Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota claimed second-half doubles as Premier League leaders Liverpool moved five points clear with a crushing 4-0 victory away to Bournemouth.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds initially struggled to create at the Vitality Stadium in the absence of top scorer Mohamed Salah.
But Nunez broke the deadlock early in the second period and completed the scoring in added time following Jota’s quick-fire double.
Victory on a soggy south coast afternoon stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 14 league fixtures as they fully capitalised on a weekend off for second-placed Manchester City.
In-form Bournemouth were competitive for large parts of a frenetic encounter, but rarely threatened en route to only their second defeat in nine games.
A difficult outing for Andoni Iraola’s hosts could have been worse as Justin Kluivert was perhaps fortunate to escape a red card for a first-half challenge on Luis Diaz.
Liverpool were back in top-flight action for the first time since New Year’s Day, but without talisman Salah, who has sustained a hamstring injury at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, in the league for the first time this season.
The Reds were unable to find fluency in the opening stages as Bournemouth began brighter, albeit without testing Alisson.
Klopp’s men grew into the game and eventually enjoyed some meaningful territory.
Alexis Mac Allister fired wide from distance, before long-range efforts from Nunez and Diaz were comfortably collected by Cherries goalkeeper Neto.
Bournemouth, who had also not played a league fixture for three weeks, then breathed a sigh of relief in the 35th minute when Kluivert avoided punishment after catching Diaz with a high, studs-up tackle.
Ryan Christie eventually registered the hosts’ maiden attempt at goal in the 39th minute – a tame effort straight at Alisson – and was then unable to turn home Kluivert’s dangerous low centre just before the break.
Following a fairly forgettable first half devoid of clear chances, Liverpool capitalised on sloppy defending to edge ahead four minutes after the restart.
Ibrahima Konate’s cross-field ball was chested down by the unmarked Curtis Jones and then moved on to Jota, whose first-time pass was confidently slotted into the bottom right corner by Nunez.
Nunez, who was unfavourably compared to former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll by gloating home fans in the first half, was also involved in his side’s 70th-minute second.
The powerful Uruguay forward caused problems for Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham, allowing Reds substitute Cody Gakpo to pounce on the loose ball and slip in Jota to find the net via the base of the right post.
Jota extinguished any hope of a Cherries fightback just nine minutes later.
The Portugal forward miskicked his first effort following a pass from Premier League debutant Conor Bradley, but swiftly silenced ironic cheers by rifling into the bottom left corner.
Cherries substitute David Brooks wasted a golden chance to claim a consolation when he dinked wide in 90th minute.
And Nunez, who claimed the winner when the clubs met in the Carabao Cup fourth round at the start of November, rubbed salted into Bournemouth wounds three minutes into added time by registering his second with a fine close-range finish.
Pochettino: Chelsea facing 'most dangerous' game against West Ham
Mauricio Pochettino has warned his Chelsea players they face their "most dangerous" game when West Ham visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Blues picked up one of their best Premier League results of the season on Thursday in beating Tottenham 2-0 on home soil.
Another London derby now awaits, but Pochettino believes the quick turnaround in matches could work against his side.
"It is the most dangerous game because now we have to keep the same mentality for Sunday," he said.
"We are playing a team who are so strong, have physicality and West Ham are having a fantastic season and have been competing in Europe.
"We need to recover players. We don't have too many options to add fresh people to the squad and they have had the whole week to prepare."
Inconsistent Chelsea have often struggled to build on positive results this season, explaining why they sit eighth in the Premier League.
Pochettino's side are two points better off than West Ham with a game in hand as they both desperately attempt to keep their top-six hopes alive.
West Ham are winless in five matches in all competitions, seeing them drop down the Premier League and exit the Europa League.
Doubts remain over manager David Moyes' future, with his current deal expiring at the end of the campaign, but he is focusing only on Chelsea.
"We're going to have to play well to get a result against them," Moyes said at his pre-match press conference.
"I think [Pochettino's] had a difficult job, and they've started to hit form. Mauricio is a great manager, and they have a lot of good, young players.
"There are lots of tough stadiums to go to, Stamford Bridge being one of those. We'll go there and do everything we can to get a result."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chelsea - Cole Palmer
Palmer has undoubtedly been Chelsea's best player in his debut campaign at the club, having scored and assisted a combined 29 goals in 29 Premier League matches.
The England international has been directly involved in a goal against 13 different opponents in the competition this term, and he will be looking to make that 14 against West Ham after missing the reverse fixture.
West Ham - Michail Antonio
Antonio earned West Ham a point against Liverpool last time out and now has a combined 99 goals and assists in the Premier League for United.
That leaves the Jamaica international, who has four goals in his past seven outings, one short of hitting a milestone that no other player has ever managed for the club.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN
West Ham won 3-1 when the sides most recently met in August and are aiming to pull off a Premier League double in this fixture for just the third time, having previously done so in 2002-03 and 2019-20.
However, Chelsea have lost just one of their past 17 home league games against West Ham - a 1-0 defeat in November 2019 under Frank Lampard.
