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REDS HOT | Big bonus was Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Stoke City earlier in the day
LIVERPOOL moved into second place in the Premier League table as goals from Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard secured a 3-0 win at Southampton yesterday.
Suarez put Liverpool ahead after 16 minutes of his 100th Premier League appearance with his first goal since January 28.
Southampton missed chances to level before Sterling, a 57thminute substitute, scored with his first touch of the game and Gerrard then netted a penalty in injury time.
Liverpool had known that third place was theirs for the taking with League Cup finalists Manchester City not involved in Premier League action.
The bonus was Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Stoke City earlier in the day, which meant second place was also up for grabs.
Southampton brought Dejan Lovren back in place of Maya Yoshida for his first game since the Croatian damaged ankle lig-
Gerrard placed a penalty into the top-right corner in injury time to add further gloss to the scoreline
aments in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland in mid-January.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, began the match with Sterling on the bench and Joe Allen in the starting line-up.
The Saints claimed a penalty in vain when their captain Adam Lallana went down under a challenge from Jon Flanagan, the Liverpool right back, and in the 16th minute they fell behind to Suarez’s opportunistic goal.
He began the move with a run infield from the left, but the chance seemed lost when Daniel Sturridge’s attempt at a return pass was intercepted.
Unfortunately for the home side, the ball rebounded back into the path of Suarez, who calmly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
Southampton should have replied after 31 minutes with a slick move that would have impressed watching England manager Roy Hodgson.
Rickie Lambert chested down a cross from Jay Rodriguez for Lallana, but although he sidestepped a defender to give himself only Simon Mignolet to beat, he could only roll the ball against the post.
Southampton brought on crowd favourite Gaston Ramirez for Steven Davis at half time to add an even greater element of unpredictability.
It was Ramirez’s pass that put Rodriguez in possession on the left of the penalty area with a chance to escape Flanagan and shoot, but Martin Skrtel blocked his attempt to curl the ball around Mignolet.
Rodgers needed to do something to interrupt Southhampton’s flow and he decided to withdraw Philippe Coutinho in favour of Sterling, but even the Liverpool manager must have been amazed by the instant effect of his substitution.
Gerrard started the move, playing Suarez through a gap on the right flank, and when the Uruguayan crossed low, Sterling shot home first-time.
Gerrard coolly placed a penalty into the top-right corner in injury time to add further gloss to the scoreline after Suarez was tripped.— AFP