Manchester City beat West Ham 2-1 in swirling snow on Sunday to return to second in the Premier League.
Free-scoring Liverpool laid down the gauntlet by hammering Southampton 4-0 the previous day to move to within one point of leaders Chelsea, who host Manchester United in Sunday’s late kick-off.
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But reigning champions Manchester City stayed in close touch with victory at home to high-flying West Ham as the Premier League increasingly resembles a three-horse race.
Riyad Mahrez had a strike ruled out for offside at the Etihad but the hosts eventually claimed the lead shortly after the half-hour mark when a Mahrez ball into the box was deflected into the path of Ilkay Gundogan, handing the German a simple finish.
Declan Rice forced a good save from Ederson as West Ham threatened late on but substitute Fernandinho made it 2-0 to City in the closing minutes.
Manuel Lanzini pulled one back but it was not enough for David Moyes’s team to avoid a second successive defeat.
