Premier League: Liverpool best Aston Villa in hardfought win, Newcastle United hold West Ham – Sports News , Firstpost

Liverpool: Liverpool kept alive their bid to finish the Premier League season with a perfect home record after labouring to a 2-0 win against relegation-threatened Aston Villa on Sunday in their first match at Anfield since winning the title.

A 17th straight home victory this season — and surely the most underwhelming — was secured by goals from Sadio Mane in the 71st minute and substitute Curtis Jones in the 89th.

Three days after Liverpool lost 4-0 at Manchester City in their first match as champions, Jurgen Klopp’s team again lacked the intensity, snap and precision that brought them the title in such devastating fashion this season.

Indeed, Liverpool had managed just two shots on target against Villa before Mane met a low cross into the area from midfielder Naby Keita with a first-time shot that struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down over the line.

Jones tucked away a shot after a nod-down at the far post by Mohamed Salah to double the lead with the last chance of a dull game.

It was enough to earn the Reds one of the five wins they need to beat the record season points total in the Premier League of 100, set by Manchester City in 2017-18.

Wins over Burnley and Chelsea at Anfield over the next two weeks will see Liverpool complete the season with 19 victories out of 19, for a 100% home record that has never been achieved in the Premier League.

The match was more important for Villa, given their perilous position in the relegation zone. The visitors gave Liverpool a guard of honour before the match — like Manchester City did on Thursday — but didn’t pay the champions much respect on the field at an empty Anfield that was bedecked in club banners.

Indeed, with Liverpool often looking lethargic, Villa carried a threat on the counterattack, although Dean Smith’s team wasn’t helped by a foot injury that seemed to hamper captain and playmaker Jack Grealish most of the game.

Villa stayed in third-to-last place, one point adrift of safety with five games left.

Jonjo Shelvey rescues point for Newcastle

Newcastle United twice came back from a goal down as they grabbed a 2-2 Premier League draw with West Ham United, robbing the visitors of the chance to put some more daylight between themselves and the relegation zone.

Having lost their previous seven away league games, West Ham started the day three points above the drop zone, and they got off to the perfect start when Michail Antonio opened the scoring after four minutes following a mistake by Jamaal Lascelles.

Newcastle levelled in the 17th minute through Miguel Almiron, who swept home Emil Krafth’s cross after a slick passing move by the home side.

They went behind again in the 66th minute when midfielder Tomas Soucek fired home a rebound after Declan Rice hit the crossbar with a header from a corner, with Soucek reacting quickest to volley the ball into the net.

The lead was short-lived as Jonjo Shelvey struck back immediately for Newcastle, dancing through the visitors’ defence before slotting home with his left foot to make it 2-2.

Having been pegged back twice, West Ham surged forward looking for the win and substitute Andriy Yarmolenko went closest with a stinging late shot that Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka palmed away.

Despite securing their first points away from home since they beat Southampton on 14 December, the ease with which Shelvey sliced through his defence left Hammers boss David Moyes shaking his head in disbelief.

“I was sickened because of us working so hard to get a goal back and then gave it up so quickly,” Moyes told a news conference.

“I am pleased we got something but disappointed it wasn’t all three (points). This could still easily go right to the end of the season,” he added.

The result leaves West Ham in 16th spot on 31 points, four points ahead of Aston Villa in 18th, while Newcastle are 12th on 43 points.

Sheffield United salvage point after John Egan’s late equaliser

Sheffield United’s unlikely hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were further reduced after a 1-1 draw at Burnley in the Premier League.

John Egan earned United a point with an 80th-minute equaliser at a virtually empty Turf Moor that left Chris Wilder’s side seven points behind Manchester United in fifth place, which could be enough to get into next season’s Champions League.

More realistic for Sheffield United is a place in the Europa League and the team is only a point adrift of seventh-place Arsenal with five games remaining.

James Tarkowski gave Burnley the lead in the 43rd minute, side-footing home from close range.

Burnley are two points behind Sheffield United in ninth. Sheffield United have only won one of its four games since the restart of the league.

With inputs from Reuters and AP.