Liverpool’s rapid downfall since losing Luis Suarez to Barcelona in the summer continued Sunday with a fourth consecutive loss, as Crystal Palace added to Brendan Rodgers’ woes with a 3-1 victory.
The pressure, though, eased up a bit on coach Mauricio Pochettino after his Tottenham team came from behind to beat 10-man Hull 2-1 in the Premier League.
A runner-up last season, Liverpool is now 12th after 12 matches ― closer to the relegation zone than the top four. Although Rickie Lambert finally scored his first goal for Liverpool, Dwight Gayle tied it from close range before Joe Ledley netted and Mile Jedinak scored directly from a free kick to secure Palace’s first win since September.
Tottenham had lost three of its last four league games before traveling to Hull. When former Tottenham player Jake Livermore put Hull ahead with an early 25-meter drive, it looked as if it would be another miserable day for Pochettino.
But Tottenham had a man advantage from the 50th minute when Gaston Ramirez was sent off. And after striker Harry Kane leveled, Christian Eriksen scored Tottenahm’s winner in stoppage time from the edge of the penalty area.
Hull is now just a point from the relegation zone, while Tottenham is up to 10th, only two points from fourth place.
Crystal Palace’s Mile Jedinak (second from left) celebrates his goal against Liverpool on Sunday. (AP-Yonhap)
Hamburger SV moved ahead of Werder Bremen and out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win in the Bundesliga’s 101st northern derby.
Artjoms Rudnevs broke the deadlock in the 84th minute from close range. There was a touch of good fortune about the second goal in stoppage time. Tolgay Arslan struck the post from close range and Bremen goalkeeper Raphael Wolf inadvertently knocked the rebound in as he tried to catch it.
Levante continued its turnaround under new coach Lucas Alcaraz by beating Valencia 2-1 in a derby.
With goals from Victor Casadesus and Jose Morales, Levante extended its unbeaten run to three games and rose two points clear of the relegation zone.
Fourth-place Valencia dropped points for the second straight league match and slipped six points adrift of leader Real Madrid.
Rayo Vallecano edged Celta Vigo 1-0 at home to break a three-game losing streak, while Cordoba squandered a two-goal lead and an excellent chance to get its first win after Elche recovered for a 2-2 draw.
Nantes extended its unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions by drawing 0-0 with Saint-Etienne on Sunday to stay fifth in the French league.
Montpellier moved into ninth place by defeating Toulouse 2-0.
Roberto Mancini’s first game back in charge of Inter ended with a 1-1 draw against city rival AC Milan in front of a sellout crowd on Sunday.
A stunning Jeremy Menez volley gave Milan the halftime lead but Joel Obi leveled shortly after the hour mark. (AP)
