Liverpool twice came from behind as Mohamed Salah’s 81st-minute goal earned a 2-2 draw with injury-hit Arsenal on Sunday in a match between Manchester City’s two biggest rivals for the English Premier League title.

City ended the day a point clear atop the standings after Liverpool dropped points for just the second time in nine games this campaign.

Arsenal took the lead through Bukayo Saka in the ninth minute and then looked to hold on after Spain midfielder Mikel Merino headed the team back in front in the 43rd following Virgil van Dijk’s equaliser.

Salah denied Arsenal the win by converting a pass into the area from Darwin Nunez, who had been set free by a long ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Salah has scored against Arsenal in eight straight
seasons.

Liverpool dropped into second place behind City, who won 1-0 at home to Southampton on Saturday, while Arsenal are now five points off the pace and carrying a worrying list of injuries.

With captain Martin Odegaard and left back Riccardo Calafiori missing because of injury and centre back William Saliba suspended, the last thing Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta needed was two more defenders — Gabriel and Jurrien Timber — coming off with injuries.

It left Arsenal with a completely makeshift back four, including midfielder Thomas Partey at right back and 18-year-old rookie Myles Lewis-Skelly at left back, for the final stages and Liverpool took advantage.

Liverpool have only lost one of their 13 matches in all competitions under new manager Arne Slot since he replaced Juergen Klopp. Eleven of them have been wins.

United suffer

Jarrod Bowen converted a last-gasp highly disputed penalty to lift West Ham United to a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in a fluctuating clash between two struggling sides.

Crysencio Summerville scored his first goal in a West Ham shirt as they climbed past their visitors to 13th in the table on 11 points after nine games, level with 14th-placed Manchester United.

Bowen netted in the 92nd minute, stepping up to the penalty spot after a lengthy VAR review showed Matthijs de Ligt had clipped the leg of Danny Ings.

West Ham were fortunate not to concede in a first half dominated by their northern rivals and were much brighter in the second before Summerville got them on the
scoreboard.

In the 74th minute Summerville slid in at full stretch to poke home Danny Ings’ scuffed shot.

Seven minutes later, Casemiro silenced the home fans when Diogo Dalot headed across goal from a cross, Joshua Zirkzee helped it on, and the Brazilian midfielder nodded home at the back post.

Chelsea prevail

Goals by Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer earned Chelsea a 2-1 home win over Newcastle United in the latest sign of progress for the Blues under coach Enzo Maresca.

Jackson opened the scoring in the 18th minute when he rounded off a sweeping Chelsea counter-attack involving Palmer and winger Pedro Neto, taking the Senegal striker’s league goal tally to six this season.

The home fans at Stamford Bridge roared their approval as the Londoners dominated Newcastle with their fast passing game, a contrast to the frustrations of much of the past two years when Chelsea’s expensively assembled squads struggled for form.

Crystal Palace beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 to claim their first win of the season.

AP, Reuters