Goals can be expected as West Ham have gone 15 Premier League games without a clean sheet, last having a longer run without a shutout in the top flight between March and November 2008 (24 games).
Five of West Ham's last 10 Premier League matches, meanwhile, have seen both teams score two or more goals, including each of the last two.
Facing Chelsea on a Sunday could prove to be good news for West Ham as their London rivals have won just one of their past 13 league games on the final day of the week.
However, Moyes will need no reminding he has never won an away league match against Chelsea in 18 attempts. Pochettino will become the 11th different manager he has faced at Stamford Bridge in that time.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
CHELSEA - 49.4%
DRAW - 26.5%
WEST HAM - 24.1%
Celtic 3-0 Hearts: Kyogo sends hosts six points clear of Rangers
Kyogo Furuhashi scored twice in the first half as Celtic defeated Hearts 3-0 on Saturday to move six points clear of rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race.
Rangers host Kilmarnock on Sunday for their game in hand, but Celtic, who also have a better goal difference, remain in control of the title race as things stand.
Celtic will then host Rangers in next week's pivotal Old Firm derby.
Lawrence Shankland almost gave Hearts a dream start when his effort deflected just wide in the opening minute, but from that point on, despite some strong spells of play in the opening half, they never looked likely to record what would have been their third consecutive win over Celtic.
Kyogo had Celtic two goals up inside 21 minutes in a hammer blow to Hearts, who are all but certain to finish in third place this season.
A Matt O'Riley penalty three minutes from time ended any faint hopes of a Hearts comeback, sealing a result that puts further pressure on Rangers.
Data Debrief: O'Riley key to Celtic success
Kyogo's early header was set up by Reo Hatate, while it was O'Riley who set up the second goal with a superb pass that the Japan international met with a first-time finish.
O'Riley, who later added his penalty, now has 14 goals and 12 assists in the Premiership this season. His goal tally is the highest of any Celtic player, while the creative total is the best in the whole league.
Sheffield United 1-3 Nottingham Forest: Hudson-Odoi hands visitors huge survival boost
Callum Hudson-Odoi scored twice as Nottingham Forest climbed further clear of the relegation zone with a 3-1 away victory over Sheffield United.
Chris Wilder’s men took the lead through a Ben Brereton-Diaz spot kick, but the visitors roared back to score three goals without reply.
Hudson-Odoi sealed an impressive brace just after the hour mark, after Ryan Yates had put the visitors in front.
Forest remain in 17th, but this win takes them three points clear of Luton Town in 18th and the other side who can catch them, Burnley, were well beaten by Newcastle United. The already-relegated Blades, who were reduced to 10 men late on, remain rock bottom.
Chris Wood was unable to cap an excellent start for Forest. With just over a minute gone, the Kiwi missed a superb early chance, side-footing his volley wide of the far post after Morgan Gibbs-White had made a great break down the right.
In a frenetic early period, Sheffield United’s Brereton-Diaz won a penalty, with Gonzalo Montiel punished for a lazy challenge in the box. The Chilean international dusted himself down and slammed home his sixth goal of the season.
Forest absorbed further pressure when Murillo slid Cameron Archer’s attempt away bravely in the 19th minute. After holding firm, Forest then levelled emphatically in the 27th minute. Danilo linked up with Hudson-Odoi and the wideman did the rest. Cutting inside from the left with a fine first touch, the former Chelsea man left Jayden Bogle in his wake and found the top-right corner with a powerful, curled effort.
United responded well, and the half closed in a chaotic spell as they laid siege to the visitors’ goal. Murillo was forced to make two fine blocks, before goalkeeper Matz Sels stepped up to produce two excellent saves.
At the other end, Wood had a great chance to put Forest ahead late in the half, but he could only direct his header onto the bar.
Forest came out swinging in the second half and took little time to take the lead. Captain Yates was the scorer, volleying home after Willy Boly had nodded the ball down to him from an Anthony Elanga cross.
The Blades continued to show fight as Brereton-Diaz forced a fine stop out of Sels, but the knockout blow felt inevitable. Again drifting in off the left, Hudson-Odoi danced across the box before finding the bottom corner with ease to add Forest’s third.
Forest continued to search for goals as Danilo fired over in the 73rd minute, and Wood forced a fine save from Wes Foderingham following a Gibbs-White free-kick five minutes later. The Blades held it to three in the end, but that will be of little consolation to Chris Wilder and his side, and particularly Anel Ahmedhodzic, who was sent off in the final moments.
Blades making unwanted Premier League records
The second of Hudson-Odoi’s strikes brought up a century of goals conceded for Sheffield United.
The Blades are the first side to concede 100 goals in a 38-game English top-flight campaign since Leicester City in 1908-09 (102), while they have matched Swindon Town’s unwanted record in the 1993-94 Premier League (also 100 goals conceded).
Hudson-Odoi key to Forest survival hopes
Hudson-Odoi got both his sixth and seventh goals in the Premier League this season, and they could prove crucial to Forest's short-term future.
With two games remaining, at home against Chelsea and away at Burnley, plus the possibility of points coming back from their PSR appeal in the coming days, Forest might just be on the brink of sealing a third straight season in the top tier.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
