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EPL PHOTOS: City maintain lead; big wins for Liverpool, Arsenal

November 30, 2017 10:12 IST

Images from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring their second goal against Southampton at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday

IMAGE: Manchester City's Raheem Sterling celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Southampton at the Etihad Stadium. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images via Reuters

Raheem Sterling struck in the sixth minute of stoppage time as ManchesterCity beat Southampton 2-1 for a club record 12th successive Premier League victory on Wednesday.

It had looked as though the Oriol Romeu's 75th minute equaliser had slowed the City juggernaut, but Sterling curled an unstoppable effort past Fraser Forster at the death to send the Etihad Stadium crowd wild.

 

Sterling has now scored the winning goal in three successive games for City.

City were never at their fluent best but Kevin De Bruyne's free kick, which took a touch off of Saints defender Virgil van Dijk, put them ahead straight after halftime.

Forster made some crucial saves to keep his side in the game and former Chelsea player Romeu struck with a shot off the underside of the crossbar to reward Southampton who had gone close twice before the break.

Sterling's moment of brilliance ensured that City stayed on course to break Arsenal's all-time record winning streak in the Premier League and restored their eight-point lead over Manchester United who won at Watford on Tuesday.

Mane and Salah shine as Liverpool beat Stoke 3-0

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during their match against Stoke City at Bet365 Stadium in Stoke on Trent

IMAGE: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during their match against Stoke City at Bet365 Stadium in Stoke on Trent. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

A first-half goal from Sadio Mane and a double by livewire substitute Mohamed Salah after the break gave Liverpool a 3-0 win at Stoke City on Wednesday as they continued their push towards the Premier League's top four.

The result left Liverpool fifth on 26 points from 14 games, two behind fourth-placed Arsenal and three adrift of third-placed Chelsea as they stretched their unbeaten league run to five games.

Salah came off the bench in the 67th minute and showed his class with a brilliant volley followed by a clinical finish.

Mane fired Liverpool ahead with a superbly dinked finish in the 17th minute after right back Joe Gomez kept the ball in play and pulled it back for Dominic Solanke, who threaded it through to the Senegal winger.

As Stoke briefly regained their composure, Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was fortunate to receive only a yellow card for a lunging tackle on the edge of his penalty area, although Klopp defended the referee's decision.

Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Stoke City's Bruno Martins Indi get into a scuffle 

IMAGE: Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Stoke City's Bruno Martins Indi get into a scuffle. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Mane hit the outside of the post with only goalkeeper Lee Grant to beat in the 42nd minute before Liverpool's former midfielder Joe Allen squandered two gilt-edged chances for Stoke after the break.

The Wales international had a shot deflected inches wide of the far post and then volleyed over the bar from seven metres before Salah lit up the final quarter of the match.

Having replaced Solanke, he made it 2-0 in the 77th minute when he hammered his volley past Grant after Mane broke down the right and delivered an inch-perfect cross.

Salah got on the end of a poor back-pass six minutes later and buried the ball past Grant to delight the away fans before Stoke spurned a late chance to pull one back, when three players with only Mignolet to beat managed to miss the target.

Arsenal turn on style to thrash Huddersfield

Arsenal's Mesut Ozil celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal against Huddersfield Town at Emirates Stadium in London

IMAGE: Arsenal's Mesut Ozil celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal against Huddersfield Town at Emirates Stadium in London. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Arsenal thrashed HuddersfieldTown 5-0 on Wednesday as a second-half onslaught helped to maintain their 100 percent home record in the Premier League this season.

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil were on target as Arsenal scored three times in four minutes after the break to gallop away from a Huddersfield side who had recovered well having fallen behind to Alexandre Lacazette's early opener.

Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score twice as Arsenal remained in fourth place, 12 points behind leaders ManchesterCity and two ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool.

The margin of victory flattered Arsenal, although the quality of their finishing was sublime.

Lacazette scored his seventh league goal of the season after three minutes, tucking home after a superb flick by Aaron Ramsey. The one blot on the evening for Arsenal, however, was a groin injury that prevented Lacazette appearing after the break.

Huddersfield were still in the game but Ozil and Sanchez combined to tee up Giroud for a tap-in in the 68th minute before Ozil found Sanchez who volleyed home.

Ozil capped a great display to beat exposed Huddersfield keeper Jonas Lossl from Ramsey's assist.

French striker Giroud completed the rout last on from close range as Arsenal warmed up for Saturday's home clash with Manchester United in impressive fashion.

Huddersfield dropped to 14th place, having also been beaten by ManchesterCity at the weekend, but manager David Wagner was not too worried.

Rudiger's header gives wasteful Chelsea 1-0 win over Swansea

Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger celebrates on scoring against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge in London

IMAGE: Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger celebrates on scoring against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge in London. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

Antonio Rudiger's first Premier League goal for Chelsea secured a 1-0 win over Swansea City at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as Blues manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a frustrating first half.

Chelsea dominated a scoreless opening period, managing 11 shots on goal to none for the visitors, but Conte was sent to the stands in the 43rd minute by referee Neil Swarbrick after the fourth official called his attention to an angry outburst.

Conte's side finally broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when defender Rudiger reacted quickest to N'Golo Kante's deflected shot by diving to head the ball home.

Chelsea's struggles in front of goal continued for the rest of the game as a combination of solid goalkeeping by Swansea keeper Lukasz Fabianski and wasteful finishing prevented them from winning by a greater margin.

A contrite Conte said it was time-wasting by Swansea, who had only two attempts on goal over the 90 minutes, that led to him being sent off.

Third in the table on 29 points and 11 behind leaders Manchester City, Chelsea face a quick turnaround as they play Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge at lunchtime on Saturday, while second-bottom Swansea travel to Stoke City.

Rooney long-shot ices Everton revival win

Everton's Wayne Rooney heads to score the opening goal against West Ham United at Goodison Park in Liverpool

IMAGE: Everton's Wayne Rooney heads to score the opening goal against West Ham United at Goodison Park in Liverpool. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Wayne Rooney scored from his own half to haunt his former manager David Moyes with a first hat-trick for Everton in a 4-0 thrashing of West Ham United on Wednesday which lifted the Blues away from the Premier League relegation zone.

With Sam Allardyce watching from the stands ahead of his expected appointment as Everton manager, Rooney found the net for the first time in five games by heading in on the rebound in the 18th minute after his penalty was saved by Joe Hart.

Rooney struck again at the near post and piled more misery on Moyes by capitalising on a scrambled clearance from Hart and blasting the ball past his former England team mate from inside his own half.

Ashley Williams completed the rout by heading home from a corner after conceding a penalty for a foul on Diafra Sakho when the score was 2-0, but Jordan Pickford came to the rescue by turning away Manuel Lanzini's spot-kick.

West Ham had come out fighting in the second half after a meek start and came within inches of pulling a goal back when Aaron Creswell hit the crossbar before Lanzini spurned the ideal opportunity to get them back into the game.

They have taken one point from three games since Moyes took over from Slaven Bilic.

Source: REUTERS
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