Liverpool held to draw by Nottingham Forest, Manchester City let 2-goal lead slip

Liverpool were forced to settle for a draw by in-form Nottingham Forest while Manchester City capitulated and let a 2-goal lead slip away from home against Brentford on Tuesday, January 14. Elsewhere, Chelsea had captain Reece James to thank for their draw against Bournemouth, while Graham Potter got his first win as West Ham United manager as they edged past Fulham in a 5-goal thriller.

Diogo Jota’s crucial second-half header salvaged a 1-1 draw for Liverpool against an impressive Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, preserving their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Forest, enjoying an extraordinary campaign after narrowly escaping relegation last season, stunned the league leaders early on. Chris Wood struck in the eighth minute, capitalising on a vibrant atmosphere at the City Ground.

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Liverpool, whose sole league loss this season came against Forest in September, seemed on course for another upset. However, Jota rose to the occasion in the 66th minute, nodding in from a corner to restore parity.

The visitors pushed for a winner, with Jota and Mohamed Salah both testing Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels late on. Sels’ heroics ensured Forest held on for a valuable point, leaving Liverpool six points clear of second-placed Forest, who have played one game more.

Manchester City let lead slip

Elsewhere, Manchester City squandered a two-goal lead as Brentford mounted a dramatic late comeback to secure a 2-2 draw in a thrilling encounter. City, aiming to build momentum after a turbulent November and December, looked to have turned a corner following recent wins over Leicester and West Ham. Yet their defensive frailties resurfaced at the Brentford Community Stadium.

After a cagey first half, Savinho nearly broke the deadlock in the 50th minute with a powerful shot that rattled the post. Erling Haaland spurned a golden opportunity minutes later, heading straight at the keeper.

City eventually found their rhythm in the 66th minute when Kevin De Bruyne’s pinpoint cross was expertly volleyed home by Phil Foden. The England international doubled the lead 12 minutes later, pouncing on a rebound after Savinho’s effort was parried.

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Brentford, however, refused to die. Yoane Wissa pulled one back in the 82nd minute, setting up a tense finale. In stoppage time, Christian Norgaard completed the comeback with a glancing header that beat Stefan Ortega, despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to it.

The draw leaves City in sixth place on 35 points, 12 behind Liverpool, while Brentford climb to 10th on 28 points.

James to the rescue for Chelsea

Meanwhile, Reece James rescued Chelsea with a stunning 95th-minute free-kick to earn a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. James, returning from injury as a second-half substitute, curled a brilliant shot into the far corner, denying Bournemouth a famous win.

Chelsea had dominated the first half, taking the lead through Cole Palmer. However, Bournemouth levelled early in the second half when Justin Kluivert converted a penalty.

The visitors then shocked the home crowd in the 78th minute, with Antoine Semenyo blasting a fierce strike past Robert Sanchez at the near post to make it 2-1. Despite James’ late heroics, it was another frustrating outing for Chelsea, who are now winless in five league matches. They remain fourth on 37 points, while Bournemouth sit seventh with 34 points.

West Ham United edged past Fulham in a thrilling 3-2 victory on Tuesday, marking a winning start for new manager Graham Potter in his Premier League debut with the Hammers. Despite being outplayed for much of the first half, West Ham struck twice in quick succession to turn the tide. Carlos Soler opened the scoring, and Tomas Soucek doubled the lead just two minutes later, leaving the visitors stunned.

Fulham hit back shortly after the break through Alex Iwobi, who slotted home to halve the deficit. However, a costly error from Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno handed West Ham a crucial third goal, with Lucas Paquetá capitalising to restore their two-goal advantage.

Iwobi reignited Fulham’s hopes with his second goal of the night, setting up a tense finale. The visitors piled on the pressure in the closing stages, but West Ham held firm to secure all three points. The victory lifts West Ham to 12th in the table with 26 points, while Fulham, who suffered their first loss in nine league games, remain ninth on 30 points.