Liverpool closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to only two points after putting five past Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane while Manchester United picked up an important three points at Villa Park.
With Luis Suarez wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of Steven Gerrard, the Uruguay striker was at his best and tormented Michael Dawson all game.
Suarez put Liverpool ahead in the 18th minute when he took the ball past Dawson and Kyle Walker before curling home a low shot. Jordan Henderson doubled the visitors’ lead in the 40th minute and Spurs’ hopes of a comeback were effectively ended when Paulinho was sent off in the 63rd minute for catching Suarez in the chest with his foot.
Full-back Jon Flanagan made it 3-0, and Suarez added a fourth with a delicate lob before teeing up Raheem Sterling for the fifth.
With four managers already been fired in the Premier League this season, questions will have to be asked about the future of Andre Villas-Boas after seeing rivals Liverpool and Man City put 5 and 6 past Spurs this season. Spurs are now 5 points from that fourth Champions League place, and with Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City all playing so well this season, I am not sure if Spurs can overcome that gap.
Another team trying to close the gap is Manchester United who ended a two game losing streak in the league by beating Aston Villa 3-0 at Villa Park.
United were dominant today and a pair of goals from Danny Welbeck put United in control after only 18 minutes and they added a further goal through Tom Cleverley as they closed to within ten points of leaders Arsenal.
In the day’s other fixture, Swansea City drew 1-1 at Norwich City in a match overshadowed by an injury to visiting goalscorer Nathan Dyer.
He broke the deadlock with a 12th-minute lob but had to be stretchered off and taken to hospital with a suspected fractured ankle after injuring himself in a duel with Sebastien Bassong. Gary Hooper earned Norwich a share of the spoils in first-half stoppage time, finding the net from 25 yards with a sumptuous, dipping volley.
