City 5-2 to regain title after beating Chelsea
IT WAS a thrilling day of Premier League action where the story of the season continued with a familiar pattern.
Liverpool won again. Jamie Vardy scored again. Manchester City's attack got their defence out of trouble again. Arsenal, Everton and West Ham supporters are calling for the head of their manager again and Jose Mourinho's sparkle is back again.
Roberto Firmino's late goal at Selhurst Park earned Liverpool a hard-fought 2-1 success over Crystal Palace to maintain their nine-point advantage at the summit and title quotes of 2-5.
City are 5-2 to retain the title after coming from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Etihad. N'Golo Kante put the Londoners in front before goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez grabbed City the initiative.
Second-placed Leicester, 45-1 to repeat the miracle of 2015, maintained their unlikely challenge with a 2-0 success at Brighton. Ayoze Perez bagged the opener and a retaken Vardy penalty sealed victory.
Mourinho made the perfect start to life as Tottenham's manager as Spurs raced into a 3-0 advantage and not even a couple of late West Ham consolation goals could take the gloss off the result.
Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini is 2-1 sack-race favourite with Paddy Power in a competitive market, just ahead of Arsenal's Unai Emery and Marco Silva of Everton.
Alexandre Lacazette grabbed a last-gasp point for Arsenal in a 2-2 home draw with Southampton, while Everton were abysmal in a 2-0 defeat to Norwich at Goodison Park.
Wolves beat ten-man Bournemouth 2-1 and Burnley bashed Watford 3-0 at Vicarage Road.