Premier League Highlights: De Bruyne Shines as Chelsea Stumbles

Virgil van Dijk’s last-minute goal against West Ham propelled Liverpool to the edge of the Premier League title on Sunday, whilst Manchester City relied on a stellar display from Kevin De Bruyne to keep their Champions League ambitions alive.

A significantly altered Arsenal side managed a 1-1 draw with Brentford, granting Liverpool additional breathing room at the summit of the standings, though the Reds hardly convinced during their narrow 2-1 victory over the struggling Hammers.

City bounced back from a sluggish start to triumph over Crystal Palace 5-2 on Saturday, catapulting them into the top five.

Nottingham Forest’s hopes of securing Champions League football are in jeopardy following a 1-0 defeat at home to Everton, while Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw by Ipswich, intensifying the pressure on Enzo Maresca.

AFP Sports examines three key talking points from the weekend’s Premier League action…

De Bruyne’s Brilliance Shows City’s Shortcomings

Facing a daunting 2-0 deficit against Palace after a mere 20 minutes at the Etihad, City appeared to be on the verge of missing out on the Champions League for the first time in 15 years.

However, Pep Guardiola’s side found salvation through the familiar brilliance of De Bruyne, who shone in his first home game since announcing he will depart the club at the season’s end.

De Bruyne ignited the City’s comeback with a free-kick, then assisted Omar Marmoush and Mateo Kovacic to turn the tide either side of half-time.

“I’m a competitive animal. I don’t like to lose, so for me, nothing changes,” remarked De Bruyne about his pursuit of Champions League football, even as he prepares to leave.

Though City still have challenges ahead, the dropped points by Forest and Chelsea have positioned the English champions favourably for a top-five finish.

Lethargic Liverpool Just Scrape Through

Liverpool could secure the championship on Easter Sunday after stretching their impressive lead at the top of the table to 13 points, with only 18 points left to play for.

However, Arne Slot’s squad appears to be faltering as they approach the finale after a demanding season for many key players.

After Luis Diaz’s early strike gave the home side an advantage at Anfield, Liverpool lost their momentum in the second half and relied heavily on Alisson Becker, who made three remarkable saves to deny West Ham.

An own goal from Andy Robertson seemed to threaten Liverpool’s title celebrations, but Van Dijk salvaged the day with a headed goal from a corner in the 89th minute, sparking jubilation amongst the Liverpool faithful.

Fresh from witnessing Mohamed Salah extend his contract for another two years, Van Dijk expressed his “love” for the club and hinted at finalising his own future with a new deal.

In no time, Van Dijk will be lifting the Premier League trophy, despite a slight decline reflected in Liverpool’s recent performances—only two of their last five matches yielding victories against opponents positioned 14th and 17th in the table.

Chelsea’s Downward Spiral

When Chelsea made the trip to Everton on December 22nd, they had the opportunity to ascend to the top of the league table.

However, in the 16 Premier League games since, they have recorded just five victories, slipping to sixth place and facing the prospect of missing out on Champions League football for a third consecutive season.

All five of those wins came against teams in the bottom six at home, yet Maresca’s side could not claim the complete set against Ipswich.

The Tractor Boys capitalised on some dreadful defending to race to a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge.

Although an own goal from Axel Tuanzebe and a stunning strike from Jadon Sancho levelled the score, Chelsea’s continued struggles in the final third proved costly as they failed to convert 74 percent possession and 34 shots.

The Blues now find themselves needing to recover lost ground in difficult fixtures, with four of their last six matches against teams in the top eight.