LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – Liverpool maintained their new-found momentum as Darwin Nunez scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over West Ham United in the Premier League, but high-flying Tottenham Hotspur suffered a reality check with a 2-0 loss at Manchester United on Wednesday.
Chelsea’s run of four successive league wins came to an end as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Brentford.
Impressive Newcastle United bolstered their place in the top-six with a 1-0 victory at home to struggling Everton.
Southampton eased some pressure on manager Ralph Hasenhuttl with a 1-0 win against south coast rivals Bournemouth to climb out of the relegation zone.
Liverpool’s 1-0 win over champions Manchester City at the weekend looked like lift-off for their stuttering season but they were made to work extra hard by West Ham.
In the end they were thankful for summer signing Nunez’s first Anfield goal for the club, a superb downward header in the 22nd minute from a cross by Kostas Tsimikas.
Nunez also rattled the post with a ferocious shot but West Ham could easily have taken a point.
Jarrod Bowen’s penalty was saved by Alisson just before halftime while Tomas Soucek and Said Benrahma both had great opportunities for the visitors late on.
Liverpool moved up to seventh with 16 points from 10 games, two points behind Newcastle and three behind Manchester United.
“I don’t stand here thinking it should be an easy game for us, but we got the result and I think we deserved the result,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp, who was red-carded during the win over City, said. “Luck hasn’t always been on our side but maybe today we had it, or Ali, however you want to look at it.
“It is three points more, massive.”
UNITED TAKING SHAPE
After a difficult start Man Utd are slowly taking shape under Dutch manager Erik ten Hag and they added Tottenham to their wins already against Liverpool and leaders Arsenal.
But for a clutch of superb saves by keeper Hugo Lloris, United would have won by more as Tottenham squandered the chance to move into second place with a dismal display.
United rained in 18 shots on the Spurs goal in the first half without scoring, but eventually went in front when Fred’s side-footed shot deflected past Lloris in the 47th minute.
The Reds kept up the pressure and deservedly put the game to bed in the 69th minute when Bruno Fernandes powered a strike into the net after another excellent flowing move.
Newcastle, who have lost only once all season and are beginning to look like contenders for a European place, edged out Everton with a goal by Miguel Almiron.
The Paraguay international curled a shot from the edge of the box into the top corner just past the half-hour mark to condemn Everton to a third consecutive defeat.
Chelsea kept a fifth clean sheet in succession in all competitions but Graham Potter’s side could find no way past Brentford who enjoyed the better of the chances in the west London derby.
They remain fourth in the standings on 20 points, three behind Tottenham with a game in hand, but already starting to drift off the pace set at the top and facing what is already looking like a tense battle for a Champions League spot.
“They had some chances, we had some, we finished the game stronger, but it was a hard-earned point against a team who make it difficult for you,” Potter, still unbeaten after replacing Thomas Tuchel in early September, said.
Che Adams’s first-half header earned Southampton victory at Bournemouth — their first win in six games moving them up to 14th place with 11 points.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis)
