LIVERPOOL 4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0
Liverpool - Kaboul (og) 2', Suarez 25' Coutinho 55', Henderson 75'
Man of the match - Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)
English football correspondent
Liverpool // The planes were spotted above Old Trafford on Saturday.
There is no need for any similar stunts at Anfield. Liverpool are flying because of their own excellence. They are propelled into the stratosphere by their fearlessly fluent football.
Brendan Rodgers’ men soared to the top of the table as they reeled off an eighth successive win with enviable ease.
They are six games from glory, 540 minutes from ending a 24-year wait and earning a place in the Anfield pantheon.
The weight of expectation could be suffocating.
Instead, as Rodgers said: “You see the confidence. There is no anxiety, no pressure.”
Liverpool are liberated and lethal, cruising towards a century of goals and, perhaps, the landmark achievement that has eluded them since 1990.
“We’re going to win the league” echoed around Anfield at various points.
They just might, too, if they continue to play with such pace and panache.
They added a 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur to December's 5-0 thrashing and an aggregate score of 9-0 is embarrassing for a club with Spurs' lofty aspirations.
They have taken one point off, and conceded 27 goals to, the elite sides this season.
“Our performances against the top four have not been good enough,” said head coach Tim Sherwood.
They have sieved goals, struggled to score and been found wanting tactically in such defining clashes and these flaws have been constants whether Andre Villas-Boas or Sherwood has been at the helm.
Tottenham were English football's big spenders last summer. Liverpool have been its big winners.
If their greatest triumph was keeping Luis Suarez, it is an achievement that benefits them on a weekly basis.
The Uruguayan’s 29th goal of the season set a club record in the Premier League era and, predictably, he tormented Tottenham.
Yet so did a cast of others.
Philippe Coutinho illuminated the opening hour with an exhibition of class.
Raheem Sterling and Glen Johnson dovetailed beautifully on the right flank, both bringing speed and skill.
Steven Gerrard brought drive and purpose at the base of the midfield.
Liverpool were excellent in every element, Spurs abject from the start.
“It was an exceptional performance,” Rodgers said.
Indeed, they were outwitted before the kick-off.
Rodgers switched to 4-3-3, recalled Sterling and reaped an immediate dividend. The winger fed the overlapping Johnson, whose low cross was inadvertently backheeled into his own net by Younes Kaboul.
Liverpool have turned fast starts into a routine – they have struck before the break in 22 successive matches – but, even by their standards, this was quick.
It illustrated the shambles at the back for Spurs but the second also highlighted their defensive shortcomings.
Michael Dawson had just replaced the injured Jan Vertonghen when he attempted to head Gerrard’s pass back to Kaboul.
Instead the predatory Suarez anticipated it, picked the Frenchman’s pocket and sped away from the one-paced Dawson to angle a shot past Hugo Lloris.
“All the plans you make go out of the window with the two goals,” Sherwood said. Coutinho scored the third with an angled drive after Jon Flanagan led a break.
Jordan Henderson completed the scoring with a free kick that sailed untouched through a packed penalty area.
There were four.
There should have been more.
Lloris brilliantly tipped Suarez’s header on to the bar after Sterling had robbed the wretched Kaboul and crossed.
The irrepressible Sterling swapped passes with Daniel Sturridge and, rather than shooting, drew Lloris out of position and squared for Henderson, who missed a gaping goal and lifted his shot into the Kop.
The fans’ involvement came more in the form of raucous backing.
“They are appreciating what they are seeing,” Rodgers said. “They can see it was a long winter and a tough period over 20-odd years and they can see something building here, not just for now but for the future.”
A long-term project has short-term aims.
Rodgers is simply concentrating on the next game, away at West Ham.
“There are only 18 points to play for but you can only take three at a time,” he said.
It is a philosophy that has served him well.
Rather than shrinking from the challenge, Liverpool are embracing it.
Rather than wilting under pressure, they are revelling in it.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
The%20specs
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MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
The specs
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
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On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20TV%204K%20(THIRD%20GENERATION)
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.