Daijiworld Media Network – London
London, Mar 16: Tottenham Hotspur snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw against Liverpool FC thanks to a late equaliser from Richarlison, while Manchester United strengthened their push for Champions League qualification with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa in Premier League action on Sunday.
At Anfield, Tottenham, managed by interim coach Igor Tudor, fell behind when Dominik Szoboszlai scored from a first-half free-kick in the 18th minute. The effort slipped past Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after a weak attempt to save.
Despite their struggles and a poor run of form, Tottenham fought back strongly in the second half. Their persistence paid off in the 90th minute when Richarlison scored from close range after a defensive mix-up involving Andrew Robertson and Virgil van Dijk following a flick from Randal Kolo Muani off a long kick by Vicario.
The equaliser spared Tottenham from what would have been a sixth consecutive league defeat. The London club remains in 16th place, just one point above both Nottingham Forest and West Ham United as they continue to battle relegation with eight games left in the season.
Tottenham had arrived at Anfield under pressure after suffering a heavy 5-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League round-of-16 first leg earlier in the week. The draw marked their first point under Tudor, who replaced the sacked Thomas Frank.
Meanwhile at Old Trafford, Manchester United took the lead through Casemiro, who scored with a header in the 53rd minute. Ross Barkley equalised for Aston Villa in the 64th minute before United sealed the victory late in the match.
Goals from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko secured the win for United, giving interim manager Michael Carrick his seventh victory in nine matches since taking charge.
United now sit third in the Premier League table, three points ahead of Aston Villa in the race for Champions League qualification. Carrick praised his players for their response after last week’s defeat to Newcastle United.
United captain Bruno Fernandes also reached a milestone with his 16th Premier League assist of the season, surpassing the club record of 15 set by David Beckham in the 1999-2000 season. Fernandes has now registered 100 assists for Manchester United in all competitions since joining from Sporting CP in 2020.
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest moved out of the relegation zone after a goalless draw with Fulham FC at the City Ground. Meanwhile, ten-man Leeds United held Crystal Palace to a 0-0 draw despite missing a penalty through Dominic Calvert-Lewin and having Gabriel Gudmundsson sent off.