The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Liverpool hit six to go top
Reds lead way as north London derby ends in stalemate
Liverpool thrashed Watford 6-1 at Anfield to move to the top of the Premier League yesterday.
The Reds, who last led the top flight in May 2014 before eventually slipping up in the title race, capitalised on Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham by demolishing the below-par Hornets.
Sadio Mane put Liverpool in front with an acrobatic header on 27 minutes, and within three minutes it was 2-0 when Philippe Coutinho fired in from 20 yards. Emre Can’s header effectively wrapped things up two minutes before the break.
Roberto Firmino tapped in a third on 57 minutes, with the Brazilian then setting up Mane for his second on the hour.
Daryl Janmaat grabbed a consolation for Watford with 15 minutes left, before Georginio Wijnaldum added a sixth in stoppage time.
Arsenal had missed the chance to move above Chelsea – 5-0 winners over Everton on Saturday after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough – to the top of the table when they were held by Spurs at the Emirates Stadium, where Harry Kane marked his return from seven weeks on the sidelines with a secondhalf penalty.
Arsenal led at the break after Spurs defender Kevin Wimmer scored an own goal, glancing a free-kick from Mesut Ozil past Hugo Lloris.
Manchester United got back to winning ways as they beat Swansea 3-1 at the Liberty Stadium, with goals from Paul Pogba and a Zlatan Ibrahimovic double.
Struggling Hull finally ended a sixmatch losing run as they beat Southampton 2-1 and West Brom beat struggling champions Leicester 2-1.