Jurgen Klopp implored Liverpool to continue "annoying" Manchester City as the Reds pursue the Premier League leaders.

Guardiola's defending top-flight champions are six points clear at the top, though they fell to a 3-2 reverse against Tottenham on Saturday.

Liverpool are in second and have the opportunity to cut the deficit to just three points when they host Leeds United on Wednesday.

Following last week's Champions League win over Sporting CP, Guardiola joked that the Reds were a "pain in the a**" and Klopp wants his side to carry on pestering City.

"First and foremost, it's important that we are close to whoever is at the top because that shows that some things are going in the right direction," Klopp said when asked about the title race on Tuesday.

"In the last four seasons - we were not around one year because of our problems, and we had some struggles - but before it was an insane race.

"Both teams are able to do some special stuff, I have to say with all respect [because] what City is doing is incredible.

"I think we are pushing each other as well, not only us because I don't forget the other teams like Chelsea, [Manchester] United, Arsenal and Tottenham. 

"But, we are pushing each other and that's how it is, and it keeps you going. There is no chance to get a bit soft because the other one will be there immediately to catch you.

"I think what Pep said - that we are the pain in the lower back, that's a good description and that's how it should be. 

"We try to be as annoying as somehow possible until we have a chance to overtake, but I don't know when that will be or if that will be the case.

"But, what I always said is that we have the decisive moments of the season, but it's not now in February; it's March and April."

Many are billing the clash between the top two at the Etihad Stadium on April 9 as a potential deciding factor in the title race, but Klopp insisted his team must keep the pace now to make that the case.

"You have to be close enough to make a decision in your direction and I don't know if that will be the case because what we do is pretty special, and I don't expect that to happen every week, and you cannot turn around games every week," he added.

"We have to be at our absolute best to play the best possible season for us and unfortunately, only twice a year in the Premier League, we face the other team [City].

"The first one was a draw where we were not brilliant but good enough to get a point, and the next one is not played yet, and we have to play the other teams including Tottenham and United as well. 

"We don't sit here and count those points as done, and then we wait for the middle of April for the City game.

"But, what the boys did over the past four years is pretty special and I'm happy with that, but not overly happy that I think that's enough.

"So far, it's not a bad season, but the decisions will be made later, and we just have to make sure that we are always in and around when these decisions will be made."

Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic put Chelsea in control of their Champions League last-16 tie against Lille with a 2-0 win, but Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech went off injured. 

Despite Romelu Lukaku being dropped to the bench after a dismal showing against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Chelsea needed just eight minutes to find the net through Havertz. 

The reigning champions saw in-form duo Kovacic and Ziyech hobble off before the hour mark, casting doubt over their chances of featuring in the EFL Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday. 

Pulisic finished off a quick break after 63 minutes to secure a strong first-leg lead for Thomas Tuchel's side, with the return leg to come in France next month.

Havertz wasted little time in making his mark as the central striker, nodding home from Ziyech's corner after failing to take a couple of early chances. 

Antonio Rudiger almost turned a Renato Sanches cross into his own net and Lille threatened with a flurry of chances from the resulting corner as they started to get a foothold in the game. 

Chelsea were dealt a blow when they lost Kovacic and Ziyech in quick succession early in the second half, but they doubled their advantage in the 63rd minute. 

N'Golo Kante surged forward from inside the Chelsea half and fed Pulisic for a delightful dink over the onrushing Leo Jardim and into the bottom-right corner. 

Lille tried to reduce the arrears with a push for a late goal, but Edouard Mendy was never really tested and Chelsea remained in charge of the tie. 

What does it mean? Advantage Chelsea 

The Blues were always going to be the favourites in this match-up and they got the win that was expected of them despite being far from dominant. 

Chelsea have a good record when winning the first leg of a Champions League tie; in the 11 occasions they have won the opening encounter, they have reached the next round nine times. 

However, the two exits followed first-leg victories at Stamford Bridge against Barcelona in 1999-2000 and Liverpool in 2006-07. 

