LONDON: Liverpool took command of the Premier League title race by beating Manchester City 3-2 in a match of wide-ranging emotions at Anfield, although the destiny of the trophy is also in Chelsea’s hands after their 1-0 win at Swansea City on Sunday.

Liverpool are the favourites though after taking their winning streak to 10 games thanks to Philippe Coutinho’s match-clinching strike in the 78th minute against City.

Liverpool are two points clear of second-placed Chelsea with four matches left, and the pair meet at Anfield in two weeks. A Chelsea victory in that game could let in City, who trail Liverpool by seven points but have two games in hand, one against bottom club Sunderland on Wednesday.

Liverpool have not finished top since 1990, two years before the Premier League began, but Raheem Sterling and Martin Skrtel put them 2-0 up inside 26 minutes before David Silva led a City revival in the second-half.

The Spaniard reduced the deficit and an own goal by Glen Johnson levelled matters before Brazilian midfielder Coutinho drove in the winner after a mistake by City captain Vincent Kompany 12 minutes from time.

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson was sent off in stoppage-time and will miss three of the four remaining games, including the potentially decisive visit of Chelsea.

Manager Brendan Rodgers, who has revitalised the team in two seasons since taking over, hailed “a remarkable performance”.

“ I thought we were incredible today,” he told Sky Sports. “We showed so much spirit and quality. We have been put under pressure in a very big game but you can see from the quality of our football that we are coping with it.”

It was an emotional day for the club, who commemorated 25 years since the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 of their supporters died at an FA Cup semi-final. There was a minute’s silence before kickoff, after which the home fans roared their team into a sixth-minute lead.

Luis Suarez outmuscled his marker Gael Clichy and fed Sterling, the teenager cleverly dummying Kompany and England goalkeeper Joe Hart before scoring.

Twenty minutes later Hart saved well from a header by unmarked Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard but from the resulting corner Slovak defender Skrtel headed in.

In between, City lost influential Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure due to injury and not until shortly before halftime did they threaten. Johnson and Sterling had to clear off the line in the same attack and Fernandinho’s half-volley was saved by Simon Mignolet.

City, champions two years ago before losing their title to neighbours Manchester United last season, continued to improve after half-time with James Milner and Sergio Aguero coming on.

In the 56th minute Milner set up Silva to score from close range and five minutes later Silva and Samir Nasri worked a neat passing move that ended with Johnson deflecting the ball past his own goalkeeper.

City were looking the more likely winners and Mignolet had to save well from Edin Dzeko before Silva just failed to reach Aguero’s inviting cross.

But Liverpool came again and after Kompany had mis-kicked a clearance Coutinho beat Hart with fine low shot from 15 metres.

Henderson’s red card came for a lunging tackle on Nasri. At the final whistle, a tearful Gerrard gathered his team in a huddle in the middle of the pitch as the home supporters celebrated wildly.

“We have been put under pressure in a very big game but you can see from the quality of our football that we are coping with it.”City manager Manuel Pellegrini said his side were unfortunate not to come away with at least a point.

“We played very well second half when there was only one team on the pitch and we had clear chances to win the game,” Pellegrini said.

The 60-year-old Chilean insisted his side hadn’t given up on the title despite this defeat. “If we win our two games in hand we will be a point behind Liverpool, who still have to play Chelsea. The title does not finish today. We are still going to fight.”

Liverpool may still need to beat Chelsea, who played against 10 men for most of their game at Swansea after Chico Flores was sent off for two yellow cards in the first quarter of an hour.

But it wasn’t until the 68th minute that Jose Mourinho’s side made their advantage count, with Demba Ba’s shot somehow evade Swansea keeper Michel Vorm.

It was Ba’s second important goal of the week after he scored in Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final win against Paris Saint-Germain.

“Patience was the key today,” Chelsea captain John Terry said.