Liverpool extended their Premier League lead to nine
points as Roberto Firmino’s hat-trick hammered Arsenal 5-1 at Anfield,
while Tottenham’s title challenge crumbled in a 3-1 home defeat to
Wolves.
Manchester City could cut Liverpool’s
lead to seven points when they look to stop a recent slump at
Southampton on Sunday, but ahead of their trip to the Etihad on January
3, Jurgen Klopp’s men currently look well on course to deliver a first
league title since 1989/90.
“For sure Tottenham’s result people out there
reacted, but not inside the dressing room where they were completely
concentrated on the match and not allowed to have that influence on our
game,” said Klopp.
“That is how I want the team to stay which is to be concentrated, nothing else.”
Liverpool
even overcame a rare deficit on home soil as for the first time this
season after they trailed in the league at Anfield when Ainsley
Maitland-Niles swept Arsenal into an 11th minute lead.
However, the hosts were level within three
minutes and 4-1 up by half-time as Firmino struck twice in two minutes
before Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah’s penalty made the points safe
before the break.
Salah then passed up the chance to move out in
front as the league’s top scorer after drawing level with
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Harry Kane on 13 as he allowed Firmino to
take Liverpool’s second penalty of the evening 25 minutes from time to
complete the Brazilian’s hat-trick.
Spurs stumble
Tottenham had surged ahead of City into second
place after smashing 11 goals past Everton and Bournemouth in the
previous six days, but ran out of steam at Wembley as Wolves scored
three times in the final 18 minutes.
A wonderful moment of individual skill from
Kane put Spurs on course for a sixth straight league when he cut inside
onto his weaker left foot, but still produced a powerful drive from 20
yards that beat Rui Patricio midway through the first half.
However, much has been made of Tottenham coach
Mauricio Pochettino’s ability to extract the most from a stretched
squad and Spurs finally looked like a side jaded by competing on four
fronts in the final stages.
“We have had a very good run in the last few
weeks and to keep that level is difficult,” said Pochettino. “I think we
started to pay for the effort in the other games. We are not machines.”
The comeback began when Willy Boly rose highest to meet Joao Moutinho’s corner to equalise.
As the hosts pressed for a winner, Wolves
broke in numbers and Raul Jimenez put the visitors in front six minutes
from time before Helder Costa raced clear to score his first Premier
League goal.
“I want to kill him”
Fulham are now just a point away from safety
after Aleksandar Mitrovic saved Aboubakar Kamara’s blushes, but not the
wrath of manager Claudio Ranieri.
The Frenchman ignored Ranieri’s orders to let
Mitrovic take a late penalty with the scores still tied a 0-0 and saw
his effort saved by Jonas Lossl.
“I said to Aboubakar Kamara to leave the ball
to Mitrovic, he is the man who shoots the penalties,” said Ranieri. “It
is unbelievable, he did not respect me, the club, the team and crowd. I
spoke with him, it is not right.
“I want to kill him, that is normal when one
man takes a ball, only because he scored the last penalty (against
Manchester United). It should be Mitrovic, that is it.”
A missed penalty was also the turning point at
the King Power where Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge saved James
Maddison’s spot-kick for Leicester.
And Cardiff snatched a first away win of the
season in stoppage time when Victor Camarasa unleashed a rocket to move
the Welsh side four points clear of the relegation zone with a 1-0
victory.
Brighton also boosted their survival chances by beating Everton 1-0 thanks to Jurgen Locadia’s solitary goal.
Newcastle are also four points above the drop
zone after they were denied a vital three points by Abdoulaye Doucoure’s
late equaliser for Watford in a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road after Salomon
Rondon had opened the scoring.