LeBron James suffers injury, but Lakers rout Warriors PAGE 18 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018 Bayern Munich set date for another winter break in Doha PAGE 19 FIRST TEST SOUTH AFRICA VS PAKISTAN Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (right) scores their second goal from the penalty spot against Newcastle United at Anfield during their English Premier League match on Wednesday. Liverpool won 4-0.( REUTERS) Liverpool surge past Newcastle to go six points clear at the top AFP Premier League that stretches Newcastle skipper Jamaal Liverpool found a second as LIVERPOOL back to April 2017 is beginning Lascelles who headed it back Salah doubled the lead from EPL STANDINGS to make that lead in the stand- into Lovren’s path and the the penalty spot after Paul TEAM MP W D L GF GA PTS LIVERPOOL showed the form ings look decisive. Croatian defender fired an Dummett clumsily grabbed 1. LIVERPOOL 19 16 3 0 43 7 51 of champions as they increased Newcastle boss Rafael Be- unstoppable shot past Martin the Egyptian’s arm. 2. TOTTENHAM 19 15 0 4 42 18 45 their lead at the top of the Pre- nitez – an Anfield idol himself Dubravka. Salah’s 12th Premier 3. MAN CITY 19 14 2 3 51 15 44 mier League to six points by after delivering the Champi- Liverpool remained the League goal of the season took 4. ARSENAL 19 12 4 3 41 24 40 hammering an abject Newcas- ons League trophy in 2005 dominant side as Sadio Mane, him briefly level with Pierre- tle United 4-0 at Anfield. – has claimed that Newcastle Shaqiri and Roberto Firmino Emerick Aubameyang as well 5. CHELSEA 18 11 4 3 35 15 37 Goals from Dejan Lovren, surviving relegation this term ran through on goal at will. as Harry Kane in the race for 6. MAN UTD 19 9 5 5 37 31 32 Mohamed Salah, Xherdan would be “a miracle”. The pace with which Liverpool the golden boot. 7. LEICESTER 19 8 4 7 24 22 28 Shaqiri and Fabinho did the And the gulf in quality on raced forward represented an He may be frustrated at 8. EVERTON 19 7 6 6 31 29 27 damage as Liverpool’s chances Wednesday was brutally ap- increasingly ominous chal- not cashing in more as New- 9. WATFORD 18 8 3 7 25 25 27 of a first English top-flight title parent from the start. lenge for Newcastle. castle tired and chances flowed 10. WOLVES 19 7 5 7 20 22 26 since the 1989-90 season were Klopp made three changes Yet it is to the visitors’ for the hosts. Instead, it was 11. B’moUTH 19 8 2 9 27 33 26 boosted by Manchester City’s to his starting XI whereas Be- credit that they kept the score- Shaqiri who was next on the 12. WEST HAM 18 7 3 8 25 27 24 2-1 defeat at Leicester. nitez made an eye-catching line to a single goal as the scoresheet, turning home Trent 13. BRIGHTON 19 6 3 10 20 27 21 Tottenham are now Liver- six from Newcastle’s previous Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder Fabinho (centre) celebrates with team- game flattened out towards Alexander-Arnold’s cross. 14. C’TAL P’aCE 19 5 4 10 17 25 19 pool’s closest challengers with result - a goalless draw against mates after scoring the fourth goal for his side on Wednesday. (AFP) half-time. Newcastle were dead and 15. NEWCASTLE 19 4 5 10 14 26 17 City dropping seven points off Fulham that featured zero The closest Liverpool came buried but their afternoon 16. S’hampTON 18 3 6 9 19 33 15 the pace in third. shots on target. Joselu missed a glorious Liverpool punished New- to extending their lead arrived then got worse in the closing Even with Liverpool visit- Yet if Benitez was banking opportunity after eight min- castle’s lack of ruthlessness as after 44 minutes when Dubrav- stages as Fabinho was given 17. CARDIFF 19 4 3 12 18 38 15 ing the Etihad on January 3, on the new personnel to deliv- utes, heading wide of Alisson three minutes later. ka did wonderfully well to tip acres of space at a corner and 18. BURNLEY 19 3 3 13 17 41 12 their form as they extended er a more clinical edge, he was Becker’s goal following a won- A deep ball into the area over a rasping Shaqiri free-kick. nodded in from close range for 19. FULHAM 19 2 5 12 17 43 11 an unbeaten home run in the to be disappointed. derful cross from Matt Ritchie. was woefully dealt with by Not long after the interval his first Liverpool goal. 20. H’DERSFIELD 19 2 4 13 12 34 10 Klopp Man City’s title bid hit by shock defeat at Leicester plays