By IVES GALARCEP
Liverpool’s dreams of winning the English Premier League title have all but faded amid a 12-minute collapse that saw the Reds squander a three-goal lead in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
The Reds held a 3-0 lead at Crystal Palace, and were looking for more goals to cut into Manchester City’s goal-difference edge, but the final 12 minutes saw their lead vanish as Palace fought back to earn a 3-3 draw on Monday.
The tie means Manchester City can secure the Premier League title with a win and draw in their final two matches, regardless of what Liverpool does in their final match of the season.
Dwight Gayle scored a pair of first-class goals to erase Liverpool’s lead and leave star Luis Suarez in tears as he realized just what Liverpool had given up in the draw.
Here are some other stories to get your Tuesday going:
MAN CITY FACING MASSIVE FFP PENALTY
Manchester City are facing an $80 million penalty, and could be hit with an even larger fine, after being deemed to have failed to comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations, and the club is reportedly fighting the charges.
Nine teams in total have been charged with violating FFP regulations, but Manchester City and Paris St. Germain are facing the heftiest punishments. While other clubs have successfully negotiated their punishments, Man City is fighting the size of the punishment the club is facing, a punishment comparable to what Paris St. Germain is facing, which is something City officials take issue with.
If Manchester City fails to reach an agreement on their punishment, they could face an even stiffer punishment from the review board that will decide their fate. Along with a big fine, Manchester City could also be punished by having the size of their UEFA Champions League squad reduced from 25 players to 21.
JUVE CELEBRATE 30th SCUDETTO
Though they technically clinched the Serie A title on Sunday when Roma fell to Catania, Juventus still posted a 1-0 victory against Atalante on Monday to set off celebrations after winning the club’s 30th Scudetto.
Simone Padoin provided the winning goal for Juve, which rebounded from a tough Europa League exit against Benfica to give their fans something to celebrate.
It wasn’t all good news for Juve, as manager Antonio Conte hinted at a potential departure from the club after three successful seasons in charge.
“I will speak with the club and we will make the right assessments,” Conte said. “It has been three intense years, I have to thank the lads for what they have done. Even tonight they went out there with the desire to win. That mentality, which I have transmitted to the lads, is my greatest merit.
“It’s not easy to improve on what we have done these past few years. I have to understand if I have the strength to continue.”
QUICK KICKS
Ashley Cole fears his Chelsea career is over after failing to receive a solid offer for a new contract with the club. (REPORT)
Mexican National Teamer Alan Pulido could be heading to Olympiakos. (REPORT)
Bosnia and Herzegovina joined Honduras among World Cup teams to name their World Cup rosters, though the team still has one cut to make. (REPORT)
Tottenham has issued a formal apology for a Twitter video that appeared on Monday mocking Liverpool’s title collapse. (REPORT)
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What do you think of these developments? Still stunned at Liverpool’s collapse? Think Manchester City might slip up in the final weeks? See UEFA’s proposed punishment of Manchester City being fair?
Share your thoughts below.