Premier League round-up: Liverpool concede late, Brentford crush Everton, Newcastle win and Spurs booed off

Elsewhere, Newcastle beat Crystal Palace and struggling Tottenham drew at home to Sunderland.

Spurs were booed off the pitch by supporters as pressure mounts on manager Thomas Frank.

GB News provide a full round-up of all this afternoon's Premier League action.

Fulham 2-2 Liverpool

Liverpool’s hopes of finishing in the Premier League’s top four received a damaging blow as Fulham’s Harrison Reed struck one of the goals of the season in the seventh minute of stoppage time to earn his side a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage.

Seconds earlier it had been Liverpool celebrating, Cody Gakpo finishing from close range for what had looked like a sure winner for the champions.

It had been another largely blunt attacking display by Arne Slot’s side and the last thing they needed after Thursday’s dour goalless affair against Leeds, but they had recovered well from a poor first half to seemingly have the game won.

Harry Wilson gave Fulham a half-time lead before Florian Wirtz equalised, a goal that owed much to the footwork of Conor Bradley. It was his run and pass that set up Liverpool’s record signing to score his second league goal.

Gakpo’s finish in the fourth added minute, shovelling the ball over the line from a few yards out, looked to have put them in charge in the race to finish fourth, before a remarkable strike from substitute Reed who found the top corner from 30 yards.

Fulham had gone in front after 17 minutes. A ball out from the back by Jorge Cuenca was diverted over the top via a devilish flick from Raul Jimenez, and racing onto it was Harry Wilson, able to get his shot off before Ryan Gravenberch could get across and finishing into the corner past Alisson.

An offside flag put Fulham celebrations on pause, but a VAR review determined Virgil van Dijk had played Wilson onside by the narrowest margin, and the former Liverpool academy player had his sixth goal for the season.

The first half ended without the champions managing a shot on target, their ample possession used mostly to shuffle the ball around in front of Fulham’s back five with little sign of where a breakthrough might come from.

Gakpo was standing three yards offside when he put the ball in the net at the start of the second half, though Fulham’s clumsy failed attempt to clear their lines in the build-up at least provided reason for encouragement.

Alexis Mac Allister headed against the bar after losing his man at a corner as Liverpool grew in confidence.

Slot’s side looked rebooted since the interval and an equaliser was plainly coming. It arrived just before the hour and VAR again was needed to to intercede over the tightest of calls.

A lovely, mazy run from Bradley carried Liverpool’s right-back into the Fulham box, squeaking his pass through to the onrushing Wirtz who kept level with Issa Diop by a gnat’s wing before sweeping into the corner.

Liverpool continued to have the better of things but the defensive vulnerability that has hamstrung any hope of defending their title struck again 13 minutes from time and nearly cost them dearly.

Antonee Robinson’s simple long pass sent Jimenez clean through against Alisson. The Reds goalkeeper raced out to save on the edge of his box but failed to hold it leaving the goal unguarded. Wilson’s follow-up struck the crossbar, Van Dijk hoofed it to safety and Liverpool had been handed an almighty reprieve.

Stunning late drama followed to give Fulham the draw they deserved, but not the one they were expecting.

Newcastle United 2-0 Crystal Palace 

Bruno Guimaraes was Newcastle’s hero as they edged past Crystal Palace to claim a second successive Premier League victory.

The Brazilian put the Magpies in front with a 71st-minute header, his seventh goal of the season, and then sent in the corner from which defender Malick Thiaw stabbed home the second in a 2-0 win which came courtesy of a first clean sheet in 13 attempts.

Until that point, Palace had given as good as they got despite the Magpies having two first-half goals ruled out for offside, although they were unable to make keeper Nick Pope work often enough to reap the rewards of their good play, which £35million debutant Brennan Johnson played his part in.

However, Eddie Howe’s men emerged from the first of nine games in 28 days this month with the win they craved.

The hosts might have been in front within three minutes when Sandro Tonali and Joelinton combined to play in Anthony Gordon down the left and he cut inside defender Marc Guehi before squaring for Yoane Wissa, but the striker fired his first-time effort straight at keeper Dean Henderson.

Palace settled, but the Magpies continued to press and Henderson had to made a fine reaction save from Fabian Schar’s 17th-minute header after the keeper had punched Wissa’s cross straight to Lewis Hall.

Newcastle thought they had taken the lead two minutes later when Wissa ran on to Guimaraes’ through ball and crossed for Gordon to score, but a VAR check came to the visitors’ rescue.

As an intense midfield battle unfolded with Joelinton and Tonali prominent for the hosts and Adam Wharton and Will Hughes making in-roads for Palace, the ball changed hands at regular intervals, although genuine chances were at a premium.

Henderson did well to keep out Hall’s 42nd-minute piledriver seconds before Joelinton saw a strike ruled out for offside, but Thiaw deflected Jean-Philippe Mateta’s snapshot from a Johnson cross wide and Hughes poked a shot past the post after being played in by Yeremy Pino on the stroke of half-time.

Tyrick Mitchell was in the right place at the right time to block Tonali’s 62nd-minute shot after Gordon and Hall had linked down the left, but Pope got down well to keep out Johnson’s 65th-minute attempt after Wharton had got the better of substitute Tino Livramento in midfield.

