Liverpool powered up to third place in the English Premier League with a convincing 4-0 win over Bolton at Anfield on Sunday.
An early strike by Sami Hyypia and Fernando Torres's 11th goal of the season, just before half-time, were followed after the break by a penalty from skipper Steven Gerrard and a late effort from Dutch winger Ryan Babel.
It was Liverpool's fifth consecutive victory and the margin of it reflected the overwhelming superiority of Rafael Benitez's side, who are unbeaten in the league this season and now stand six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
PHOTO: AFP
In Sunday's other match, a stunning last-minute winner from Sebastian Larsson ensured Alex McLeish's first match in charge of Birmingham ended with a 3-2 victory over Tottenham.
The former Scotland boss had seen his side take the lead against the run of play with a Gary McSheffrey penalty midway through the first half.
Tottenham got back in charge of the match after the interval with two goals from Robbie Keane, the first from the spot.
But a Cameron Jerome equalizer just after the hour mark was followed by a straight red card for Keane after a lunge at Johan Djourou and Birmingham took full advantage of their numerical advantage to claim an unlikely win.
■ FA CUP DRAW
Aston Villa will host Manchester United in the pick of the third round ties in this season's FA Cup.
It will be the fourth time in seven seasons that the two clubs have met at this stage of the tournament with United having knocked Villa out in 2002, 2004 and last season.
Sunday's draw for the round which sees Premier League and Championship sides enter the competition was kinder to holders Chelsea.
Avram Grant's side will be at home to west London neighbors Queen's Park Rangers, who are currently struggling near the bottom of the Championship table.
Liverpool and Arsenal will also face lower league opposition on the first weekend of next year.
Liverpool were drawn away to the winners of a second round replay between Luton Town and former European champions Nottingham Forest, while Arsenal face a potentially tricky trip to on-form Championship side Burnley.
The Villa versus Man United clash is one of four all-Premiership ties, with Tottenham at home to Reading, Sunderland facing Wigan and West Ham entertaining Manchester City in the others.
There were no glamorous opponents for the only non-league side certain to be involved in the third round.
Havant and Waterlooville, who knocked out Notts County in the second round, were drawn away to the victor of a replay between Horsham and Swansea.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
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A man fell from the 6.4m-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh during Wednesday night’s game between the Pirates and the Chicago Cubs. Right after Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to put the Pirates ahead 4-3, players began waving frantically for medical personnel and pointing to the man, who had fallen onto the warning track. The fan was tended to for approximately five minutes by members of both the Pirates and Cubs training staffs as well as PNC personnel before being removed from the field on a cart. The team issued a statement shortly
PAINFUL VICTORY: Ruud said that felt pain in his rib during the warmup and was put on painkillers so that he could finish the match against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo With the help of painkillers, Casper Ruud overcame a rib ailment to defeat Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets and reach the Madrid Open final on Friday. Ruud is to face Jack Draper, who beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the other semi-final to make his third final of the year. Ruud received treatment on his rib three games into the match and went on to win 6-4, 7-5 on the Caja Magica center court. The 15th-ranked Norwegian saved 15 of the 18 break points he faced against the 21st-ranked Argentine. Ruud said he felt something in his rib during the warmup, just before
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