LIVERPOOL, England — A season of frustration continued for Liverpool and Chelsea after a 0-0 draw at Anfield on Saturday did little to help either team’s hopes of securing Champions League qualification next season.
A game that was short on chances and quality underlined why both teams are struggling in midtable in the Premier League and face a challenge to break into the top four.
Benoit Badiashile and substitute Carney Chukwuemeka had opportunities to score in each half for Chelsea, but neither was clinical enough to make Liverpool pay.
It is now three league games without a win for Liverpool in what was Jurgen Klopp’s 1,000th game in management and his 250th in charge of the Merseyside club.
The draw at least ended a two-game losing streak for his team.
Chelsea fans got a first look at new signing Mykhailo Mudryk, who showed some promising moments when coming on as a second-half substitute.
But, like Liverpool, Graham Potter’s team will need to improve quickly if it is to rise up the table and compete to get into the top four.
Klopp’s Liverpool reign has seen the storied club re-establish itself as one of the best teams in Europe.
However, the German went into this landmark game trying to get the season back on track, with any hopes of challenging for the title effectively over after an inconsistent campaign.
Klopp described last week’s 3-0 loss to Brighton as the worst of his time at the club.
It’s a similar story for Chelsea, which has now won just two of its last 10 games in all competitions.
The two teams were ninth and 10th in the standings going into the game, with Liverpool ahead on goal difference.
Chelsea had the better chances to take all three points but did not make them count.
Kai Havertz thought he had put the Londoners ahead within minutes of kickoff when firing in a rebound after Thiago Silva struck the post. The away team’s celebrations were cut short, however, when VAR adjudged the German to be offside.
Badiashile later forced a save from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson when failing to get enough power on a header from around six yards out.
Mudryk, who signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal that could be worth up to $108 million, caused Liverpool problems with his speed and dribbling after coming on in the 55th minute.
And another substitute Chukwuemeka might have settled the game when breaking into the box late on, only for Andy Robertson to snuff out the chance with a last-ditch block.
Newcastle 0, Crystal Palace 0
LONDON — Newcastle made it 15 games unbeaten in the English Premier League and moved up to third after drawing with Crystal Palace 0-0 on Saturday.
But Eddie Howe's team missed the chance to put added pressure on Arsenal and Manchester United, who face each other at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The result moved Newcastle level with United on points, having played a game more.
Goalkeeper Nick Pope kept his ninth straight clean sheet in all competitions.
Despite the visitors in London dominating the chances, Pope had to produce a crucial save to deny substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta what would have been a winner in the second half.
At the other end, Vicente Guaita was called into action to save from Alexander Isak and Fabian Schar.
It is the second time this week Palace has halted the momentum of one of the leading clubs after holding Manchester United to 1-1 on Wednesday.
Despite another positive result for Palace, the evening was marred when Wilfried Zaha, making his 450th start, pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury in the 65th minute.
Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester 2
LEICESTER, England — Brighton scored two minutes from time to draw at Leicester 2-2 and maintain its assault on the English Premier League top five on Saturday.
The Seagulls missed the chance to move into the top five but climbed to sixth.
Substitute Evan Ferguson headed in Pervis Estupinan’s cross in off the post for the clincher.
Harvey Barnes and Marc Albrighton scored for Leicester to cancel out Kaoru Mitoma's sensational opener.
Neat play from Alexis Mac Allister and Adam Lallana allowed Estupinan to find Mitoma on the left. The Japan international was given plenty of time to tease Timothy Castagne, cut inside and brilliantly curl the ball into the top corner from 20 yards.
Leicester led for only nine minutes. Still, the Foxes earned a point for the first time after falling behind this season and moved up to 14th in a congested mid-table.
West Ham 2, Everton 0
LONDON — Jarrod Bowen scored twice for West Ham in a 2-0 win over Everton that kept Frank Lampard's team in the English Premier League relegation zone on Saturday.
Everton's winless run in all competitions extended to 10 games as Lampard approaches the one-year mark as manager.
The Chelsea great has received public backing from ownership but the task gets only tougher with Everton next facing league leader Arsenal followed by a visit to Anfield.
Bowen connected twice in a seven-minute span in the first half at London Stadium. He poked it home from close range after Kurt Zouma's headed flick in the 34th minute. Bowen then one-timed Michail Antonio's cross to double the lead.
Everton briefly threatened late in the first half when Alex Iwobi’s low shot toward the corner was deflected wide by Declan Rice.
Veteran striker Danny Ings made his West Ham debut as a second-half substitute a day after completing his transfer from Aston Villa.
Bournemouth 1, Nottingham Forest 1
BOURNEMOUTH, England — Sam Surridge came off the bench to score late and earn Nottingham Forest a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Against his former club, Surridge equalized in the 83rd minute at Vitality Stadium after Jaidon Anthony's first-half goal.
Anthony’s finish looked set to end Bournemouth's four-game losing streak in the top-flight and ease the pressure on coach Gary O’Neil.
But striker Surridge, who began his career with the Dorset club, poked home Brennan Johnson’s cross from close range.
The result dropped Bournemouth into the relegation zone, while O’Neil is still searching for his first win since being appointed permanent Cherries boss in November.
Forest maintained its momentum, which has seen it pick up 11 points from the last 18 available.
Bournemouth had not registered a top-flight goal or point since Nov. 12 but took the lead in the 28th minute.
Burkina Faso forward Dango Ouattara, signed from French club Lorient on Thursday for around $25 million, burst away from Renan Lodi on the right then crossed for Anthony to take a touch and find the far corner past Wayne Hennessey.
Surridge ensured the points were shared after his first league goal of the season.
Aston Villa 1, Southhampton 0
SOUTHAMPTON, England — Ollie Watkins’ second-half goal secured a 1-0 win for Aston Villa at Southampton in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Watkins’ header in the 77th minute brought an end to Southampton’s three-game winning run in all competitions and left it rooted to the bottom of the table.
The home team was twice denied goals; once in the first half when Kyle Walker-Peters was adjudged offside, and again in the second when James Ward-Prowse’s strike was ruled out because of a foul in the buildup.
There was also a delay of several minutes just before halftime when all players were forced back to the locker room for safety reasons due to a drone flying over the stadium.
Southampton thought it broke the deadlock in the 25th when Walker-Peters got the final touch on a ball headed towards goal by Che Adams, only for him to be ruled offside.
Ward-Prowse's goal was ruled out due to a foul by Mohamed Elyounoussi on Jacob Ramsey.
After surviving the two scares, Villa hit the winner when Watkins headed past Gavin Bazunu from a Douglas Luiz free kick.
The goal was also checked by VAR for a potential offside, before being allowed to stand.
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