Reds regain top spot, Cardiff gone

Liverpool’s title hopes were kept alive by an 86th-minute header from substitute Divock Origi in a thrilling 3-2 win at Newcastle.

Liverpool’s Divock Origi scores against Newcastle at St James Park

Liverpool’s English Premier League title hopes were kept alive by an 86th-minute header from substitute Divock Origi in a thrilling 3-2 win at Newcastle United.

Cardiff City were also relegated when they lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace and nine-man Tottenham Hotspur fell 1-0 at Bournemouth.

The tight win for Liverpool gave them a two-point advantage over Manchester City but Pep Guardiola’s team have two games remaining, including Monday’s home match with Leicester City, while Liverpool have just one — their final game at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

An eighth Premier League win in a row kept Juergen Klopp’s side right in the race and put the pressure back on City — although it came at a cost with Mohamed Salah carried off on a stretcher with a head injury after a collision with Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka in the 73rd minute.

“Today it was just heart,” Klopp said. “What the boys put in here today was unbelievable.

“It’s brilliant, so deserved. We had to fight and the boys did that. “I couldn’t be more proud.” Virgil Van Dijk headed Liverpool in front in the 13th minute but Christian Atsu replied seven minutes later for Newcastle.

The Reds restored their lead on 28 minutes when Daniel Sturridge back-heeled the ball from the corner to Trent Alexander-Arnold and the fullback’s cross was expertly turned in by Salah.

The hosts responded again when Salomon Rondon fired a fierce left-foot drive past Alisson but Salah’s replacement, Origi, rose at the near post to head in the winning goal from a Xherdan Shaqiri free kick.

In Wales, goals from Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, Michy Batshuayi and Andros Townsend sent Cardiff back to the second-tier Championship one season after winning promotion.

A Martin Kelly own goal and a late Bobby Reid goal were not enough for The Bluebirds, who needed a win to have any chance of avoiding the fate already suffered by Fulham and Huddersfield.

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock said relegation from the Premier League was insignificant compared with the loss felt by the death of Emiliano Sala in a plane crash in January.

“That puts it into perspective; yes, we’ve got relegated but life is far more important,” Warnock said after the defeat.

Tottenham were their own worst enemy at the Vitality Stadium as Son Heung Min and Juan Foyth were both sent off either side of halftime.

Still they were able to hold out until Nathan Ake headed home a corner in stoppage time.

“I will respect the decision of the referee (on the red cards),” Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino told the BBC.

“Nothing to say, that is football.” Tottenham stay third, two points clear of Chelsea, four ahead of Arsenal and five above Manchester United in the race for the final two Champions League spots.

Seventh-placed Wolves are in the running for a Europa League place after their 1-0 defeat of Fulham.

Reuters