Talismanic striker scores twice as Liverpool move to the top of EPL table
Liverpool took over at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday, while Manchester City climbed to second place and Manchester United continued their recent revival.
Luis Suarez of Liverpool acknowledges his side’s fans after scoring during the Premier League match against Cardiff City at Anfield on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images
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With previous leaders Arsenal and Chelsea facing off at the Emirates Stadium on Monday, Liverpool took advantage with a 3-1 win over Cardiff City that took them a point above Arsene Wenger’s side.
Manchester City followed their lead by winning 4-2 at Fulham to move above Arsenal on goal difference.
United, meanwhile, beat West Ham United 3-1 at Old Trafford to record a fourth consecutive victory after the shock of successive home defeats by Everton and Newcastle United.
At Anfield, Luis Suarez celebrated his new Liverpool contract by scoring twice against Cardiff to take his tally of league goals to 19.
Suarez opened his account in the 25th minute when he met Jordan Henderson’s left-wing centre with a controlled volley that found the bottom-left corner.
Glorious strike
The Uruguayan teed up Raheem Sterling to tap home the second goal in the 42nd minute and three minutes later he made it 3-0, curling a glorious shot into the bottom-right corner from Henderson’s back-heel.
Jordon Mutch replied for Cardiff with a 58th-minute header from a Peter Whittingham free-kick.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers praised Suarez, telling BT Sport: “For me he’s got this in-built brain for football. His view of the game is different to others and he has an anticipation of where the ball is going to drop.”
The result added to the gloom around 15th-place Cardiff, whose manager, Malky Mackay, is thought to be on the brink of losing his job after falling out with club owner Vincent Tan.
Mackay struck a defiant tone after the game, saying: “I won’t be walking away. That’s the first thing. I’m proud to be the manager of Cardiff City.”
Manchester City let a 2-0 lead slip at Fulham, but late goals from Jesus Navas and James Milner saw them record a fifth win in their last six league games.
Yaya Toure put City ahead in the 23rd minute with the latest fine free-kick from his growing collection, before Vincent Kompany stabbed home the second shortly before half-time.
Kieran Richardson reduced the arrears early in the second period though, and Kompany inadvertently gifted Fulham an equaliser in the 70th minute when he somehow conspired to slice Sascha Riether’s cross over recalled goalkeeper Joe Hart for an own goal.
However, David Silva freed fellow Spaniard Navas to restore City’s advantage.u00a0
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