Premier League news LIVE: Latest updates as Jurgen Klopp responds to Liverpool defeat – The Independent

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Liverpool are in action in the Premier League’s early kick-off following defeat to Everton at Goodison Park in midweek
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Manchester City closed the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to just one point after strolling to a 4-0 win over Brighton last night, and now Liverpool prepare to head to West Ham United as Jurgen Klopp’s side bid to keep their fading title challenge alive.
The Reds are in action in the Premier League’s early kick-off on Saturday, after Klopp conceded that Liverpool require City and Arsenal to have a “crisis” in order to win the title in his last season in charge following defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
It’s been a busy week off the pitch for Liverpool, too, with Arne Slot confirming that he is interested in the Anfield hotseat after the Reds opened talks with Feyenoord for the Dutchman.
There’s also a North London derby to build up to, as Arsenal travel to Tottenham Hotspur looking to keep their title challenge on track. Anything other than a victory would give the champions the chance to go top, with a game in hand, as Pep Guardiola’s side head to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
We’ll have the Premier League news and updates from today’s pre-match press conferences ahead of the weekend’s fixtures
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United will support Marcus Rashford after the forward took to social media to highlight the “months of abuse” he has been the target of this season.
Rashford has scored just eight goals for United this season after reaching the 30-goal mark in all competitions for Ten Hag’s side last year.
United have collectively endured a tough campaign this season and Ten Hag acknowledged that Rashford “can do better” after setting such high standards last season.
Rashford posted a late-night tweet saying ‘enough is enough’ after being the target of ‘months of abuse’
Liverpool are in talks with Feyenoord over appointing Arne Slot as the club’s next manager in the summer.
The Reds have been eyeing a replacement for Jurgen Klopp ever since the German made it known to executives in November that he would leave the club at the end of the current season.
Liverpool, currently in a three-way race for the Premier League title, were hit in their search when early favourite Xabi Alonso decided to stay at Bayer Leverkusen. Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim has also been linked with the job.
Dutch coach Slot, 45, is said to be keen on a summer switch to the dugout at Anfield
Rio Ferdinand labelled Chelsea’s performance against Arsenal as ‘men playing against boys’ as Mauricio Pochettino’s side slumped to a 5-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring for the hosts after just four minutes before a brace each for Ben White and former Chelsea star Kai Havertz gave the Gunners a comfortable win.
Speaking on TNT Sports after the match, Ferdinand claimed that the Blues were way off the level they have been hitting in recent weeks.
Arsenal scored five goals in an impressive display against their London rivals
“This is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club,” Mauricio Pochettino declared on the eve of his side’s visit to Arsenal. A little more than 24 hours later, the sight of Chelsea without their top scorer and player of the year was enough to empty the away end long before full-time of this humiliating, dispiriting, London derby thrashing at the Emirates. “I don’t want your shirt, I just want you to fight for ours,” a young boy pleaded in the away end. Chelsea failed, spectacularly, in their heaviest ever defeat to Arsenal.
As Pochettino said, the prospect of facing the Premier League leaders without Palmer was a good challenge for the rest of the Chelsea squad, a chance to show that they were more than a one-man team, to prove there was leadership in the ranks beyond the 21-year-old forward. Evidently, it was a challenge Chelsea were utterly incapable of rising to. Without Palmer, Chelsea returned to their lowly status as mid-table fodder. Yet perhaps even that is kind.
Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea: Without Cole Palmer, Mauricio Pochettino’s side crumbled as Kai Havertz scored twice against his former club
Enzo Fernandez will miss the remainder of Chelsea’s season after undergoing surgery on a groin problem on Thursday.
The Argentina midfielder has been suffering for several weeks with a hernia and gave a largely ineffectual performance during his team’s chastening 5-0 defeat to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Tuesday.
Mauricio Pochettino has suffered from an ongoing injury crisis this season with a list of absentees that has rarely dropped below seven first-team names.
The Argentina midfielder has been suffering for several weeks with a hernia.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk questioned his side’s hunger to win the Premier League and said “everyone has to look in the mirror” a 2-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park all but ended their title hopes under Jurgen Klopp.
Everton’s physical approach overwhelmed Liverpool as goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin earned the hosts a famous win in the Merseyside derby.
Liverpool are just three points behind leaders Arsenal with four games to go, but Manchester City have two games in hand on Klopp’s side and would go five points above them if they win both.
Van Dijk said Liverpool have ‘no chance’ of winning the title if they repeat their Goodison Park performance in their final four games of the season
Liverpool missed out on a chance to go level on points with league leaders Arsenal, but instead will go into the final four matches of the season three points behind, and with Manchester City having a game in hand.
The result gave Everton’s chances of staying in the top flight a massive boost, although without the eight-point deduction they would have already been assured of safety.
It was only Everton’s second Merseyside derby victory in the Premier League since 2011, and it was one that will mean a lot to the club as the players and fans celebrated following the final whistle.
While Liverpool still have a small chance at the title, captain Virgil van Dijk said the Reds have “no chance” of winning the Premier League if they play like they did at Goodison.
“Very disappointed in so many ways,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports after the defeat. “I think everyone has to look in the mirror, look at their own performance and if they really gave everything. Do they really want to win the league?
“We are fighting, there are games after tonight, but play like we did overall in the game like today… not winning challenges and giving the ref an opportunity to give a free-kick like he did many times, then you have no chance to win a title.
“It’s a tough one and we need to do much better against a side that’s [fighting] relegation. We had clear-cut chances in the first half that we should have scored but we weren’t good enough and it starts with the fight. We can’t let the season go out like this.”
Jamie Carragher believes defeat to Everton “is the end” of Liverpool’s hopes of winning the Premier League title in Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the club.
Liverpool are three points behind leaders Arsenal in the title race, while Manchester City can go five points clear if they win their two games in hand.
Former Liverpool defender Carragher said to Sky Sports after the match: “This is the end of the title run for Liverpool. It almost feels like the end. They just have to make sure they finish the season strongly. They are not clinical enough in both boxes.”
He added: “Tonight is Everton’s night, you have to take it on the chin.”
Pep Guardiola: “I said to the players what happened to Liverpool can happen to us and can happen to Arsenal.
“People didn’t expect them to lose against Crystal Palace and yesterday but it can happen to us – it’s football.
“Everton is playing to avoid the relegation zone and we have a similar game at Nottingham Forest (on Sunday) and they play for their lives.
“Maybe because they were a real contender of ours for many years, my appreciation for Liverpool is higher than ever.
“Still it (the title) is there (for Liverpool) because I know the character of their team. They are going to fight until the end and we have to do it too.”
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