London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 27, 2026

Liverpool stumble in title race, Watford down

Liverpool stumble in title race, Watford down

What had been a joyous week for Liverpool went flat on Saturday as they stumbled in the title race, dropping two crucial points in a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
Watford were relegated from the top flight as they lost to Crystal Palace, while Manchester United's season can hardly end soon enough after a 4-0 hammering by Brighton and Hove Albion.

Liverpool reached the Champions League final on Tuesday with victory over Villarreal but the mood was gloomy as they were unable to ratchet up the pressure on Manchester City at Anfield.

They had won their last 12 Premier League home games and were unbeaten at Anfield in the league for 14 months but trailed to Son Heung-min's 56th-minute goal.

Son's 20th league goal of the season looked like earning Tottenham the win they needed to move fourth but Luis Diaz equalised with a deflected shot in the 74th minute.

Liverpool moved top with 83 points from 35 games with City also on 83 from 34 games. Reigning champions City can go three points clear if they beat Newcastle United on Sunday.

"The dressing room is not flying, come on, but there are other games to play. We just have to keep going," Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said.

Watford's 1-0 defeat by Palace soured former manager Roy Hodgson's return to Selhurst Park.

Wilfried Zaha's penalty earned Palace the points to send Watford down and inflict a first relegation from the Premier League in Hodgson's long managerial career.

Manchester United's soon-to-be ex interim manager Ralf Rangnick apologised after a display he described as "humiliating" on the south coast.

Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard were all on target for Brighton as United suffered a fifth successive away defeat in the league to end any remaining hope of a top-four finish.

"It was a terrible performance. From the first until the last minute it was not enough. We can only apologise for this performance and a humiliating defeat," said Rangnick, who will hand over to Erik ten Hag at the end of the season.

Burnley's resurgence, which had seen them escape the relegation zone, came to a halt as they lost 3-1 at home to Aston Villa for whom Danny Ings, Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins were all on the scoresheet.

Burnley are in 16th place with 34 points but 18th-placed Everton have 32 points with two games more to play.

Chelsea are not yet assured of a top-four place as they were held to a 2-2 home draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With potential new owner Ted Boehly watching at Stamford Bridge, Romelu Lukaku scored twice to put the hosts ahead.

But Francisco Trincao scored a spectacular goal 11 minutes from time before Conor Coady headed a dramatic 97th-minute equaliser to deny Chelsea victory on the day the sale of the club was agreed.

Chelsea are in third place with 67 points from 35 games with fourth-placed Arsenal, who host relegation-threatened Leeds United on Sunday, on 63 from 34. Tottenham have 62 from 35.

"Of course the taste of the game is bad," Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta said. "We are conceding too many goals in the last couple of games which is putting us in a difficult position in the race for the Champions League."

Brentford are ending their maiden Premier League season on a high as they crushed Southampton 3-0 to virtually guarantee survival, barring an unlikely sequence of results.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Ambulance Service Sees Record Emergency Demand as Heatwave Intensifies
British Chambers of Commerce Warns of Prolonged Weak Investment Climate Through 2027
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Inflation Risks Persist
UK Construction Sector Faces One Percent Contraction Amid Cost and Investment Pressures
Former DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson Convicted of Sexual Offences
Church of England Appoints Dr Linsay Cunningham to Lead Faith and Public Life Division
UK Armed Forces Day Marked Nationwide With Events From Aberdeen to the Scilly Isles
Rising Tensions in Edinburgh Prompt Joint Warning From Scottish Local Government Leaders
UK Construction Sector Forecast to Contract One Percent in 2026 on Cost Pressures
UK Parliament Backs 87 Percent Emissions Cut as Government Deepens Electrification Drive
British Chambers of Commerce Forecast Weak UK Growth as Investment and Demand Slow
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent Amid Energy and Inflation Uncertainty
London Ambulance Service Reports Record Surge in Life-Threatening Emergency Calls During Heatwave
UK Parliament Approves Legally Binding 87 Percent Emissions Cut Target by 2040
United Kingdom Records Third Consecutive Day of Record June Heat as Europe Faces Worsening Heatwave
Robert Jenrick Defends £5 Million Donation to Nigel Farage Amid Political Scrutiny
Plymouth Museum The Box Wins 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year Award
UK Government Faces Backlash Over Plans to Use Former Military Sites for Asylum Accommodation
Labour Party Faces Pressure Over Cabinet Stability as Senior Figures Clash on Policy Direction
Heathrow Airport Forecasts Passenger Decline in 2026 as Costs and Climate Disruption Mount
UK Energy Regulator Approves Expansion of Long-Duration Storage to Boost Power System Resilience
Crown Estate Reports Third Consecutive Year of £1 Billion Profit as Debate Over Royal Finances Intensifies
Teenager Charged With Murder in Wales Following Death of 14-Year-Old Boy
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Failures Trigger Calls for Public Inquiry Into Patient Safety
EasyJet Rejects £4.9 Billion Takeover Offer From Castlelake but Keeps Door Open for Further Talks
Record Heatwave Triggers UK Transport and Infrastructure Strain as Heathrow Revises Passenger Forecast Downward
Ofgem Approves Sixteen Long-Duration Energy Storage Projects to Strengthen UK Grid Stability
Labour Government Faces Internal Tensions Over Cabinet Decisions and Net Zero Policy Direction
British Food and Drink Exports Fall to Decade Low Amid Trade Friction and US Tariffs
Great Britain Grid Operator Spends £10 Million to Stabilize Electricity Supply During Heatwave Demand Surge
UK Parliament Committee Calls for Urgent National Adaptation Strategy as Extreme Heat Strains Public Infrastructure
Record-Breaking Heatwave Pushes England’s National Health Service to Critical Incident Status as Hospitals Struggle With Surge in Emergencies
UK Government Launches Review of Voluntary National Insurance Contributions System
UK Planning Inspectorate Reports Key Infrastructure and Planning Milestones in Annual Review
UK Government Reviews Travel Expense Reimbursement Rates for Employers and Employees
Civil Nuclear Constabulary Launches National Digital Memorial for Officers Killed in Service
UK and US Expand Collaboration on Nuclear Fusion Research and Workforce Exchange
Environment Agency Secures £275,000 Enforcement Deal with Anglian Water Over Permit Breaches
Independent Inspector Flags Ongoing Failures in UK Home Office Border Case Management
UK Government Considers Zero VAT Rate on Land for Social Housing Development
Bank of England Reports Sharp Drop in Emissions and Warns on Climate-Driven Financial Risk
Consumer Confidence in the UK Falls at Fastest Quarterly Rate Since 2022
UK Borrowing Costs Rise Sharply on Gilt Markets Amid Fiscal and Political Concerns
UK Government Plans Legislation to Bring British Steel into Public Ownership
UK Government Secures £210 Million Nuclear Fuel Deal to Support Ukraine Energy Security
London Ambulance Service Reports Record Emergency Call Volume Amid Severe Heatwave
United Kingdom Faces Record June Heatwave as Temperatures Hit 36.7°C in Somerset
UK Financial Services Reform Debate Intensifies Over Ministerial Regulatory Powers
UK Energy Price Cap Rise Expected to Keep Inflation Above Target Through 2026
UK Biohacking and AI Wellness Trends Drive Surge in Personal Health Monitoring
×