A stirring second-half comeback saw Premier League leaders Liverpool restore their four-point advantage at the top and avoid one of the shocks of the season with a 4-1 victory over Luton.
Chiedozie Ogbene’s early header was only the 11th league goal a visiting team had scored at Anfield this season but for a long time it looked like producing another twist in the title race as the depleted hosts struggled to find their best form.
But headers from Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo within the space of two minutes turned things around before Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott fired home to ease them away from the clutches of second-placed Manchester City.
Any slip up, even at this stage, could have significant implications in what is currently a three-way battle and without this victory City would have had the chance to go top at Bournemouth on Saturday as Liverpool are otherwise engaged in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea.
That Wembley encounter meant no risks were taken with Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, who are both carrying knocks, but with injuries had already ruling out nine other players it left Jurgen Klopp with very few options.
What the first half, in particular, showed was that stand-ins Elliott and Gakpo lacked half-a-yard of pace both over the ground and in their passing.
They were not helped by some poor decision-making by Diaz, the one regular starter in the forward line, who in only the third minute delayed his shot too long as he tried to manoeuvre it on to his right foot and then shot wide with only goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to beat.
Luton stunned Anfield by taking the lead in the 12th minute. Tahith Chong received a return pass from Cauley Woodrow before shooting from a narrow angle and the ball squeezed under Caoimhin Kelleher and bounced up to the far post where Ogbene headed into an empty goal.
Luton’s gameplan was then to try to attack the space behind the full-backs but limit Liverpool’s options by going man-for-man in defence, which often left them two on two.
The last visiting team to win a league game at Anfield – Leeds in October 2022 – did the same.
And Luton also worked harder – Albert Sambi Lokonga easing Elliott off the ball as he looked to shoot from Gakpo’s flick-on – and smarter as the hosts resorted to firing in long-range shots.
Elliott’s radar was off from two breakaways as his passes to Gakpo were three feet short and two yards too long as the final ball continued to elude them and frustrations threatened to boil over with Klopp exploding in rage at a fan near the front of the main stand, presumably for his negative reaction to a third mis-placed Elliott pass.
The early omens in the second half were not much better as Diaz fired straight at Teden Mengi but when Gakpo’s near-post shot was turned behind Van Dijk powered home a header from Alexis Mac Allister’s 56th-minute corner.
Two minutes later it was Gakpo producing a brilliant leap to launch Conor Bradley’s cross past Kaminski, who had brilliantly saved Bradley’s deflected shot with his legs.
The Luton goalkeeper did even better to repel another powerful Van Dijk header as Liverpool turned the screw, with substitute Andy Robertson charging forward to tee up Diaz for the third.
In doing so he became the fifth Liverpool player to reach double figures, which is the best of any team in Europe’s top five leagues, with Elliott grabbing his second of the season late on as Luton remained in the bottom three.
Howe bemoans 'strange decisions' from Newcastle in West Ham defeat
Eddie Howe bemoaned some "strange decisions" and individual errors as Newcastle United lost 2-0 against West Ham at St James' Park.
Newcastle's three-match winning run in all competitions was halted as goals from Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka earned West Ham victory in Monday's Premier League clash.
Soucek's 10th-minute opener came via a free header from a corner, while Wan-Bissaka had space inside the box to get a shot away for his goal early in the second half.
At the other end, Alexander Isak failed to find the target from any of his six shots, including one Opta-defined big opportunity at 1-0 down.
Reflecting on the defeat, Howe told Sky Sports: "It was a mixed night for us. In the first 60 minutes, although we were 2-0 down, we played some good football.
"But I was disappointed by the two goals we conceded and the last half-hour was really disappointing. We got our organisation wrong and made a couple of individual errors.
"If you leave a player with Tomas Soucek's aerial ability unmarked, you are going to pay the price. It's something we have to learn from.
"I was always confident we were in the game and there was a very good chance we could come back. But we missed some gilt-edged chances in the first half.
"I didn't feel we really got going in the second half. We made some strange decisions. I didn't like the end part of the game."
Newcastle have now lost two of their past three Premier League home games, as many losses as in their previous 20 outings at St James' Park.