AFP impressive team, Leicester had Laporte and Aguero combined LEICESTER them rattled on occasions, es- to tee him up for a crisp finish pecially in a 10-minute spell at past Schmeichel. it cool MANCHESTER CITY’s bid the end of the first half in which But the lead lasted for just to retain the Premier League Claude Puel’s side threatened to five minutes before a lethargic title suffered a major blow as seize the initiative completely. City were hit with an equaliser the champions crashed to a Leicester failed to make on the counter-attack. shock 2-1 defeat at Leicester the most of that period but They claimed a foul for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp during the match at Anfield. (AFP) on Wednesday. claimed victory with eight Chilwell’s challenge on Ber- Just days after their sur- minutes remaining as Pereira nardo Silva but referee Mike AFP nothing,” he said. prise home loss to Crystal Pal- pounced with a 20-yard blast Dean waved play on and LIVERPOOL “We play Arsenal and ace, Pep Guardiola’s side took to give a fine Leicester perfor- Leicester were ruthless. City. It’s good that we have six the lead through Bernardo mance its deserved reward. James Maddison found JURGEN KLOPP called for points more than other teams, Silva’s early goal. City dominated much of Jamie Vardy out wide and the calm after Liverpool’s com- or seven, but that is pretty But Marc Albrighton the second half but failed to striker hung a dangerous cross prehensive 4-0 win over New- much all. What we wanted to equalised for Leicester and significantly trouble Kasper to the far post, where Albright- castle helped extend the club’s do all the time was create a ba- Ricardo Pereira’s 81st-minute Schmeichel in the Leicester goal on arrived to head home. lead at the top of the Premier sis for the rest of the season. rocket handed City a third loss to lay bare one of the issues fac- Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola (right) shakes hands with City pressed for much of League to six points. “Now the first part of the in their last four league games. ing Guardiola -- an uncharacter- Leicester coach Claude Puel at the end of the match at the King the second half but Schmeichel Liverpool have been wait- season is over. We want to City are now seven points istic lack of attacking cohesion. Power Stadium in Leicester, England, on Wednesday. (REUTERS) was rarely troubled and he saw ing since 1990 to win the Eng- create our own history. It is behind leaders Liverpool and Sergio Aguero, made cap- Pereira score a spectacular lish top-flight title and this the first Liverpool team in the drop to third place below Tot- tain for the day, played a key Sane of City’s attacking trio ter injury setbacks and with- winner on 81 minutes. season appears to be one of Premier League unbeaten (at tenham. The problems are hand in Silva’s goal yet strug- made any real inroads into the drawn in the second half, City A corner by Albrighton their best opportunities to end halfway). We have conceded mounting up for Guardiola as gled on the whole to make any home side’s defences. lacked a spark. was cleared poorly by Sane that long hiatus. However, any seven goals, all good numbers, Liverpool extended their lead impression on a solid Leices- It looked set to matter little and Ricardo drilled the ball in- idea that Klopp is getting car- but there are 19 games to go.” at the top to leave City ruing a ter defence led superbly by the De Bruyne below his best on 14 minutes, where Leicester side the far post. ried away with Liverpool’s cur- Anfield was a cauldron of week either side of Christmas impressive Harry Maguire. With Kevin De Bruyne, the were caught square at the back When Delph was dismissed rent league position was soon noise towards the end as it be- that threatens to see the tro- With Raheem Sterling also creative lynchpin of last sea- for Bernardo Silva’s opener. for a high challenge on Pereira waved away by the German. came clear that City’s loss had phy prised from their grasp. kept quiet by Leicester’s dis- son’s title success, struggling Ben Chilwell played the in the dying moments, Guar- “The six-point lead means helped Liverpool’s cause. In a rarity for Guardiola’s ciplined display, only Leroy to recapture his best form af- goalscorer onside as Aymeric diola’s misery was complete..