed a dramatic 97th-minute equalizer to deny Chelsea victory on the day the sale of the club was agreed.

Chelsea is in third place with 67 points from 35 games with fourth-placed Arsenal, who hosts relegation-threatened Leeds United on Sunday, on 63 from 34. Tottenham has 62 from 35.

"Of course the taste of the game is bad," Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta said. "We are conceding too many goals in the last couple of games which is putting us in a difficult position in the race for the Champions League."

Brentford is ending its maiden Premier League season on a high as it crushed Southampton 3-0 to virtually guarantee survival, barring an unlikely sequence of results.