No room for Romelu 

Lukaku was dropped after having just seven touches across 90 minutes at the weekend. Havertz needed just five to have three attempts on goal and find the net with the last of them, showing he is more than capable of being a potent threat through the middle. 

Sanches shines in defeat 

Sanches proved he has come a long way as he returned to the ground where he infamously passed to a logo on an advertising board, which he had mistaken for a team-mate during an underwhelming loan spell at Swansea City in 2017. He bossed the midfield in the first half and played some lovely passes.  

What's next? 

Chelsea face Liverpool in the EFL Cup final at Wembley on Sunday, when Lille travel to Lyon in Ligue 1. 

Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic could be doubts for the EFL Cup final this weekend after hobbling out of Chelsea's Champions League meeting with Lille. 

Kovacic sustained an injury shortly after the restart in the last 16 first leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday and was replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the 51st minute.

Ziyech, who has scored in each of his past three Premier League appearances and set up Kai Havertz for the opener against Lille, appeared to sustain an ankle injury. Saul Niguez was sent on in his place in the 60th minute. 

Thomas Tuchel will no doubt hope the pair are able to recover in time to feature against Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday, with Chelsea chasing more silverware after their Club World Cup triumph earlier this month.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has conceded injured forwards Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino will not be fit for the Premier League clash with Leeds United, and that both face a race against time to make Sunday's EFL Cup final against Chelsea.

Jota, whose tally of 12 league goals for the season is bettered only by Mohamed Salah among Liverpool players, suffered a knock in last week's Champions League win at Inter, while Firmino reported discomfort after the same fixture.

Both forwards sat out the Reds' 3-1 Premier League win over Norwich, with fellow attackers Salah, Sadio Mane, and Luis Diaz all finding the net.

Ahead of a week in which Liverpool can close the gap to Manchester City in the Premier League to just three points, before looking to lift their first domestic cup since 2012, Klopp was not hopeful about the pair's prospects.

"For tomorrow [Wednesday, against Leeds], no chance, and then [for] the final we will see", Klopp said. "It would be easy to say 'no' now, but we will see. 

"They are [pushing], but they were not on the training pitch [yet] so that's not a good sign. 

"We have to see what we can do with the boys in the next few days, and then make a decision later in the week."

Liverpool, who have only failed to score in one of their last 23 meetings with Leeds in all competitions, netting in each of their last 16 in a row since a goalless draw in April 1999, will go within three points of City if they beat the Whites at Anfield, but Klopp was keen to highlight Leeds' strengths before the contest.

"We saw all the faces of Leeds United on Sunday [in their 4-2 defeat to Manchester United]," he added.

"They are very brave and very exciting. Offensively, they go with everything they have. Defensively, you can cause them problems, but that is difficult as well, because of their man-marking all over the pitch.

"If you are not really up for the game, they will eat you."

Chelsea and Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is relishing a huge week for the Stamford Bridge outfit, saying he will have time to celebrate his recent trophy wins at the end of the season.

Mendy has enjoyed another strong campaign, lifting the Club World Cup with Thomas Tuchel's team after starring in his nation's first major trophy success at the Africa Cup of Nations.

He kept four clean sheets and was named the tournament's best goalkeeper as Senegal lifted the trophy.

But with the London outfit facing a crucial week on two fronts, hosting Lille in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday before facing Liverpool in Sunday's EFL Cup final, the 29-year-old says he is simply taking each game as it comes without any time to celebrate just yet.

"A lot of good things have happened in the last weeks," Mendy said ahead of Chelsea's first-leg clash with Lille. "I am very happy and proud of my success with the national team and Chelsea.

"I don't have time to celebrate, because we have a lot of big games in the coming weeks, so I am just focused on the next game. I will have time to celebrate at the end of the season.

"It's an important week but like I said, when you play for Chelsea you play for this kind of week, with finals and big games.

