LONDON – Liverpool churned out another big victory when they thumped Southampton 4-0 to close in on Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League, while former skipper Steven Gerrard enjoyed a second consecutive win as Aston Villa manager.
Liverpool has now scored 39 times in 13 league games this season after Diogo Jota’s double and goals by Thiago Alcantara and Virgil van Dijk eased them past Southampton at Anfield.
Juergen Klopp’s side has scored at least twice in 17 consecutive games in all competitions, the first English top-flight side to achieve that since Sunderland in 1927.
Villa followed up their win over Brighton & Hove Albion last week in Gerrard’s first game in charge with a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace, with Matt Targett and John McGinn on target.
New Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe took his place on the touchline for the first time after missing last week’s game because of a positive COVID-19 test, but saw his side lose 2-0 away at Arsenal.
Goals by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli sealed the points for fifth-placed Arsenal to move them level on 23 points with fourth-placed West Ham United. For bottom club Newcastle, now winless in 13 games and with only six points to show for their season so far, the relegation fears show no sign of easing.
“We can only do our talking on the pitch and try to fight back,” Howe said according to Reuters. “Of course it’s difficult enough in the Premier League when you’re fighting for points. But with a big deficit it’s very difficult.”
Second-from-bottom Norwich failed to make it three wins in a row as they drew 0-0 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers but they moved level on nine points with 18th-placed Burnley.
Apart from defeat by West Ham earlier this month, Liverpool has been in imperious form of late and were simply too good for Southampton as they moved above Manchester City into second place, a point behind Chelsea.
Jota steered home Andrew Robertson’s cutback to open the scoring after 97 seconds before another simple finish, following fine work from Mohamed Salah, put Liverpool two goals up and in command inside 32 minutes.
Midfielder Thiago added to his stunning goal against Porto in the Champions League in midweek with a third five minutes later and Van Dijk helped himself to a fourth against his former club early in the second half.
Elsewhere, Tariq Lamptey kept setting up chances for Brighton. His teammates kept missing them, AP reported.
Neal Maupay was the biggest culprit in the 0-0 draw at home to Leeds in the English Premier League.
Lamptey is back fit after nine months out injured and the former Chelsea right back was a constant danger with his pace and delivery, creating five opportunities in the first half alone at Amex Stadium.
Maupay squandered two of them, shooting over from inside the six-yard box with the goal at his mercy and then volleying wide at the near post. The French striker was starting after three straight games on the bench but trudged off after being substituted in the 68th.
Substitute Solly March struck the post in the 89th for Brighton, too.
Leeds didn’t threaten Brighton’s goal until substitute Tyler Roberts brought two late saves out of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, and continues to miss last season’s top scorer Patrick Bamford, who hasn’t played since Sept. 17 because of injury.
Leeds stayed in 17th, one place above the relegation zone, while Brighton was eighth and hasn’t won any of its last eight league games.
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