MX23RW : Monday, December 28 10:01:46| >> :60:328:328:

PL roundup: Seventh heaven for Liverpool as Man City win at Southampton

PL roundup: Seventh heaven for Liverpool as Man City win at Southampton
© Reuters
The champions set down a marker to their title rivals.

Liverpool thrashed Crystal Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Park to secure top spot in the Premier League for Christmas.

Takumi Minamino put the Reds in front after three minutes, before Sadio Mane soon added a second and Roberto Firmino finished off a slick counter-attack just ahead of half-time.

Captain Jordan Henderson curled in a fourth for the dominant visitors seven minutes into the second half and Firmino grabbed his second just after the hour.

Mohamed Salah came off the bench to score twice in the last 10 minutes as the champions wrapped up a convincing victory and set down a marker to their title rivals.

Manchester City won 1-0 at Southampton and sit sixth.

Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock after 16 minutes when he converted a low cross from Kevin De Bruyne.

Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling scores a goal against Southampton
Raheem Sterling fired Manchester City in front at St Mary’s Stadium (Adrian Dennis/PA)

The Saints, who had put themselves up to third in the table on the back of just one defeat from 11 games, saw striker Danny Ings, just back from a knee injury, forced off before the break.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men felt they should have been awarded a penalty on the hour when the ball appeared to spin up onto Sterling’s arm, but referee Mike Dean waved away appeals which were also rejected by VAR.

City defender John Stones almost put a cross from Nathan Tella into his own net, while at the other end Saints keeper Alex McCarthy pulled off a finger-tip save to push over Ilkay Gundogan’s rising drive as the visitors closed out a hard-earned win.

Everton later beat Arsenal 2-1 at Goodison Park to climb above Tottenham into second place, five points behind their Merseyside rivals.

The Toffees went ahead after 22 minutes when Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s header went in off defender Rob Holding.

Arsenal – missing talisman forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang because of a calf problem – were level after 35 minutes when Nicolas Pepe converted a penalty after Yerry Mina had tripped Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Everton’s Yerry Mina (right) heads the ball to score a goal against Arsenal at Goodison Park
Everton defender Yerry Mina (right) headed in from a corner just before half-time (Peter Powell/PA)

Everton, though, got themselves back in front before half-time when defender Mina made amends by heading home a corner.

Arsenal went close to an equaliser early in the second half when David Luiz’s shot deflected against the post after Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had spilled a high cross.

Mikel Arteta’s men, however, could not find a way back into the match, as the club’s worst start to a top-flight season since 1974-75 continued following a fourth defeat in the past five league games.

In Saturday’s evening kick-off, Newcastle drew 1-1 with Fulham, who finished with 10 men at St James’ Park.

The visitors had to make a late change after Ivan Cavaleiro withdrew following the warm-up, so Bobby Decordova-Reid came into the starting XI.

Fulham made a somewhat fortunate breakthrough from a corner just before half-time, when Tosin Adarabioyo’s downward header bounced up off Newcastle midfielder Matt Ritchie’s face and into the net.

Newcastle equalised in the 64th minute through a penalty from Callum Wilson, after Fulham defender Joachim Andersen had been shown a red card following a lengthy VAR review.

Andersen had tugged back Wilson as the forward got into the area, with referee Graham Scott immediately pointing to the spot.

After consultation with Stockley Park, Scott opted to take another look at the incident on the pitchside monitor and eventually dismissed Andersen for a professional foul.

Wilson made no mistake from 12 yards, with Newcastle then pressing for a winning goal, but had to settle for a point – which edges Fulham out of the bottom three above Burnley.

ID:427263:cQx

Click here for more stories about Raheem Sterling

Click here for more stories about Liverpool

Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Latest Sports Video
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.

rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1595137201732
2Everton159242619729
3Leicester CityLeicester159152819928
4Manchester UnitedMan Utd148333023727
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs1575326151126
6Manchester CityMan City147522112926
7Aston Villa1381427131425
8Chelsea1574430171325
9Southampton157442519625
10West Ham UnitedWest Ham156452321222
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves156361520-521
12Leeds UnitedLeeds156272530-520
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle145361724-718
14Crystal Palace155371928-918
15Arsenal155281519-417
16Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton152761824-613
17Burnley14347820-1213
18Fulham152581323-1011
19West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom151591130-198
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd150213826-182

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!