Liverpool continued their dominance in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, thanks to goals from Nunez and Salah. Meanwhile, Man City's struggles continue as they suffer their fourth consecutive defeat under Pep Guardiola, with Brighton pulling off a stunning 2-1 upset against them. Other results include Brentford's 3-2 win over Bournemouth and Fulham's 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace. Don't forget to catch the highlights on Match of the Day.
Liverpool and Manchester City's Fortunes Diverge in Premier League
Liverpool Maintains Premier League Dominance
Liverpool F.C. extended their winning streak to three games in the Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah secured all three points for the Reds, who remain second in the table, just one point behind leaders Arsenal.
Nunez, who recently returned from injury, opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a fine finish from close range. Salah then doubled their lead just before halftime with a stunning strike from outside the area.
Aston Villa, who had made a bright start to the season, were unable to mount a serious challenge against Liverpool's relentless attacking force. The Reds' defense, led by Virgil van Dijk, was also in excellent form, ensuring their eighth clean sheet of the campaign.
Manchester City's Struggles Continue
Meanwhile, Manchester City's recent slump continued with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion. The defending champions have now lost four consecutive matches under manager Pep Guardiola, their worst run of form since 2016.
Brighton took a shock lead in the 22nd minute through Leandro Trossard. Riyad Mahrez equalized for City just before the hour mark, but Neal Maupay's 89th-minute winner sent the Amex Stadium into raptures.
City's poor form has allowed Arsenal to open up a seven-point lead at the top of the table. Guardiola will be hoping to turn things around quickly as his team faces a crucial clash against arch-rivals Manchester United on Saturday.
Other Notable Results
In other Premier League matches, Brentford clinched a 3-2 win over Bournemouth, while Fulham defeated Crystal Palace 2-0. These results have seen Brentford move up to 10th in the standings, while Palace has dropped to 11th.
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Chelsea emerged victorious against Leicester with a 2-1 win, thanks to goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez in the first and second half respectively. Mads Hermansen's save and a disallowed goal added to the intensity of the game, but the visitors held on to secure all three points. This win puts Chelsea just one point behind 2nd placed Manchester City in the Premier League standings.
Arsenal and Brighton both clinched 1-0 victories in their respective matches against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, thanks to goals from Pedro and Saka. In other matches, Aston Villa and Wolves each scored equalizers against Crystal Palace and Fulham, while Manchester City took on Tottenham in a late match. Chelsea kicked off the day with a win against Leicester, and football fans can share their thoughts through #bbcfootball on WhatsApp or text.
Football pundits Joe Cole and Peter Crouch express their frustration with VAR after key decisions in the match between Leicester City and Chelsea at the King Power Stadium. Chelsea are currently leading 1-0 at half-time, thanks to a goal from Nicolas Jackson. The TNT Sports commentators believe Leicester should have been reduced to ten men after a dangerous tackle from Wilfred Ndidi, but VAR chose not to intervene. Cole and Crouch argue that the tackle could have seriously injured Chelsea's Cole Palmer.
Chelsea dominated Leicester City in their Premier League clash, with Nicolas Jackson scoring the only goal of the match in the 15th minute. The grudge match saw Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca returning to his old club for the first time since leaving in the summer. Despite having a goal disallowed for offside, the Blues were in complete control with around 70% possession. Young talent Noni Madueke also impressed, but had his goal ruled out for an offside call that was later revealed to be incorrect after the Spaniard was the one who cut the ball back for Madueke.
Chelsea secured a 2-1 win against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, thanks to goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez. The victory was extra special for Chelsea's manager, Enzo Maresca, who returned to his former club and led his team to victory. Fernandez was the standout performer for Chelsea, scoring a goal and providing an assist in an impressive display.
In a dominant display of batting, rising Indian star Yashasvi Jaiswal has set a new world record for most sixes hit by a batter in a single calendar year in Test cricket. His valiant knock of 90 runs from 193 balls in the first innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth saw him hit seven fours and two crucial sixes, surpassing the previous record held by former New Zealand great Brendon McCullum. With this feat, Jaiswal has already broken the all-time India record set by Virender Sehwag earlier this year, proving his potential as a budding opening batsman.
Tilak Varma, the third-best T20I batter in the world, smashed 151 runs off 67 balls in Hyderabad's win over Meghalaya, setting a new record for the highest individual score in SMAT history. This was also Tilak's third consecutive T20 hundred, making him the first batter to achieve this feat. Hyderabad's total of 248 for six was its highest score in the tournament, while Meghalaya managed to score a mere 69 runs in response.
In his Test debut against Australia, Yashasvi Jaiswal showed commendable strength and confidence as he held his own against fast bowler Mitchell Starc. Despite being dismissed for a duck in the first innings, Jaiswal came back stronger in the second innings, helping India establish a lead with a half-century and a century partnership with KL Rahul. With his sights set on becoming the future of Indian Test cricket, Jaiswal is proving that he can perform under pressure on the international stage.
After a disappointing loss to Real Sociedad, Barcelona returns to LaLiga action against Celta Vigo, who have been struggling in the bottom half of the standings. Despite their defeat, Barcelona remains the league leaders and will be determined to continue their dominant run. Meanwhile, Celta Vigo will be looking for an upset against the top team.
Despite the fierce competition between the two nations, the camaraderie between Indian debutant Harshit Rana and Aussie pacer Mitchell Starc during the Perth Test was a heartwarming moment. Starc's friendly jibe to Rana about his bowling speed brought a smile to the latter's face, highlighting the bond they formed while playing together for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. While Starc played a crucial role in KKR's title win with his impressive spells, Rana contributed to the team's success with 19 wickets. Their friendly banter on the field shows the growing camaraderie between players from different countries, breaking traditional rivalries.