One more point.
That's all Liverpool needs to secure a record-tying 20th English top-flight title after second-place Arsenal drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday.
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Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Arsenal's Jakub Kiwior scores his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Arsenal's Jakub Kiwior celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Arsenal's Leandro Trossard celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Arne Slot's runaway leaders can take care of business on Sunday by avoiding defeat to Tottenham in what is set to be a big party at Anfield. A draw or a win would ensure Liverpool cannot be caught by Arsenal with four more rounds remaining and therefore clinches a second title in five years, tying with fierce rival Manchester United on No. 20 overall.
Becoming the champion in 2020 ended the storied club’s 30-year title drought but Liverpool’s players couldn’t celebrate in front of their fans because of restrictions during the pandemic.
They'll try to make up for it this weekend.
Arsenal twice squandered the lead at Emirates Stadium, with Jean-Philippe Mateta taking advantage of a defensive error by William Saliba to score Palace's second equalizer in the 83rd and leave Arsenal 12 points behind Liverpool.
Arsenal, which started with star forward Bukayo Saka on the bench, looked vulnerable throughout against Palace, with its players perhaps having an eye on the Champions League semifinals against Paris Saint-Germain starting next week.
“We have the most important game of the season in six days," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. "We need to get our energy back.”
Arsenal has been runner-up to Manchester City in the Premier League the previous two seasons and is facing a third straight second-place finish.
However, an improving City — a 2-1 winner over Aston Villa on Tuesday — is only six points back in third place after Arsenal's 13th draw of an inconsistent campaign.
The hosts went ahead through Jakub Kiwior’s header at a free kick in the third minute, only for Palace to reply when playmaker Eberechi Eze met a corner with a brilliantly taken downward volley that skimmed off the turf and flew in off the post in the 27th.
Leandro Trossard wriggled free in the area and scored with a deflected shot in the 42nd minute to restore Arsenal's lead. Mateta, a second-half substitute, had the final say, though, by capitalizing on Saliba's poor pass and floating a shot over stranded goalkeeper David Raya from around 40 meters.
Palace remained in 12th place and has little to play for in the Premier League. It is, however, heading into an FA Cup semifinal game against Aston Villa on Saturday in better heart.
“It’s important to keep this energy and confidence for the semifinal on Saturday,” Palace manager Oliver Glasner said.
“It was not our goal to decide the title, it was our goal to win the game. I think a draw is a very good result. More important is the performance. We are back on the track."
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Arsenal's Jakub Kiwior scores his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Arsenal's Jakub Kiwior celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Arsenal's Leandro Trossard celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Neelum Valley in northern Pakistan attracts some 300,000 tourists each summer who marvel at its natural beauty. But the threat of war with nearby India has emptied its hotels.
Gunmen last week killed 26 people in the Indian resort town of Pahalgam, fueling tensions between the nuclear-armed nations after India blamed Pakistan for the attack, a charge Pakistan denies.
Neelum Valley is less than 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir, making it vulnerable to any military activity.
Hotel owner Rafaqat Hussain said Thursday the crisis has hit the tourism industry hard. “Most tourists have left and returned to their cities because there is a risk of war."
Authorities in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir temporarily shuttered dozens of tourist resorts following the attack as a precaution.
No such order has come from Pakistani authorities. Bazaars in the Pakistani border town of Chakothi were open for business, although people were concerned.
“First of all, our prayer is for peace, as war always affects civilians first,” shop owner Bashir Mughal told The Associated Press, saying he would fight alongside the army in the event of conflict.
Pakistan used to help residents to build bunkers near their homes during periods of intense cross-border firing. But the population has grown and some homes lack shelters. “Local casualties could be devastating if war breaks out,” Mughal warned.
Saiqa Naseer, also from Chakothi, shuddered at the childhood memories of frequent firing across the border. “Now, as a mother, I find myself facing the same fears,” she said.
She remembered Indian shells striking the picturesque valley when the two countries came close to war in 2019. She has a bunker at her home.
“If war comes, we will stay here. We won’t run away,” she said.
Shop are closed at an empty tourists point in Karen, in the Neelum Valley near on the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir, some 93 kilometres (58 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ishfaq Hussain)
Local residents look at the Indian side of Kashmir from a tourists point in Karen, in the Neelum Valley near on the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir, some 93 kilometres (58 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ishfaq Hussain)
An Indian army post is seen from a hill view tourists point in Karen, in the Neelum Valley near on the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir, some 93 kilometres (58 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ishfaq Hussain)
A motorcyclist drives through an empty market at a tourists point in Karen, in the Neelum Valley near on the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir, some 93 kilometres (58 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ishfaq Hussain)
Local residents look at the Indian side of Kashmir from an empty tourists point in Karen, in the Neelum Valley near on the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir, some 93 kilometres (58 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ishfaq Hussain)
Paramilitary soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint at Wagah, a joint border crossing point on the Pakistan and India border, near Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, May 1, 2025.(AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Local residents take picture with their mobile phones of Indian side Kashmir, at a view point from Pakistan side on the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Pakistan and Indian Kashmir, in Chilhana, some 45 kilometres (27 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)
Local residents walk through the main bazaar of Chakothi, near Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Pakistan and Indian Kashmir, some 61 kilometers (38 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Roshan Mughal)
Paramilitary soldiers frisk a car at a checkpoint at Wagah, a joint border crossing point on the Pakistan and India border, near Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, May 1, 2025.(AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Vehicles pass through a checkpoint at Wagah, a joint border crossing point on the Pakistan and India border, near Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, May 1, 2025.(AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
A local resident takes pictures with his mobile phone of Indian side Kashmir, at a view point from Pakistan side on the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Pakistan and Indian Kashmir, in Chilhana, some 45 kilometres (27 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)
A village of Indian side Kashmir, is seen from the Pakistan side on the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Pakistan and Indian Kashmir, in Chilhana, some 45 kilometres (27 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)
Local residents unload pipes from a vehicle at the main bazaar of Chakothi, near Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Pakistan and Indian Kashmir, some 61 kilometres (38 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Roshan Mughal)
Local residents walk on a highway near on the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Pakistan and Indian Kashmir, in Chilhana, some 45 kilometres (27 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal)
