Mikkel Damsgaard scored a stoppage-time winner as Brentford beat Burnley 4-3 in a Premier League classic, surviving a stunning comeback and a controversial late VAR decision.
Bees survive scare at Turf Moor
The Bees appeared to be cruising to victory after establishing a commanding three-goal lead inside the first 34 minutes.
However, the hosts mounted a remarkable recovery to level the score at 3-3, only for the Danish midfielder to strike his second of the game in the 93rd minute.
The drama did not end there, as Ashley Barnes thought he had salvaged a point for the Clarets in the 98th minute.
A lengthy VAR check ultimately ruled the ball had struck the forward’s hand, condemning Burnley to a defeat that damages their survival hopes.
Brentford blow early dominance
It was a chaotic afternoon in Lancashire that began with the visitors displaying ruthless efficiency in front of goal.
Damsgaard opened the scoring with a header before Igor Thiago finished a sharp counter-attack to double the advantage.
When Kevin Schade bundled home a third shortly after the half-hour mark, the home support began to voice their frustration at the shambolic defending.
But the visitors were offered a lifeline before the break when Michael Kayode diverted a cross into his own net.
Clarets complete comeback
Burnley emerged for the second half with renewed purpose and reduced the deficit further through Jaidon Anthony.
Kayode was unfortunate again, deflecting Anthony’s strike past his own goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson to give the home side real hope.
The comeback was completed on the hour mark when Zian Flemming powered a header home to send the Turf Moor crowd into raptures.
Flemming even had another effort disallowed for offside as momentum swung entirely in favour of the relegation-threatened side.
VAR denies Barnes heroics
Despite the shift in dominance, it was Thomas Frank’s side who reclaimed the lead against the run of play deep into stoppage time.
Damsgaard claimed the winner with Brentford’s first shot on target of the second half, sparking wild celebrations in the away end.
Yet the match had one final twist remaining when Barnes fired home what looked to be a dramatic equaliser.
Referee Samuel Barrott was not sent to the monitor, but VAR Paul Tierney adjudged there was a handball in the build-up.
The decision secured all three points for the London club in a game defined by attacking flair and defensive fragility.
Newcastle 2-3 Everton
Thierno Barry came off the bench to score a dramatic late winner as Everton inflicted a third successive home defeat on Newcastle United in a chaotic 3-2 victory at St James’ Park.
The substitute struck seconds after Jacob Murphy appeared to have rescued a point for the hosts with a fine volley in the closing stages.
It secured the Toffees a second consecutive win at this venue, though it required a stunning late save from England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to confirm the points.
The result leaves Eddie Howe’s side with just one win in seven league games, compounding a miserable run of form on Tyneside.
Defensive errors prove costly
Everton started confidently and took the lead when Jarrad Branthwaite glanced James Garner’s corner in off the far post after 20 minutes.
The hosts responded through Jacob Ramsey, whose shot clipped Branthwaite and looped over the goalkeeper following excellent work from Joelinton and Sandro Tonali.
However, parity lasted just two minutes before a calamitous error from Nick Pope gifted Sean Dyche’s men the advantage again.
The Newcastle stopper fumbled a Dwight McNeil strike, allowing Beto to pounce from close range and restore the visitors’ lead before half-time.
Late drama at St James’ Park
Howe introduced Harvey Barnes and Murphy in a bid to salvage the game, but the Magpies remained vulnerable at the back.
Beto missed a golden opportunity to put the game beyond reach, firing against the crossbar after muscling Malick Thiaw off the ball.
That miss appeared fatal when Murphy dragged the North East club back into the contest with eight minutes remaining.
Yet the respite was short-lived, as Barry delivered the decisive blow almost immediately to send the travelling supporters into raptures.
Toffees eyeing Europe
The victory moves the Merseysiders up to eighth in the Premier League table, leaving them just five points adrift of the top six.
They have now reached the 40-point mark following a committed display that exposed their opponents’ fragility.
Conversely, Newcastle remain stuck in the bottom half of the table, facing a daunting schedule across three competitions in March.
Liverpool moved up to fifth in the Premier League after punishing West Ham with a devastating set-piece display in a chaotic 5-2 victory at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s side produced a clinical first-half performance to dismantle their relegation-threatened opponents.
Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister all scored from corners before the break to expose the visitors’ glaring defensive frailties.
Reds ruthless from dead-ball situations
It was a brutal examination of West Ham’s setup, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men having now conceded a league-high 15 goals from corners this season.