The Magpies tasted defeat against West Ham in the Premier League for only the second time in 11 outings and dropped one place to 10th in the table, four points adrift of the top four.
"It's a really difficult one to take," Newcastle defender Lewis Hall told BBC Sport. "It was a massive game for us. We'd have been two points off second if we won.
"It was a frustrating game for us. We had a lot of the ball. When you are on top, you have to find a way to put the ball in the net, which we didn't do today."
Newcastle have failed to find the net in three of their past six league games and have just 13 goals for the season – only Everton, Crystal Palace (both 10) and Southampton (nine) have fewer.
"We know we can score goals," Hall added. "This season, we've defended better than we've attacked. But last season, we attacked better than we defended.
"It's about doing both. My message to the fans is to stick with us. Everyone works so hard throughout the week."
Tottenham goalkeeper Vicario sidelined with broken ankle
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is set for a spell on the sidelines after fracturing his right ankle, the club have confirmed.
Vicario produced a couple of excellent saves to keep out Manchester City on Saturday, as Ange Postecoglou's Spurs claimed a stunning 4-0 victory over the champions at the Etihad Stadium.
However, the Italian needed treatment during the first half after colliding with Savinho, and it has now been revealed he played the final hour of the match with an ankle break.
The former Atalanta shot-stopper wrote on social media: "Sometimes football gives you its highs, and sometimes it challenges you in ways you don't expect.
"I played 60 minutes at the Etihad with a broken bone in my ankle, giving absolutely everything I had for the team.
"Unfortunately there was no way around this one. I needed surgery. I'm disappointed I won't be able to help the team for a while."
Tottenham did not put a timescale on Vicario's recovery in a statement of their own, saying: "We can confirm that Guglielmo Vicario has undergone surgery for a fracture of his right ankle.
"Guglielmo will be assessed by our medical staff to determine when he can return to training. We're all behind you, Vic."
Bowen: Victory at Newcastle 'a really big turning point' for West Ham
Jarrod Bowen praised the manner of West Ham's victory at Newcastle United and believes it will act as "a really big turning point" in his side's campaign.
West Ham won 2-0 at St James' Park in Monday's Premier League contest thanks to goals from Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The victory is just the Hammers' fourth in 12 league matches under Julen Lopetegui, who has seen his job as head coach called into question early in his tenure.
Bowen, who assisted Wan-Bissaka's goal, believes things are now starting to turn for his side after a slow start to the campaign.
Asked by Sky Sports if it could be a big win for Lopetegui, Bowen replied: "I think it is for everyone associated with the club. We've been disappointed with our start.
"We have to take responsibility and do our work. We haven't done that to a high enough ability this year. It was a real big moment and this is a really big turning point in our season.
"[Lopetegui] has come in with different ideas and playing from the back but also mixing it up as well.
"That's up to us to adapt too, and he has come in with fresh good ideas, especially for us attacking players. We are getting there."
Bowen overtook Paolo Di Canio with his 79th Premier League goal involvement for West Ham and is now behind only Michail Antonio (101) and Mark Noble (82).
Wan-Bissaka's strike early in the second half added to Soucek's 10th-minute opener, with that his fourth Premier League goal against Newcastle – against no team does he have a better record.
West Ham remain 14th in the league but are now just three points off the top-half places, with a home match against Arsenal next up on Saturday.
Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, was pleased with the win but believes there is more to come from his side.
"We are happy. I think that we played well," he told Sky Sports. "We played with one identity and we were able to overcome a very good team.
"They started well and it is always good to have more confidence. They had two chances and I think in the second half we did well and deserved to win.
"I am happy for the players, for the team and for the fans. They will have to drive a lot of miles so we are happy for them. We look forward to the next challenge. We are happy but we have a lot of work to do.
"We have to build as a team if we are to work and know what we want to do. I think about their play. That is the thing that we try to do.
"We have a lot of matches that we need to do and I believe in the future this team is going to be able to show the style as a team.
"The players believe and they are able to put in the focus every day. Each match is one incredible challenge in the Premier League."
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