EPL: City's nightmare continues; Liverpool extend lead

Liverpool beat Man City 2-0 to go nine points clear

Liverpool overawed arch-rivals Manchester City in a 2-0 win on Sunday with goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah to take a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League and extend their opponents' slump to seven games without a win.

The result was City's first four-game losing streak in the Premier League since 2008 and pushed Pep Guardiola's struggling side down to an unfamiliar fifth in the table, 11 points behind their greatest rivals of recent years.

Buoyed by a midweek Champions League win over Real Madrid, Liverpool came out flying and could have wrapped the game up by halftime with a hatful of chances including two thundering Virgil van Dijk headers, one of which hit the woodwork.

The first goal came in the 12th minute after a sumptuous long pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold to Salah on the right wing. His low cross eluded Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega for Gakpo to nudge the ball in at the back post.

Salah scored Liverpool's second with a 78th-minute penalty, after his striker partner Luis Diaz was brought down by Ortega in the box, sending the Anfield crowd into delirium.

Man United crush Everton in Amorim's first home league game

Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee bagged two goals apiece as Manchester United thumped Everton 4-0 on Sunday in new manager Ruben Amorim's first Premier League match at Old Trafford.

United's biggest victory margin in a league game since a 5-1 win over Leeds United in 2021 lifted them three spots to ninth in the table after 13 games.

Rashford put United ahead in the 34th minute when he darted in to fire home Bruno Fernandes's corner with a side-footed volley that sailed in off the outstretched foot of Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

"It is a nice result," Rashford told Sky Sports. "It is important with a new coach and a new way of playing, when we are still learning. We have to back up this performance and win in midweek (on Wednesday at Arsenal).

"We all, as individuals, want to get back to our best and then push to improve so even in the bad moments you are doing the right thing."

The goal ignited Amorim's side, who dominated the rest of the match, and Zirkzee doubled the lead in the 41st minute when Amad Diallo intercepted Jordan Pickford's goal kick and the Dutch forward fired home Fernandes's cross from close range.

Rashford, who has netted three goals in three games since Amorim took charge, completed his brace 20 seconds after halftime when he ran on to a through ball from Amad who caused Everton problems all afternoon.

The Ivory Coast forward stripped the ball off James Tarkowski in the 64th minute and drove forward before feeding Zirkzee to slot in his second.

Delighted United fans sang Amorim's name all afternoon. The Portuguese, who barely cracked a smile throughout the game, is unbeaten in three matches since taking charge, including a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town and a 3-2 Europa League win over Bodo/Glimt.

They are unbeaten in the seven games across all competitions since Erik ten Hag was sacked as manager on Oct. 28.

"The connection is going to build and grow the more we get used to him," said Rashford who had not scored two goals in a league game since February, 2023.

"He's (Amorim's) come in in a busy period and hopefully the connection keeps building and growing. He's come in with a great attitude and it's passed onto the players."

Struggling Everton, who have not scored in four matches, are two points above the relegation zone in 15th place.

Chelsea thump Villa 3-0 to move joint second

Expertly taken goals from Nicolas Jackson, captain Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer earned Chelsea a 3-0 home win over Aston Villa on Sunday, lifting them to joint second in the Premier League table.

Playing free-flowing football, the home side took advantage of a tired-looking and error-ridden Aston Villa side who have now failed to win in eight games in all competitions.

The Londoners made their mark early when Senegal striker Jackson neatly side-footed a Marc Cucurella cross from the left, knocking it in off the post in the seventh minute.

Enzo Maresca's side took advantage of questionable defending in the 36th minute when Fernandez was fed by Palmer before steadying himself and firing home between Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa.

Palmer outdid both his team mates, however, lofting an exquisite left-foot shot into the top corner of substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen's net in the 83rd minute.

"I think if I go out and enjoy my football, the goals and assists will come," Palmer told Sky Sports. "It's all down to the manager, the desire that he puts into the sessions and what the players give to him."

England striker Ollie Watkins had the best of Villa's chances but Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez closed him down one-on-one in the 15th minute.

In the last minute of the first half, he failed to fully make contact with the ball with the goal at his mercy and Sanchez made the save.

Villa, who drew 0-0 in midweek with Juventus in the Champions League, had to replace Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez with Robin Olsen at halftime after he injured himself diving to retrieve a ball he had passed in error to the feet of Jackson.

With tails up, Chelsea’s substitutes might have added to the score late on but for a double-save by Olsen from Joao Felix and Noni Madueke, closely followed by an attempt from Christopher Nkunku who sent his shot wide.

Chelsea moved joint second, level on points and goal difference with Arsenal, before the late kickoff between table-toppers Liverpool and fifth-placed Manchester City. Villa dropped to 11th.

Fulham's Cairney rescues point, sent off in 1-1 draw at Spurs

Fulham captain Tom Cairney came off the bench to rescue a point before being sent off in a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday, after Brennan Johnson's volley gave the hosts the lead.

Fulham were the better side in the first half, though Son Hueng-min spurned a clear chance in the opening minute after Timo Werner intercepted a risky pass out of defence.

Raul Jimenez was twice denied by Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster, making his first league appearance this season in place of the injured Guglielmo Vicario.

Forster stood tall when Jimenez was found in space in the box before he produced a great save at full stretch to keep out the Mexican striker's goalbound header.

Spurs also went close when Radu Dragusin forced Bernd Leno to tip his header over the bar after a well-worked corner.

Fulham were the more threatening side, though, and nearly scored shortly before halftime with a quick counter but Alex Iwobi's shot clipped the bar.

The visitors were sharper after the restart too, but Spurs took the lead in the 54th minute through Johnson's third goal in four games.

Werner's cross to the back post found Johnson in acres of space and he sent a neat finish past Leno to give Spurs a surprising lead.

Cairney pulled Fulham level in the 67th minute when his strike from the edge of the box curled beyond Forster's grasp.

Cairney was sent off seven minutes from time for raking his studs down Dejan Kulusevski's calf, with referee Darren Bond upgrading his initial yellow card to a red after being sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR.

Fulham weathered late pressure and held on for a deserved point, which put them 10th in the table with 19 points from 13 games.

Spurs, with only their second league draw this season, moved up to seventh with 20 points and are three points behind fourth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.