Liverpool are back up to second in the Premier League table after thrashing Tottenham 5-0 at White Hart Lane. Brendan Rodgers' side made light of the absence of injured captain Steven Gerrard as the irrepressible Luis Suarez scored a goal in each half and the impressive Jordan Henderson also weighed in with a goal. The Reds had already had a couple of shouts for a penalty when Suarez gave his team the lead on 18 minutes with his 16th league goal of the season. Philippe Coutinho hit the bar in between Hugo Lloris twice denying Suarez as Liverpool were rampant and the second goal arrived five minutes before half-time when Henderson scored at the second attempt. Spurs midfielder Paulinho was sent off on 63 minutes for catching Suarez in the ribs and Liverpool capped a humiliating afternoon for their hosts with three goals in the last 15 minutes. Jon Flanagan smashed home his first for the club, Suarez added his second of the game before Raheem Sterling confidently finished with a minute to go. The emphatic victory puts Liverpool within two points of leaders Arsenal and raises more question marks over the future of Andre Villas-Boas just three weeks after a 6-0 thumping at Manchester City after the boos rang out on the final whistle.
Manchester United ended their winless run in the Premier League as Danny Welbeck's first-half double and Tom Cleverley's strike eased them to a 3-0 victory at Aston Villa. David Moyes' side went into the game facing the prospect of a hat-trick of defeats for only the third time in the entire Premier League era. But once Welbeck rattled in the rebound after Adnan Januzaj had headed against a post, there was never much chance of it happening en-route to a welcome three points. Welbeck, who had not scored in the league since the opening day of the season, added another from Antonio Valencia's cross. Then Cleverley, who like Welbeck has been singled out for criticism by many supporters for his part in United's struggles this term, belted home his first goal in a year from Wayne Rooney's lay-off.
Gary Hooper scored a superb 25-yard effort to earn Norwich a 1-1 draw against Swansea at Carrow Road, where Nathan Dyer looked to have suffered a serious ankle injury after earlier putting the visitors in front. Former Celtic striker Hooper, who scored in the win at West Brom last weekend, lashed home after collecting a knockdown on his chest in first-half stoppage time. Dyer had capitalised on some poor defending from Norwich captain Sebastien Bassong to put the Welsh side ahead early on. However, the midfielder was taken from the pitch on a stretcher before half-time after falling on his ankle in a challenge with the Canaries defender, with the club reporting a suspected fracture which could sideline him for some time. Norwich saw a second-half header from Michael Turner hit the crossbar and then deflect over, before Swansea goalkeeper Michael Vorm saved well at point-blank range from Hooper, but neither side could fashion a winning goal.