"We just [have to] focus on ourselves and what we have done well this season. We don't need to do something new, just rely on our work and our game."

Mendy, who has kept nine clean sheets in 21 league appearances for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, was also keen to praise teammate Kepa Arrizabalaga, who deputised ably when he travelled to Africa.

"My relationship with Kepa is good since I came here, we have a good relationship on and off the pitch," he said.

"When you play for Chelsea, you have competition in every position, so you have to give your best and play at your highest level to be in the team at the weekend."

Mendy also warned of the challenge posed by Lille ahead of the Ligue 1 holders' trip to London, as Chelsea try to retain their Champions League title.

He added: "When it's the Champions League and this stage of the competition, there are no easy draws.

"Lille are a very good team. They've struggled a bit more this season in the league [sitting 11th in Ligue 1 after 25 games] but it's always difficult to be reigning champions.

"They will give everything to make it hard for us and get a result. It's up to us to be wary of that and play our best football."

Chelsea are the first Champions League holders to progress to the knockout stages without winning their group since Real Madrid in 2017-18, but the Spanish side did go on to retain their title that season.

Mauricio Pochettino's future at Paris Saint-Germain is unclear amid rumblings that he wants out.

Manchester United have been linked with the ex-Tottenham manager, who took over at PSG in January last year.

The Red Devils dismissed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November, with Ralf Rangnick taking over on an interim basis.

TOP STORY – LOS BLANCOS KEEN ON POCHETTINO

Real Madrid are set to rival Manchester United to land Pochettino this off-season, claims the Daily Mail.

The Red Devils are understood to be circling for the Argentine, who is reportedly unhappy at Paris Saint-Germain.

But the report claims Madrid have doubts over current boss Carlo Ancelotti's future and believe that Pochettino is obtainable in the off-season.

ROUND-UP

- Manchester City's Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva is dreaming of a switch to join Real Madrid, claims Calciomercato.

- Calciomercato also reports that Inter are monitoring Gabriel Jesus' status at City, with a view to bolstering their attack.

- Nicolo Schira reports that Atalanta are keen to move for Torino's Italy international striker Andrea Belotti in the off-season when he is a free agent.

- TuttoMercatoWeb claims Arsenal, Newcastle United, Borussia Dortmund and Inter are all in the race to sign Lille's Canadian forward Jonathan David.

- GiveMeSport claims Liverpool are "seriously interested" in West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen.

- Roma are keen on signing Barcelona's USA international defender Sergino Dest according to Fichajes.

Thomas Tuchel has moved to manage expectations of Chelsea ahead of a crucial week that will see them return to Champions League action and contest the EFL Cup final.

Chelsea played their first Premier League game in nearly a month on Saturday, beating Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park thanks to a late Hakim Ziyech goal.

In the intervening month, Chelsea progressed in the FA Cup and won the Club World Cup for the first time, defeating Palmeiras in extra-time.

Tuchel complained about Chelsea's packed schedule after beating Palace, acknowledging his team looked "a bit drained and exhausted".

But they have little time for rest with Lille visiting Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday and then a showdown with Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday, as Chelsea look to claim a second trophy of the season.

Looking forward to an important week, Tuchel tried to ease the pressure.

"I think it is very important for us in this moment to be realistic and not over-expect from us," he told reporters.

"Also accept games against teams in mid-table or the lower end of the table can become difficult games. Once we accept that, it is the first step to feel a certain freedom and to become better, that we don't over-expect.

"We should not expect too much about how big others see us and if we are the favourites against Lille, just accept it is a phase where things feel a bit tight and a bit more difficult than in other times.

"We will accept it and this is the situation for the match on Tuesday. First of all we play at Stamford Bridge and we are confident to have a good performance because we deliver on a high level in knockout matches, cup matches, Champions League matches."

Despite his previous comments about fixture congestion, Tuchel is not especially worried about the tight turnaround being an issue before facing French champions Lille.

"I think that Saturday to Tuesday evening for us as a home game and playing in London should not be a problem," he added.

