Liverpool back on top as United go fourth

First-half goals from Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum and Mohammad Salah’s 48th-minute effort gave Liverpool a 3-0 win over Bournemouth at Anfield.

Victory meant Liverpool, who had been second on goal difference, leapfrog Manchester City by three points ahead of the reigning champions’ match at home to Chelsea on Sunday.

Meanwhile United’s revival under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued with an equally comfortable 3-0 win away to Fulham.

Liverpool had dropped points in successive 1-1 draws against Leicester and West Ham, sparking questions over the resolve of Jurgen Klopp’s side as they bid to end a 29-year wait to once again be crowned champions of England.

Mane, however, settled early nerves among home fans at Anfield when he headed in a James Milner cross to score for the fourth game in a row.

Liverpool doubled their lead in through Wijnaldum’s delightful 34th-minute lob before Egypt striker Salah sealed victory with a curling effort.

In London, Paul Pogba scored two goals — including a second-half penalty — either side of an emphatic Anthony Martial strike, as United made it 10 wins in 11 game since former striker Solskjaer was put in temporary command.

Chelsea could regain a spot among the Champions League qualifying places against Manchester City on Sunday.

But United, 11 points adrift of the top four when Jose Mourinho was sacked in December, are back in the hunt now.

“The top four is a big thing. There are so many games left, but we hope to stay in the top four. We can’t worry about what other teams do,” said Solskjaer.

Arsenal inflicted more misery on Huddersfield with a 2-1 win away to the bottom-of-the-table club.

Alex Iwobi volleyed the Gunners into an early lead and Alexandre Lacazette made it 2-0 before half-time, with Sead Kolasinac’s late own goal no consolation for Huddersfield.

Elsewhere Everton manager Marco Silva’s return to Watford ended in a 1-0 defeat.

Watford striker Troy Deeney had scorned Silva in the build-up by saying “the people at Everton are fantastic, not the manager” and Andre Gray’s first goal since September meant Deeney did not have to eat his words.

Cardiff win as they mourn Sala —

An emotional week for Cardiff ended with a dramatic 2-1 win away to Southampton that saw them climb out of the relegation zone just days after the death of transfer-window signing Sala was confirmed without him having played a game for the Welsh club.

The Argentinian’s body was formally identified by a coroner in Dorset, southwest England, on Thursday, a day after it was recovered from underwater wreckage in the English Channel.

The plane carrying Sala from the French city of Nantes to Cardiff, his new club, disappeared near the British island of Guernsey on January 21.

Cardiff had been given permission by the Premier League to wear shirts embroidered with a yellow daffodil, the national emblem of Wales and the team colour of Nantes.

Bluebirds manager Neil Warnock and his team bowed their heads as a minute’s silence was observed before kick-off.

Sol Bamba’s second-half volley appeared to have sealed victory for Cardiff before Jack Stephens equalised in the first minute of injury time.

But there was still time for Kenneth Zohore to score a 93rd-minute winner for Cardiff at St Mary’s Stadium.

Meanwhile London rivals Crystal Palace and West Ham drew 1-1.

Hammers captain Mark Noble’s first-half penalty gave the visitors the lead at Selhurst Park before Palace striker Wilfried Zaha marked his return from suspension with an equaliser 14 minutes from time.

Brighton face a Burnley side hovering above the relegation zone in Saturday’s late kick-off.

Third-placed Tottenham welcome Leicester to Wembley on Sunday, with in-form Wolves at home to Newcastle on Monday.