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Liverpool smashes Spurs, surges to top of table

Liverpool took advantage of an inept defensive display by Tottenham to cruise to a 4-0 win at Anfield and return to the top of the Premier League for the first time since December.

An eighth straight win for Liverpool was never seriously in doubt from the moment Luis Suarez scored his 29th goal of the campaign in the 25th minute, adding to an own-goal by Younes Kaboul inside two minutes.

Philippe Coutinho’s low drive in the 55th and Jordan Henderson’s free kick, which crept in past a mass of legs in the 75th, finished off Spurs and fuelled the growing conviction inside Anfield – and increasingly across the country – that Liverpool can win a first English league title in 24 years.

Liverpool is two points above Chelsea and Manchester City is a further two points back in third, but with two matches in hand.

“For us, the mantra has always been to focus on the next game, we never get too carried away,” Liverpoool manager Brendan Rodgers said.

“It is very difficult, there’s lots of people dreaming about Liverpool winning the title.”

Six straight wins now separate Liverpool from its first English league title since 1990 – and two of its remaining three home games come against Chelsea and City in April. One way or the other, the destiny of the trophy is likely to be settled on Merseyside.

“There is no doubt they understand this is going to be a real tough place to come,” said Rodgers, whose team have picked up 43 points from a possible 48 at Anfield.

“We love playing here.

“The support today was incredible and that is only going to intensify as the season goes on. It works for us rather than against us.”

The Reds are unlikely to find a defence as compliant as Tottenham’s, however.

Sitting up in the stands, Spurs coach Tim Sherwood put his hands to his face as one mistake after another by his backline gave Liverpool a flying start.

This defeat left Tottenham eight points behind fourth-place Arsenal in the race for the final Champions League qualification spot and again exposed its shortcomings in the big matches this season.

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