Premier League round-up: Liverpool run riot to leave Everton feeling blue
Reds win the Merseyside derby and Man Utd spoil Mourinho’s return to Old Trafford
Liverpool thrashed Everton 5-2 in the Merseyside derby to leave Marco Silva’s job hanging by a thread.
The Portuguese manager is expected to hold crunch talks with the Toffees board in the next 48 hours ahead of Everton’s match against Chelsea on Saturday.
“I am not the right person to talk about this situation,” Silva said in response to a question about his future. “You are asking me and I don’t have the answer. Since I joined the club, until my last day I will be professional.”
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Everton have lost eight of their last 11 games to leave them lying in the relegation zone, and their position is all the more painful given that Liverpool are eight points clear at the top of the table.
Liverpool even rested Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, and still the Reds ran riot with Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri, Dejan Lovren and Sadio Mane scoring first-half goals.
Everton got a couple themselves in an entertaining first 45, but Georginio Wijnaldum made it 5-2 on the stroke of full-time.
“When they play and deliver like they did it is very good for the whole squad,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. “As a manager you hope for it and then the boys deliver and it is the best feeling you can get as a manager.”
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Foxes leave it late
Leicester City moved back into second, three points clear of third-placed Manchester City, after goals from Jamie Vardy and James Maddison saw off bottom-club Watford 2-0.
Man City had leapt above the Foxes after a 4-1 victory at Burnley on Tuesday, but Leicester showed their steel with a seventh consecutive top-flight win, equalling a club record established in 1963.
“It was a tough game for us,” admitted Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. “It was a real team effort and to get seven wins on the spin in the Premier League is a great achievement. The team is developing and are proving they have a winning mentality and mindset.”
No revenge for Mourinho
Manchester United spoiled Jose Mourinho’s return to Old Trafford with a 2-1 win that ended Tottenham’s recent rejuvenation under the Special One.
All the talk in recent days has been about the form of Dele Alli but it was another young Englishman, Marcus Rashford, who caught the eye with two goals that took his tally to nine in his last ten games for United.
“He played like he was in the backyard, the garden or back on the playground with his mates,” said United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. “He is enjoying himself. That is what the Stretford End wants to see. They love to see forwards play with courage.”
The win lifts United into the top six for the first time since September while Spurs slip to eighth, a point behind the Red Devils.
Tammy praised
In other results, Chelsea beat Aston Villa 2-1 to remain in fourth, three points behind Man City and six clear of Wolves, in fifth, who defeated West Ham 2-0.
Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount scored the goals at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard singled out the former for praise on his return from injury.
“Tammy is a personality that’s growing in our dressing room every day with his enthusiasm and his will to win,” said Lampard. “He is a striker that’s near the top of the goalscoring charts in the league, he’s showing his all-round game, stretches defences and he starts our press.”
Two midweek games to go
The midweek Premier League action continues with two more matches on Thursday night. Sheffield United are at home against Newcastle United (7.30pm) and Arsenal host Brighton & Hove Albion (8.15pm). Both games are live on Amazon Prime Video.
Today’s back pages
Man Utd wreck Jose Mourinho’s return to Old Trafford
Premier League results and fixtures
Midweek results
- Crystal Palace 1 AFC Bournemouth 0
- Burnley 1 Manchester City 4
- Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1
- Leicester City 2 Watford 0
- Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
- Southampton 2 Norwich City 1
- Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 West Ham United 0
- Liverpool 5 Everton 2
Thursday 5 December fixtures
- Sheffield United vs. Newcastle United (7.30pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)
- Arsenal vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (8.15pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)
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