Cody Gakpo scored twice as Premier League leaders Liverpool romped to a 4-1 victory over Ipswich, maintaining their six-point lead over Arsenal, who narrowly defeated Wolves 1-0 despite a controversial red card for Myles Lewis-Skelly on Saturday.
At Anfield, Liverpool cruised to their second consecutive league win with a first-half blitz. Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring in the 11th minute, blasting past Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton after a pinpoint assist from Ibrahima Konaté.
Mohamed Salah doubled the advantage in the 35th minute, firing home a powerful strike to claim his 23rd goal in all competitions this season—and his 100th Premier League goal at Anfield.
Just before the break, Gakpo sealed Ipswich’s fate, pouncing on a rebound after Walton parried Szoboszlai’s shot in the 44th minute to make it 3-0.
The Dutch forward struck again in the 66th minute, heading in a precise cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold to complete the rout.
Ipswich’s Jacob Greaves netted a stoppage-time diving header, but it was little more than a consolation as the visitors suffered a heavy defeat. With 10 goals conceded in their last two league matches, Ipswich remain stuck in the relegation zone.
Liverpool’s dominant performance kept them firmly on track for their first English title since 2020, with 16 wins from 22 league games this season. The Reds also have a game in hand over second-placed Arsenal, who kept pace with a gritty 1-0 win at Wolves.
Arsenal’s victory came despite a contentious moment in the 43rd minute when 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off for a foul on Matt Doherty that stopped a Wolves counter-attack. Though many argued the challenge was too far from goal for a red card, the Premier League’s Match Centre confirmed the dismissal for “serious foul play.”
Wolves also had a man sent off in the 70th minute when Joao Gomes picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Jurrien Timber. With both teams down to 10 men, it was Riccardo Calafiori who grabbed the decisive goal in the 74th minute, volleying in from a tight angle off the far post to secure Arsenal’s win.
Meanwhile, Dango Ouattara hit a stunning hat-trick as Bournemouth dismantled Nottingham Forest 5-0 at the Vitality Stadium, extending their club-record unbeaten run to 11 matches. The win moved Andoni Iraola’s side up to sixth, while ending Forest’s eight-game unbeaten streak.
Justin Kluivert opened the scoring in the ninth minute, and Ouattara made it 2-0 in the 55th minute with a header from Kluivert’s cross. The Burkina Faso winger then bagged his second goal six minutes later before completing his hat-trick in the 87th minute. Antoine Semenyo added a fifth late on to seal a dominant win.
Newcastle climbed to fourth place with a 3-1 win at struggling Southampton. Jan Bednarek had given the hosts a 10th-minute lead with a header, but Alexander Isak equalized from the penalty spot in the 26th minute after a foul by Joe Aribo. Isak then added a second in the 30th minute, finishing off a well-worked team move. Anthony Gordon set up Sandro Tonali for a third goal in the 51st minute to confirm the points for the Magpies.
Everton manager David Moyes celebrated his 700th Premier League game as his side claimed a vital 1-0 win at Brighton, lifting them seven points clear of the relegation zone. Moyes joined an exclusive club, with only Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson having managed more Premier League matches. Brighton’s Joel Veltman was penalized for a handball in the 42nd minute, and Iliman Ndiaye confidently converted the resulting penalty to seal the win.
Elsewhere, troubled champions Manchester City prepare to face Chelsea in Saturday’s late game, with Pep Guardiola’s men seeking a crucial victory to lift them into the top four.
AFP
