PICS: Liverpool, Chelsea play out drab draw

Images from Saturday's action in the Premier League.

Liverpool and Chelsea continued their disappointing seasons as the injury-hit mid-table teams played out an uninspiring 0-0 draw at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday.

Chelsea thought they had raced into a third-minute lead when Kai Havertz fired home from close range after a corner, only for VAR to rule the German off-side.

On Juergen Klopp's 1,000th game in management, Liverpool seemed shorn of confidence as they looked to avoid three straight league defeats, only creating half chances with new signing Cody Gakpo missing the best of them in the first half.

The visitors introduced big-money January signing Mykhailo Mudryk in the second half but, while he looked lively, the Ukrainian was unable to lift the Blues, who earned a point that leaves them 10th, level on 29 points with Liverpool in eighth.

Both sides are nine points off the top four with Chelsea having played 20 games to Liverpool's 19.

"I thought the performance was good," Chelsea boss Graham Potter told BT Sport. "I am happy with the team, the energy, what we tried to do.

"At Anfield, it is always tough. It is a clean sheet and a point, we move forward. Overall, a positive day, apart from the fact we wanted three points."

Klopp claimed Liverpool's 3-0 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion last time out was the worst of his Anfield tenure, but things did not get much better against Chelsea.

The home side looked to be up against it once more from the off at Anfield as Havertz fired home from close range but, after a lengthy VAR review, the German was ruled to be offside.

Chelsea still should have gone into the break in front but another January arrival, defender Benoit Badiashile, headed too close to goalkeeper Alisson from close range.

After the break, substitute Darwin Nunez went close for Liverpool, Mudryk fired into the side-netting following a mazy run while Carney Chukwuemeka should have done better with a late opportunity for the Blues, but a draw was a fair result.

Liverpool have failed to win any of their last three Premier League games, while it is the first time they have failed to score in consecutive games in the competition since March 2021 against Fulham and Chelsea.

West Ham sinks Everton in relegation scrap

Jarrod Bowen scored twice as West Ham United beat fellow strugglers Everton 2-0 at the London Stadium, taking all three points in a match billed as a "must-win" for both teams.

The defeat - Everton's sixth in their last seven league games - will add to the pressure on manager Frank Lampard, while for West Ham boss David Moyes victory will be sweet relief after his side took just one point from the last 21 available.

West Ham climb out of the relegation zone and into 15th place in the table with 18 points from their 20 games, while Everton are one place off the bottom on goal difference alone with 15 points from the same number of matches.

Bowen scored his goals in a seven-minute first half spell, first netting from close range after Emerson Palmieri’s cross was flicked into his path. He was set up for his second by good work on the right wing by Michail Antonio, whose cross was timed perfectly for the incoming forward.

Everton went close late in the half when Alex Iwobi’s goal-bound effort was deflected onto the woodwork by Declan Rice, and they were much improved in the second half but could not find a way back into the game.

West Ham sat back after the break, looking to absorb the pressure from the visitors and hit them with swift counterattacks.

From one of those, Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford pushed an Emerson shot onto the crossbar, the closest either side came to a goal in the second period.

It is more misery for Everton fans, who had a sit-in protest at Goodison Park last weekend following defeat to Southampton, calling for the club’s board to be sacked. Those calls will likely grow louder in the coming days.

West Ham are next in action in the FA Cup fourth round when they travel to Derby County on January 30, while Everton host leaders Arsenal in the Premier League on February 4.

Late Surridge goal gives Forest draw at Bournemouth

Nottingham Forest's Sam Surridge fired a late equaliser to earn his side a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth, with the south-coast team dropping into the relegation zone despite ending a four-match losing run in the Premier League.

Surridge, who came up through Bournemouth's academy, cancelled out Jaidon Anthony's first-half opener as Gary O'Neil's team dropped into 18th place on 17 points after 20 games, while Steve Cooper's Forest remained 13th on 21 points.

"It is a point away from home in the Premier League and that should never be taken for granted. I think we did OK in the game," Cooper told Sky Sports.

