MANCHESTER: The difference in fortunes since Liverpool won 3-0 away to Manchester United in March was illustrated when Louis Van Gaal’s team reversed that score-line on Sunday.

Nine months ago the Merseysiders were challenging strongly for the Premier League title and United, having their worst season for many years, would shortly sack manager David Moyes.

After a slow start to the campaign United appear to have been revitalised by Van Gaal and goals from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Robin van Persie sealed a sixth consecutive league win to keep them in third place, within eight points of leaders Chelsea and five of champions Manchester City, fuelling hopes of a slow-burning title push.

“I think we have scored wonderful goals,” Van Gaal told Sky Sports. “In spite of the goals, we gave a lot of chances away. That was every time we gave unnecessary passes away and that is how we have to improve.”

United’s fans finished the game by chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning!” at Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers, whose side limped out of the Champions League in mid-week and dropped to 10th after Tottenham Hotspur climbed above them with a 2-1 victory at Swansea City in the day’s other fixture.

That said, it was a flattering margin for United, with many observers making United’s keeper David De Gea man of the match.

The Spaniard pulled off a succession of important saves, mainly from Raheem Sterling in the first half and substitute Mario Balotelli in the second.

Liverpool could claim luck was against them, with the second goal clearly offside but as manager Brendan Rodgers admitted they contributed to their own downfall.

“We created enough chances to win but we made defensive mistakes, which is what cost us,” he told Sky Sports. “I thought we did enough to win the game. But you can’t concede the goals we did.”

For the first one in the 13th minute, Joe Allen allowed Antonio Valencia to push the ball through his legs and had no cover behind him as the Ecuadorean played a square pass for Rooney to beat goalkeeper Brad Jones with ease.

Australian Jones was brought in as replacement for Simon Mignolet to start his first Premier League game since March 2013, but he was beaten again five minutes before half-time.

As Ashley Young cut back to cross, Mata was not offside but he was by the time Van Persie flicked the ball on.

United’s third goal in the 71st stemmed from a classic counter-attack but was still helped by bad defending.

Dejan Lovren did not get enough purchase on his attempt to clear Rooney’s low cross and Mata cleverly teed up Van Persie to brush home his fourth goal in four games.

Tottenham’s 2-1 away to Swansea moved them into seventh position, two places above the Welsh club.

Harry Kane headed Spurs in front in the fourth minute, Wilfried Bony equalised early in the second half with his eighth goal in the last 10 games but Christian Eriksen scored the winner just before the end.

On Saturday, Chelsea and City tightened their stranglehold on the Premier League title race, recording victories over struggling clubs to stretch further clear of their increasingly forlorn pursuers.

Normal service was resumed at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea maintained their three-point lead over City at the top with goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa sinking 10-man Hull City 2-0.

“As I was expecting, the bad moment didn’t continue,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said, referring to last weekend’s loss at Newcastle United.

“I was right when I had no fears about negatives. The team has game principles, and knows how they want to play. “We have a clear identity in our game, we change sometimes because we need to, but we are a strong team.”

Champions City maintained their ever more convincing chase, sealing their fifth successive league win at bottom club Leicester City 1-0 courtesy of a 40th-minute goal from the evergreen Frank Lampard.

The 36-year-old midfielder could potentially extend his loan from sister club New York City FC, which makes its Major League Soccer debut in March, until the end of the English season in May.

“Frank wants to stay, we want to keep him,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. “Now we must resolve the problem with New York City and MLS. “He is very important. One of the reasons why he played today was because he has scored for me. Frank has been very useful for us in this moment.”

As Arsenal completed a turbulent week with doubles from Olivier Giroud and birthday boy Santi Cazorla inspiring a 4-1 rout of Newcastle, fourth-placed West Ham United’s progress was checked by a 1-1 draw at Sunderland and Southampton lost 1-0 to an Ashley Barnes goal at Burnley.

Arsenal drew level on points with Southampton, two points below the Champions League places.

Craig Gardner scored the only goal as West Bromwich Albion won 1-0 at home to his formative club Aston Villa while Stoke City claimed a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.

Published in Dawn December 15th , 2014