Liverpool thrash Southampton, Arsenal put two past rock-bottom Newcastle United as Gerrard beats Vieira

Liverpool turned up the pressure on Premier League leader Chelsea by coasting to a second successive 4-0 victory at Anfield, with Southampton the overpowered team this time while Arsenal beat the rock-bottom Newcastle United 2-0.

Southampton was dispatched on Saturday as comfortably as Arsenal was a week ago as Jurgen Klopp’s side moved within a point of Chelsea, in the process becoming the first top-flight team to score two or more goals for 17 straight matches in all competitions since Sunderland in 1927.

Liverpool have scored 39 times in 13 matches and no player has more Premier League goals individually this season than any of the starting front three – Mohamed Salah (11), Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota (both seven).

Newcastle’s winless start to the Premier League season extended to 13 games after a 2-0 loss at Arsenal on Saturday.

Bukayo Saka and the player who replaced him as a substitute, Gabriel Martinelli, scored goals in the second half to consign last-place Newcastle, which has recently come under Saudi ownership, to a seventh loss of the season.

Arsenal stayed in fifth place but are now level on points with fourth-place West Ham as the team continues its recovery from losing its opening three games of the season.

Meanwhile, Steven Gerard and Patrick Vieira, two of the finest midfielders of their generation, went head-to-head on the touchline for the first time in a competitive match as their teams Aston Villa played Crystal Palace. It was Gerrard who was able to celebrate a second straight victory since leaving Rangers for Villa.

A 15th-minute strike by Targett, after a corner reached him at the back post, put Villa in the ascendancy and McGinn wrapped up the three points late on. Marc Guehi netted a consolation in stoppage time.

Gerrard had to wait 84 minutes for Villa to open their account under him last weekend in a 2-0 win over Brighton but his players opened the scoring much earlier in south London.