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Liverpool have fought back to draw 1-1 with Manchester City in the last Premier League clash between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola before the German coach steps down at the end of the season.
Alexis Mac Allister struck a 50th-minute penalty to cancel out John Stones’ first-half strike at Anfield on Sunday, hours after Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham were left celebrating an emphatic 4-0 win at Aston Villa in another key match.
Anfield played host to a typically full-blooded, high octane clash of titans – and Guardiola remembered why he said he’ll sleep easier when his long-time rival Klopp is no longer standing in his way.
Guardiola likened Liverpool to a “tsunami” as the defending champions had to dig deep to survive long periods of pressure in the second half.
“Oh my God, they come from everywhere,” Guardiola said after a 1-1 draw on Sunday that kept second-place Liverpool one point ahead of City in third.
Arsenal ended the weekend top of the standings on goal difference, but the Londoners’ 2-1 win at Brentford on Saturday felt like a sub-plot in comparison to the latest – and possibly last clash – between Klopp and Guardiola.
It was a thrilling encounter, which saw Luis Diaz miss a big chance to fire Liverpool ahead and Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku hit the woodwork for City.
In stoppage time, Klopp thought Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty for Doku’s chest-high challenge on Mac Allister, only for VAR to dismiss appeals.
Perhaps Klopp is mellowing as he counts down his final days at the club, but he preferred to focus on the performance of his rebuilt and injury-stricken team.
“Today I saw the best 53 minutes we had against Manchester City. It was exceptional and important as well that we learned that about ourselves,” said the German.
“Still, there are 10 games to go, 30 points to play for,” shrugged Guardiola. “One point difference. The important thing is still we are there after where we came from in previous seasons, still we are there.”
For Spurs, it was once Harry Kane that fans pinned their hopes to. Now it is Son Heung-min.
The South Korea forward has helped fill the void left by Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich and on Sunday he inspired Postecoglou’s side to a rout against top-four rivals at Villa Park with one goal and two assists.
Fifth-place Spurs are now two points behind Villa in fourth with a game in hand.
Son provided assists for Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner either side of scoring his 14th goal of the season in all competitions. James Maddison had opened the scoring in a game that also saw Villa’s John McGinn sent off in the second half.
Nottingham Forest’s survival hopes were dealt a blow after Andrew Omobamidele’s own-goal consigned the relegation-fighting team to a 1-0 loss at Brighton.
Danny Ings scored in the first minute of stoppage time to deny Burnley a vital win and secure a 2-2 draw at the London Stadium.
Burnley had led 2-0 through David Datro Fofana and an own-goal by Konstantinos Mavropanos.
But thoughts of a first win since December 23 were ended by a second-half fightback from West Ham with Lucas Paqueta scoring just after the break and Ings levelling.
Burnley at least moved off the foot of the table and above Sheffield United on goal difference.
© AAP
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