Liverpool moved just one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race after beating Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Second half goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino were enough to seal victory for Jurgen Klopp's men, who avoided some scares before taking control just before the hour.

Mohamed Salah started the game on the bench after picking up a slight foot injury in Saturday's 2-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion, with Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz and Jota making up the Reds' forward line.

Mikel Arteta will be unhappy with the result but his side remain in fourth place, a point ahead of Manchester United with two games still in hand, while Liverpool are now breathing down City's neck at the top.

Virgil van Dijk had Aaron Ramsdale working early as he headed a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner towards goal, but the Arsenal goalkeeper was able to palm it away.

The Gunners had the better of the first half without really creating any chances, though Gabriel Martinelli in particular was troubling Liverpool down the hosts' left side.

Sadio Mane had the ball in the net early in the second half though it was ruled out for offside, before sloppy play from Thiago gave Martin Odegaard the chance to score, but Alisson made a fantastic save to deny the Norwegian.

Thiago made up for that mistake shortly after with a tremendous throughball for Jota, whose left-foot shot squirmed past Ramsdale at his near post to give the visitors a 54th-minute lead.

Klopp decided to make two changes immediately after with Jota and Luis Diaz coming off for Salah and Firmino, and it was the latter who doubled the lead just after the hour mark, with the Brazilian flicking an Andy Robertson cross into the net from close range.

What does it mean? Imperious Liverpool giving us a title race

If we're honest, most people thought it was over. Man City were 14 points clear at the top just a few weeks ago, albeit Liverpool had two games in hand at the time.

Now, after 29 games each, the Reds sit just a point behind Pep Guardiola's side, and will go top for at least a brief period if they avoid defeat to Watford at Anfield in their next league game.

Liverpool have now won their last nine Premier League games, scoring 23 goals and conceding just two in this run. Away from home, the Reds have only failed to win five of their 15 league trips this season (D3 L2).

Jota the slotter downs Gunners again

Some players have better records against some teams than others. Robbie Fowler had a great record against Arsenal, Roberto Firmino has a very good record against Arsenal, and Diogo Jota has an outstanding record against *checks notes*… Arsenal.

The Portugal international has scored six goals in last five appearances against the north London side in all competitions. Indeed, only Jamie Vardy (five) has netted as many goals at the Emirates Stadium as a visitor than Jota.

Arsenal's woeful Reds record continues

The hosts were more than a match for Liverpool in the first half, but just could not find that extra bit of quality to ensure the score matched their efforts, similarly to how they lost to Man City at home earlier in the season having played well.

Arsenal have now won just one of their last 19 meetings with Liverpool in all competitions (D8 L10), beating them 2-1 at home in July 2020 after Klopp's men had already been crowned champions.

What's next?

Arsenal travel to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday while it's FA Cup quarter-final action for Liverpool as they head to Nottingham Forest – who knocked the Gunners out in the third round – on Sunday.

Mohamed Salah was named on the substitutes' bench for Liverpool's trip to Arsenal on Wednesday. 

The Egyptian sustained a foot injury in the 2-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, having already scored a penalty at the Amex Stadium. 

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp was confident the Premier League's top scorer would be fit for the game at Emirates Stadium, labelling him a "tough cookie", but Salah was only deemed fit for the bench. 

Klopp made two changes from the team that won at Brighton, with Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota replacing Naby Keita and Salah. 

Salah leads the league's scoring charts with 20 goals, comfortably ahead of Jota, Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo (12). 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta named the same XI that won 2-0 against Leicester City on Sunday as he looked to do his former club Manchester City a favour. 

Liverpool would move just one point behind City with a win on Wednesday after the Premier League leaders drew 0-0 at Crystal Palace on Monday. 

The Gunners would further cement their place in the top four with a win, sitting a point ahead of Manchester United but with three games in hand. 

Liverpool have won their last two away games against Arsenal in all competitions, as many as they had in their previous 24 visits to the Emirates/Highbury combined (D10 L12). The Reds have never won three in a row away against the north London side in their history. 

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool's current squad is the strongest it has been during his time in charge, but the Reds boss accepts some players will depart at the end of the season.

