EPL PIX: Liverpool hold Chelsea; Villa win

Chelsea held 0-0 by Liverpool again after Potter's exit

Chelsea were held to yet another 0-0 draw by Liverpool on Tuesday in their first match since sacking coach Graham Potter with both sides displaying the same problems that have left them miles off the pace in this season's Premier League.

The goalless stalemate was the fourth in a row between the two teams - including last season's FA and League Cup finals both of which Liverpool won on penalties.

Big-spending Chelsea dominated much of the Stamford Bridge encounter against a much-changed Liverpool side, who seemed visibly low on confidence following their chastening 4-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.

Yet Chelsea spurned one opportunity after another, repeating the kind of toothless display that ended up costing Potter his job at Stamford Bridge after only 31 games in charge.

Joao Felix and Mateo Kovacic went close in the opening minutes followed by chances that went untaken by Kai Havertz in another toothless display for the Blues, who have scored only 29 times in 29 league games.

Reece James, restored to his more dangerous role as a marauding right wing-back by Chelsea's interim head coach Bruno Saltor, and Havertz had the ball in the net either side of halftime, but both efforts were ruled out.

Liverpool sought to make Chelsea pay for their profligacy at the end of the first half with their first moments of danger, including a rasping shot by Fabinho that Blues defender Wesley Fofana deflected wide with a glanced header. Felix and Kovacic wasted further chances for Chelsea in the second half.

The draw left Liverpool in eighth place in the league table, seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth Champions League qualifying spot having played a game less than Spurs. Chelsea stayed stuck in 11th place.

Chelsea fans were at least able to see midfielder N'Golo Kante making his first start for the Blues since suffering a hamstring injury in August. They will hope he can build on his display when Chelsea meet Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals next week.

The appearance represented Kante's third league home game under three different coaches in the same season, having begun the campaign under Thomas Tuchel and played as a substitute on Saturday against Aston Villa in Potter's swansong.

The French World Cup winner was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 69th minute.

Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp, possibly with an eye on Sunday's visit to Anfield by league leaders Arsenal, left several of his usual starters on the bench including Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

"Both teams played last year in two finals, two of the best 0-0s I ever saw," Klopp told the BBC. "Today it was two teams low on confidence but really fighting. We’re fine with a point, a lot of good stuff. We showed a lot of fight. We have to keep going."

Villa beat 10-man Leicester 2-1 with late Traore winner

Aston Villa plunged Leicester City deeper into relegation danger with a 2-1 away win in the Premier League on Tuesday after the home side played the last 20 minutes with 10 men and had a stoppage-time penalty ruled out by VAR.

Substitute Bertrand Traore scored the 87th-minute winner at the King Power Stadium with a curled shot into the top corner moments after he came on against opponents who sacked manager Brendan Rodgers at the weekend.

It was his first league goal since May 2021 and left Leicester 19th and two points from safety.

Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had already added to Leicester's woes by being sent off in the 70th minute after collecting a second yellow card of the evening for a late challenge on Ashley Young.

Ollie Watkins had put Unai Emery's Villa ahead in the 24th minute, the on-form forward sidefooting into the bottom left corner after being fed through by Emiliano Buendia.

A quick VAR check for offside confirmed that the goal, Watkins's sixth successive away strike and in his 100th Premier League appearance, was good.

Harvey Barnes equalised 11 minutes later, a right-footed shot off the inside of the post, to lift the restless crowd.

Traore, who came on as part of a triple substitution in the 85th minute, appeared to have put the game out of Leicester's reach but referee Graham Scott raised home hopes again when he awarded a 92nd-minute penalty.

He then overturned the decision, for a potential handball by Watkins, after replays on the pitchside monitor showed the player was first fouled by Patson Daka.

Leicester, surprise champions in 2015-16, have not won a game in all competitions since Feb. 11 and have lost seven of their last eight.

Rodgers departed on Sunday, a day after a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace, with Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell taking over as caretaker managers.

Aston Villa, who moved up to seventh place, have now won 10 of their 16 Premier League games since Spaniard Emery took over from the sacked Steven Gerrard in October with the side in 17th place.

Leicester's next match is at home to relegation rivals Bournemouth on Saturday while Villa will host Nottingham Forest.

Leeds out of bottom three after comeback win over Forest

Leeds United came from a goal down to beat fellow Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest 2-1 at a raucous Elland Road and move out of the relegation zone on Tuesday.

Forest, who began the game in 16th place, started in confident fashion and Orel Mangala gave them the lead in the 12th minute with a well-worked goal.

But Leeds responded in superb fashion and were ahead before the end of a rip-roaring opening half.

Jack Harrison smashed in a rebound to bring the hosts level in the 20th minute and in first-half stoppage time Luis Sinisterra beat Forest keeper Keylor Navas with a clinical low shot after cutting in from the left.

Leeds continued to play on the front foot in the second half and deservedly took a crucial victory that fired them up five places in the congested lower reaches of the table.

They are in 13th place with 29 points from 29 games played, two points clear of the relegation zone, while Forest's worrying slide continues.

Steve Cooper's side are now winless in eight league games and sit in 17th position with 27 points, the same as three other clubs, and only out of the bottom three by virtue of a better goal difference than Bournemouth.

So congested is the bottom half of the table that only seven points separate bottom club Southampton from 12th placed Crystal Palace. Wins for any of the clubs battling to beat the drop are like gold dust with the picture changing on a weekly basis.

Leeds dropped into the bottom three at the weekend after being hammered by leaders Arsenal and when Mangala gave Forest the lead with a precise finish past keeper Illan Meslier's dive and just inside the post, the vultures were circling.

Crucially, the home fans raised the decibel level and Leeds stormed back at a Forest side who could have gone ahead even earlier when Emmanuel Dennis volleyed against the post.

Harrison was a bundle of energy all night and he instigated the move down the right that eventually saw Marc Roca's powerful drive blocked by Navas. He was then alert to slam the rebound into the net to raise the roof of the old stadium.

Forest came under a sustained onslaught with Patrick Bamford having a couple of opportunities.

Leeds then went in front as Colombian livewire Sinisterra bamboozled Forest's right back Neco Williams before arrowing a low right-foot shot into the far corner.

Forest were unable to build any momentum in the second half and Leeds really should have won by a wider margin.

"We knew this was a very important game for us. I am happy because we work hard for it. To get this three points is massive for us," match-winner Sinisterra said.