Mohamed Salah has scored a stunning goal as Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0 and kept their noses in front of Manchester City in the race for the English Premier League title.
Champions City held top spot for a couple of hours after they won 3-1 at Crystal Palace, thanks to a Raheem Sterling double.
But a Sadio Mane header and a brilliant strike from Salah gave Liverpool a vital home win over fourth-placed Chelsea.
The result restored Liverpool's two-point lead at the top, though City have a game in hand.
With City winning at Palace earlier in the day, Liverpool knew they could not afford to slip up.
The home side dominated possession in the first half, but Chelsea held firm in defence to keep it goalless at the break.
But two goals in three minutes turned the game in Liverpool's favour.
First Mane headed Jordan Henderson's cross into the net for the opener on 51 minutes before Salah rifled in an unstoppable shot from 25 metres to double their lead.
City avoided a potential banana skin as they won 3-1 at Palace, with Sterling scoring the first two goals, before Gabriel Jesus added a late third.
The England forward put the champions in front after 15 minutes but Palace, who won at City earlier in the season, held out for the rest of the half.
Sterling doubled the lead on 63 minutes, but Luca Milivojevic gave Palace hope with a clever free-kick nine minutes from time.
Palace had a couple of half-chances to threaten an equaliser, but Jesus dashed any hopes of a comeback with the third, although replays suggested he was marginally offside.
"This pressure is incredible," City manager Pep Guardiola said of the title run-in as they bid to win every trophy possible this term.
"We are fighting to be champions back to back. In two seasons we've got 83 points with five games left. We've won two titles (Community Shield and League Cup), and now it's the FA Cup final."
Sterling said he expects the title race to go right down to the final day.
"One hundred per cent, the way Liverpool have been playing," he said.
"It will go down to the wire. I don't see us slowing down now. Liverpool have a great squad, great self-belief, but so do we."
AAP
