INENGLAND... Samba sensation as CoutinhoandFirmino inspire Reds in rout
PHILIPPE Coutinho provided the style and compatriot Roberto Firmino the substance as Liverpool’s brilliant Brazilians dispatched rudderless Swansea 5-0 in clinical fashion at Anfield.
Things looked bleak for the Premier League’s bottom side, still searching for their next manager after sacking Paul Clement last Wednesday, when Coutinho curled home a superb sixth-minute opener.
The hosts’ sluggishness prevented Jurgen Klopp’s scoring further until early in the second half when Firmino volleyed in Coutinho’s free-kick before adding his second after Trent Alexander-Arnold drilled in a half-volley off the underside of the crossbar, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain firing in the fifth seven minutes from time.
It allowed Liverpool to regain fourth place after Tottenham’s victory earlier in the day but left Swansea five points from safety after a seventh successive away defeat.
Coutinho’s moment of brilliance lit up an otherwise dull first half, scoring the 250th goal of Klopp’s reign, and it was a trademark finish.
Jordan Ayew stumbled in midfield to gift Firmino possession and in two passes the ball arrived at Coutinho’s feet via Mohamed Salah, with the Brazilian taking one touch to shift it out in front of his right foot and another to bend it into the top corner.
It was his 19th Premier League goal from outside the penalty area and only Steven Gerrard (33) has now scored more from distance for Liverpool.
That should have paved the way for the onslaught but what followed was a succession of shots from outside the area - none anywhere close to matching Coutinho’s magic - from the likes of Andrew Robertson, Emre Can and Oxlade-Chamberlain.
It meant the visitors enjoyed a relatively easy opening 45 minutes, with their one chance a farpost header from Ayew which Simon Mignolet saved at the second attempt.
But in added time Roque Mesa almost threw it away by giving away possession to Salah and although his pass put Firmino clean through with only the keeper to beat he dragged his shot wide. The Brazil international made up for that with a closerange volley from his compatriot’s free-kick seven minutes into the second half.
Liverpool could even afford top-scorer Salah’s radar to be off with two chances in the second half as academy graduate Alexander-Arnold smashed home a halfvolley off the underside of the crossbar at the Kop end.
A minute later Firmino tapped into an empty goal from Salah’s square pass before Oxlade-Chamberlain completed the rout.
Elsewhere, Substitute Jesse Lingard came to Manchester United’s rescue as his second-half double secured a 2-2 Boxing Day draw with Burnley at Old Trafford.
The stadium was left stunned in the first half as the Clarets claimed a 2-0 lead via Ashley Barnes’ close-range finish in the third minute and Steven Defour’s superb strike in the 36th.
Having come on for Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the interval, Lingard then pulled a goal back eight minutes after the break with a back-heel before striking an equaliser in stoppage time.
Second-placed United are now 12 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City - who visit Newcastle on Wednesday - having played a game more, while Burnley remain seventh.
Third-placed Chelsea are a point behind United after the champions defeated Brighton 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Alvaro Morata registered his 10th league goal of the season with a header in the opening minute of the second half and Marcos Alonso added another on the hour mark.
Bournemouth and West Ham remain 18th and 17th respectively, a point apart, after they played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries bounced back from James Collins’ early header with goals from Dan Gosling and Nathan Ake, and Marko Arnautovic then netted twice to put the Hammers 3-2 up before a controversial equaliser in stoppage time ensured it finished honours even.
Callum Wilson was credited with the hosts’ third after he had the final touch as Ake headed goalwards. There was a suspicion of both handball and offside, but referee Bobby Madley eventually awarded the goal after a lengthy conversation with assistant Simon Long.
Watford halted their four-game losing streak as they came from behind to beat Leicester 2-1 at Vicarage Road.
After Riyad Mahrez put the Foxes in front, an effort from Molla Wague - who had a spell on loan at Leicester last season - and a Kasper Schmeichel own goal turned the contest around.
Elsewhere, Huddersfield were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Stoke, who levelled through Ramadan Sobhi after Tom Ince’s 10thminute goal, while 19th-placed West Brom and Everton drew 0-0 at The Hawthorns.
In the late kick-off, Liverpool regained fourth spot from Tottenham as they thumped rockbottom Swansea 5-0 at Anfield.
Philippe Coutinho scored a wonderful sixth-minute opener and the Reds then stepped things up in the second half, with Roberto Firmino netting twice, either side of a Trent Alexander-Arnold strike, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain completing the rout. MAURICIO Pochettino hailed “world class” Harry Kane after the striker smashed the Premier League record for goals in a calendar year with a matchwinning hat-trick.
Kane needed just one strike to surpass Alan Shearer’s 22-year-old record of 36 goals but he broke it in style with a superb Wembley treble in the 5-2 demolition of Southampton.
The England star put Spurs into a two-goal half-time lead before completing successive hat-tricks with a dinked finish over Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster for his side’s fifth.
Kane’s third goal also moved him ahead of Barcelona forward Lionel Messi for the most goals for club and country by any player in Europe’s major leagues in 2017.
Pochettino said: “I want to congratulate Harry Kane, massive achievement for him,