LONDON: Liverpool moved level with leaders Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the Premier League after a club record-setting 3-0 victory over Leicester City at Anfield on Sunday.

Ten-man Arsenal earlier hung on for a 0-0 draw at Leeds United after Nicolas Pepe was sent off for a headbutt early in the second half at Elland Road.

Sheffield United’s poor start continued with a 1-0 home defeat by West Ham United.

Liverpool are now unbeaten in 64 league games at Anfield setting a new club record and they were full value for the win.

The champions defending were without the injured Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, while top scorer Mohamed Salah was absent due to a positive coronavirus test.

Yet, Jurgen Klopp’s men were still imperious in easing past a Leicester side that had started the weekend on top of the table.

“Playing them like that tonight, I do not take for granted,” said Klopp. “The boys were on fire.”

“It’s unacceptable,” said the Spaniard, whose side have won just one of their last five league games. “With 10 men it is a big disadvantage. I really liked the personality of the team when Pepe let the team down, how we stuck to our jobs. Obviously it makes it really difficult.” Leeds had been the more dangerous even before the sending off with striker Patrick Bamford twice bringing saves out of Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Liverpool took the lead in the 21st minute when Leicester’s former Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, under pressure from Sadio Mane, headed a James Milner corner into his own net.

If that was a fortunate opener, the second was a trademark Liverpool goal with Andy Robertson’s perfect cross from the left turned in by an equally impressive glancing header from Diogo Jota.

Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel kept his side in the game with some excellent saves before Roberto Firmino made sure of the three points with a header from a Milner corner.

It was a deserved goal for the Brazilian who has struggled for goals and had twice hit the woodwork and also had an effort cleared off the line.

The win took Liverpool level on 20 points with Spurs, who beat visiting Manchester City 2-0 on Saturday, leaving Chelsea and Leicester two points behind the leaders after nine games.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was relieved to get a point from his side’s trip to Leeds after a moment of madness from Pepe left them a man down from the 51st minute.

VAR officials spotted that the Arsenal winger had headbutted Ezgjan Alioski and referee Anthony Taylor took a quick look at the monitor before brandishing the red card.

Leno did well again to keep out a fierce drive from Stuart Dallas and then substitute Rodrigo crashed a shot against the bar from the edge of the area.

Arsenal nearly grabbed a winner, against the run of play, when Hector Bellerin put Bukayo Saka through on goal but Leeds keeper Illan Meslier did well to force him wide and then palmed away the shot.

Leeds struck the woodwork twice in the latter stages with Bamford heading against the post and Raphinha also striking the upright deep in stoppage time.West Ham striker Sebastien Hallers powerful second-half strike condemned Sheffield United to a defeat that leaves them rooted to the bottom with one point after nine games. Bottom of the table Sheffield United’s wait for their first win this season goes on after Sebastien Haller scored the winner in the 56th minute at Bramall Lane with a fierce shot that flashed into the roof of the net to move the Hammers up to eighth.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2020