Reds rout Leeds to cut Man City’s lead in Premier League
LIVERPOOL: Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both struck twice as Liverpool cut the gap on Manchester City at the top of the Premier League to three points with a 6-0 thrashing of Leeds at Anfield.
Salah took his tally for the season to 27 in 31 appearances and set up a rare goal for Joel Matip as the Reds registered a ninth consecutive win in all competitions.
Mane rubbed salt in Leeds wounds with two goals in the final 10 minutes before Virgil van Dijk’s header rounded off the scoring.
Attention now turns to Sunday’s League Cup final against Chelsea for Jurgen Klopp’s men and they remain very much in the hunt for a second Premier League title in three years with a clash against City still to come in April.
“I think for people outside it is better to have three or sixpoint gap than to have a 20 or 30-point gap so it is more exciting,” said Klopp.
“But we have to win a lot of the games against all the difficult opponents and that will be a tricky task. We will give it a try.”
At the other end of the table, Leeds are looking over their shoulders as Burnley’s 1-0 win over Tottenham cut their cushion over the relegation zone down to three points.
“We are fighting relegation,” said Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa. “Of course it worries me, how is it not going to?”
Leeds have now conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season with 56.
Bielsa’s men were similarly humiliated 7-0 at City in December and have shipped 16 goals in their last four games alone.
“The games against City and today are two games where our weaknesses have shown against the superiority of these teams,” added Bielsa.
There was little doubt over the outcome from the moment Stuart Dallas handled Andy Robertson’s cross inside in the box and Salah sent Illan Meslier the wrong way from the spot.
Mee header sinks Spurs
A 71st-minute header from Ben Mee gave lowly Burnley a surprise 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor.
Mee beat Cristian Romero in the air at the back post to head in a free kick from Josh Brownhill.
Harry Kane had struck the bar with a header for Tottenham shortly after the break but Spurs were unable to find a way past Burnley keeper Nick Pope.