Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday allowed them to maintain their grip on the Premier League lead despite dropping points.
United’s Amad Diallo delivered a late equalizer, converting Alejandro Garnacho’s cross in the 80th minute after Mohamed Salah’s penalty had seemed to seal the win for Liverpool.
United had taken the lead through Lisandro Martinez’s strike early in the second half, but Cody Gakpo quickly equalized.
Salah’s penalty in the 70th, awarded for a Matthijs de Ligt handball, temporarily put Liverpool ahead.
The result ended United’s four-game losing streak and lifted them to 13th, while Liverpool missed a chance to extend their lead over second-place Arsenal, which also drew 1-1 with Brighton.
The Reds still hold a six-point advantage at the top with a game in hand.
United remain winless at Anfield since 2016, but this point marked a positive step for Ruben Amorim’s side, which last won in December against Manchester City.
Late drama almost saw United snatch all three points, but Harry Maguire’s close-range miss and Virgil van Dijk’s header straight at Andre Onana kept the score level.
Elsewhere, Chelsea and Arsenal both dropped points, with Chelsea held 1-1 by Crystal Palace and Arsenal drawing the same scoreline at Brighton.
Last season’s champions, Manchester City, finally found form with a 4-1 win over West Ham United, securing their second consecutive victory.
In La Liga, Real Madrid took advantage of Spain’s Copa del Rey schedule to temporarily climb to the top of La Liga with a 2-1 win at Valencia.
Despite being reduced to 10 men after Vinicius Junior’s red card and a missed penalty by Jude Bellingham, Madrid held on to claim the three points.
Bellingham made amends, scoring and assisting in the victory.
With 43 points, Real Madrid overtook Atletico Madrid, who sit on 41, while their El Clasico archrivals Barcelona trail on 38.
Arda Güler was on the bench for Madrid, while Atletico Madrid continued to battle for top spot.
Antonio Conte’s Napoli moved to the top of Serie A, thanks to Atalanta’s absence due to their involvement in the Super Cup.
In their 3-0 win at Fiorentina, Napoli extended their winning streak to four games, with goals from David Neres, Romelu Lukaku, and Scott McTominay.
Fiorentina, on the other hand, saw their struggles continue, with their fourth consecutive defeat. Roma won their capital derby, beating Lazio 2-0.
With their win, Napoli now have 44 points, one ahead of Atalanta, who have a game in hand.
Defending champions, Inter Milan, with two games less, sit in third place with 40 points.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain, who were not in action this weekend due to their Super Cup triumph, retained their spot atop Ligue 1.
PSG clinched the Super Cup with a 1-0 win over Monaco, thanks to Ousmane Dembele’s late goal.
Olympique Marseille kept pace with PSG with a dominant 5-1 win over Le Havre, while Lille drew 1-1 at home with Nantes.
Lyon secured a vital 1-0 win over Montpellier.
PSG remain unbeaten in the league after 16 games, with 40 points, while Marseille trail with 33 points.
Monaco and Lyon follow with 30 and 28 points, respectively.
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