Ekitike opened the scoring inside five minutes before the Liverpool captain and Mac Allister struck to put the game largely beyond reach by half-time.
Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen was left helpless as the Merseysiders consistently won the aerial duels to take a commanding lead.
Tomas Soucek offered a glimmer of hope for the Londoners early in the second half, finishing a counter-attack to reduce the deficit.
Defensive woes continue for Hammers
Cody Gakpo restored the three-goal cushion in the 70th minute, making immediate amends for a clear opportunity missed moments earlier.
Valentin Castellanos pulled another back for the Hammers to make it 4-2, finding space at the back post from a corner to highlight Liverpool’s own occasional defensive lapses.
However, an own goal from Axel Disasi, forced by pressure from Jeremie Frimpong, capped a miserable afternoon for the visitors.
The result sees the Reds displace Chelsea in the European places, while West Ham remain in a precarious position near the foot of the table.
Football’s lawmakers have extended VAR’s remit to cover corners and second yellow cards while introducing strict new measures to combat time-wasting.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) ratified the changes at their annual general meeting in Wales on Saturday.
These updates to the laws of the game will officially come into effect on 1 July.
However, the new protocols are set to be adopted immediately for the World Cup beginning on 11 June.
Expanded video review powers
Video assistant referees will now have the option to check corner kicks for the first time.
The board emphasised that these checks are not mandatory and must only be used to spot obvious errors without delaying the restart.
The core protocol has also been widened to allow reviews of incorrectly awarded second yellow cards.
Technology can now be utilised to identify cases of mistaken identity where a sanction is given to the wrong player.
However, officials in the booth will not be permitted to advise on-field referees to issue a second caution if one was originally missed during live play.
Crackdown on time-wasting
Beyond technology, the global governing body approved a package of measures designed to maintain the tempo of matches.
Referees will be empowered to start a five-second countdown if they perceive delays over throw-ins or goal kicks.
Substitutions must now be completed within a strict 10-second window.
Failure to leave the pitch in that time will result in the incoming player waiting on the sideline for at least one minute before entering.
Further deterrents include a mandatory one-minute period off the field for any player requiring treatment that forces a stoppage.
The Premier League had previously trialled a 30-second window for injuries, but lawmakers felt a longer duration was required to stop tactical disruptions.
Future trials and player conduct
Ifab also agreed to conduct specific trials to assess tactical injury delays by goalkeepers.
New consultations will be held to address teams walking off in protest against decisions.
The board is also looking into banning players from covering their mouths during confrontations to hide potential abuse.
These discussions follow recent high-profile incidents involving Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr.
Jurgen Klopp has vowed to host a “parade” at his Mallorca home if Manchester City are stripped of their Premier League titles following the investigation into alleged financial breaches.
The former Liverpool manager guided his side to second-place finishes behind Pep Guardiola’s team in both the 2018-19 and 2021-22 campaigns.
The Reds lost out on the trophy by a single point on both occasions, despite recording historic points tallies.
Manchester City are currently awaiting a verdict from an independent commission regarding over 100 alleged breaches of financial regulations between 2009 and 2018.
While the reigning champions have consistently denied any wrongdoing, speculation continues regarding potential punishments, including the retrospective removal of honours.
Klopp offers beer and garden party
Speaking at his first public appearance since becoming Red Bull’s head of global soccer, the 57-year-old addressed the possibility of Liverpool retrospectively inheriting those league crowns.
Klopp admitted the topic had been discussed with colleagues prior to his departure from Anfield last summer.
“If it would happen, I told all the people who wanted to [come]: ‘Just book a flight to Mallorca. I will buy the beer!'” said the German.
“We’d have our own parade in my garden.”
Commission verdict expected soon
The Premier League referred the Etihad club to an independent commission in February 2023 regarding the charges.
The case, which has been described as the “trial of the century”, has now been ongoing for nearly two years.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire recently suggested that the three-person panel is likely approaching the final stages of their judgment.
Should the commission find against the Manchester club, sanctions could range from fines to significant points deductions or expulsion from the league.
Such a verdict could theoretically result in the rewriting of Premier League history books, though no precedent currently exists for stripping titles in the competition.
Borussia Dortmund host arch-rivals Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga today as they look to bounce back from a devastating European exit.
Der Klassiker returns
The 139th edition of Germany’s biggest fixture takes place at Signal Iduna Park this evening.
Dortmund enter the match reeling from a Champions League play-off defeat by Atalanta.
