Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-1 to end hopes of record points haul
Arsenal capitalised on shocking errors from Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Alisson to beat the champions 2-1 at The Emirates on Wednesday and end their hopes of a record points tally for the Premier League season.
The loss means Liverpool, on 93 points, can now only stretch that tally to 99, one short of Manchester City's record. Arsenal's first win against Liverpool since April 2015 lifts them one place to ninth in the table on 53 points.
The visitors created all the early pressure and opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Sadio Mane lashed in his 17th goal of the season from close range.
Yet the home side, playing without their leading scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, were handed a free pass back into the game 12 minutes later when Van Dijk made a back pass straight into the path of Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette.
The Frenchman calmly rounded defender Fabinho and keeper Alisson and fired into an empty net.
A second moment of calamitous work at the back from Liverpool then gifted the lead to Arsenal before the break, when Alisson attempted a chipped ball out to Robertson that Lacazette ran onto and pulled back to Reiss Nelson.
The 20-year-old turned and shaped his shot beyond the diving keeper into the bottom left corner.
"Twice, a massive lack of concentration... These two moments killed the game for us," said Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp, whose side suffered only their third league defeat of the season.
"Arsenal had no real chances... You cannot win football games when you concede goals like this."
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had left Aubameyang on the bench, most likely with one eye on Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City, which may now be the Gunners' best chance of securing European football next season.
Yet as Liverpool poured forward after the break and created numerous chances, the best of which from Salah was palmed over the bar at the last second by keeper Emiliano Martinez, Arteta responded.
He shored up his side with a triple substitution, bringing off both his goalscorers and Lucas Torreira and replacing them with Aubameyang, Dani Ceballos and Joe Willock.
Klopp then took off Firmino and brought on Takumi Minamino, who had an almost immediate shout for a penalty after coming into contact with Kieran Tierney in front of the Arsenal goal.
The visitors kept up the pressure but despite at times driving almost the entire Arsenal team back into their own penalty area, they were unable to find a way through.
"In terms of energy and happiness in the dressing room before the (FA Cup) semi-final, it's a good medicine," Arteta said.
"To beat this team you have to have moments in the game when you take your chances, defend and have a bit of luck."
Harry Kane goes past 200 club goals as Spurs win at Newcastle
Harry Kane went past 200 career club goals with a second-half double as Tottenham Hotspur won 3-1 at Newcastle United in the Premier League on Wednesday to boost their European qualification hopes.
Minutes after Matt Ritchie's piledriver had drawn the hosts level, Kane's clinical header on the hour put the visitors back in front, taking him to another landmark.
Kane sealed the points in the last minute with another header to take his career tally to 201.
Son Heung-min had given Tottenham the lead in the 27th minute with his 11th league goal of the campaign.
Tottenham rose to seventh on 55 points with two games remaining, one point behind sixth-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race for a Europa League spot.
Kane's 201 club goals have come in 350 appearances in all competitions with 185 of them for Tottenham.
It was also a milestone of sorts for Spurs manager Jose Mourinho who claimed a first league win at Newcastle.
"201 in 350 league games -- that's not bad!" Kane told BT Sport. "It's nice to get to that milestone but the points are the most important thing.
"Hopefully, I'll get a couple of more before the season ends.
"A tough game and three massive points. We didn't play as well as we could have but we got the result in the end."
Newcastle were unfortunate to be down at halftime, although they were culpable for Son's strike.
The hosts lost the ball trying to play out from the back and Spurs pounced with Giovani Lo Celso moving the ball across to Son whose shot beat Martin Dubravka at his near post.
Newcastle had the better chances, though, with Miguel Almiron's effort cleared off the line by Davinson Sanchez, captain Jonjo Shelvey heading over and Dwight Gayle heading against the post.
Ritchie scored a deserved equaliser in the 56th minute when he gathered a poor clearance from Serge Aurier before lashing a fizzing shot past Hugo Lloris. Aurier was playing despite his brother being murdered in France this week.
Newcastle were only level for three minutes, however, with Spurs substitute Steven Bergwijn's first contribution being a superb cross that was met by Kane with an angled header.
Kane dived in to head his second after substitute Erik Lamela's shot was parried.
Manchester City see off lowly Bournemouth to extend home run
David Silva and Gabriel Jesus scored first-half goals as Manchester City claimed a 2-1 Premier League victory over relegation-threatened Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
Second-placed City broke the deadlock inside six minutes as Spanish midfielder Silva curled a sublime free kick into the top corner for his second set-piece goal in three league appearances.
Bournemouth went close to an equaliser from a free kick of their own but Junior Stanislas's effort was saved by City keeper Ederson who pushed it onto the post.
City doubled their advantage when Jesus slalomed past two defenders to score from close range, with Silva collecting his 10th assist of the league campaign.
Bournemouth avoided further damage in the second half when the VAR overturned a City penalty awarded for a tackle by defender Steve Cook on Brazilian striker Jesus.
Substitute David Brooks gave Bournemouth a lifeline with an 88th-minute goal after Callum Wilson found the Welsh midfielder to slot home from close range.
The duo went close to an equaliser in the closing stages but City held on to secure their sixth home league win in a row.
"It was difficult but our opponent played really well, they were really good and they pushed us a lot," City manager Pep Guardiola said.
"Their needs are higher than ours but we played our game."
Eddie Howe's Bournemouth recorded 14 attempts on goal but poor finishing left them in 18th place, three points adrift of the safety zone with two games remaining.
"We gave it everything tonight and real credit to the players to keep on going until the final whistle," Howe said.
"When you create those moments - and you don't get many against this quality of team - you need to take them.
"We need to match the performance level here and maybe surpass that against Southampton, that is all we should focus on now."
City have secured second place behind champions Liverpool and next face Arsenal on Saturday in the FA Cup semi-finals.
