Man City closes in on Premier League leader Arsenal, Liverpool boosts Champions League hopes

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City closed the distance to Premier League leaders Arsenal to just three points following a commanding 3-0 victory over Fulham on Tuesday.

Antoine Semenyo, Nico O'Reilly, and Erling Haaland all scored in the first half at the Etihad, demonstrating City's determination in the title race. Arsenal, who has a game in hand, will feel the pressure ahead of their match against Brentford on Thursday.

"We have put the pressure back on Arsenal. We need to sit tight, watch the game tomorrow, and hopefully, it goes our way," Semenyo stated.

Liverpool Secures Important Win

Meanwhile, Liverpool rebounded from their loss to City on Sunday, enhancing their chances of Champions League qualification with a 1-0 win against Sunderland. Virgil van Dijk's header in the 61st minute was enough to secure the points against a side that had been unbeaten at home this season.

Liverpool is currently sixth, two points behind fifth-placed Chelsea and three behind fourth-placed Manchester United. "We can't deny that these three points feel very big," Van Dijk commented. "But there are still 12 matches to go. We have to keep trying to improve and find some consistency."

Aston Villa Remains in Title Hunt

Aston Villa, sitting in third, is still in the battle for the title, having beaten Brighton 1-0. Jack Hinshelwood's own goal in the 86th minute provided a much-needed victory for Unai Emery's side, after a rough patch with only one win in their last five league matches. "It was a difficult match, and we needed to win to recover our confidence," Emery noted.

Relegation Battle Heats Up

In the relegation battle, Burnley pulled off a dramatic comeback, defeating Crystal Palace 3-2 after being 2-0 down. Palace's record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen scored twice, but Burnley rallied back, with Hannibal Mejbri initiating the comeback and Jaidon Anthony equalizing shortly after. An own goal from Jefferson Lerma sealed Burnley's victory just before halftime.

Nottingham Forest remains precariously above the relegation zone after a goalless draw with last-placed Wolves, with only six points separating 15th-place Leeds from 18th-place West Ham.