The Reds kept up with Manchester City in the Premier League title race courtesy of a 2-0 win over Merseyside rivals Everton – just the one point separating the contenders with 15 more up for grabs.
Everton’s game plan in the first half frustrated Liverpool, so much so that those frustrations bubbled into a mass brawl on the stroke of half-time. Sadio Mane escaped a red card in the skirmish for poking opponent Mason Holgate in the face. Nevertheless, the Toffees continued to sit back even after the break, looking for chinks in the Liverpool armour to launch counter-attacks of their own.
One such attack led to Anthony Gordon getting on the wrong side of Joel Matip, who shoved the youngster to the ground inside the box, but the referee waved away appeals of a penalty from the Evertonian bench.
Liverpool broke their rivals’ resolve in the 62nd minute. A quick exchange down the right allowed Mohamed Salah the room to lift the ball to the back post, where it was headed down and in by Andrew Robertson.
Divock Origi sealed the points for Jurgen Klopp’s side later on in the half when he headed the ball in from close range after an acrobatic attempt by Luis Diaz.
Previously, in London, Chelsea put their home sorrows of late behind by beating rivals West Ham United through a 90th-minute Christian Pulisic goal. The Blues were lacking sharpness throughout the first half, and while they showed more intent in the second, it wasn’t until very late that things accelerated.
A foul in the 84h minute by Craig Dawson on Romelu Lukaku earned Chelsea a penalty and the defender a red card.
But, a tame spot-kick from the otherwise reliable Jorginho sucked the excitement out of Stamford Bridge; goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski guessed the right way, and it seemed as if the custodian had saved the day for the Hammers.
However, there was to be one final late twist in the game, as Pulisic came off the bench to turn a Marcos Alonso cross past Fabianski in the 90th-minute, helping Thomas Tuchel’s men to a massive three points.