Liverpool might still win a quadruple this season as they look to add the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup to the EFL Cup they won last month.

The Reds are in the quarter-finals of the other two cup competitions and are four points behind league leaders Manchester City ahead of Wednesday's game at Arsenal.

Luis Diaz's arrival from Porto has further bolstered Klopp's options in attack and the German admits he is now spoiled for choice with Roberto Firmino also back from injury.

However, that has impacted the playing time of the likes of Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino, who have both been linked with moves away from Anfield.

But while Klopp is anticipating certain departures ahead of next season, he is confident of keeping hold of Liverpool's big-hitters.

"It's unlikely with the size of the squad that we now stay exactly like this together," he told Sky Sports.

"For sure, some of the players do not play often enough for their own understanding and we will see what will come in the summer and find solutions for those situations.

"But the core of the group has to stay together. There is no doubt about that."

Klopp is into his seventh season with Liverpool and, with Diaz instantly integrating into the side, he believes this current crop of players are the best he has had at his disposal.

"Of course," he said. "Funnily enough, apart from Luis, it is the same squad that we had when we started the season. We had this strong squad, they were just unavailable. 

"Now they are available. That makes it the squad that we always wanted to have."

Question marks remain over the future of Mohamed Salah, who is out of contract at the end of next season and is reportedly no closer to agreeing fresh terms with the Reds.

Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are also into the final 18 months of their deals and all three players will be in their 30s come the start of next season.

"Some of the other guys, they are not old but in three or four years you might call them that," Klopp said when asked about the long-term status of his squad. 

"For me, the best time for them is yet to come. But we have to prepare the club for the time after these boys as well.

"There must be a time after us and this time should ideally be more successful than we are now."

Mohamed Salah is arguably the best player in the world on current form, though Liverpool have not yet tied him down to a new deal.

Talks over fresh terms for the 29-year-old have been ongoing for some time, but nothing is close to being agreed.

With his contract up in 2023, Salah could become one of the most sought-after free agents.

TOP STORY – MO HAPPY TO WAIT

According to Fabrizio Romano, Salah is perfectly happy at Liverpool and is not considering pushing through a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid or Barcelona.

However, there has been no further progress on the contract talks.

Salah, who has scored 28 goals already this season across all competitions, remains fully focused on Liverpool but could leave on a free transfer at the end of next season.

ROUND-UP 

- Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland will demand that a release clause is included in his contract should he sign for Manchester City, reports The Sun. The Daily Mail suggested a deal was close.

- Bundesliga reporter Jan Aage Fjortoft, however, has claimed that Haaland is of interest to Bayern Munich, who may be faced with the prospect of losing Robert Lewandowski.

- Bayern are also said to be interested in Barcelona full-back Sergino Dest. That is according to a report by Fichajes.

- Foot Mercato say that Neymar will be offered back to Barcelona, as Paris Saint-Germain prepare for a "shake up" ahead of next season.

- Juventus and Milan, meanwhile, are interested in Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, according to Calciomercato.

Jurgen Klopp is astounded by how few free-kicks Mohamed Salah wins for Liverpool – claiming referees are not whistling often enough.

Liverpool boss Klopp spoke out on the eve of Liverpool's trip to face in-form Arsenal in the Premier League, hoping Salah will recover from a slight foot injury to feature.

The Egyptian is the league's top scorer with 20 goals, but he has won just 16 fouls this season, far fewer than many fellow forwards in the competition.

Among the seven leading scorers in the Premier League, only 12-goal Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded fouls against him as rarely as Salah – the Manchester United man also earning 16 free-kicks.

Salah's Reds team-mates Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota are among that leading pack and have won 37 and 33 fouls respectively, while Brentford's 11-goal Ivan Toney has had 59 such decisions given in his favour.

The player with the most fouls awarded in the Premier League this season is Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha, with 72.

"There's a statistic – I don't know exactly who did it – that Mo is the one player with the least fouls against him," Klopp said.

"But not that he didn't get fouled, it's just we don't whistle. If you compare it to other strikers, it's crazy.

"It's absolutely crazy how low his number of fouls is against him which the ref whistles. So it means he constantly has contact, going down and you have to go up again, and stuff like this."