"Sometimes it can cause a big advantage if there is a tight schedule, but we will be ready to fight with Lille on an okay level so that should not be decisive."

Harry Kane produced a "special" display against Manchester City that will be tough to match in the Premier League this season, says Jamie Carragher.

Tottenham stunned City with a thrilling 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, a result that gave Liverpool fresh hope in the title race.

Kane scored twice and had another goal ruled out by VAR but it was his creative play against a City team who tried to sign him last year that delighted Liverpool great Carragher.

The England captain's pass sparked the move that saw Dejan Kulusevski open the scoring and his link-up play with Son Heung-min – who racked up two assists – was sublime throughout.

"That was one of the best performances I have seen this season, it really was," Carragher said to Sky Sports about Kane, who had 19 passes in the opposition half, with no other Spurs player reaching double figures.

"It was a privilege to watch. What made it so special was that Kane didn't get a lot of the ball, but when it came into him, everything he did was pure class.

"Kane is one of the best passers of the ball in the Premier League, he's not far behind Kevin De Bruyne."

Another former Liverpool star, Graeme Souness, felt Kane had shown exactly why clubs contending for honours like City want to buy him.

Souness said: "Harry Kane was fantastic - he's put himself in the shop window again. 

"Not just his goals but his general play. He was a real problem. He gets over the ball, he's got the technique and the vision to see things, and he can deliver on what he sees.

"Some of his passing was an absolute delight, as good as it gets."

Liverpool play Chelsea in the EFL Cup final next week but Carragher feels the Reds should be even more enthused by the prospect of catching City.

The Reds – 3-1 winners over Norwich City in their game at Anfield - are now just six points behind Pep Guardiola's leaders and have a game in hand at home to Leeds United on Wednesday.

"I certainly think for the next four or five days, the Leeds game at Anfield is more important than the cup final on the Sunday against Chelsea," added Carragher.

"I'd still favour Man City [for the title] with Liverpool still to come to the Etihad and Liverpool's fixtures may be tougher.

"But there was a little bit of hope that Liverpool could do something, a glimmer of hope, when Man City dropped points at Southampton.

"It was the first time in such a long time that they hadn't won and you very rarely see a Pep Guardiola team get pegged back.

"I'd still say they are very much in the hotseat - even a team of Liverpool's quality coming [to the Etihad] to win will not be easy.

"But the great thing, not just for Liverpool supporters but for the country, is that it looks like we could have a title race on.

"Four to six weeks ago we thought that wasn't going to be the case so long may it continue."

Ilkay Gundogan says Liverpool's relentless pursuit of Manchester City in the Premier League title race is "not a situation that we're not used to".

City were beaten 3-2 by Tottenham in a classic encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, as Harry Kane netted an injury-time winner shortly after Riyad Mahrez's penalty had seemingly earned the hosts a point.

Liverpool's own come-from-behind 3-1 triumph over Norwich City means the Reds are six points back of leaders City, with a game in hand over the reigning champions.

Jurgen Klopp's side have racked up five straight league wins and suffered just one top-flight defeat in their past 14, while they still have to visit their rivals early in April.

For midfielder Gundogan, the thrilling tussle is just part and parcel of what has become the norm over recent seasons.

Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "It's not a situation that we're not used to.

"We know from recent years that Liverpool are always contenders. They're always up there.

"We know they'll try everything to make our lives as difficult as possible. The good thing is that they still need to come here to the Etihad, but there are still many games to go."

Gundogan had already levelled from Dejan Kulusevski's opener, before Kane – a City transfer target prior to the season – put Spurs back ahead just before the hour.

Mahrez's thumping spot-kick in additional time looked certain to have clinched City a point prior to Kane's dramatic late intervention.

"We kind of thought we'd rescued it," Gundogan conceded.

"If you look at the whole game, we deserved to win. But football is sometimes crazy and we made easy mistakes. We gave them the ball to have possibilities to counter and that made us lose the game.

