Liverpool 6-0 Leeds

Liverpool closed the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City to just three points after clinically dismantling Leeds 6-0 with a devastating first-half display that left Marcelo Bielsa’s side in a tailspin chasing shadows.

Mohamed Salah scored two penalties, either side of a rare Joel Matip goal from open play, to take his tally to 27 for the season in 20 minutes, providing an ideal warm-up for the Carabao Cup final of Sunday against Chelsea.

They could easily have doubled that in the first 45 minutes against the league’s worst defense who have now conceded 56 goals in 25 matches.

Sadio Mane’s brace and Virgil Van Dijk’s header in the final 10 minutes put the glorious on a ninth straight win and capped a miserable night for Bielsa’s side who, if they weren’t already, will watch anxiously towards the foot of the table.

Seven defeats in their last 10 matches, with 36 of their goals conceded since the start of December, and Burnley’s victory over Tottenham, have brought the relegation zone down to an alarming three points.

There are no such worries for Liverpool who, with an eye on Wembley, were able to sail through the second half avoiding unnecessary strain or injury.

Burnley 1-0 Tottenham

Ben Mee moved Burnley one step closer to safety as Sean Dyche’s side secured back-to-back wins for the first time in 13 months with a 1-0 win over Tottenham.

The Clarets had won just one league game all season before Saturday’s 3-0 win at Brighton but are now two points from safety after another hugely encouraging performance.

Mee made the difference in the 71st minute when he beat Cristian Romero to head home from Josh Brownhill’s free-kick to a huge roar from the Turf Moor faithful, who witnessed only their second victory in home championship since January 2021 – also the last time they had back-to-back wins. matches.

This match was originally scheduled to take place on November 28 but was canceled due to heavy snowfall. Instead, it was played out in relentless rain in east Lancashire.

Watford 1-4 Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace pulled away from the relegation zone yet again with a convincing 4-1 win over struggling Watford at Vicarage Road.

The Eagles had entered the game after a long winless streak but quickly took the lead when Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shot took a happy deflection off a defender and into the back of the net.

Watford fought back almost immediately through Moussa Sissoko’s header, but Conor Gallagher’s clever strike just before the half-time whistle took Palace’s lead back.

Wilfried Zaha then wrapped up the three points for the visitors with a low drive past Ben Foster in the Watford goal, before capping it all off with a curling strike in the 85th minute.

Palace had not won a win in their last six league games before the trip to Vicarage Road, a run dating back to December 28 which, coupled with the resurgence of Newcastle, saw the last four close the gap with the others in the lower half of the table. .

However, Patrick Vieira’s side looked calm and clinical in the final third as the Eagles boss got the better of his immediate predecessor Roy Hodgson, and Palace climbed above Leicester to 11th place, nine points above Burnley, 18th.

The result leaves Watford four points from safety, and with just one win since the former England boss took over following the departure of Claudio Ranieri.