Liverpool hammer Arsenal 4-0 to go second

Imperious Liverpool extended their Premier League home winning streak against Arsenal to six on Saturday with an easy 4-0 victory that lifted them to second in the table.

Sadio Mane met a perfect free kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 39th minute to plant a header across Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for Liverpool’s opening goal.

Ramsdale produced a string of spectacular saves to keep Juergen Klopp’s silky strikers at bay. But he could do nothing to stop Diogo Jota skipping past him in the 52nd minute after a dreadful misplaced pass from Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares.

Inevitably, Mohamed Salah got in on the act with a close-range volley from a Mane cross in the 73rd minute, before Takumi Minamino came off the bench to turn in a cross from Alexander-Arnold with his first touch in the 77th.

Arsenal showed a few flashes of resistance and attacking spirit in the first half – not least from manager Mikel Arteta who squared up angrily with Klopp over a foul in an ugly touch-line exchange that earned both yellow cards.

But the Londoners looked crushed at the end, their eight-game unbeaten run over and yet again leaving Anfield empty-handed. The result left them fifth in the league.