PREMIER LEAGUE
London, March 15: The Premier League delivered another weekend of thrilling action, with Manchester City dropping crucial points in their chase for Champions League qualification, Nottingham Forest tightening their grip on the top-four race, and Everton snatching a dramatic late equalizer against West Ham.
Elsewhere, Wolves secured a vital victory to pull further away from the relegation zone, while Southampton’s woes at home continued. Here’s a complete roundup of the key matches.
Manchester City Held by Brighton
Manchester City’s pursuit of Champions League qualification suffered another setback as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Brighton in an action-packed encounter at the Etihad Stadium. Despite taking the lead twice, Pep Guardiola’s men were unable to secure all three points against their resilient top-five rivals.
Erling Haaland made history by becoming the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements, achieving the milestone in fewer than 100 appearances. The Norwegian striker netted his 84th league goal in his 94th match, coolly converting an 11th-minute penalty past Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.Brighton responded in style through Pervis Estupiñán, whose curling free-kick found the net via the post, leaving City’s stand-in goalkeeper Stefan Ortega stranded.
Nottingham Forest Strengthen Top-Four
Nottingham Forest reaffirmed their Champions League ambitions with a dominant 4-2 triumph over struggling Ipswich Town at Portman Road. The win brings Forest within a point of second-placed Arsenal, who are set to face Chelsea on Sunday.
Manager Nuno Espírito Santo celebrated his 50th Premier League match in charge with a commanding display, as his side ruthlessly exploited Ipswich’s defensive vulnerabilities in a devastating seven-minute spell during the first half.
Nikola Milenković opened the scoring with a clinical eight-yard finish following an unintended assist from Ipswich’s Liam Delap. Moments later, Anthony Elanga doubled Forest’s lead, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to slot a low shot into the far corner. The Swedish winger struck again after pouncing on a misjudged long pass from Milenković, slipping the ball past goalkeeper Alex Palmer.
Ipswich briefly found hope through Jens Cajuste, who curled a superb strike past the Forest defence. However, Jota Silva restored Forest’s three-goal cushion after an incisive pass from Morgan Gibbs-White.
Everton Snatch Late Draw Against West Ham
A stoppage-time equalizer from Jake O’Brien rescued a crucial point for Everton in a 1-1 draw against West Ham at Goodison Park. The result extended Everton’s unbeaten run to nine games and ensured a dramatic finish to David Moyes’ return to his former club.
West Ham looked poised for victory after Tomas Souček’s exquisite 67th-minute finish, curling a shot past Jordan Pickford after receiving a pinpoint pass from Jarrod Bowen. The visitors had dominated the attacking play, forcing Pickford into crucial saves to deny an own goal from Jarrad Branthwaite and a powerful long-range effort from Bowen.
Strand Larsen Brace Lifts Wolves
Jørgen Strand Larsen delivered a match-winning performance as Wolves secured a vital 2-1 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s, moving nine points clear of the relegation zone.
Southampton, still searching for only their third league win of the season, started brightly but were undone by Larsen’s clinical finishing. The Norwegian forward put Wolves ahead with a well-placed header past Aaron Ramsdale before doubling his tally shortly after the break with a low-driven strike into the bottom corner.Despite Paul Onuachu pulling a goal back for the Saints, capitalizing on a rebound from Tyler Dibling’s effort that struck the post, Wolves held firm to secure three crucial points. Southampton’s misery was compounded as they became only the fourth team in English top-flight history to lose nine consecutive home games in a single season. (Agencies)