Salah has been involved in 171 of Liverpool's 180 Premier League games since joining ahead of the 2017-18 season, starting 163 of those and scoring 115 goals.

Klopp knows he has a player who always wants to be involved.

"He's very professional and very desperate to play each game," said Klopp.

"So when you ask him [about] the nine games [that he has missed] and maybe I left him out once or twice so he didn't start the game, so these things are really hard for him. He tries to be on the pitch in training and in games if somehow possible."

Jurgen Klopp has praised Mikel Arteta's work since taking over at Arsenal, with the Liverpool boss stating that he sees similarities between the Spaniard's tenure and his own start on Merseyside.

The Gunners have overcome a slow start to the 2021-22 campaign to emerge as top-four favourites, having embarked upon a five-game win streak matched by only their rivals near the summit.

Arteta has drawn praise for his dynamic style of football, and speaking ahead of the pair's Premier League clash on Wednesday, Klopp indicated he sees a kindred spirit in his fellow manager.

"I can’t even remember their start [to the season], I just see them playing now," the German stated. "They have a clear structure, clear idea, properly tuned, possession-based, young, full of talent and joy.

"If you go through the line-up there's an experienced striker and then three very exciting young boys and then a bit more experience in the double six and then a pretty inexperienced backline and a young goalkeeper, and that's not with [Emile] Smith Rowe even in, and then on top of the other guys, it’s interesting.

"Other teams will not like it because it's another big name back on track but that's how it looks

"There are similarities [to us], you can say it like this, they're a massive club and qualification for European football in the last few years is not exactly how they wanted it.

"If they get Champions League this year, it will feel as good [as it did] for us the first time. A step in the right direction, an exciting team.

"Arsenal fans, maybe since I was in England it was not always easy for them to enjoy. But they seem to be now and that's exactly how it should be."

Klopp will face a fortress when he travels to north London this week, with Arsenal having lost just once at home in the Premier League since an opening weekend loss to Chelsea.

But he does not yet know whether he'll be able to call upon Mohamed Salah following the latter's injury against Brighton and Hove Albion, though the forward's issue is less serious than feared.

"Mo is a tough cookie," he added. "We were quite lucky with it. It was sore and painful, yesterday a bit less swollen and less painful.

"Now I have got a message that Mo is ready to train and we will see how that looks."

Arsenal must be at their "very best" if they hope to defeat Liverpool in the Premier League, says Mikel Arteta, with the Spaniard hailing the Reds as "the best team in England".

The Gunners welcome Jurgen Klopp's title-chasers to Emirates Stadium for a crucial crash that could shape both of their respective seasons.

Liverpool will fulfil their game in hand on champions Manchester City and could move a point behind them with victory, while a win for Arsenal would further consolidate their top-four spot.

Arsenal have not played in the Champions League since the 2016-17 season and are desperate to return, and Wednesday's fixture might prove something of a litmus test as to just where the Gunners are at. Indeed, Arsenal went into the reverse fixture at Anfield in November on the back of a fine run of form yet were hammered 4-0.

"We are facing arguably the best team in England and have to be at our best to beat them," Arteta told a news conference.

"You face a team that dominates every single aspect of the game, so when that happens, you have to be at your very best."

On their prospects of securing a top-four finish, Arteta cautioned Arsenal about getting ahead of themselves, adding: "There still is a long way to go.

"There are better teams in the country because that's what the league table shows. We haven't done anything yet.

"What we are doing is trying to improve. We understand better what we want – being much more consistent in performance and results, and nothing else."

With the international break set to follow this weekend's fixtures, several Arsenal players are expected to be called up for their national teams, including England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

The shot-stopper was the hero against Leicester City at the weekend with another strong performance and was hailed by opposite manager Brendan Rodgers as the best goalkeeper in the country at the moment.

Arteta doubled down on that praise, adding: "Thanks to Brendan for thinking that way. Aaron has to take those words to give him confidence.

"He's been exceptional since the day we signed him, not only on the pitch, but what he transmitted, what he brought to the building, to the club."

Bernardo Silva insisted it is better to be in Manchester City's position rather than Liverpool's after the Premier League leaders were held at Crystal Palace.

