FOOTBALL ROUND-UP Reds, City cruise; United held
London, UK - Liverpool and Manchester City's shootout for the English Premier League (EPL) title intensified on Saturday with easy wins over Southampton and Cardiff, while Manchester United was held 1-1 by Wolves on the day Alex Ferguson returned to Old Trafford.
Jurgen Klopp could afford the luxury of handing Xherdan Shaqiri his first Liverpool start for a 3-0 victory at Anfield and Wesley Hoedt turned the Swiss international's deflected shot in for the opener before Joel Matip and Mohamed Salah's first goal in four games sealed Liverpool's seventh straight win in all competitions.
City edged ahead of Chelsea, who travel to West Ham on Sunday, into second, two points behind the leader, as it bounced back from a shock Champions League defeat to Lyon in midweek by thrashing Cardiff 5-0 in the Welsh capital.
United, though, is now eight points off the top as a run of three straight wins to avert an early season crisis came to an end against an impressive Wolves while Ferguson watched on for the first time since undergoing emergency surgery on a brain haemorrhage in May.
Liverpool's new-found strength in depth was in evidence as Daniel Sturridge netted on his first start of the season against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, and those coming into the side made a big impact again as Klopp made three changes.
The hosts were handed a huge helping hand early on by Saints thanks to a comical own goal by Hoedt as he failed to sort his feet out as Shaqiri's deflected drive trickled across the area.
Matip was another to be mak- ing his first start of the campaign and powered home Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner before Salah won the foot race to force the ball over the line after a Shaqiri free-kick came back off the bar. Liverpool's afternoon was soured, though, by a rib injury to Virgil van Dijk that forced the world's most expensive defender off early in the second period.
Ferguson was given a standing ovation before kick-off at Old Trafford as he took his seat accompanied by his wife Cathy in the directors' box.
However, the presence of the club's most successful manager couldn't inspire United to victory despite Fred's first goal for the club opening the scoring 18 minutes in. Wolves got the equaliser when Joao Moutinho curled into the top corner eight minutes into the second half.
City boss Pep Guardiola was back on the touchline after having to watch his side's defeat on Wednesday from the stands as he served a one-match ban.
Sergio Aguero celebrated signing a new contract till 2021 on Friday by firing home the opener before Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan made it 3-0 before half-time. Club record signing Riyad Mahrez then came off the bench to score his first two City goals.
Other results: Burnley 4 Bournemouth 0, Crystal Palace 0 Newcastle 0, Fulham 1 Watford 1, Leicester 3 Huddersfield 1. Scottish League: Aberdeen 1 Motherwell 0, Dundee 0 Hibernian 3, Hamilton 3 St Mirren 0, Hearts 0 Livingston 0
Italian League: Parma 2 Cagliari 0. Spanish League: Rayo Vallecano 1 Alaves 5; Friday: Huesca 0 Real Sociedad 1.