"They were also ruthless in their finishing up front. We had a lot of chances and the possibility to score a few more goals, but we gave them the chances they had too easily. 

"It didn't feel like a bad game from us. They defended so, so deep, particularly towards the end of the first half. It's not so easy.

"Sometimes you have these kind of games and you need to learn from it. It's a wake-up call for us. There's still a long way to go."

Cristiano Ronaldo's future with Manchester United is uncertain amid a difficult season at Old Trafford.

The 37-year-old only joined United from Juventus in August, following interest from rivals Manchester City.

But the Red Devils are well out of the title race, with Ronaldo contributing nine league goals, in a tumultuous season that has seen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer axed as manager.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD WOULD BOW TO RONALDO TRANSFER DEMANDS

Manchester United will allow five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo to depart if he demands to depart in the off-season, reports the Sunday Mirror.

The Portuguese is ready to quit the Red Devils should they miss the top four and subsequently fail to qualify for the Champions League.

The report claims that Ronaldo was expecting to transfer United into title contenders but that his presence has become a sideshow, meaning they are willing to let him go.

ROUND-UP

- Raphinha has caught the eye of Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona but Leeds United plan to rebuff any offers him in the off-season according to The Mirror.

- The Mirror also reports that Arsenal are in the race for Napoli's Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz , joining Madrid and Barcelona.

- Liverpool target Fabio Carvalho is being pursued by Manchester United too, claims the Daily Star. The Fulham teenager came close to joining the Reds in January.

- Manchester City and Raheem Sterling are set for contract talks at the end of the season but the English leaders may sell him if he does not agree to a new deal, according to the Times.

- Fiorentina are interested in Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot but would need to convince him to lower his wages, reports La Nazione. Dalot is in line for a new deal with United according to the Star.

- Liverpool Echo reports that Everton's Jean-Philippe Gbamin could join CSKA Moscow on loan with the Russian transfer window open until February 22.

Saturday was quite a day in the Premier League, with shock results impacting both ends of the table, and the middle.

Liverpool appear to live challengers again in the title race after their 3-1 victory against Norwich City was followed by Tottenham's dramatic 3-2 win away to leaders Manchester City.

Mohamed Salah scored his 150th goal for Liverpool and Luis Diaz bagged his first in English football, while former City target Harry Kane insisted on shoving narrative into everyone's faces with a sensational performance for Spurs at the Etihad Stadium.

Elsewhere, a late Hakim Ziyech goal secured Chelsea a win at Crystal Palace, Arsenal's youngsters earned them a 2-1 win against Brentford, while West Ham were held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle in the early game.

Burnley produced a surprising performance to win 3-0 at Brighton, with Wout Weghorst getting off the mark for his new club, while Watford also threw a spanner in the works of the relegation fight with a 1-0 win at Aston Villa.

The other game of a busy day in England's top flight saw Southampton beat Frank Lampard's Everton 2-0 at St Mary's thanks to goals from Stuart Armstrong and Shane Long.

Manchester City 2-3 Tottenham: City Kane-d by ruthless Spurs

Pep Guardiola's City team had looked imperious since losing at home to Crystal Palace in October, until today.

City were dominant but wasteful against Spurs, finding the target with only four of their 21 shots, while the visitors made Ederson work with five of their six efforts, beating him three times to take the points.

Kane’s winner, timed at 94:25, was the latest winning goal scored against City in the Premier League since Michael Owen for Manchester United in September 2009 (95:27).

Tottenham duo Kane and Son Heung-min have now assisted one another for 36 Premier League goals, the joint-most of any pairing in the competition's history, moving level with Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

Son has been directly involved in 10 goals in 15 appearances against City (seven goals, three assists); only against Southampton (15) and West Ham (11) has he had a hand in more goals for Spurs.

Meanwhile, Guardiola has lost twice to Tottenham this season, and has only lost more games to Chelsea (eight) than Spurs (six) in his entire managerial career.