Liverpool cut the gap on Pep Guardiola's side to three points with a 2-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, and City could only respond with a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park on Monday.

City were twice thwarted by the frame of the goal, with Kevin De Bruyne and Joao Cancelo denied either side of the interval, but Palace battled valiantly to share the spoils.

Silva also squandered a pair of glorious chances in either half, with his touch letting him down from close range in the first before nudging wide from Jack Grealish's low cross after the break.

Liverpool play their game in hand against Arsenal on Wednesday and could be top by the time the two sides meet at the Etihad Stadium on April 10, but Silva claimed he would rather be in his side's position.

"It was a tough game, we actually played well, we controlled the game apart from one or two times," Silva told Sky Sports after the match.

"We couldn't score, and we should've scored. Nine games to go, but it's still better to be in our position than in Liverpool's, and they have to play in our stadium, so it's going to be exciting.

"It's never easy to play at any team away in the Premier League. It's always better to win than draw, and we wanted to have an advantage of six points over Liverpool."

The goalless draw ended a run of 18 consecutive Premier League games in which City had scored, since a 2-0 defeat to Palace in October 2021.

Guardiola's side also mustered 18 shots in total without scoring against Palace, their biggest tally without a goal in the competition since their 18 efforts against Tottenham in August 2021.

City will be hoping to make amends in their next league outing at Burnley on April 2, after the international break and an FA Cup quarter-final trip to Southampton on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp declared Liverpool's players are ready for a 10-game title race with Manchester City – even if they are reluctant to give it that billing.

After 28 matches of the 38-game season, it has become a two-team sprint for Premier League glory, with City on 69 points and Liverpool second on 66 after Saturday's 2-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion.

These teams have been here before, most famously in the 2018-19 season when City took the title with 98 points, one point ahead of a Liverpool side who lost only one game.

It is Klopp's job to keep minds focused on short-term goals, which is why Wednesday's game at Arsenal will now be all-consuming for the Reds, rather than the thought of what might come their way when the season reaches its climax in May.

Asked about the race, Klopp told BT Sport: "We don't avoid, but it's not our job really to call it like that."

He knows City will be difficult to reel in, despite the gap closing and Liverpool having a trip to the Etihad Stadium coming up next month.

"You expect them just to win the games when you see them playing," Klopp said.

"As long as we are behind them, we don't really feel the title. The only thing we really feel is we want to win football games and as many as somehow possible.

"I can see that in the boys' faces and their body language. We are ready for that.

"This race doesn't need a name for us, we just want to win as many football games as possible."

Mohamed Salah has assured Jurgen Klopp the injury that forced him out of Liverpool's win at Brighton and Hove Albion is nothing to worry about.

Talisman Salah struck Liverpool's 2,000th Premier League goal to give the Reds a 2-0 lead at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, but he was substituted shortly afterwards.

Liverpool have a trip to Arsenal coming up on Wednesday, and manager Klopp would want Salah available for that tussle with Mikel Arteta's team.

"We will see," Klopp said on BT Sport. "He thinks it's not serious, but you can see when Mo Salah's sitting down that something's not 100 per cent right.

"I think it was a situation before when he hit the ball and got blocked. I think the foot got slightly overstretched. We have to see."

Luis Diaz had earlier put Liverpool ahead with a brave header, as Klopp's team cut Manchester City's lead at the top of the table to three points.

Captain Jordan Henderson said: "It was a real big game for us today and I felt as though we delivered.

"You always want that second goal to try to kill the game off a little bit more. We had one or two more chances, half-chances, to score. Overall, I think we would be very pleased with the overall performance."

Looking at the shrinking gap to City, Henderson said: "We speak about this every week. We're concentrating on ourselves, concentrating on the next game. That's important and it's worked really well for us. The focus has always been the next game, no matter what competition, and to give everything in that game and there's no reason to change that now."

Confidence is surging through Liverpool's ranks, with the cautious belief they are in great shape to sustain this challenge.

"We've felt like this for a long time," Henderson told BT Sport. "We know we've got to work and improve all the time, be better. The teams around us at the top of the table are fantastic teams, so you can never relax, and you can never take the foot off the gas.

