Liverpool's loss to Fulham delays title celebrations; Southampton relegated early

Liverpool suffered only their second Premier League defeat of the season, falling 3-2 to Fulham at Craven Cottage.

This defeat slowed their march towards the title, but they are still on track to secure their first league title since 2020, with a comfortable lead over second-placed Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Southampton were relegated to the Championship in record time after a 3-1 loss to Tottenham.

Arsenal's 1-1 draw at Everton on Saturday meant Liverpool now need just 11 points from their remaining matches to clinch a record-equalling 20th top-flight title. Despite leading the game early with a stunning strike from Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool's poor defending allowed Fulham to fight back with goals from Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi, and Rodrigo Muniz.

Liverpool have looked fatigued in recent weeks after competing in four competitions for much of the season under Arne Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp. However, the Reds are still favourites to win the title, with only seven games left for Arsenal to close the gap. Liverpool's recent struggles include a Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain and a League Cup final defeat to Newcastle, though they managed to bounce back with a 1-0 win over Everton in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday.

Despite their lethargy against Fulham, Liverpool remain on course for the title, though the delay in their title celebrations may extend a little longer.

In north London, Southampton's relegation was confirmed after a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham. Brennan Johnson scored twice in the first half, and although Mateus Fernandes replied late, it was too little too late for the bottom-placed Saints. This defeat marked Southampton's 25th loss in 31 games, making them the first Premier League team to be relegated with seven matches still to play. Previously, Ipswich in 1994-95 and Derby in 2007-08 had been relegated with six games remaining.

Southampton's relegation was confirmed after a tough season, with the club's struggles compounded by a lack of wins in their last seven league matches. Manager Ivan Juric admitted that avoiding a record-low points tally was now the team's only remaining goal for the rest of the season. The team's slide into the second tier was confirmed just 315 days after they secured promotion through the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Tottenham, who have faced their own difficulties this season, managed a much-needed 3-1 victory. Despite protests from the fans against chairman Daniel Levy and criticism of under-fire manager Ange Postecoglou, the win lifted Spurs to 13th place. Tottenham's first win in five league matches gave them some breathing space ahead of their Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Meanwhile, Chelsea continued their struggles, drawing 0-0 at Brentford, extending their winless run on the road. Despite dropping England forward Cole Palmer to the bench, Chelsea failed to break the deadlock. Manager Enzo Maresca's cautious tactics have come under scrutiny as the Blues look to qualify for the Champions League.