While struggling Liverpool suffered a shocking 3-0 loss at Brighton on Saturday, Manchester United rallied for a thrilling 2-1 victory over Manchester City that left their archrivals furious over a contentious VAR decision to allow Bruno Fernandes’ equalizer.
Everton manager Frank Lampard was forced closer to the firing on a dramatic day of Premier League action as his struggling team was defeated 2-1 by relegation rivals Southampton.
In the second Manchester derby of the season, United was down a goal thanks to Jack Grealish’s 60th-minute header at Old Trafford.
However, the championship defense of City was severely damaged when Marcus Rashford scored United’s winning goal in the 82nd minute after a very contentious equalizer by Portugal player Fernandes.
The game changed on Fernandes’ goal, and City manager Pep Guardiola and his players were furious when Rashford’s run on Casemiro’s pass resulted in an offside flag being raised.
Although VAR determined that Rashford did not touch the ball or interfere with play because he did not touch the ball, City was sure that the England striker disturbed the defenders and goalkeeper Ederson.
“The first goal is a joke that it can be allowed,” City defender Manuel Akanji told BBC Sport.
“He runs for 30 metres, he’s chasing the ball. In the situation, I played him (Rashford) offside. I understand he doesn’t touch the ball, but for me it is clearly offside.”
Guardiola maintained there was no doubt Rashford’s run impacted the reactions of Akanji and Ederson.
He said, “The decision is the referee’s, the VAR, but our defenders make a line for Rashford.
“If we know it’s Fernandes we don’t make the line, we follow the action, and after the action the interference for Ederson.”
Second-placed City, who are in risk of losing significant position in the title battle this week, are now only one point behind third-placed United.
With a victory against rival Tottenham in north London on Sunday, league leaders Arsenal would increase their lead to eight points.
In a Saturday Premier League match at the American Express Stadium, Liverpool was defeated 0–3 by Brighton.
Their chances of pulling off a top-four finish after a challenging season took a significant setback as Brighton easily won on the south coast.
Brighton earnedly seized the lead in the 47th minute after dominating the first half without scoring.
Alexis Mac Allister was able to locate Kaoru Mitoma after Joel Matip carelessly handed over control to him. Kaoru’s cross was expertly weighted for unmarked Solly March to tap into.
Six minutes later, with Liverpool in disarray, March delivered a beautiful finish from just inside the area and into the far corner.
Danny Welbeck sealed the victory by volleying in after flicking March’s ball over Joe Gomez.
Liverpool is currently in eighth place, seven points behind the top four teams, and appears to be a shell of the team that came close to winning the quadruple last season after being defeated at Brentford in their most recent league game.
After Southampton’s 2-1 victory at Goodison Park, Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals Everton find themselves in even worse shape.
Due to a “real and credible threat to their safety,” the Everton board of directors decided not to attend the game.
Following last week’s 4-1 home loss to Brighton, Everton CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale reportedly had her car attacked and was being handled by a fan.
In their last 13 games in all competitions, Everton has only won once, and prior to the game, banners and flags demanding the departure of the board were flown.
In the 39th minute, Amadou Onana scored off a corner kick by Demarai Gray to give Evertoi the lead.
But less than two minutes into the second half, Southampton equalized when James Ward-Prowse pounced on Che Adams’ knockdown on the edge of the box.
Inflicting more harm, Ward-Prowse blasted one of his signature free kicks past Jordan Pickford in the 78th minute.
Although Southampton is still at the bottom of the standings, they are now just below second-to-last Everton on goal differential.
After Wolves moved above the helpless Hammers with a 1-0 victory at home, West Ham now occupies the final spot in the bottom three.
Daniel Podence scored in the 48th minute to end West Ham’s seven-game league winning streak.
At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest defeated Leicester 2-0 thanks to two goals from Brennan Johnson.