"You've always got to push each other, drive each other on, and so far we've been doing that and we've got to continue that right to the end."

Assessing Diaz's display, Henderson described the January recruit as "top class". The winger headed the opener but was flattened by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in doing so, with the Brighton man avoiding punishment.

"I think he's obviously a little bit late, but Luis has done so well to get there first," Henderson said.

Liverpool maintained their relentless pursuit of Manchester City with a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion to close back to within three points of the Premier League leaders.

The Reds lost for just the third time this term in their midweek clash with Inter but they marched on with an eighth straight league win in Saturday's contest at the Amex Stadium.

Luis Diaz bravely headed Liverpool into a 19th-minute lead by getting in front of Robert Sanchez, who was perhaps fortunate to avoid any action for clattering into the forward. 

Mohamed Salah added a second from the penalty spot – Liverpool's 2,000th goal in the competition – to increase the pressure on City ahead of Monday's trip to Crystal Palace.

Brighton had gone three league games without defeat to Liverpool but fell behind in the opening quarter of the contest to Diaz's second goal in a Liverpool shirt.

The former Porto winger attacked Joel Matip's chipped pass over the top and got his head to it, but he was unable to celebrate the goal after being wiped out by Sanchez.

Referee Mike Dean did not check back the incident on the monitor, meaning Sanchez stayed on the field, but Albion's reprieve counted for little as Salah doubled the Reds' lead.

Having missed a couple of presentable opportunities, the Egypt international fired a penalty right down the middle after Naby Keita's shot hit Yves Bissouma on the arm.

After becoming just the second Premier League side after Manchester United to hit a landmark 2,000 goals, Liverpool sat comfortably on their lead to see through another victory.

Liverpool have become only the second club after Manchester United to score 2,000 goals in the Premier League.

The Reds hit the landmark figure in Saturday's meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion thanks to Mohamed Salah's 61st-minute penalty to put his side 2-0 ahead.

Jurgen Klopp's team are still some way off United in terms of all-time goals in the competition, however, with their fierce rivals boasting 2,173.

Arsenal are next on the list behind United and Liverpool with 1,997 goals, followed by Chelsea (1,953) and Tottenham (1,716).

Liverpool's highest scoring Premier League season came in 2013-14 when netting 101 times, making them one of only three teams to reach the century mark in a single campaign.

Well over half of Liverpool's 2,000 goals have come at Anfield, while Newcastle United's St James' Park is the opposition ground they have scored their most goals at (43).

Somewhat unsurprisingly, then, Newcastle are the side against whom Liverpool have scored their most goals against, finding the net 108 times against the Magpies in total.

Salah's 32-goal season in 2017-18 stands as the most prolific by a Liverpool player in the competition, with Luis Suarez (31 in 2013-14) the only other to breach the 30-goal mark.

Robbie Fowler remains Liverpool's top scorer in Premier League history with 128, and is one of four players to reach the century mark for the club – alongside Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Salah.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes there should be greater scrutiny of investment in English football as Chelsea lurch into an uncertain future.

Klopp has expressed sympathy for Chelsea employees, after club owner Roman Abramovich's assets were frozen by the UK government because of his connection to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The asset freeze means Chelsea are legally unable to conduct player transfers or finalise new contracts, sell merchandise or have match-day attendees outside of season-ticket holders.

The armed conflict in Ukraine has placed Chelsea in consequent uncertainty, but Klopp was sympathetic towards Blues players and staff, currently in a situation considerably outside of their control.

Added to that, he bristled at the idea football should be devoid of blame in the game's sourcing of money.

"I don't think it's really fair to ask me, you've been in this country much longer than me," Klopp said in a pre-match press conference. "Did you care when Roman Abramovich came to this country? Did anybody really care when Newcastle got taken over? Do supporters really care?"

Newcastle United were recently taken over by a Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, despite criticism from some observers of that country's human rights record.

Looking at the investments in English football that have caused controversy, Klopp added: "I think it's pretty obvious where the money is coming from, so everybody knew it, that's our fault, society's fault and now nobody can accept it, so we punish them.

"Not Chelsea's fault, not at all. In the end, owners are there to lead a club to give financial resources. I think it's a good idea to think about where the money is coming from."

