Liverpool gets Premier League title boost as Arsenal drops points at Everton

Liverpool got a big favor from its neighbor to become an even bigger favorite for the Premier League title on Saturday.

Second-placed Arsenal conceded a contentiously awarded penalty and slumped to a 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park, a stadium a short walk across Stanley Park from Liverpool's Anfield.

The celebrations when Iliman Ndiaye converted the spot kick for Everton were likely just as joyous among Liverpool fans, whose team is within sight of a record-tying 20th English top-flight title.

Liverpool is 11 points ahead of Arsenal with a game in hand, which is at Fulham on Sunday. After that, there are seven matches remaining in a title race that is proving anticlimactic.

The fight to avoid relegation is all but over, too, with the bottom three cut well adrift after fourth-to-last Wolverhampton won at third-to-last Ipswich 2-1.

Ipswich and the bottom two of Leicester and Southampton look already sure to be relegated, one year after getting promoted.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta left a raft of key players — like Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka — out of his starting team at Everton ahead of hosting Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Arteta almost got away with it, with Ndiaye converting a penalty in the 49th minute from one of the few chances carved out by Everton. And even that penalty was controversial, as Myles Lewis-Skelly was adjudged to have pulled back Jack Harrison despite replays showing little contact.

“Out of nothing, the referee decides to give a penalty,” Arteta said. “I have seen it 15 times — in my opinion it is never a penalty."

Leandro Trossard gave Arsenal the lead in the 34th. Saka and Martinelli went on as halftime substitutes, with Saka playing four days after making a goal-scoring return to action against Fulham after 3 ½ months out.

The Champions League looks to be Arsenal's only remaining hope of silverware this season.

“One of the most beautiful games that you can play in football, in the highest European competition, against the team that has dominated that competition in the last 20, 25 years," Arteta said of the upcoming quarterfinal against Real Madrid. “So, yeah, really looking forward to it.”

Arsenal was five points ahead of third-placed Nottingham Forest, whose three-match winning run ended after losing at Aston Villa 2-1.

Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen scored in the 13th and 15th minutes, respectively, to give Villa a fast start. Jota Silva replied for Forest in the second half.

Forest is still on course for an unexpected qualification for the Champions League, a year after barely surviving relegation, but will be looking over its shoulder.

The Premier League should have five qualifiers for next season’s Champions League and Forest is six points ahead of the team in sixth place — Villa — with seven rounds left.

Villa plays French champion Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Ipswich fell to 12 points behind Wolves by squandering the lead in a huge match at Portman Road, conceding in the 72nd to Pablo Sarabia and in the 84th to Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Leicester was three points behind Ipswich before playing Newcastle at home on Monday.

Southampton — on just 10 points, seven further back than Leicester — will be relegated with seven games to spare if it loses to Tottenham on Sunday.

There were three late red cards and nearly 14 minutes of stoppage time in a crazy end to Crystal Palace's 2-1 win over Brighton at Selhurst Park.

Palace was reduced to 10 men in the 78th minute when substitute striker Eddie Nketiah collected a second yellow card and then nine men when England center back Marc Guehi did the same in the 90th.

Brighton center back Jan Paul van Hecke was then sent off in the sixth minute of stoppage time, also for two yellow cards.

Before that, Jean-Philippe Mateta — wearing a protective mask to cover his lacerated ear that required 25 stitches following an injury in the FA Cup last month — and Daniel Munoz scored for Palace either side of Danny Welbeck's equalizer.

The result hurt eighth-placed Brighton's unlikely bid for Champions League qualification, leaving the south-coast team four points behind fifth-placed Manchester City.

Also, Brazilian striker Evanilson scored twice for Bournemouth in a 2-2 draw at West Ham.

