Chelsea closes gap on Premier League leader Liverpool by beating Leicester 2-1

It began as a night of celebration for Manchester Metropolis. It ended with the four-time defending Premier League champion conceding 4 targets and falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions because it faces a deepening disaster in a season that’s threatening to unravel.

A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday left Metropolis 5 factors behind league chief Liverpool, having performed a sport extra, and with supervisor Pep Guardiola questioning whether or not he might get its title problem again on monitor.

“I’d say if you lose three Premier League (video games) in a row, the improper factor to say is we’re going to be champion,” Guardiola stated. “However the actuality is right here, we now have to do it guys. Now we have to interrupt (the run), begin to win video games.”

Two targets from James Maddison inside 20 minutes on the Etihad Stadium surprised the house crowd, which had been handled to a lightweight present earlier than kickoff to mark midfielder Rodri profitable the Ballon d’Or award for the very best soccer participant on the planet.

With Guardiola additionally having signed a two-year contract extension this week, there was double purpose to rejoice. However Metropolis’s newest loss highlighted onfield issues that he’s struggling to cease. Pedro Porro scored a 3rd for Tottenham after halftime and substitute Brennan Johnson added a fourth within the third minute of stoppage time.

Defeat prolonged what was already Guardiola’s worst shedding streak in a glittering teaching profession at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Metropolis.

It additionally handed Liverpool an ideal alternative to tighten its grip on the title race when it performs last-place Southampton on Sunday. Metropolis performs Liverpool at Anfield subsequent weekend.

Rivals are additionally closing in on second-place Metropolis, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton all profitable on Saturday to maneuver inside some extent of Guardiola’s workforce.

“If ultimately we don’t win (the title) it’s as a result of we don’t deserve it,” Guardiola stated. “We received it up to now as a result of we deserved it.”

Shedding streak

After losses to Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting Lisbon and Brighton, Metropolis was trying to get the season again on monitor with a win that will have closed the hole to Liverpool to 2 factors.

However a flying begin from Spurs quickly put the house workforce on track for an additional loss as Maddison volleyed in from shut vary within the thirteenth minute and produced a fragile end to raise the ball over Ederson for his second within the twentieth.

Porro blasted in a 3rd after a swift counter within the 52nd and Johnson accomplished Metropolis’s distress with Guardiola admitting his gamers had been “fragile” after the newest loss.

Rivals shut in

Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton are six factors behind Liverpool after taking the possibility to maintain the strain on Arne Slot’s workforce.

Third-place Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 within the early kickoff and Arsenal, in fourth, received 3-0 towards Nottingham Forest. Fifth-place Brighton received 2-1 at Bournemouth to take care of its excellent begin to the season below new coach Fabian Hurzeler.

Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez put Chelsea on track for victory at King Energy Stadium, with Jordan Ayew scoring for Leicester with a second-half stoppage-time penalty.

Jackson confirmed good shut management within the field earlier than firing Chelsea in entrance with a intelligent end within the fifteenth minute. It was the Senegal striker’s seventh aim in 13 appearances this season.

Fernandez headed in Chelsea’s second within the seventy fifth after Jackson’s header was saved by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. Ayew’s penalty got here too late for Leicester to mount a fightback.

Arteta landmark

Mikel Arteta celebrated his 250th sport in command of Arsenal in fashion with victory towards Forest.

It was his 147th win in all competitions — greater than any Arsenal supervisor after the identical variety of video games. Membership nice Arsene Wenger received 136 of his first 250 video games.

Bukayo Saka put Arsenal forward within the fifteenth on the Emirates Stadium and Thomas Partey added a second seven minutes into the second half. The 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri scored his first Premier League aim for the membership within the 86th.

Flying excessive

Brighton’s spectacular run continued with victory at Bournemouth to maintain it simply outdoors the Champions League locations on aim distinction.

U.S.-born Hurzeler was employed in June and has made a direct influence.

Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma put Brighton 2-0 up on the Vitality Stadium, with David Brooks pulling a aim again for Bournemouth in stoppage time.

Villa slides

Aston Villa’s winless run was prolonged to 6 video games after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, which twice noticed Unai Emery’s workforce must battle again from a aim down.

Palace, which is third from backside of the standings, twice led within the first half by Ismaila Sarr and Justin Devenny. Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley leveled for Villa on every event. Villa’s Youri Tielemans additionally had a penalty saved with the rating at 1-1.

Villa hasn’t received since beating Bologna 2-0 within the Champions League on Oct. 22. It has misplaced 4 of its final six video games in all competitions.

Wolves comeback

Trailing 1-0 at Fulham, Wolves powered again to win 4-1 at Craven Cottage and climb out of the relegation zone.

Wolves is in seventeenth place and one level above the drop zone after its second league win of the season.

Alex Iwobi put Fulham forward, however two targets from Matheus Cunha and strikes from Joao Gomes and Goncalo Guedes noticed Wolves safe back-to-back wins within the league and prolong the workforce’s unbeaten run to 4 video games.

Everton drew 0-0 with Brentford.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer