Merseyside misery as Liverpool, Everton crushed

It was black Sunday for Liverpool and Everton as the Merseyside clubs were both hammered by London sides.

Harry Kane scored twice for Tottenham Hotspur in a 4-1 victory over an abject Liverpool team, which left the Merseyside club’s Premier League title hopes in tatters.

Kane struck early in each half, book-ending goals from Son Heung-min and Dele Alli, with Mohamed Salah netting in reply in front of a record Premier League crowd of 80,827 at Wembley.

Spurs move level on points with second-place Manchester United, five points below leaders Manchester City, while Liverpool’s sorry defensive display left them a yawning 12 points off the pace in eighth place. It was a second galling defeat against a supposed title rival for Liverpool, following their 5-0 capitulation at City in early September. They have now won just one of their past six league games.

Everton dropped into the bottom three of the Premier League after Arsenal came from a goal down to earn an emphatic 5-2 victory at Goodison Park.

It all started so well for the hosts as Wayne Rooney curled a stunning 12th-minute opener into the net to give his side the lead — the strike coming almost 15 years to the day since a 16year-old Rooney announced himself to the world with a remarkably similar goal against the same opposition.

Despite trailing, Arsenal dominated from then on, mustering 17 shots on goal in the first half alone, one of which was Nacho Monreal’s equaliser from close range five minutes before the break.

Arsenal took the lead in the 53rd minute via the head of Mesut Ozil. Alexandre Lacazette scored in the 74th minute and late strikes from Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez, coming either side of an Oumar Niasse consolation, capped a victory that moves Arsenal up to fifth.