Liverpool 3-1 Norwich: Reds come back thanks to usual suspects, and a new one

Early in the second half at Anfield, it did not look like Liverpool would be cutting Manchester City's lead on Saturday, finding themselves 1-0 down to the Canaries after Milot Rashica's first Premier League goal.

However, a marvellous overhead kick from Sadio Mane was soon followed by a historic moment for Salah, who scored his 150th goal for Liverpool in just his 233rd appearance. Only Roger Hunt (226) has reached that total faster in the club's history.

Luis Díaz became the 16th different Colombian player to score a Premier League goal, producing a nice finish after a Jordan Henderson throughball. He was also Liverpool’s 16th different goalscorer in the competition this season (excluding own goals), the joint-most of any side in 2021-22 (Chelsea and City both also 16).

Henderson was a standout performer on the day as well, drastically improving from his showing at Burnley last weekend.

He completed just 50 per cent of passes (18 out of 36) in the 1-0 win at Turf Moor, but on Saturday produced his second-best pass success rate in the Premier League for Liverpool in a game where he made at least 100 passes, with 97.2 per cent (104 of 107), only bettering that against Hull City in 2016-17 (97.3 per cent, 108 of 111).

Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea: Late Ziyech strike saves Blues

Chelsea returned to Premier League action after winning the FIFA Club World Cup last week to eventually secure three points against Palace thanks to an 89th-minute Ziyech strike. The Moroccan has scored in three consecutive league matches for the first time since September 2019 in the Eredivisie with Ajax.

The Blues have now won back-to-back league games for the first time since October, when they won four in a row, and could also be looking up the table after City's wobble.

It was another clean sheet for Chelsea, who have kept 37 in 70 matches in all competitions under Thomas Tuchel, more than any other Premier League side since the German’s first match in charge in January last year.

It was not all good from Tuchel's men though, with struggling striker Romelu Lukaku managing just seven touches, one of which was at the kick-off, the fewest in a single top-flight game for a player to feature for at least 90 minutes since Opta started collecting the data in 2003-04.

Arsenal 2-1 Brentford: Young guns fire Arteta's side to victory

Goals from Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka earned Arsenal a hard-fought win against Brentford, despite Christian Norgaard's late strike for the Bees.

Smith Rowe bagged his ninth league goal this season; the only player to score more in a single campaign for Arsenal when aged 21 or younger was Nicolas Anelka in 1998-99 (17).

Saka registered his 11th goal involvement in the Premier League this season (seven goals, four assists), the most of any under-21 player and a haul bettered only by Jarrod Bowen (16), Mason Mount (13) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (12) among English players.

The Gunners netted their 600th (and 601st) Premier League goals at the Emirates Stadium, reaching the milestone in their 297th game there, with only United at Old Trafford (283) and City at the Etihad (290) doing so at a single stadium in fewer games in the competition.

Brentford are winless in their last seven league games, last having a longer run between September and October 2018 (eight games). Thomas Frank's side have also lost their last five away league games, their longest such run since February 2011 (also five).

West Ham 1-1 Newcastle: Magpies continue to rise under Howe

Eddie Howe's 500th league game as a manager (410 with Bournemouth, 77 with Burnley and 13 with Newcastle) ended with a well-earned point from the London Stadium in the day's early kick-off.

Craig Dawson gave West Ham the lead before Joe Willock's equaliser came just before half-time.

Newcastle have now taken 12 points from their last six Premier League games, two more than they managed in their previous 18 this season (10 points).

Dawson's goal was the 11th scored from a set-piece by the Hammers in the league this season (not including penalties), a figure only Liverpool (14) and City (12) can better.

Brighton and Hove Albion 0-3 Burnley: Weghorst gets off the mark in big Clarets win

A quite remarkable performance from Sean Dyche's side in his 250th Premier League game in charge of Burnley saw them ease to a 3-0 win at the Amex Stadium, with Weghorst, Josh Brownhill and Aaron Lennon all finding the net.

