jose - soccer

LIVERPOOL have maintained their grip on first place in the Barclays Premier League table with a stunning 5-1 win against a toothless Newcastle United at St James' Park. Reds captain Steven Gerrard scored twice and had had it not been for Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given, the hosts could have been on the wrong end of a double-figure disaster after being completely outclassed. The Republic of Ireland international made five world-class saves in 10 minutes to prevent Newcastle from total capitulation before the midway point of the first-half.

Liverpool assistant manager Sammy Lee said: ``I think we are improving with every game we play and that is all we can look for. You haven't seen the best of Liverpool yet. "You win nothing in December but you can certainly lose a lot. We're very pleased to be going into the New Year at the top."

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear - whose 62nd birthday celebrations on Sunday have been distinctly muted having been beaten by Wigan on Friday and now Liverpool - said that his depleted side had not been able to hold off the attacking hordes from Liverpool. "We were short of six or seven players and everything that could go against us did go against us. "We had to play one of the best teams I've seen for a long while. You have to take your hat off to Liverpool. They were in command for a long time and could have put the game to bed in the first half."

Arsenal target Given began his run of jaw-dropping stops in the 10th minute as he pushed away a fierce near post strike from lone Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt. Within a minute England midfielder Gerrard weaved his way around three United defenders only to see his left foot shot palmed away by Given.

However, the onslaught had only just begun and in the 14th minute the Magpies 'keeper denied Gerrard again as he sprung to his right to claw away a rising left footed shot. But that stunning save was eclipsed by an even better show of agility five minutes later as Given denied the Brazilian midfielder Lucas from point-blank range. When the former Gremio player saw his header, from a Gerrard corner, beaten away by the Newcastle goalkeeper moments later, the visitors must have begun to fear this would be no easy win on Tyneside.

United, for their part, had barely managed to break beyond halfway and the Magpies' owner, Mike Ashley, must have been wondering whether he had been premature in announcing his decision to take the club off the market for the foreseeable future. If his aim had been to usher in a period of calm at St James' Park, the effect had not extended to the pitch. Liverpool continued to press forward at will and two goals before half-time appeared to end the game as a contest. Inevitably, given his sensational start to the match, it was Gerrard who broke the deadlock in the 31st minute when he drilled Yossi Benayoun's pass in off the post. Poor Given had no opportunity to reprise his heroics and the Irishman was stranded again five minutes later when defender Sami Hyypia was given the freedom of the Newcastle penalty area to head home Gerrard's corner.

The experienced Finn could have grabbed a second three minutes before the break only for a diving Given to push the ball into the path of Newcastle's Charles N'Zogbia, who cleared. These were torrid times for United but, incredibly, Canada international defender David Edgar reduced the arrears on the stroke of half-time by heading in Danny Guthrie's corner.

Liverpool's third, five minutes after the restart, had an element of luck about it, with referee Mark Halsey failing to spot Lucas's hand ball, but Dutch international Ryan Babel tapped-in from five yards despite being surrounded by several Newcastle players. Gerrard grabbed his second from Lucas's astute through ball in the 66th minute. And when substitute Xabi Alonso wrapped things up with a well taken penalty 13 minutes from time with Gerrard off the field, after his fellow replacement David Ngog had been brought down by Edgar, Liverpool could celebrate heading into 2009 on top of the Premier League pile.

Agence France-Presse, source: foxsport)

A Robbie Keane double helped Liverpool regain the lead at the top of the Premier League after a 3-0 win over Bolton at Anfield. Rafael Benitez's men had dropped to second after Chelsea's win over West Brom earlier, but Keane's brace and a first-half strike from Albert Riera was enough to see off Gary Megson's side. Liverpool put the opposition under intense pressure from the kick off and took the lead after 25 minutes when Riera tapped home a Steven Gerrard corner. Keane scored his second goal in two games when he coolly slotted past Jussi Jaaskelainen after being played through by Gerrard. It took Keane only five minutes to get himself on the scoresheet again as he latched onto a Yossi Benayoun through ball and drove past Jaaskelainen to put the game beyond doubt.

Didier Drogba's first league goal of the season helped Chelsea to a 2-0 win over West Brom at Stamford Bridge. Luiz Felipe Scolari started with both Nicolas Anelka and Drogba for the first time this season and the Ivory Coast striker took only three minutes to break the deadlock when he headed Joe Cole's cross past Scott Carson to give Chelsea the lead. Frank Lampard then picked up on Ashley Cole's deflected cross to chip over Carson for the winner on the stroke of half time.

Manchester City dragged themselves out of the relegation zone in emphatic fashion with a 5-1 thrashing of Hull at Eastlands. Robinho cut inside and chipped over to Stephen Ireland who squared his cross to Felipe Caicedo. He hit the ball into the roof of the net from close range to open the scoring. Caicedo scored his second after 26 minutes before Ireland sent Robinho through on the half hour and the Brazilian slid the ball past Boaz Myhill for City's third. Robinho's second came 10 minutes before the break when he tapped home a low Shaun Wright-Phillips cross. Craig Fagan pulled one back for Hull in the second half but Ireland scored City's fifth to complete the rout.

Manchester United had to wait until seven minutes from the end to hit the winner at Stoke. Tony Pulis' side, who had Andy Wilkinson sent off, held United until Carlos Tevez turned home a Dimitar Berbatov cross to send the Potters back into the relegation zone.

Craig Bellamy underlined his importance to West Ham by scoring twice in the Hammers' 4-1 win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Nadir Belhadj gave Portsmouth an early lead but the Hammers levelled soon after through Jack Collison. Carlton Cole turned home a Valon Behrami cross to put West Ham ahead before Spurs transfer target Bellamy raced through the Pompey defence and beat David James with 20 minutes left. Bellamy picked up a return pass from Luis Boa Morte to seal the Hammers' fourth with seven minutes left.

Everton clocked up their seventh away win of the season at the Riverside Stadium thanks to a Tim Cahill goal. An injury crisis at Goodison Park meant that midfielder Cahill had to be employed as a lone striker and the Australian showed a true goalscorer's instinct to tap home from close range after a goal-mouth scramble just after the break.

Ryan Taylor and Amr Zaki were on target for Wigan in their 2-0 win over Newcastle at the JJB Stadium. Taylor's 22-yard free kick put the Latics ahead before Zaki scored from the penalty spot after Sebastien Bassong was sent off for a foul on Emile Heskey. Newcastle pulled one back late on with a Danny Guthrie penalty, but Wigan held on to complete the win.

Despite their best efforts, Tottenham could not find a way past Fulham in their drab 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane. And Jason Roberts missed an open goal in stoppage time as Blackburn had to settle for a 0-0 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Aston Villa reclaimed third place after Zat Knight struck late on to give the Villans a 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Villa Park. Denilson and Abou Diaby had given the Gunners a commanding lead and they looked in control until the 65th minute when William Gallas hauled down Gabriel Agbonlahor just inside the box. Referee Lee Mason pointed to the spot and Gareth Barry powered his spot kick past Manuel Almunia. Arsenal looked set for victory until Knight picked up a deflected Barry cross inside the box and fired past Almunia to rescue a point for Villa and keep them level on points with Manchester United.