Manchester City top of Premier League after crushing Liverpool
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LIVERPOOL: Manchester City’s first win at Anfield since 2003 left it top of the Premier League by five points and effectively knocked Liverpool out of the title race yesterday.
Ilkay Gundogan scored twice in the 41 rout of the champion in which Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker suffered a horrible afternoon, making two dreadful errors to gift City two goals.
Chelsea’s new coach Thomas Tuchel claimed his third win in four games since taking over from
Frank Lampard, his side edging out bottom club Sheffield United 21 at Bramall Lane, thanks to a strike by Mason Mount and a penalty by Jorginho.
Antonio Rudiger’s own goal was the first goal Chelsea has conceded under Tuchel but it mattered not in the end as it moved up to fifth place, one point behind Liverpool which occupies the last Champions League berth.
Tottenham Hotspur snapped a threematch losing sequence as Harry Kane returned from a short layoff because of an ankle injury to score his 208th goal for the club in a 20 win over West Bromwich Albion.
Kane is now joint second on Tottenham’s all time scoring list alongside Bobby Smith.
In yesterday’s other game,
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City drew 00, a result that left Leicester in third spot with 43 points, seven behind Manchester City.
Manchester United is second, five points adrift, after its 33 draw with Everton on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side is beginning to look unstoppable, racking up a 10th successive league win and 14th in all competitions, although it was given a hand by Liverpool’s usually reliable keeper Alisson.
Gundogan had put City ahead four minutes after the break only for Mohamed Salah to equalise for the Liverpool from the penalty spot after he had been fouled in the box.
Then the wheels fell off for Liverpool.
Twice in the space of three minutes Alisson misplaced passes out and was punished first by Gundogan and then by Raheem Sterling. Phil Foden lashed home City’s fourth.
‘‘It is an important win, but it is
February. Of course, the gap to fifth is big right now and (qualifying] for the Champions League next season is important, but 10 wins in a row in this period is something exceptional,’’ Guardiola said.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Alisson’s two errors had proved costly.
‘‘I saw a really good game and big mistakes. In each game, when you make these kind of mistakes, it’s very likely you concede goals,’’ Klopp said. — Reuters