Brighton suffered the heaviest defeat by a team hosting the English top flight's bottom side since Crystal Palace lost 4-0 at home to Sunderland in February 2017.

This was Burnley's first away win in the league since May 2021 (v Fulham), ending a run of 12 games without a win on the road. They also scored more goals in this game than they had in their previous five Premier League away games combined (two).

Weghorst scored his first goal for Burnley, becoming the first Dutchman to score for the Clarets in the competition. This ended a run of seven league games without scoring for Weghorst, with his previous goal coming in December for previous club Wolfsburg against Cologne.

Aston Villa 0-1 Watford: Dennis a menace to Villa

Another relegation-threatened side stepped up to secure an impressive away win as Roy Hodgson earned his first victory in charge of Watford thanks to a goal from Emmanuel Dennis.

This was the Hornets' first Premier League away win since October (5-2 v Everton), and their first away win in the competition while also keeping a clean sheet since January 2020 (3-0 v Bournemouth).

After winning two of their first three home games under Steven Gerrard (L1), Villa are now winless in their last four games at Villa Park (D2 L2). This was the first Premier League home game they have failed to score in since May 2021 (v Everton), ending a run of 12 in a row in which they had found the net.

Watford have now kept as many clean sheets in four Premier League games under Hodgson (two) as they had in their previous 36 games in the competition.

Southampton 2-0 Everton: Another free-kick continues Toon revival

The revival of Everton under Lampard was nowhere to be seen at St Mary's as Ralph Hasenhuttl's side continued their good run of form.

Southampton have now won four of their last eight Premier League games (D3 L1), as many victories as they managed in their previous 20 games in the competition (D8 L8).

Everton's total of 22 points from their first 23 games in the league this season is their worst at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1950-51 (three points for a win), when they also had 22 and were relegated at the end of the season.

Long's goal was his first in the league since February 2020 (v Aston Villa), ending a run of 799 minutes without the Irishman scoring in the league.

Mohamed Salah spoke of his pride at scoring his 150th goal for Liverpool after hitting the milestone during the title chasers' 3-1 win over Norwich City at Anfield.

Liverpool trailed to the relegation-threatened Canaries after Milot Rashica's deflected strike, before goals from Sadio Mane, Salah, and Luis Diaz moved the Reds to within six points of the Premier League summit. 

With leaders Manchester City then being beaten 3-2 by Tottenham in a thrilling game at the Etihad Stadium, Salah's landmark goal helped to boost the Reds' title hopes, and the Egypt forward was beaming over his achievement.

"It feels great," the 29-year-old told Premier League productions.

"We were struggling in the beginning when we conceded the goal but I think we played good football [in the] first half. The second half, we conceded the goal, so the game became tougher. 

"But we managed to come back and it's a great result. 

"Of course, I'm happy to score 150. I'm always proud to score for this club, and the most important thing is to win games, which is what we did today."

Jurgen Klopp says it is vital for Liverpool to keep Thiago Alcantara fit after he came off the bench to pull the strings in Liverpool's 3-1 Premier League win over Norwich City.

Milot Rashica's deflected strike gave the relegation-threatened Canaries a shock lead in the 48th minute at Anfield on Saturday, but the Reds stormed back to extend their winning run to eight games.

Sadio Mane equalised with an acrobatic volley and Mohamed Salah put Liverpool in front three minutes later with his 150th goal for the club.

Luis Díaz opened his Reds account nine minutes from time as they reduced Manchester City's lead at the top of the table to six points ahead of the champions' clash with Tottenham, also taking their tally of goals for the season to the 100 mark.

Klopp was without the injured Roberto Firmino and made seven changes to his team following the Champions League victory over Inter in midweek.

Thiago was brought on along with Divock Origi just before Mane equalised as Klopp altered Liverpool's shape and the Spain midfielder was outstanding in the middle of the park.

