Premier League round-up: Henderson helps Liverpool claim much-needed win
Jordan Henderson’s second half strike earned Liverpool a 2-1 win over West Brom and eased the pressure on manager Brendan Rodgers.
The Reds had only managed one point in their previous three Premier League games but a brighter performance at Anfield saw them grab a vital victory and move them up to sixth.
The visitors opened brightly on Merseyside and had a number of decent opportunities but it was Liverpool who claimed the opener just one minute before the break.
Adam Lallana got on the end of Henderson’s flicked pass, completing a neat one-two on the left-side of the box, and the former Southampton star fired beyond Ben Foster into the far corner.
Nine minutes into the second half, though, West Brom were controversially given a penalty after Saido Berahino appeared to be brought down just outside the area by Dejan Lovren and the English youngster dusted himself off to net from the spot.
However, It didn’t take long for Liverpool to retake the lead, as Raheem Sterling squared for Henderson, who found the bottom corner of Foster’s goal with a low strike, and his effort was enough to seal the points.
Alan Pardew was handed a slight reprieve as Newcastle manager as his men drew 2-2 with high-flying Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.
It took just 17 minutes for the hosts to take the lead as a cute one-two with Gylfi Sigurdsson put Wilfried Bony through on goal and he slipped the ball inside Tim Krul’s near post.
Papiss Cisse converted from Gabriel Obertan’s cross to give the under-fire manager some brief respite but, after the break, Wayne Routledge ran onto Sigurdsson’s pass to chip home.
Cisse, though, is a man on form and scored with 15 minutes remaining to give the Magpies a share of the spoils in Wales.
The Premier League’s other north east side, Sunderland, fired themselves up the table and above Stoke City as they dispatched the Potters 3-1 at the Stadium of Light.
Will Buckley’s clipped cross was headed home by Connor Wickham to hand the hosts the lead but Charlie Adam equalised 11 minutes later with a left-foot snapshot inside the area.
The Black Cats have shown plenty over resilience over the last year and it was apparent once again as Steven Fletcher headed past Asmir Begovic from Jordi Gomez’s cross to put the hosts back in front.
And Fletcher wrapped up the points for Gus Poyet’s men when he passed Wickham’s cross into the back of the net from close-range.
Burnley avoided another Premier League defeat as Ross Wallace’s last gasp free-kick gave them a 2-2 draw with Leicester City.
An eight minute first half frenzy saw the Foxes take the lead thanks to a Jeffrey Schlupp strike before Michael Kightly stabbed home a leveller for Sean Dyche’s side.
Riyad Mahrez, who assisted Schlupp, helped the hosts in front again by heading in at the back post from Jamie Vardy’s deflected cross.
But the Foxes failed to extend their lead and, deep into injury time, Wallace curled a free-kick past Kasper Schmeichel to earn his side a point.
Meanwhile, Hull City beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at the KC Stadium.
Mohamed Diame has been an inspired signing by Steve Bruce and his header, from Andrew Robertson’s cross, saw them go a goal to the good and Nikica Jelavic’s late strike put a gloss on the scoreline and ensured all three points were safely in the bag.