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Rediff.com  » Sports » EPL PHOTOS: Spurs back on top but Liverpool fire warning

EPL PHOTOS: Spurs back on top but Liverpool fire warning

Last updated on: December 07, 2020 10:49 IST
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Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane celebrates with Son Heung-min Pool after scoring their second goal against Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

IMAGE: Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane celebrates with Son Heung-min Pool after scoring their second goal against Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/via Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur reclaimed the Premier League top spot with victory over Arsenal on Sunday but champions Liverpool's rout of Wolverhampton Wanderers showed Juergen Klopp's side are starting to hit their stride.

Harry Kane scored his 250th career goal for club and country after laying on Son Heung-min's 10th league goal of the season as Tottenham beat Arsenal 2-0 to reach 24 points from 11 games.

Shortly afterwards Liverpool, in their first game with fans at Anfield since they won the title, crushed Wolves 4-0 with Mohamed Salah, Georginio Wijnaldum and Joel Matip on target.

 

A miserable day for Wolves was capped as Nelson Semedo scored an own goal.

Liverpool joined Tottenham on 24 points, although Jose Mourinho's Spurs have a superior goal difference.

Tottenham also welcomed fans back, 2,000 of them, for the first time in 277 days -- thanks to the government's new Tier 2 COVID-19 restrictions -- and they were treated to three points against an Arsenal side languishing in 15th place.

Kane has assisted eight of Son's goals this season and the duo, who have 18 goals between them, are in irresistible form.

"When I'm passing him through and he's cutting inside and whipping them into the top bins it is an easy game for me," Kane, whose goal came from Son's assist, said.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores their first goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield 

IMAGE: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores their first goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield. Photograph: Jon Super/Pool via Reuters

In their last three games Tottenham have beaten Manchester City, drawn with Chelsea and beaten Arsenal without conceding, but Mourinho is refusing to get carried away.

"We are top of the league for one more week, which is good fun," the Portuguese said.

Arsenal enjoyed 69% possession against Tottenham but their forward line continues to misfire.

They have managed only 10 goals in 11 games and manager Mikel Arteta says the situation is not sustainable.

"We need to put the ball in the net, urgently," Arteta, whose team have lost five of their last seven league games, said.

"You look at the stats, they're all in our favour, but we have to put the ball in the back of the net."

Liverpool boss Klopp said he had "goosebumps" hearing fans singing the club's anthems on the Kop.

"As long as nobody tells me someone was injured then it's been a perfect night," Klopp said after his side's 31st victory in their last 32 home league games.

Salah was gifted an opener by a mistake from Conor Coady and did not look back after that.

Late Vardy strike gives Leicester 2-1 win at Sheffield

Jamie Vardy

IMAGE: Leicester City's Jamie Vardy in action with Sheffield United's Aaron Ramsdale as Leicester City's Kasper Schmeichel looks on. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

A 90th-minute goal from striker Jamie Vardy gave Leicester City a 2-1 win at Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday, lifting the Foxes back into the top four while leaving the Blades rooted to the bottom of the table.

Leicester moved up to third on 21 points from 11 games, while Sheffield United stayed in last place with one point, after stretching their winless league run to 14 games dating back to the end of last season.

 

Vardy netted a trademark winner as he raced clear through the middle and steered his shot past Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale after Oliver McBurnie had cancelled out an Ayoze Perez opener for the visitors.

Perez gave the Foxes a 24th-minute lead when he powered in a close-range volley but McBurnie equalised three minutes later as he headed home a John Lundstram corner.

Leicester dominated the first half and twice hit the post through Vardy and James Maddison, with the home side restricted to sporadic raids.

The pace dropped in the second half and when it seemed the Blades had done enough to earn a share of the spoils, Maddison released Vardy with a sublime pass and the striker made no mistake from the edge of the penalty area.

Zaha, Benteke score two each to help Palace thump 10-man West Brom

Wilfried Zaha

IMAGE: Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha in action with Leeds United's Luke Ayling. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha scored twice on his return to the team following illness and Christian Benteke also grabbed a double in the second half as they cruised to a 5-1 win over 10-man West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Sunday.

Ivorian Zaha marked his comeback from self-isolation after contracting COVID-19 by curling the ball in on his 200th Premier League start and doubled his tally by tapping home after a fine run from Eberechi Eze to seal the victory at The Hawthorns.

Benteke headed in his first goal of the campaign in between Zaha's strikes, and added another late on.

"We weren't scared to play today. It was harder for them when they lost a player, and we wanted to impose ourselves," Zaha was quoted as saying by the BBC. "We have tremendous ability in our team. We just need to keep picking up points."

Benteke, who made his first league start of the season, said he had no complaints about his lack of game time.

"The only truth is on the pitch. I've been working hard in the shadows and I took my chance," he added.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson equalled one of the lesser-known Premier League records - most wins for a manager against his former teams - joining Harry Redknapp and Sam Allardyce on 11.

Palace, who now have 16 points from 11 matches to sit 11th, began the contest brightly and got the breakthrough as Zaha's whipped cross after a quick free kick was turned into the net by West Brom defender Darnell Furlong in the eighth minute.

Furlong made amends later in the first half by setting up Conor Gallagher, who rolled in the equaliser for his second goal in as many league games.

But the game changed when promoted West Brom went a man down as Matheus Pereira was dismissed for kicking out at Patrick van Aanholt after a tussle, following the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

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