Klopp told Match of the Day: "Thiago with his passing, really fresh, really relaxed, full of confidence, that helped as well. He is a good player, we just have to make sure we can keep him fit.

"Diogo [Jota] was not available and we don't know how long it will take, Bobby Firmino has a muscle problem and is out for a while, so we have to keep the boys fit and create a spirit like the boys did today in the game."

Norwich gave a great account of themselves as they defended for their lives and posed a threat on the break.

Klopp praised the Canaries and was pleased with the way his side rallied to stretch their unbeaten run to 11 matches.

"It had its moments, the longer the game went on the more I could enjoy it, obviously. A week ago when we played at Burnley, they give you a proper fight and over the years you learn to deal with these situations, again today," the German said.

"Norwich have a very different style but played a proper game, defended deep, had their counter-attacks, made it really tricky for us.

"We had moments and then the game can look completely different, then a deflected ball can be pretty decisive, but these boys just don't give up, we could help from the bench, bringing really good players on and that was like three days ago the game changer.

"We played really good football and scored wonderful goals. The coaching team, we changed the system as well, go for 4-4-2 and that is necessary in a moment like this that you throw all the knowledge you have together - it gave them a proper challenge to deal with because all of a sudden we were a threat in all moments."

Mohamed Salah scored his 150th goal for Liverpool and Luis Díaz opened his account as the Reds came from behind to beat Norwich City 3-1 at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp's side were left stunned when Milot Rashica's deflected strike put Premier League strugglers Norwich in front in the 48th minute.

But two goals in the space of three minutes spared the second-placed side’s blushes, with Sadio Mane equalising through an acrobatic volley before Alisson's brilliant assist set the prolific Salah up to reach yet another milestone.

Recent signing Diaz sealed an eighth successive win for Merseyside club, which moved them six points behind leaders Manchester City ahead of their clash with Tottenham later on Saturday

Rashica had the ball in the back of the Liverpool net early on, but strayed offside before Kostas Tsimikas missed a good chance at the other end, failing to hit the target sliding in to meet Salah's cross.

Teemu Pukki wasted a glorious chance to put the Canaries in front when he dragged a left-foot shot wide from inside the penalty area with only Alisson to beat after Angus Gunn palmed away Virgil van Dijk's downward header.

Liverpool dictated the play and Salah had a header cleared off the line by the alert Mathias Normann as Norwich defended tenaciously in a goalless first half, which also saw Van Dijk have a goal disallowed as the linesman’s flag was up.

It was Dean Smith's side who sensationally drew first blood just after the break, when Rashica's drive from just outside the area struck Joel Matip's leg and flashed past a wrong-footed Alisson.

Klopp introduced Thiago Alcantara and Divock Origi just after the hour-mark and Mane equalised soon after with a brilliant overhead kick from close range after Tsimikas nodded headed across goal.

Salah then raced clear after controlling Alisson's accurate long ball with a great touch and turned sharply to outfox Gunn before calmly slotting home with his right foot.

Diaz put the icing on the cake nine minutes from time, dinking over Gunn with his left foot after Jordan Henderson picked him out with a sublime pass.

Mohamed Salah reached another Liverpool milestone on Saturday, netting his 150th goal for the club across all competitions.

Liverpool's talisman achieved the feat in the 67th minute of the Premier League clash with Norwich City at Anfield.

Salah raced clear after controlling Alisson's brilliant long ball with a great touch and turned sharply to fox goalkeeper Angus Gunn before calmly slotting home with his right foot. His goal gave Liverpool a 2-1 lead against the Canaries.

The 29-year-old Egypt international hit the 150 mark in his 233rd Liverpool appearance, making him the second-fastest player to do so for the team, after Roger Hunt (226 games).

Salah has reached the milestone quicker than Ian Rush (249), Robbie Fowler (261), Michael Owen (280) and Kenny Dalglish (390).

The Premier League's leading scorer this season, Salah took his tally to 17 for the campaign – and 25 across all competitions.