EPL PIX: Liverpool's home winning streak ends in draw

Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday

Liverpool's 100 percent Premier League home record ended on Saturday as the champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley.

Jay Rodriguez equalised for Burnley in the 69th minute after Andy Robertson had given Liverpool a first-half lead.

Liverpool, on 93 points, must win their last three games if they are to beat Manchester City's record total of 100 points from two years ago. Burnley are ninth on 50 points.

The last time Liverpool failed to win at Anfield in the league was in January, 2019, when they drew 1-1 with Leicester City.

Burnley could even have pulled off a famous victory when Johann Berg Gudmundsson stuck the bar three minutes from fulltime.

Burnley keeper Nick Pope, continuing to make the case for promotion to the England number one spot, kept Liverpool at bay with a series of good saves, including a brilliant reaction to keep out a powerful close-range effort from Mohamed Salah in the 18th minute.

But Liverpool's domination finally came to fruition in the 34th minute when Fabinho floated in a cross from the left and Andy Robertson met it with a perfectly angled header into the top corner.

Pope was outstanding again to keep out a Sadio Mane drive with the Burnley keeper largely responsible for the Clarets heading in at the break only a goal down.

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino should have had his first league goal at Anfield this season but scuffed his shot against the post in the 49th minute.

Burnley gradually grew into the game and drew level with a superb finish from Rodriguez after James Tarkowski had headed down a deeply hit free kick.

Liverpool had one more opportunity in stoppage time but Salah's weak effort was easy for Pope.

Deeney on target as Watford roar back to beat Newcastle

Watford striker Troy Deeney eased his team’s relegation fears with two second-half penalties as they beat Newcastle United 2-1 on Saturday for their second straight Premier League victory.

Deeney blasted his spot kicks straight down the middle in the 52nd and 82nd minutes to give the home side a win which leaves them 17th on 34 points with three games to play, six ahead of third-bottom Bournemouth who have a game in hand.

The game began with a minute’s silence to mark the passing of former Newcastle and Ireland manager Jack Charlton, who won the World Cup with England as a player, after he died on Friday aged 85. The players also wore black arm-bands in tribute.

Dwight Gayle had put mid-table Newcastle in front after 23 minutes when he steered the ball home after a superb glancing header from a corner by visiting defender Federico Fernandez, which looked to be heading in at the far post.

Watford came roaring back at the start of the second half, with Deeney putting them level from the spot seven minutes in after Matt Ritchie upended Kiko in the box.

Deeney had another chance shortly afterwards but his stinging shot was saved by Martin Dubravka, and strike partner Danny Welbeck had a shot deflect off two Newcastle players before looping over the keeper and landing on the roof of the net.

The Hornets weren’t to be denied, and when Javier Manquillo wrestled Ismaila Sarr to the ground Deeney stepped up once again to smash the ball home for the winner

Having come back from a goal down to win 2-1 in midweek against now-relegated Norwich, Watford boss Nigel Pearson praised his team’s fighting spirit.

“It doesn’t matter how we win at the moment, as long as we do, and this gives us a little bit more of a chance (of staying up),” he said following the final whistle.

Norwich relegated after Antonio's four-goal salvo for West Ham

Norwich City were consigned to relegation from the Premier League after a resounding 4-0 defeat by West Ham United on Saturday with Michail Antonio scoring all the goals for the visitors in a virtuoso performance at Carrow Road.

The result leaves Norwich, relegated from the Premier League for a record fifth time, bottom on 21 points — 13 adrift of 17th-placed Watford who beat Newcastle United 2-1. There are still three rounds of fixtures to play.

“I’m really disappointed for this and for all our supporters,” said Norwich manager Daniel Farke. “We wanted to beat the odds again but when the dust settles the outcome is more or less what was expected.”

West Ham, who are 16th, moved six points clear of the relegation zone and are above Watford on goal difference.

Antonio constantly troubled the Norwich defence with his presence in the box and the 30-year-old struck twice in each half to become the first West Ham player to score four in a league game since 1981, doubling his season’s tally.

“It’s an amazing feeling. When I scored the first two I could see they (Norwich) were quite open so it was a great opportunity,” Antonio told BT Sport.

“This is my first match ball and hopefully I can get some more. It’s been free-flowing attacking football since we came back (after the COVID-19 hiatus). The gaffer told me to wait in the box and I’m just pouncing on those opportunities.”

West Ham went in front from a corner after 11 minutes when an unmarked Antonio fired home from point-blank range at the far post after latching on to Issa Diop’s flicked header. He doubled the lead with a header from another set piece before halftime.

Antonio completed his hat-trick nine minutes after the restart when he was put through on goal and scored his eighth of the season with another close-range finish in the 74th.

West Ham’s Mark Noble pulled the strings in midfield, constantly finding Antonio in dangerous positions, while goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was barely tested and only needed to make two straightforward saves to keep a clean sheet.