Chelsea wins and Newcastle draws to tighten top-five race as United loses again in Premier League

The race for Champions League qualification got even tighter in the Premier League after Chelsea beat recently crowned champion Liverpool and Newcastle dropped points at Brighton.

With a record-extending 16th defeat of the campaign, Manchester United could hardly be further from it all.

Liverpool's players were afforded a guard of honor by Chelsea as they came onto the field at Stamford Bridge for their first match as champions. They didn't really play like it, with Chelsea running out a 3-1 winner thanks to a third-minute goal by Enzo Fernandez, an own-goal by Jarell Quansah in the 56th and a stoppage-time penalty by Cole Palmer.

Virgil van Dijk's header made it 2-1 at the time but Liverpool was off the pace for much of the game.

The win lifted fifth-placed Chelsea into a tie for 63 points with fourth-placed Newcastle, which needed an 89th-minute penalty by Alexander Isak to salvage a 1-1 draw at Brighton.

With Manchester City a point higher in third place and both Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa three points back in sixth and seventh, respectively, the fight to finish in the top five — and therefore qualify for next season's Champions League — looks like going to the wire. Forest has a game in hand, at Crystal Palace on Monday.

The Premier League appears to hold little importance to Man United anymore this season, with a 4-3 loss at Brentford leaving the team languishing in 15th place on 39 points and already certain of recording its worst-ever total in the Premier League as well as its lowest finish.

United's focus is fully on winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League by that route.

The wild, end-to-end game against Brentford was played between matches against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semifinals — United leads 3-0 after the first leg — and manager Ruben Amorim fielded the club’s youngest ever Premier League lineup according to average age, highlighting how Europe is clearly the priority for the remainder of this season.

A first-half goal by Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh — a former Newcastle player — looked like seeing off his old club, only for Isak to convert a penalty after Yasin Ayari’s outstretched arm in a defensive wall block against Fabian Schar’s free kick.

Newcastle had previously been awarded two penalties, only for both of them to be overturned after video reviews.

Isak moved onto 23 league goals for the season, putting him No. 2 on the list behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (28). It is the most by any Newcastle player in a Premier League season since Alan Shearer in 2001-02.

Palmer left it late to end his 18-game run without a goal in all competitions, stretching back to the middle of January.

He almost did so earlier, when he struck the ball against the post from an acute angle, but was given a chance from the penalty spot after Quansah made another mistake by tripping Moises Caicedo.

Palmer buried his spot kick past Alisson Becker for his 15th league goal this season.

Liverpool's visiting fans tried to encourage their team with shouts of “champions, champions” but with their motivation perhaps lacking, Chelsea found it surprisingly comfortable.

Chelsea is tied for points and goal difference with Newcastle, and only behind courtesy of scoring fewer goals. They meet next week at St. James' Park.

There were a couple of positives on another tough day for Man United, with injury-prone midfielder Mason Mount scoring his first goal of the season and winger Amad Diallo — just back after three months out — netting the third goal in stoppage time as the visitors came from 4-1 down but couldn’t find an equalizer.

Kevin Schade scored two of Brentford's goals, while Yoane Wisse also netted for the 18th time in the league — the same number as teammate Bryan Mbeumo.

Like Man United, Tottenham has reached the Europa League semifinals and manager Ange Postecoglou left out a slew of key players for the 1-1 draw with West Ham in a London derby between two struggling teams.

Tottenham beat Bodø/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg on Thursday and faces a tough trip to northern Norway for the return game next week.

Postecoglou made eight changes and went with a mostly second-string lineup against West Ham, yet still saw Wilson Odobert open the scoring in the 15th with his first league goal for Spurs. Jarrod Bowen equalized in the 27th.

James Maddison didn't play for Tottenham, with Postecoglou saying the playmaker's knee injury — sustained against Bodø/Glimt — “doesn’t look great.”

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

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Tottenham Hotspur's Wilson Odobert celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, at the London Stadium, in London, Sunday May 4, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, at the London Stadium, in London, Sunday May 4, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chelsea's Moises Caicedo, left, attempts a shot on goal past Liverpool's Cody Gakpo during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Liverpool fans cheer for their team prior to the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, back center, is congratulated after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim on the touchline before the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Manchester United at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Manchester United's Amad Diallo, center, celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Manchester United at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Brighton and Hove Albion's Yankuba Minteh, right, celebrates with Danny Welbeckduring after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Newcastle United in Brighton and Hove, England, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Alexander Isak scores their side's first goal of the game from the penalty spot during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Newcastle United in Brighton and Hove, England, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)

Brentford's Kevin Schade celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Manchester United at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Brentford's Yoane Wissa, second right, celebrates scoring their side's fourth goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Manchester United at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court began hearing arguments Monday about the sentencing of democracy advocate and onetime-media magnate Jimmy Lai and his co-defendants, whose convictions under a national security law could land them in prison for life.

