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Rampant Reds romp past Spurs to get campaign back on track
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LIVERPOOL reasserted its Premier League title credentials with a breezy 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur yesterday as Mario Balotelli made his return to English football.
After Raheem Sterling had put Liverpool ahead in the early stages, Steven Gerrard scored a penalty and Alberto Moreno netted his first goal for the club to give Brendan Rodgers victory in his 100th game as manager.
“Overall our quality was exceptional. We got three goals and could have had more,” said Rodgers.
Balotelli started for Liverpool after his 16-million pound (US$26.5 million) move from AC Milan on Monday and he produced an enterprising display before being withdrawn in the 62nd minute.
“I thought he was excellent,” Rodgers said of the maverick striker.
“He’s bought straight into our team ethic. He’s trained well and has put all that background noise about him to one side. He’s been brilliant.”
The result saw Liverpool bounce back from a 1-3 defeat at Manchester City in its previous outing and ended Tottenham’s 100 percent start to the campaign under new coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Back in England after a 19-month stint in Milan, former City striker Balotelli almost crowned his return with an early goal, only for Hugo Lloris to parry his header from Daniel Sturridge’s cross.
The 24-year-old Italy striker’s finishing was to prove wayward throughout the afternoon, but it did not prevent his side from taking control of the game.
The Reds made the breakthrough in the 8th minute. Sturridge released Jordan Henderson with a ball down the right flank and the England midfielder played a low cross across the box that Sterling tucked away at the far post.
After Emmanuel Adebayor had lobbed over and Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had parried a fierce drive from Nacer Chadli, Gerrard doubled the visitors’ lead from the spot in the 49th after Eric Dier had held back Joe Allen.
Moreno sealed victory on the hour with a memorable first goal for Liverpool, dispossessing Spurs substitute Andros Townsend on halfway and surging into the box before drilling a shot into the bottom-right corner.
In the day’s other early game, Aston Villa won 2-1 to Hull City to preserve its unbeaten start to the campaign.
Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann put the hosts two up at half-time at Villa Park, with Nikica Jelavic replying for previously unbeaten Hull in the 74th.
Arsenal was visiting promoted Leicester City later in the day for its first league game since striker Olivier Giroud was ruled out for up to four months with a broken tibia.
Chelsea is guaranteed to go into the international break on top of the table on 9 points, the same as Swansea City, after an engrossing 6-3 win at Everton on Saturday, in which close-season signing Diego Costa scored twice.
Mame Biram Diouf claimed the only goal as Stoke City pulled off a surprise 1-0 win at Manchester City, while Angel di Maria made his debut for Manchester United in a 0-0 draw at Burnley.
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