Liverpool smashes seven past Palace, Arsenal loses again

Liverpool goes five points clear at the top while Arsenal's worst start to a season in 46 years shows no sign of ending. Here's a wrap of all the action from the Premier League on Saturday.

Published : Dec 20, 2020 09:17 IST

Liverpool has 31 points from 14 games with Everton five points behind and Tottenham Hotspur, which hosts Leicester City on Sunday, a further point back.
Liverpool has 31 points from 14 games with Everton five points behind and Tottenham Hotspur, which hosts Leicester City on Sunday, a further point back.
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Liverpool has 31 points from 14 games with Everton five points behind and Tottenham Hotspur, which hosts Leicester City on Sunday, a further point back.

Champion Liverpool is five points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 7-0 away hammering of Crystal Palace while Arsenal's troubles continued with a 2-1 defeat at second-placed Everton on Saturday.

Manchester City got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory at in-form Southampton while Newcastle United was held to a 1-1 draw at home to struggling Fulham.

Liverpool has 31 points from 14 games with Everton five points behind and Tottenham Hotspur, which hosts Leicester City on Sunday, a further point back.

Jurgen Klopp's side had not won away from home in the league since September but broke that dry spell in spectacular fashion, recording its biggest-ever top flight away win with Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah each scoring twice.

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Japan's Takumi Minamino rewarded Jurgen Klopp's decision to start him ahead of Salah by scoring after just over two minutes and Sadio Mane then made it two when he twisted and fired home form the edge of the box in the 35th.

Firmino added a third just before the break, flicking home to finish off a superb Liverpool counter-attack that swept the length of the field, and Jordan Henderson added a fourth seven minutes into the second half as Palace, managed by former Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson, collapsed.

Firmino got his second with a brilliant chipped effort in the 68th and Salah came on to score with a header before brilliantly curling a shot into the top corner five minutes from the end.

"Everything is pleasing; everything is good about this game," said Klopp.

"It was really difficult to play against us today, I would say. And then they obviously all wore their finishing boots and when you have that it is really tricky," added the German.

ARSENAL FOLDS AGAIN, ARTETA IN THE HOT SEAT

Arsenal's worst start to a season in 46 years shows no sign of ending after another poor result for their under-pressure manager Mikel Arteta.

Colombian Yerry Mina grabbed the winner with a header from a corner on the stroke of halftime after a Nicolas Pepe penalty had brought the Gunners level following Evertons opener from a Rob Holding own goal.

"Its not good enough, its not good enough for the standards of this football club and this is the challenge," said Arteta.

Everton, with three straight wins, look back to its excellent early season form after a shaky spell.

I think we're doing really well this season. We are in a good position in the table," said manager Carlo Ancelotti.

We have shown in the past three games a lot of consistency and a lot of spirit, so you have to be pleased with what we are doing now," he said.

CITY FINDS RHYTHM AGAIN

Raheem Sterling got the decisive goal for Manchester City in the 16th minute, converting a low cross from Kevin De Bruyne while Southampton's injury-prone striker Danny Ings went off before the break with a hamstring problem.

City, which been held at home by lowly West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday, again struggled in front of goal but continue to look solid at the back.

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"Defensively we were excellent. Last season we struggled a lot. Ruben (Dias) has helped us a lot. John (Stones) in the last few games has been exceptional," said manager Pep Guardiola.

NEWCASTLE HELD TO 1-1 DRAW BY 10-MAN FULHAM

Newcastle United had to settle for a 1-1 home draw with 10-man Fulham after a Callum Wilson penalty cancelled out Matt Ritchie's own goal which fired the visitors ahead in a scrappy encounter.

The result provisionally lifted Fulham out of the relegation zone as it moved one place up to 17th on 10 points from 14 games with a superior goal difference to 18th-placed Burnley who have two games in hand.

Newcastle moved two places up to 12th on 18 points from 13 games but it will take few positives from a turgid performance as the Magpies were fortunate to scrape a share of the spoils.

Fulham manager Scott Parker complained about the penalty decision arguing that Wilson was fouled outside the area and praised his team for a valiant effort.

"In the second half it's the penalty decision which has decided the game in that sense," he told Sky Sports.

"I would rather stand here saying the referee has made a mistake but we have all this technology and we are still making the same mistakes. That's criminal.

"For what I have just seen - and I'm not standing here trying to defend it - the contact was made outside of the box and (Wilson)then goes into the box and dives.

"I have nothing but praise for my team. It's a difficult place to come to and for 45 minutes we dominated the game. Then we get a man sent off and it's roll your sleeves up."

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce had a different view of the incident and was unhappy with his team's display.

"We got the penalty and when you look at it and analyse it I think the referee has made the right call," he said.

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"We can perform better than we saw tonight and that is always a concern. We didn't see enough and that is disappointing."

Fulham's Ademola Lookman was a constant threat all evening and his inviting corner led to the opening goal as defender Tosin Adarabioyo headed it towards the far post and the ball ricocheted off Ritchie's face into the net.

Newcastle was awarded the penalty in the 64th minute after Wilson was fouled by Joachim Andersen, who was shown a second yellow card for the challenge, and the home side's forward sent goalkeeper Alphonse Areola the wrong way with his spot-kick.

The lively Lookman had home keeper Karl Darlow at full stretch with a stinging drive four minutes later before Areola denied Joelinton at the other end.

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