Liverpool sitting pretty at top after dismantling out-of-form Manchester City

Liverpool took a firm grip on the Premier League title race by beating Manchester City 2-0 at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s side are nine points clear at the top and 11 ahead of champions City, who have now lost four successive league games in the same campaign for the first time since 2007.

Liverpool were straight out of the blocks to dominate and Cody Gakpo turned in Mohamed Salah’s cross for a 12th-minute lead.

City were fortunate not to concede more before Salah – who had missed his last spot-kick against Real Madrid in midweek – converted a 78th-minute penalty.

It was the sixth successive league match in which the Egyptian has scored and his sixth goal in eight appearances against City.

Arsenal and Chelsea trail Liverpool by nine points, while City have now gone seven games without a win in all competitions and have lost six of those.

How the Anfield crowd loved it by directing ‘Sacked in the morning’ at City boss Pep Guardiola, who responded by holding up six fingers, one for each Premier League title he has won.

Ruben Amorim secured his first Premier League win as Manchester United manager as Everton were thrashed 4-0 at Old Trafford.

Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee both scored twice after Amorim had began his reign with a 1-1 Premier League draw at Ipswich and a 3-2 Europa League victory over Bodo/Glimt, of Norway.

United’s win moved them up to ninth and gave them a positive goal difference after 13 games.

Everton fell apart after Jarrad Branthwaite directed a Rashford strike past his own goalkeeper after 11 minutes.

Summer signing Zirkzee, who had not scored since the season opener against Fulham in August, converted four minutes before the break after good work from Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes.

Rashford effectively ended the game as a contest just 20 seconds into the second half and Zirkzee coolly slotted United’s fourth after 64 minutes.

Chelsea brushed aside Aston Villa 3-0 at Stamford Bridge as the visitors’ winless run stretched to eight matches.

Nicolas Jackson squeezed Chelsea ahead after seven minutes and Villa were unable to stem the blue tide.

Cole Palmer set up Enzo Fernandez’s sweet volley after 36 minutes and the England forward sealed matters late on.

Palmer curled in a sensational left-foot finish from the edge of the box and, like Jackson, now has eight Chelsea goals for the season.

Inconsistent Tottenham saw another lead slip in a 1-1 home draw against Fulham.

After squandering leads in a 2-2 Europa League draw against Roma in midweek, Spurs were unable to build on their memorable 4-0 Premier League win at Manchester City.

Brennan Johnson gave them a 54th-minute lead with his sixth league goal of the season from close range.

But Fulham deservedly equalised 13 minutes later through captain Tom Cairney, who lashed home from 18 yards after just coming on as a substitute.

Cairney failed to end the game, however as he was sent off with seven minutes left for a late challenge on Dejan Kulusevski.