Guimaraes hit the bar direct from a 68th-minute corner, but it was he who finally broke the deadlock with 19 minutes remaining when he headed home from close range after Miley had turned substitute Harvey Barnes’ cross back across goal.

Henderson clawed a Barnes header out of his bottom corner to keep Palace’s hopes alive, but they died seconds later when he could only palm Guimaraes’ set-piece to Thiaw, who made no mistake from close range.

Henderson denied Barnes with a foot before substitute Joe Willock fired wide of an open goal from the rebound, but the points were already banked.

Everton 2-4 Brentford

Igor Thiago ended a six-match drought with a first Premier League hat-trick in the 4-2 victory at Everton which fired Brentford to within four points of the top four.

The Brazilian took his tally to 14 with his first goals since the end of November and only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored more in the Premier League.

Head coach Keith Andrews continues to confound his critics as he equalled the biggest win of his short stint in charge – against Bournemouth last weekend – as they put four past an Everton side which had four clean sheets in their last six games.

Nathan Collins headed home the other as the Bees scored their first from a corner in the league at the 96th attempt, and Beto’s 66th-minute response and Thierno Barry’s goal in added time barely papered over the cracks.

It seems incongruous to say it of nine-time league champions Everton should be looking to emulate Brentford: canny recruitment off the pitch – Thiago cost marginally more than Barry or Beto but has scored nine more league goals than the pair combined – and organised yet effective on it.

The fact Kevin Schade opted for Brentford when there was interest from the Toffees two summers ago showed how low the club’s reputation had dropped in the wake of off-field financial problems and several relegation battles.

But even taking into account a threadbare squad, manager David Moyes is not getting value for money from a number of individuals while suffering a heavy defeat on a day when both his under-performing strikers scored.

Grealish, on loan from Manchester City, provided both assists and would have had another in first-half added time had Caoimhin Kelleher not kept out Barry’s diving header, but with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall injured and Iliman Ndiaye at the Africa Cup of Nations the burden is all on him to carry the attacking threat.

The £40million spent on 19-year-old Tyler Dibling, making his third consecutive start, was a punt on potential when they need proven performers while James Tarkowski, whose mistake led to the opening goal before he was beaten to a corner for the second, is also looking less than reliable.

Everton’s two early chances saw Dwight McNeil denied by Kelleher and Thiago clear Tarkowski’s header off the line, but they then shot themselves in the foot.

Tarkowski’s pass to Tim Iroegbunam was weak and ill-advised as the midfielder was sandwiched between Schade and Vitaly Janelt, and the latter seized the ball and crossed for Thiago to cushion a low volley past Jordan Pickford.

When Yehor Yarmolyuk presented a similar opportunity to Iroegbunam, but he could only shoot wide.

Grealish’s loose backheel on the touchline saw Janelt profit again, this time from the right, and his cross was turned home by Schade.

Collins and Thiago scored within two minutes of each other to put the result beyond doubt as early as the 51st minute, but Brentford’s centre-forward was not to be denied his hat-trick even after Everton briefly threatened a comeback.

Tottenham 1-1 Sunderland

Tottenham started 2026 by dropping more points at home and were booed off after Sunderland struck in the 80th minute through Brian Brobbey to rescue a 1-1 draw.

Spurs claimed only four Premier League home wins during the last calendar year but were on course for three points when Ben Davies scored a rare goal in the 30th minute.

It was a timely boost for Thomas Frank amid a difficult winter period where a lack of style and attacking flair has led to criticism from a disgruntled fanbase.

With Tottenham one up midway through the second half, Frank’s decision to introduce midfielders Joao Palhinha and Lucas Bergvall in an attempt to seal the win backfired as it invited more pressure from a spirited Sunderland outfit.

Regis Le Bris watched his surprise-package side deservedly equalise with 10 minutes left in north London when Brobbey lashed home to make it just one defeat in eight matches.

After chants of ‘boring, boring Tottenham’ at Brentford on Wednesday following a dull encounter, Frank shuffled his pack and versatile French forward Mathys Tel was handed a first start since October.

Tottenham’s early momentum was halted when Mohammed Kudus was forced off in the 19th minute with a left leg injury.

It was a cruel twist of fate given the club sanctioned Brennan Johnson’s move to Crystal Palace on Friday.

With no Johnson on the bench, Randal Kolo Muani was deployed in an unusual right-wing role but Spurs remained on top and broke the deadlock with half an hour played.

Another set-piece did the trick as Tel’s corner found Cristian Romero, who controlled at the back post and teed up Micky van de Ven, who saw his shot smartly tapped home by Davies for his first goal in just over two years.

Sunderland responded with typical spirit given their superb campaign back in the top-flight and Trai Hume lashed over from a corner before half-time.

Frank’s introduction of Palhinha and Bergvall in an attempt to claim a precious home win did not pay off as the visitors produced a wonderful 80th-minute leveller.

A slick one-two was played between Enzo Le Fee and Brobbey before the latter rifled into the top corner after he peeled off Romero to spark wild celebrations in the away end.

It sparked an end-to-end finale but Palhinha headed wide in stoppage-time to ensure a 1-1 draw.

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