Still EPL advantage Man City after 2-2 draw with Liverpool

Such intensity, such fine margins but nothing decided. The destination of the Premier League title does, though, remain in Manchester City’s hands.

A point still separates City from Liverpool at the top of the standings after the meeting of England’s best two teams ended 2-2 for the second time this season on Sunday.

As for so much of the season, Liverpool was in recovery mode. The equalizer scored by Sadio Mane 47 seconds into the second half on his 30th birthday recovered the point that prevented City surging ahead, and kept the title race very much alive.

Liverpool's Sadio Mane, right, scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool, at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP PhotoJon Super)

The ferocity of the first half showed why reigning champions City were 14 points ahead in January but also why the 2020 title winners are still in contention.

For all the moments of high quality there were also slip-ups that could have been so consequential.

After Kevin De Bruyne’s fifth-minute opener was canceled out by Liverpool forward Diogo Jota eight minutes later, City goalkeeper Ederson slipped as he tried to clear Kyle Walker's back-pass but he recovered just in time.

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool, at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP PhotoJon Super)

City did go in at halftime in front after Gabriel Jesus beat the offside trap to get on the end of João Cancelo's cross for his first league goal in 16 matches.

But whatever Jürgen Klopp told his Liverpool players at halftime worked. From the restart, Trent Alexander-Arnold played in Mohamed Salah and the pass was slipped in for Mane to lift a shot over onrushing City goalkeeper Ederson.

City manager Pep Guardiola slumped into his padded seat. By full time — just after City substitute Riyad Mahrez scooped the ball over — there was an embrace with Klopp.

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool, at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP PhotoJon Super)

And now on to Wembley on Saturday for the third instalment of hostilities between the teams with a place in the FA Cup on the line. The Premier League and Champions League remain the bigger targets for the greatest rivals of this English era.

RELEGATION SCRAP

It’s tight at the bottom, and Norwich is keeping up the fight to avoid the drop after beating relegation-rival Burnley 2-0.

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus, right, scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool, at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP PhotoJon Super)

Goals from Pierre Lees-Melou and Teemu Pukki moved the last-place team within seven points of survival, but 17th-place Everton has a far superior goal difference. Burnley is four points behind Everton, while Watford is a further two adrift.

Brentford can be more certain of not being sucked into the relegation fight after beating West Ham 2-0. Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney set each other up for goals for the win that moved Brentford 12 points clear of the relegation zone with six games remaining.

FIRST GOAL

Liverpool fans celebrate after Liverpool's Diogo Jota scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool, at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP PhotoJon Super)

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a 23-year-old Leicester academy graduate, scored his first Premier League goal after assisting Ademola Lookman’s opener to clinch a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. Leicester dislodged Palace from ninth place.

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Liverpool's Diogo Jota, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool, at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP PhotoJon Super)

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus scored more goals in 53 minutes on Saturday than he had in the previous eight months in the English Premier League.

Becoming the first player in the league to score four goals in one game this season, Jesus led City to a 5-1 thrashing of Watford to open a four-point lead over second-placed Liverpool in the title race.

Liverpool can trim that back to one point with five matches left by beating Everton in the Merseyside derby on Sunday.

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring his fourth goal, his side's fifth, during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Watford at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP PhotoJon Super)

Jesus scored three goals in the league before the arrival of next-to-last Watford for a match that ended up resembling a training exercise.

The Brazil international netted twice in the first half and twice more in the opening eight minutes of the second half — one of which was a penalty to complete his hat trick.

Rodri scored the other goal for City, which used the match to give key players a rest ahead of Real Madrid's visit in the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday.

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts after failing to score from a penalty kick during an English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Saturday April 23, 2022. (AP PhotoAlastair J. Grant)

While City stayed on course for the title, fierce rival Manchester United likely dropped out of the race for Champions League qualification.

By losing at Arsenal 3-1, United fell six points behind its top-four rival and manager Ralf Rangnick all but called time on his team's season.

“I don’t think it’s very realistic to dream and think of the top four," Rangnick said at the end of a week when United also lost at Liverpool 4-0 and hired a new manager, Ajax's Erik ten Hag, for the start of next season.

Arsenal moved into fourth, three points above north London rival Tottenham, which visited Brentford late.

In other games, last-placed Norwich plunged closer to relegation with a 3-0 loss at home to Newcastle, while mid-table teams Leicester and Aston Villa drew 0-0.

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