Bournemouth was two points behind Brighton in ninth.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Nottingham Forest's Jota Silva celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Saturday April 5, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Aston Villa's Donyell Malen celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Saturday April 5, 2025. (Jacob King/PA via AP)

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Jorgen Strand Larsen scores his side's second goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers, at Portman Road, in Ipswich, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Jorgen Strand Larsen celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers, at Portman Road, in Ipswich, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

Bournemouth's Evanilson, center left, scores his side's first goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Bournemouth, at the London Stadium, in London, Saturday April 5, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Referee Anthony Taylor shows Crystal Palace's Eddie Nketiah, left a red card, during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion, at Selhurst Park, London, Saturday April 5, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard, right, and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Everton's Beto, top, and Arsenal's William Saliba battle for the ballduring the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly, center, battles for the ball with Everton's James Tarkowski, left, and Jack Harrison during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard, right, is challenged by Everton's Idrissa Gueye during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard, second left, celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Everton's Jack Harrison, left, and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Declan Rice, right, reacts during a stop in play during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Everton's Iliman Ndiaye, left, celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — World champions Ilia Malinin and the ice dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates will anchor one of the strongest U.S. Figure Skating teams in history when they head to Italy for the Milan Cortina Olympics in less than a month.

Malinin, fresh off his fourth straight national title, will be the prohibitive favorite to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Chen by delivering another men's gold medal for the American squad when he steps on the ice at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

Chock and Bates, who won their record-setting seventh U.S. title Saturday night, also will be among the Olympic favorites, as will world champion Alysa Liu and women's teammate Amber Glenn, fresh off her third consecutive national title.

U.S. Figure Skating announced its full squad of 16 athletes for the Winter Games during a made-for-TV celebration Sunday.

"I'm just so excited for the Olympic spirit, the Olympic environment," Malinin said. “Hopefully go for that Olympic gold.”

Malinin will be joined on the men's side by Andrew Torgashev, the all-or-nothing 24-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida, and Maxim Naumov, the 24-year-old from Simsbury, Connecticut, who fulfilled the hopes of his late parents by making the Olympic team.

Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were returning from a talent camp in Kansas when their American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the icy Potomac River in January 2025. One of the last conversations they had with their son was about what it would take for him to follow in their footsteps by becoming an Olympian.

“We absolutely did it,” Naumov said. “Every day, year after year, we talked about the Olympics. It means so much in our family. It's what I've been thinking about since I was 5 years old, before I even know what to think. I can't put this into words.”

Chock and Bates helped the Americans win team gold at the Beijing Games four years ago, but they finished fourth — one spot out of the medals — in the ice dance competition. They have hardly finished anywhere but first in the years since, winning three consecutive world championships and the gold medal at three straight Grand Prix Finals.

U.S. silver medalists Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik also made the dance team, as did the Canadian-born Christina Carreira, who became eligible for the Olympics in November when her American citizenship came through, and Anthony Ponomarenko.

Liu was picked for her second Olympic team after briefly retiring following the Beijing Games. She had been burned out by years of practice and competing, but stepping away seemed to rejuvenate the 20-year-old from Clovis, California, and she returned to win the first world title by an American since Kimmie Meissner stood atop the podium two decades ago.

Now, the avant-garde Liu will be trying to help the U.S. win its first women's medal since Sasha Cohen in Turin in 2006, and perhaps the first gold medal since Sarah Hughes triumphed four years earlier at the Salt Lake City Games.

Her biggest competition, besides a powerful Japanese contingent, could come from her own teammates: Glenn, a first-time Olympian, has been nearly unbeatable the past two years, while 18-year-old Isabeau Levito is a former world silver medalist.

"This was my goal and my dream and it just feels so special that it came true,” said Levito, whose mother is originally from Milan.

The two pairs spots went to Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea, the U.S. silver medalists, and the team of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe.

The top American pairs team, two-time reigning U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, were hoping that the Finnish-born Efimova would get her citizenship approved in time to compete in Italy. But despite efforts by the Skating Club of Boston, where they train, and the help of their U.S. senators, she did not receive her passport by the selection deadline.

“The importance and magnitude of selecting an Olympic team is one of the most important milestones in an athlete's life,” U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell said, "and it has such an impact, and while there are sometimes rules, there is also a human element to this that we really have to take into account as we make decisions and what's best going forward from a selection process.

“Sometimes these aren't easy," Farrell said, “and this is not the fun part.”

The fun is just beginning, though, for the 16 athletes picked for the powerful American team.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Amber Glenn competes during the women's free skating competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Alysa Liu skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Maxim Naumov skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate during the "Making the Team" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Gold medalist Ilia Malinin arrives for the metal ceremony after the men's free skate competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)