Fulham come from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1

LONDON: Fulham came from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1 away on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah’s controversial penalty put Liverpool on course for a 2-0 win at Bournemouth as the Premier League leaders moved nine points clear.

Arne Slot’s side took the lead in the first half when Salah netted with a penalty awarded after Cody Gakpo appeared to trip over his own feet rather than go down from Lewis Cook’s challenge.

Bournemouth were left outraged after referee Darren England’s on-field decision was upheld by VAR.

Also on Saturday, Chris Wood netted a hat trick as Nottingham Forest thrashed Brighton 7-0 to reignite their charge toward next season’s Champions League at the City Ground.

Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams and Jota Silva were also on target after Lewis Dunk’s own goal opened the scoring in an astonishing performance from Nuno Espirito Santo’s men as they bounced back from a 5-0 defeat at Bournemouth last weekend. Victory takes Forest level on points with second-placed Arsenal and opens up a seven-point cushion on sixth-placed Chelsea.

Fifth place in the Premier League this season is almost certain to be enough for Champions League qualification due to a strong start by English clubs in European competitions.

Two-time European Cup winners in 1979 and 1980 during the club’s heyday under Brian Clough, Forest last played in Europe back in 1996.

But a run of 10 wins from their last 12 games has put them well on course to end that two-decade wait for continental competition.

Forest became just the second side in Premier League history to respond to losing a game by five or more goals by winning by that margin.

In German football, Harry Kane scored twice and Bayern Munich almost squandered a four-goal lead before holding on for a 4-3 victory over promoted Holstein Kiel.

Kiel threatened a remarkable comeback when Steven Skrzybski scored twice in stoppage time after Finn Porath pulled one back for the visitors.

Kane took his league-leading tally to 19 goals by scoring either side of the break after Jamal Musiala opened the scoring in the 19th minute, set up by Michael Olize.

Bayern was headed for a comfortable win when substitute Serge Gnabry controlled the ball with his right boot then smashed in a volley with his left in the 54th. But then Porath scored and Skrzybski’s late goals meant the home team had to suffer.

Defending champion Bayer Leverkusen will look to stay six points behind Bayern when it hosts Hoffenheim on Sunday.

Kiel remained second from bottom after 20 rounds.