Lai, 78, is the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper and an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party. He was arrested in 2020 under the law imposed by Beijing following massive anti-government protests that rocked Hong Kong the year before.

In December, he was found guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious articles.

His conviction raised concerns about the curtailing of press freedom in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

His case could also be a test for Beijing's diplomatic ties. The verdict drew criticism from foreign governments, including the U.S. and Britain. After the verdict, U.S. President Donald Trump, who had raised Lai’s case with China, said he felt “so badly.”

Lai, alongside other co-defendants involved in the case, appeared in court for the four-day mitigation hearings. The maximum penalty for their convictions is life imprisonment. Sentencing will come later.

The court Monday morning heard arguments concerning two activists’ sentences. Lawyers representing them suggested the starting points of their clients’ sentences should be 10 years and 10 to 15 years respectively, but they should receive reductions in part due to their assistance in the case.

Lai’s lawyer Robert Pang will deliver his arguments in the afternoon.

When Lai entered the courtroom, he pressed his palms together, an apparent gesture to express gratitude, and smiled at those sitting in the gallery. The media tycoon appeared to be in good spirits and greeted a convicted Apple Daily editor who was also sitting in the dock.

In August, his lawyers told the court that he suffered from heart palpitations. Hong Kong’s government said no abnormalities were found in a subsequent medical exam.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau said Lai’s health was stable. Chau said Lai had lost just 0.8 kg (about 1.8 pounds) over five years of detention, weighing 79.2 kg (about 175 pounds) when it was last measured this month. Lai is still considered obese as an Asian adult, Chau said. The obesity comment drew chuckling from some members sitting in the public gallery, and Lai also smiled in the dock.

Before sunrise, dozens of people had already lined up outside the court building to secure a seat in the public gallery. Retiree Simon Ng, a former Apple Daily reader, said he arrived and waited in line since Friday morning, hoping to see Lai.

“I want to let him know that he’s not alone," Ng said. “Many people support him."

Lai was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, in addition to one count of conspiracy to distribute seditious publications. Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges.

A conviction on the collusion charge under the security law results in a sentence ranging from three years in jail to life, depending on the offense’s nature and his role in it. The sedition charge under a separate, colonial-era law carries a maximum of two years’ imprisonment.

Three government-vetted judges wrote in their December verdict that Lai spearheaded the conspiracies and took issue with what they called his “constant invitation” to the United States to bring down the Chinese government with the excuse of helping Hong Kongers.

Lai’s lawyers admitted during the trial that he had called for foreign sanctions before the national security law took effect, but insisted he dropped these calls to comply with the law. They also argued on freedom of expression grounds.

But the judges said that Lai had never wavered in his intention to destabilize the ruling Chinese Communist Party. After the enactment of the law, he intended to continue, though less explicitly, they said. They emphasized that Lai was not on trial for his political views.

Beijing has opposed what it called the smearing of Hong Kong's judiciary “by certain countries,” saying the judicial authorities perform duties according to the law.

Six ex-Apple Daily senior executives and two activists involved in Lai's case had entered guilty pleas, admitting that they had conspired with Lai and others to request foreign forces to impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile activities.

The executives were publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung and editorial writers Fung Wai-kong and Yeung Ching-kee. Some of them, alongside the two activists Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, served as prosecution witnesses during the 156-day trial.

A guilty plea usually can lead to a sentence reduction. Under the security law, a reduced penalty may be granted to those who report on the offense committed by others.

Chan Pui man's husband, Chung Pui-kuen, a former top editor of Stand News who had been sentenced to 21 months in jail in a separate sedition case, was among those sitting in the public gallery.

After the verdict, Lai's daughter, Claire, said Lai would devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism if he were released.

Trump said after the verdict that he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Lai and “asked to consider his release." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his government has made it a priority to secure the release of Lai, a British citizen.

People line up behind the barricades to attend the hearing about the upcoming sentence for pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Correctional Services Department vehicles arrive at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, ahead of a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of democracy advocate and onetime media magnate Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Members of foreign councils arrive at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts to attend a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Robert Pang, center, lawyer for pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai arrives to the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, ahead of a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Teresa Lai, wife of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai arrives to the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts to attend a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

FILE- Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai is escorted by Correctional Services officers to get on a prison van before appearing in a court in Hong Kong, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)