Niko Kovac’s side had entered the second leg with a two-goal advantage.
However, a late collapse saw Ramy Bensebaini sent off and Lazar Samardzic score a stoppage-time penalty to eliminate the German club.
Kane leads Bayern charge
The visitors arrive in North Rhine-Westphalia in formidable form.
The Bavarians sit eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table with 13 matches remaining.
Harry Kane has been pivotal to their domestic dominance.
The England captain has registered 43 goals and five assists in just 36 appearances this campaign.
History favors the league leaders, who have won more than twice as many Klassikers as their opponents.
TV channel and live stream
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Football.
Coverage is scheduled to begin at 17:20 GMT ahead of a 17:30 kick-off.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also follow the action live online via the Sky Go app and website.
Mohamed Salah is enduring the longest goal drought of his Premier League career despite re-establishing himself in the Liverpool starting line-up under Arne Slot.
The Egypt captain was one of the first players to depart the dressing room following Sunday’s victory at Nottingham Forest.
When approached for comment, the forward politely declined with a smile before heading to the team bus, cutting a relaxed figure despite the speculation surrounding him.
Tension and reconciliation
The scene marked a stark contrast to his explosive interview at Elland Road two months ago.
Salah had previously claimed the club “threw him under the bus” after being omitted from the starting XI for three consecutive matches.
Sources indicate the 33-year-old considered releasing a social media statement but chose to speak out publicly due to the depth of his frustration.
“I don’t know why but it seems to me that someone doesn’t want me in the club,” he stated at the time.
However, the situation appears to have de-escalated significantly since that outburst.
The former Roma winger apologised to his team-mates and shook hands with manager Arne Slot, who insisted the matter was resolved.
Return to the fold
Since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in January, Salah has started every game for the Reds.
While the club’s injury crisis has necessitated his inclusion, his application has drawn praise from his head coach.
Following a goal and an assist in the FA Cup victory over Brighton, Slot highlighted the attacker’s work ethic.
“What I like the most is he is scoring goals [which you] almost expect – but he also helps the team a lot defensively and that is something very positive,” said Slot.
This defensive improvement is backed by data, showing an increase in possession recovery compared to the previous campaign.
A worrying statistical drop-off
Despite his reintroduction to the side, the prolific forward is currently navigating uncharted waters regarding his output.
Salah has registered two goals and four assists in eight games across all competitions since his return from international duty.
However, he has not found the net in the Premier League since November.
Failure to score against West Ham at Anfield on Saturday would extend his barren run to 10 top-flight matches.
This represents the longest goal drought of his distinguished Premier League career.
“He sets his own standards and those are so, so high that the moment he doesn’t score for a few games, people are immediately surprised. That’s probably the biggest compliment he can get,” Slot admitted on Friday.
The numbers illustrate a clear decline, with his average goal and assist contribution dropping to 0.56 per game this season, down from 1.25 last term.
Jeremie Frimpong is set to return for Liverpool against West Ham United this weekend, offering relief to Arne Slot after an injury crisis that has seen seven different players used at right-back this season.
A difficult transition
The Netherlands international is poised to feature on Saturday after recovering from his latest fitness setback.
Since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen, the defender has suffered three separate hamstring injuries.
Arne Slot has previously suggested the intensity of the Premier League has contributed to the player’s difficult adjustment period.
The stop-start nature of his Anfield career mirrors the issues faced by Trent Alexander-Arnold following his summer move to Real Madrid.
The curse of the seven right-backs
Liverpool have faced unprecedented instability in defense throughout the current campaign.
Slot has been forced to utilize seven different players in the right-back position due to a cascade of injuries.
Conor Bradley has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
Experienced defender Joe Gomez has also seen his playing time rationed to prevent recurring fitness issues.
The crisis deepened when Wataru Endo sustained a foot injury while deputising in the back four, ruling him out for the foreseeable future.
Midfield balance disrupted
The defensive shortage has had significant knock-on effects for the team’s structure further forward.
Dominik Szoboszlai has frequently been moved from his preferred midfield role to cover the vacant defensive slot.
Curtis Jones has also been deployed as a makeshift solution, while Calvin Ramsay has been restricted to cup appearances.
The club attempted to address the issue late in the winter window by targeting Feyenoord’s Lutsharel Geertruida.
However, the loan move for the Dutchman failed to materialise.
Slot will hope Frimpong’s return brings much-needed consistency to a position that has defined Liverpool’s season for the wrong reasons.