Liverpool 4-0 Everton
Jurgen Klopp’s first Merseyside derby saw Liverpool take all three points against an Everton side who were in absolute shambles. The game itself showed the difference in class and fortunes between the two rival clubs as the Reds marched to a 4-0 win to heap more misery on an under-fire Roberto Martinez.
The first half saw Liverpool dominate most of the game while they were still open to the Toffees counter-attacks. But the home side did manage to grab the opening goal two minutes before the end of the first half.
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James Milner, who has been on a run of assists, sent in a cross from out wide to the far post and Divock Origi was there to rise above John Stones and head it home as Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles failed to make a decision on whether to go for the ball or not.
The Reds quickly added another in injury time when Milner, again, played a quick one-two pass with Adam Lallana to get in behind the Toffees’ defence to send in another cross which was headed home by Mamadou Sakho from point-blank range.
Everton then went down to 10 men when Funes Mori was shown a straight red card for a stamp on the inside of Origi’s ankle. The young Belgian forward had to be stretchered off as Daniel Sturridge took his place.
And the English striker wasted no time, scoring the third goal within minutes of coming on. Lucas Leiva provided the assist with a through-ball that bisected the centre-backs and Sturridge, who timed his run to beat the offside trap, took one touch before finishing past Robles.
Philippe Coutinho then added the finishing touch to the scoreline in the 76th minute when he controlled a pass near the edge of the box and set himself up for a low shot that beat the goalkeeper to find the bottom corner.
The full-time whistle saw boos from the away support as Everton failed to move into the top half of the table as the pressure on Martinez mounts.
Manchester United 2-0 Crystal Palace
This game against Crystal Palace is very important,” Louis van Gaal had said before the game. “We have to win, we need to win, otherwise we cannot close the gap.” In spite of a FA Cup semi-final this weekend, the Dutch boss did not have the luxury of rotating his squad.
He even started Wayne Rooney in a deeper midfield role compared to Juan Mata with Marcus Rashford leading the line. Meanwhile, Palace started with Mile Jedinak and Yohan Cabaye in central midfield while Emmanuel Adebayor led the line.
It was United who got off to a flying start, going 1-0 up as early as the fourth minute. Matteo Darmian had the ball on the left flank and tried to cross the ball into the box. However, Palace defender Damien Delaney stuck his leg out and ended up deflecting the cross into the back of the net with a wrong-footed Julian Speroni a mute spectator as the ball whistled past him.
Matteo Darmian did, however, get on the scoresheet in the second half with a neat volley to make it 2-0. After Juan Mata won United a corner, Daley Blind’s delivery was cleared by the defence before it fell to the United full-back outside the box. The Italian chested the ball down and took a shot on the half-volley from the edge of the box that left Speroni with no chance of making the save as it went in off the upright.
The win sees United maintain pressure on the top four as they climbed up to 59 points – a point behind fourth-placed Arsenal who play on Thursday night.
Other scores
West Ham 3-1 Watford (Carroll 11’, Noble 45’, 53’; Prodl 64’)
