Pep: Man City could miss out on CL qualification​​

Bernardo Silva scored an early goal but Erling Haaland missed a penalty as struggling Manchester City drew 1-1 with Everton to kick off a full slate of Boxing Day games on Thursday.

The champions’ slump has seen them win just once in their last 13 matches across all competitions — including one of nine league games — and they provisionally sit sixth in the table with 28 points, 11 below leaders Liverpool who have two games in hand.

Pep Guardiola’s team could drop to as low as eighth by the end of the day.

Everton are 15th, five points above the drop zone.

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The Etihad Stadium crowd breathed a sigh of relief when Silva scored in the 14th minute. Jérémy Doku played a ball in behind Everton’s defence and Silva slid in to fire into the far corner from a tight angle, the ball deflecting off Jarrad Branthwaite and in.

The goal, which had Guardiola pumping two fists in celebration, ended Everton’s streak of clean sheets at three games.

But City’s celebration was short-lived. Iliman Ndiaye drew Everton level in the 36th when Manuel Akanji failed to clear a cross and the Senegalese midfielder took a touch to settle the ball then unleashed a shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner.

City fans thought they had victory locked up when Haaland stepped up to the penalty spot in the second half after Seamus Coleman‘s tackle on Savinho, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford dived correctly to safe the shot. The rebound was sent back in and Haaland headed into the back of the net, but it was chalked off for offside.

The Norway international the Premier League’s top scorer in the previous two seasons, has just netted just four times in City’s last 14 league games.

City had 24 shots to Everton’s eight, including a header that Josko Gvardiol fired off the near post in the game’s early minutes.

Silva had a brilliant chance at a second goal midway through the first half when he hit the ball on the run from the top of the 18-yard box but sent it sailing wide. City defender Rico Lewis squandered a terrific chance in injury time when he fired well over the crossbar.

While City fans quickly filed out after what would have felt like a loss, Everton supporters celebrated long after the final whistle, chanting “England‘s number one” about Pickford, who tugged off his shirt and gave it to a young fan in the away end.

High-flying Chelsea were stunned by neighbours Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, going down 2-1 to a 95th-minute winner from substitute Rodrigo Muniz in the Premier League on Thursday.

It was Fulham’s first win at Stamford Bridge since 1979 and put a dent in second-placed Chelsea’s title hopes as the hosts stay on 35 points, four points off the pace having played two games more than leaders Liverpool who host Leicester City later.

Chelsea took the lead after 16 minutes when Cole Palmer danced past two defenders and slid the ball through Issa Diop‘s legs into the bottom corner to score a classy goal.

Chelsea looked in control. Palmer had another two shots on target and Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno was called into action with a sharp save from a diving header by Marc Cucurella.

He also tipped over a rocket from captain Enzo Fernández early in the second half.

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But Fulham, who last scored in the league at Stamford Bridge in 2011, showed renewed energy and determination as Chelsea sat back to defend their lead.

It paid off in the 82nd minute when Harry Wilson headed home from close range.

Muniz clinched all three points when he swept home a pass from Sasa Lukic in the dying moments of the match to take Fulham up to eighth with 28 points from 18 games.

Final statistics showed they deserved the win, with 26 touches in the opposition box to Chelsea’s 20, more than 52% possession and 14 shots to the home side’s 12.

It was Chelsea’s first league loss since a 2-1 defeat on Oct. 20 by Liverpool and they risk being overtaken by Arsenal, two points behind, who play lowly Ipswich Town on Friday.