On matters regarding Liverpool, the 54-year-old Klopp expressed joy at Joel Matip winning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for February.

"If there is one player who doesn't care if you under-rate him, it is Joel Matip. He just enjoys playing football with the team and that's why we are so glad he got it," Klopp said.

Meanwhile, Klopp is not concern by Mohamed Salah not having yet signed a contract extension.

The Egyptian attacker's current contract expires at the end of next season, in June 2023. Despite Liverpool being as yet unable to finalise an extension, Klopp is not worried about the situation.

"Nothing new has happened and Mo [Salah] is giving everything to the club and the rest will be sorted. The club is in talks with the agents and that's how it will be," Klopp said.

Liverpool, sitting second in the table, travel to face Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

Liverpool defender Joel Matip has been named Premier League Player of the Month for his performances in February.

The centre-back is the first Cameroonian to win the prize, which recognised his influence in a positive month for title-hopefuls Liverpool.

Matip was an ever-present for the Reds in the league, contributing to three clean sheets in four matches, conceding just once in the process.

No defenders recorded more clean sheets in February, while Matip was the only centre-back to score and get an assist over the month.

He netted a fine strike in the 6-0 hammering of Leeds United, as he impressively brought the ball out from defence, played a one-two with Mohamed Salah and then lifted the ball past Illan Meslier.

Matip also teed up Diogo Jota in the 2-0 win over Leicester City, feeding the Portuguese forward with a cheeky nutmeg on the edge of the box.

The 30-year-old beat Che Adams, Ryan Fraser, Harry Kane, Ben Mee and Wilfried Zaha to the gong, making him the first centre-back – and only second defender after team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold – to win the prize this term.

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe also had cause for celebration after he took home the Manager of the Month award.

Having invested heavily in January, the Magpies were unbeaten in February as they won three times and drew away to West Ham – they have not lost in the Premier League in 2022.

As such, Newcastle climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time since September and have a 10-point cushion between them and 18th-placed Burnley.

Howe came out ahead of Mikel Arteta, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Jurgen Klopp in the vote and it was the fourth time he has won the award, previously doing so three times while in charge of Bournemouth.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp sympathises with Chelsea supporters, but agrees with the United Kingdom government's decision to sanction Roman Abramovich.

Long-time Chelsea owner Abramovich was one of seven Russian oligarchs to have his assets frozen on Thursday due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Abramovich, whose net worth is reported to be in the region of £9.4billion, has previously been photographed with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Chelsea have been granted a special sporting licence to continue trading – and indeed playing – as a football club, but other hard-hitting sanctions have been put in place.

They include a ban on selling tickets, with only season-ticket holders permitted to attend matches, while the Blues cannot buy or sell players, or offer new contracts.

That leaves Chelsea facing an uncertain future, but Klopp insists the decision taken by authorities is the correct one given the ongoing events in Ukraine.

"Thomas [Tuchel] and I know each other well, but we are not that close to talk about what's been said," Klopp said at a pre-match news conference on Friday.

"We talk about games, yes, but not other moments. Of course, for him, the players and the employers at Chelsea, it's not a situation they are responsible for.

"One man is responsible for that and it's Vladimir Putin. I don't know about Roman Abramovich's role and all these kind of things.

"But over the years you could guess he's pretty close. I think what the British government did is right, to be 100 per cent honest. 

"It's still not cool for the people of Chelsea or the supporters, I get that. But I think the things the government did are right."

Among other major knock-on effects for Chelsea, shirt sponsor Three has asked the club to remove its logos from team shirts and from the club's Stamford Bridge stadium.

It was business as usual for the west London side on Thursday as they saw off bottom club Norwich City 3-1 to consolidate third place in the Premier League.

Speaking after the match, Mason Mount admitted he and his team-mates cannot simply ignore off-the-field events.

"You can't really avoid it, as there's a lot going on," Mount told BBC Sport. "We have to focus on what we do on the pitch. 

"We had a game today and that was the only thing we could focus on. We did that today, so now it's about Sunday. You try not to look too much into it."

Chelsea host Newcastle United on Sunday in their first game at Stamford Bridge since these developments.