Liverpool open up 16-point league lead; Forest beat City

LIVERPOOL, England :Liverpool's march to the Premier League title continued with a 3-1 victory over last-placed Southampton on Saturday as Mohamed Salah bagged a double and Darwin Nunez scored to give them a 16-point provisional lead over Arsenal.

Arne Slot's men have 70 points, while the second-placed Gunners have 54 but two games in hand. They play at Manchester United on Sunday.

Nottingham Forest's Callum Hudson-Odoi struck late in a 1-0 victory over Manchester City that boosted their chances of a top-four finish and a prized place in next year's Champions League.

Last-minute penalty drama gave Brighton & Hove Albion a 2-1 win over Fulham for their fourth consecutive win, while Crystal Palace salvaged a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Ipswich Town with a late goal from Ismaila Sarr.

Liverpool had to come from a goal down at Anfield after Will Smallbone took advantage of miscommunication between goalkeeper Alisson and Virgil van Dijk just before the break.

The league leaders ran roughshod over the struggling Saints in the second half and Nunez levelled in the 51st minute, then won a penalty three minutes later that Salah fiercely slotted home.

Salah completed his double in the 88th minute with a second goal from the spot after Yukinari Sugawara's hand ball, the Liverpool talisman's 27th league goal this season. 

"We need to keep winning games - it's as simple as that," said Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott. "It's about taking it game by game and making sure we apply ourselves in the best possible way."

At Nottingham, Hudson-Odoi picked up a diagonal pass from Morgan Gibbs-White before stepping outside Josko Gvardiol and driving the ball between City goalkeeper Ederson and his near post in the 83rd minute.

"I'm absolutely