Record start for Liverpool, redemption for Southampton

By gaining redemption for one of the darkest days in their history, Southampton succeeded in pushing record-breaking Liverpool even closer to their first English league title in 30 years.

A 2-1 win at Leicester yesterday gave Southampton a measure of revenge for their humiliating 9-0 loss to the same opponents in the Premier League 21/2 months ago. That loss was the club’s biggest ever and the heaviest home defeat in the country’s long history of top-flight football.

At the same time, it gave Liverpool a chance to pull further clear at the top in their quest to reclaim the biggest prize in English football. The Reds didn’t waste it, beating Tottenham 1-0 a couple of hours later thanks to Roberto Firmino’s first-half strike.

Liverpool have a scarcely believable 16-point lead – with a game in hand over second-placed Leicester, and have made the best-ever start to a season across Europe’s big five leagues after collecting 61 points from 21 games.

“It’s for sure special, but I just can’t feel it,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said. “What I know about football is if somebody gives you a trophy or something, then it’s done. Until then, you have to fight as much as you can.

“But so far,” Klopp added with a smile, “so really good.”

Manchester City can climb above Leicester by winning away to Aston Villa today.

Fourth-best record

Since that embarrassment against Leicester in October, which plunged Southampton into the relegation zone, Ralph Hasenhüttl’s team has the fourth-best record in the Premier League after winning six of their subsequent 12 games.

Relegation seems unlikely now and Hasenhüttl’s reputation has been restored.

“We’ve changed everything – the behaviour, how we play, how we create chances, the commitment, the belief in what we are doing,” he said.

“We will never forget the result of the first game. But the second part of the story was for us, and that was the target today.”

Hasenhüttl also has the most in-form striker in the league in Danny Ings, who scored the winner for his 14th goal in an increasingly impressive season for the striker.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s defence of his own position, and the work being done by the hierarchy at Manchester United, was as emphatic as the performance of his players in a 4-0 win over Norwich.

Marcus Rashford scored twice on his 200th appearance for the club before goals by Anthony Martial and substitute Mason Greenwood, as United’s strikers carried the team to victory at Old Trafford.

United moved up to fifth, five points behind Chelsea, which beat Burnley 3-0 through goals by Jorginho, Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi to consolidate fourth place.

His goal was very familiar. What happened later to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang certainly wasn’t.

The Arsenal captain had a mixed afternoon in drawing with Crystal Palace 1-1, finishing off a flowing team move for the 12th-minute opening goal before getting sent off for a straight red card advised by VAR.

Aubameyang’s late challenge on Max Meyer initially was punished with a yellow card, but upgraded to a red after a VAR check.

Arsenal are in the unusual position of 10th place after 22 games but have lost only once in five games under new manager Mikel Arteta.