Forest started strongly, carving out the first chance of the game when Morgan Gibbs-White struck a powerful shot straight at Bournemouth keeper Neto, who was able to parry it away.

The visitors created a few goal-scoring opportunities early on and appeared to have opened the scoring in the 13th minute, but Ryan Yates's goal from a clever set piece was ruled out for off-side.

Kieffer Moore then spurned a golden chance to put Bournemouth ahead in the 25th minute, but winger Dango Ouattara spared his blushes three minutes later, creating the opener with a bit of brilliance on his league debut.

Ouattara, signed from Lorient earlier this week, shook off a couple of defenders on the right wing before squaring the ball to Anthony, who steered a low shot past goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to net Bournemouth's first league goal since November.

Jordan Zemura could have made it 2-0 minutes later, but his shot from a rebound was blocked on the line by Joe Worrall.

Forest continued to threaten after the break, with Brennan Johnson and Gibbs-White both forcing Neto into saves with shots from the edge of the area.

However, they were unable to fashion any clear-cut chances until the 83rd minute, when Surridge slid in at the far post to meet a Brennan Johnson cross and score against his former team.

The draw takes Forest's unbeaten run to four league games.

Teen Ferguson scores late as Brighton hold Leicester

Teenage striker Evan Ferguson came to the rescue for Brighton & Hove Albion by netting a late equaliser to give his side a 2-2 draw against Leicester City in a pulsating clash.

With his side firmly in the hunt for European football next season and Leicester seeking to snap a run of four straight defeats in the Premier League, substitute Ferguson headed home in the 88th minute to give the visitors a share of the spoils.

Japanese midfielder Kaoru Mitoma broke the deadlock for Brighton in the 27th minute with the kind of goal that is fast becoming his trademark, cutting in from the left and unleashing an unstoppable right-foot shot into the top corner.

After Harvey Barnes and Youri Tielemans had shots blocked, struggling Leicester finally drew level when Marc Albrighton made the most of their best attack of the first half, rifling the ball into the net eight minutes before the break.

Brighton thought they should have had a penalty early in the second half when Danny Welbeck appeared to be brought down by Luke Thomas but their appeals were waved away, with Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi earning a yellow card for his protests.

The visitors looked set to take the lead again after another slashing run from the wing by Mitoma, but Solly March lost his footing at the crucial moment and ballooned Mitoma's slick pass harmlessly over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

That miss was punished in the 63rd minute as Barnes popped up at the far post to blast home a corner, putting Leicester 2-1 up and on course for a much-needed victory.

However, Irish 18-year-old Ferguson, who came on for Danny in the 66th minute, had other ideas, heading home in the 88th minute to grab a share of the points for the Seagulls.

The result leaves Brighton in sixth spot in the table on 31 points, two behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and seven behind Newcastle United in fourth. Leicester are 14th on 18 points.

Southampton stay bottom after losing to Aston Villa

Southampton suffered a blow in their bid to avoid Premier League relegation as they went down 1-0 at home to Aston Villa in a match disrupted by a rogue drone.

Ollie Watkins struck Villa's winner in the 77th minute off a free-kick by Douglas Luiz shortly after Saints had been controversially denied the opening goal by VAR.

The home crowd had erupted when Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse's deflected effort found the net in the 63rd minute but their joy was cut short with substitute Mohamed Elyounoussi deemed to have fouled Jacob Ramsey in the box.

Moussa Djenepo came close to a late equaliser but Villa held on for a third successive away league win as their resurgence under new manager Unai Emery continued.

Southampton, who could have escaped the drop zone with a victory, remain bottom of the table with 15 points from 20 games. Villa stay 11th on 28 points.

Villa sealed the points when Luiz swung in a free-kick and Watkins found space to nod the ball into the net -- the goal allowed to stand after also being checked for offside.

Emery has now won five league games from seven since he replaced Steven Gerrard at Villa Park.

The main talking point before half-time was referee Michael Salisbury taking the players off the pitch for several minutes after a drone hovered above the pitch.

Police gave the all-clear after around 10 minutes.