Liverpool, Arsenal both win as Forest thrashed by Bournemouth

LIVERPOOL, England : Liverpool and Arsenal kept up their race for the Premier League title with victories over relegation-threatened opposition on Saturday, but the charge of third-placed Nottingham Forest's faltered as they were hammered 5-0 by surging Bournemouth.

Liverpool cruised to a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town while Arsenal overcame the loss of defender Myles Lewis-Skelly to a harsh straight red card to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0. 

Six points clear of the Gunners on 53 points, Liverpool came roaring out of the traps at Anfield with Cody Gakpo scoring one goal and creating another for Mohamed Salah to send his side in 3-0 up at the break. 

Gakpo netted a second in the 66th minute as Ipswich wilted, and though they managed to pull a late goal back through Jacob Greaves, the Reds held on for a convincing victory. 

"Everyone is in good form but we have to keep going," Gakpo told the BBC, quickly putting aside an excellent performance that added three more points to their total.

Arsenal had to work a lot harder for their victory after Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the first half of their clash with Wolves, but substitute Riccardo Calafiori grabbed the winner with a superb half-volley in the 74th minute. 

"It was clearly not a red card. I saw him (Lewis-Skelly) at halftime and he was so disappointed for the team, but in the end we won, so nothing happened," Calafiori told Sky Sports. 

Nottingham Forest had won plenty of plaudits during their recent eight-game unbeaten run in the league, but it came to a shuddering halt away to Bournemouth as Dango Ouattara grabbed a hat-trick en route to a 5-0 win for Andoni Iraola's side. 

Bournemouth's 11-game unbeaten run has seen them rise to sixth in the table on 40 points, four behind