25 Sep 2016

Man City still on top, Liverpool into third

7:06 am on 25 September 2016

Free-scoring Liverpool's burgeoning Premier League title challenge was given further impetus with a merciless 5-1 thrashing of 10-man Hull City at Anfield.

Liverpool players celebrate a goal in the EPL.

Liverpool players celebrate a goal in the EPL. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Hull, who had not lost an away game all season, were overrun, forced to play for an hour with 10 men after Ahmed Elmohamady was sent off for handling a Philippe Coutinho shot on the line with James Milner tucking away the resulting penalty.

The home side, already ahead through Adam Lallana, looked poised to score every time they pressed forward with Sadio Mane making it three before the break with his 11th goal in his last 13 league games for Southampton and Liverpool.

David Meyler's unlikely 51st-minute response for Hull was short-lived, Coutinho answering instantly with a superb fourth before Milner completed the rout with his second penalty after Daniel Sturridge had been fouled by Andrew Robertson.

Aguero leads Man City to victory

Meanwhile Sergio Aguero struck twice to lead Manchester City to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Swansea.

Argentine Aguero fired City ahead after nine minutes with a neat finish but Swansea hit straight back through Spanish forward Fernando Llorente who blasted the ball home from 12 metres.

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero Photo: Photosport

Manchester City poured forward in the second half, Raheem Sterling wasting a good opportunity before Aguero coolly converted a 65th-minute penalty following a foul on Kevin de Bruyne.

Sterling scored with a fine finish 13 minutes from time to confirm City's sixth successive league victory of the season.

Tottenham too strong for Middlesbrough

Tottenham Hotspur made light of the absence of Harry Kane as two goals from Son Heung-min brought a deserved 2-1 win at Middlesbrough to move the unbeaten visitors back to second place in the Premier League.

Although Ben Gibson clawed a goal back for Boro in the second half, the game was effectively settled by Son's two early strikes. That took his tally to four in three games - as many as he managed in the whole of last season.

Tottehnham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates a goal in the EPL.

Tottehnham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates a goal in the EPL. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

On seven minutes the Korean fooled keeper Victor Valdes with a double feint after a one-two with Vincent Janssen. Son's second, on 23 minutes, was even better as he wriggled free from a seemingly impossible position out wide and bent a shot past the keeper.

Christian Eriksen and Janssen both went close for the visitors before Gibson struck half-way through the second half, heading home Stewart Downing's cross.

-Reuters