Mane keeps Reds title hopes alive with 2-2 draw at Manchester City

DPA London Sadio Mane kept Liverpool in the Premier League title hunt with a priceless second-half equalizer in a gripping 2-2 draw with leaders Manchester...

DPALondonSadio Mane kept Liverpool in the Premier League title hunt with a priceless second-half equalizer in a gripping 2-2 draw with leaders Manchester City on Sunday.Jürgen Klopp’s side sat 14 points behind City in January, but a 10-game winning run cut the gap to just one point to set up what many billed as a title decider at the Etihad Stadium.Diogo Jota cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne’s opener in an enthralling start, and Mane followed suit swiftly after the interval following Gabriel Jesus’ 36th-minute strike.Neither side could find a winner, with Raheem Sterling seeing a goal disallowed, as Pep Guardiola’s side kept their slender lead intact with seven games left to play.Sterling squandered a glorious chance after five minutes as he was denied by the onrushing Alisson following a square Jesus pass, but City were ahead just seconds later.De Bruyne profited from a quick Bernardo Silva free-kick before arrowing a left-footed effort home, the ball going in off the right post following a fortuitous deflection off Joel Matip.Liverpool responded within eight minutes, with Andy Robertson finding Trent Alexander-Arnold, who played the ball back from the far post for Jota to squeeze a low strike under Ederson.De Bruyne whipped narrowly wide in search of his second before Jesus latched onto a Joao Cancelo cross and coolly finished via the underside of the crossbar.Mane levelled up within a minute of the second half getting under way, racing onto Mohamed Salah’s throughball to slot powerfully past Ederson, who thwarted Jota’s prodded effort shortly after.Sterling thought he had nudged the hosts ahead again, but a video check showed the forward was offside when De Bruyne passed the ball, while Salah curled just off target at the other end.Substitute Riyad Mahrez provided a late scare for the visitors as he clipped the post with a free-kick, and then chipped over after a sublime De Bruyne pass, but there would be no decisive goal.Mbeumo and Toney fire Brentford to victory over West Ham Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney combined to sink West Ham 2-0 and surely banish any lingering relegation fears for Brentford.Two second-half goals lifted the Bees 12 points clear of the Premier League drop zone after a Sunday stroll in the west London sunshine.Mbeumo lashed in the opener after being teed up by Toney, and then returned the favour for his strike partner as Toney grabbed his 14th goal of the season.For West Ham it was another dent in their fading hopes of a top-four finish, and they were also dealt a potentially massive blow with Thursday’s Europa League second leg against Lyon in mind when defender Kurt Zouma was forced to limp out of the action midway through the first half.Zouma had taken a hefty kick to the ankle from Christian Norgaard five minutes earlier and seemingly failed to shake off the knock.The France international, still roundly booed by opposition fans following his cat-kicking video shame, left the field to a chorus of ‘put him down’ from the Bees supporters.Brentford were still buzzing from last weekend’s thumping 4-1 win at Chelsea and Mbeumo had the game’s first effort on target when he headed Rico Henry’s cross straight at Lukasz Fabianski.