Liverpool hit Tottenham for six to cement top spot, Chelsea held

LONDON : Liverpool strengthened their hold on the Premier League top spot with an extraordinary 6-3 victory at battered Tottenham Hotspur after second-placed Chelsea were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw away to Everton on Sunday.

Mohamed Salah scored twice, as did Luis Diaz, while Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were also on target at bamboozled Spurs for Dutchman Arne Slot's Liverpool side who head into Christmas four points clear.

Chelsea could have gone into first place before Liverpool's clash in north London but failed to make it nine straight wins in all competitions as Everton dug deep to earn a point at Goodison Park.

Liverpool have 39 points from 16 games with Chelsea on 35 having played a game more. Arsenal, who won 5-1 at Crystal Palace on Saturday, have 33 points from 17 games.

Bottom club Southampton's 0-0 draw at Fulham on Sunday means reigning champions Manchester City are now the worst performing Premier League team since the start of November after a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday left them down in seventh.

Manchester United suffered a humiliating 3-0 loss at home to Bournemouth on Sunday as the south coast club moved up to fifth, while Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3-0 at Leicester City in Vitor Pereira's first game in charge.

RAINING GOALS

Tottenham's last three home games in all competitions have now provided 23 goals as their wide-open style was ruthlessly punished by a razor-sharp Liverpool.

Diaz met Trent Alexander-Arnold's beautiful cross with a diving header to open the scoring before Alexis Mac Allister nodded home from close range to double Liverpool's lead.

James Maddison pulled one back for Spurs in the 41st minute but Dominik Szoboszlai restored the visitors' two-goal lead before the