Van Dijk, Salah sink United
Duo stars in 2-0 win at Anfield as Liverpool stretch lead at top; Leicester shocked
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool moved 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 14th-minute Virgil van Dijk header and a stoppage-time strike from Mohamed Salah gave them a 2-0 win over Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.
Juergen Klopp’s side, chasing their first league title in 30 years, also have a game in hand on second-placed Manchester City with the title race appearing more of a procession than a contest.
After a promising start from the visitors, Van Dijk was poorly marked by United as he rose to head in a Trent Alexander-arnold corner.
Salah missed a glorious chance from close range just after the interval during an intense period of pressure from the home side, in which Jordan Henderson also hit the post.
United survived that blitz and clawed their way back into the game and could even have snatched an equaliser but Anthony Martial blasted high and wide in the 59th minute.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side applied some late pressure but were caught on the counter-attack in the final moments with Salah racing clear before slotting home.
BURNLEY HAND LEICESTER 2-1 DEFEAT
BURNLEY, UK: Burnley recovered from a goal down to beat high-flying Leicester City 2-1 at Turf Moor on Sunday, ending their four-match losing streak in the Premier League.
Sean Dyche’s Clarets failed to score a first-half goal for an 11th successive league game, and their problems worsened when midfielder Harvey Barnes put the visitors ahead with a stunning solo effort in the 33rd minute.
Jack Cork lost the ball in midfield and Burnley-born winger Barnes broke forward, racing goalwards and past Ben Mee before firing home.
The hosts responded after the interval with striker Chris Wood scoring the equaliser from a rebound after Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel saved a header from Mee.
Leicester, third in the standings, had an opportunity to reclaim the lead when Mee brought down Barnes in the box but Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope kept out Jamie Vardy’s weak penalty.
CHELSEA ROCKED BY NEWCASTLE
NEWCASTLE: Frank Lampard admitted he wants to sign a new striker after Newcastle damaged Chelsea’s bid for a top-four finish in the Premier League with a 1-0 win on Saturday.
With Tottenham held by Watford earlier in the day and Manchester United facing runaway leaders Liverpool on Sunday, Chelsea would have cemented their grip on fourth place with a win on Tyneside.
But Lampard’s side were unable to muster the cutting edge required to break down stubborn Newcastle and fell to Isaac Hayden’s header with just 20 seconds left in stoppage-time. Chelsea’s first defeat in four league matches leaves them five points clear of the fifth-placed United.