Congratulations Manchester United!
Ada Performance patta
Rooney ge goal 1ka patta
& 2 goals from Herrera
Ada Performance patta
Rooney ge goal 1ka patta
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..::Football III::..
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Carles Puyol in Sri Lanka
The Spanish legend and former captain of Barcelona, Carles Puyol was spotted in Sri Lanka with his wife Vanessa Lorenzo lately. Enjoying their holiday, Puyol posted a video of the couple at a whale watching tour.
Carles and Lorenzo were also spotted enjoying a safari at the Udawalawe National Park. Being a nature lover, his recent posts reveal that the couple had a wonderful time in Sri Lanka.
The Spanish legend and former captain of Barcelona, Carles Puyol was spotted in Sri Lanka with his wife Vanessa Lorenzo lately. Enjoying their holiday, Puyol posted a video of the couple at a whale watching tour.
Carles and Lorenzo were also spotted enjoying a safari at the Udawalawe National Park. Being a nature lover, his recent posts reveal that the couple had a wonderful time in Sri Lanka.
The Spanish legend and former captain of Barcelona, Carles Puyol was spotted in Sri Lanka with his wife Vanessa Lorenzo lately. Enjoying their holiday, Puyol posted a video of the couple at a whale watching tour.
Carles and Lorenzo were also spotted enjoying a safari at the Udawalawe National Park. Being a nature lover, his recent posts reveal that the couple had a wonderful time in Sri Lanka.
West Brom 1-4 QPR: Vital win for relegation-threatened Rs
QPR secured a valuable away victory, beating the 10 men of West Brom 4-1 to inject some hope into their Premier League survival bid.
Chris Ramsey's side have been dreadful on the road this season but Eduardo Vargas's superb goal midway through the first half set them on their way.
Charlie Austin scored a diving header before Bobby Zamora netted with a stunning chip as half-time loomed, putting Tony Pulis's men firmly on the back foot.
The Baggies responded throuh Victor Anichebe as QPR retreated into their own half after the break but the hosts could not force the issue - and they lost midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu to a straight red card after he raised his arm in a challenge with Joey Barton just before the end of normal time.
And Barton got the last laugh with a fourth away goal right before the final whistle.
West Brom had Brown Ideye back in the side after a knee problem and he sent a free header off target before Vargas put the visitors ahead in the 15th minute. The Chilean picked up the ball from Austin and, as the home defence backed off, he unleashed a 25-yard shot that flew into the bottom-left corner.
Ideye almost scored an equaliser four minutes later, although he knew little about it as Chris Baird's whipped cross struck his leg and flew wide of the right-hand post.
QPR suffered a blow on the half-hour mark when Vargas twisted his knee and had to be replaced by Niko Kranjcar, who soon had a telling impact in flicking on Matt Phillips's right-wing corner for Austin to nod home unmarked at the far post.
West Brom were stunned and, two minutes before the break, they fell further behind. Zamora ran onto Phillips's ball down the right channel and, from the corner of the box, lofted a superb finish with the outside of his left foot over Boaz Myhill and in off the crossbar.
The home faithful vented their frustration at half-time but their mood was improved 13 minutes into the second period when Anichebe rose to head in Saido Berahino's cross from the left. The Baggies' goalscorer was causing problems for the visiting defence and his knockdown fell to Ideye, whose strong drive was parried by Rob Green.
QPR felt that they should have had a penalty when Zamora's cross struck James Morrison's arm, before Ideye brought another save out of Green with a fierce volley from 20 yards.
Berahino ought to have further reduced the deficit 10 minutes from time but his free header from six yards was weak and comfortable for Green, before Ideye flicked Chris Brunt's cross narrowly over.
Mulumbu, on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Craig Gardner, was dismissed six minutes from time after leading with his arm in an aerial challenge with Barton, catching the QPR man in the face.
In the final minute of stoppage time, Barton completed the scoring with a left-footed drive following a scramble in the box as QPR ended a run of five consecutive defeats to move above Burnley into 18th in the table.
QPR secured a valuable away victory, beating the 10 men of West Brom 4-1 to inject some hope into their Premier League survival bid.
Chris Ramsey's side have been dreadful on the road this season but Eduardo Vargas's superb goal midway through the first half set them on their way.
Charlie Austin scored a diving header before Bobby Zamora netted with a stunning chip as half-time loomed, putting Tony Pulis's men firmly on the back foot.
The Baggies responded throuh Victor Anichebe as QPR retreated into their own half after the break but the hosts could not force the issue - and they lost midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu to a straight red card after he raised his arm in a challenge with Joey Barton just before the end of normal time.
And Barton got the last laugh with a fourth away goal right before the final whistle.
West Brom had Brown Ideye back in the side after a knee problem and he sent a free header off target before Vargas put the visitors ahead in the 15th minute. The Chilean picked up the ball from Austin and, as the home defence backed off, he unleashed a 25-yard shot that flew into the bottom-left corner.
Ideye almost scored an equaliser four minutes later, although he knew little about it as Chris Baird's whipped cross struck his leg and flew wide of the right-hand post.
QPR suffered a blow on the half-hour mark when Vargas twisted his knee and had to be replaced by Niko Kranjcar, who soon had a telling impact in flicking on Matt Phillips's right-wing corner for Austin to nod home unmarked at the far post.
West Brom were stunned and, two minutes before the break, they fell further behind. Zamora ran onto Phillips's ball down the right channel and, from the corner of the box, lofted a superb finish with the outside of his left foot over Boaz Myhill and in off the crossbar.
The home faithful vented their frustration at half-time but their mood was improved 13 minutes into the second period when Anichebe rose to head in Saido Berahino's cross from the left. The Baggies' goalscorer was causing problems for the visiting defence and his knockdown fell to Ideye, whose strong drive was parried by Rob Green.
QPR felt that they should have had a penalty when Zamora's cross struck James Morrison's arm, before Ideye brought another save out of Green with a fierce volley from 20 yards.
Berahino ought to have further reduced the deficit 10 minutes from time but his free header from six yards was weak and comfortable for Green, before Ideye flicked Chris Brunt's cross narrowly over.
Mulumbu, on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Craig Gardner, was dismissed six minutes from time after leading with his arm in an aerial challenge with Barton, catching the QPR man in the face.
In the final minute of stoppage time, Barton completed the scoring with a left-footed drive following a scramble in the box as QPR ended a run of five consecutive defeats to move above Burnley into 18th in the table.
Everton 1-0 Southampton: Jagielka dents Saints' European ambitions
Everton picked up their third consecutive Premier League victory with a win over Southampton at Goodison Park thanks to Phil Jagielka’s first-half goal.
Ronald Koeman's side missed out on the chance to move into fifth following Liverpool's 4-1 defeat at Arsenal as, despite a promising start, they fell behind to Jagielka's scappy goal against the run of play.
James Ward-Prowse almost restored parity with a curling free kick but, despite dominating large part of the match Southampton could not force an equaliser before the break and Everton held on for the win.
The Toffees were without top scorer Romelu Lukaku due to a hamstring problem, and also revealed prior to kick off that Darron Gibson will be out for the foreseeable future with a fractured metatarsal.
However, Martinez was able to welcome back Gareth Barry from suspension, while Ross Barkley also came into the starting line-up after an impressive cameo for England in midweek against Italy.
But it was Southampton who started on top, Tim Howard doing superbly to claw an effort from Graziano Pelle - whose last league goal came in the reverse fixture in December - off the line.
That chance seemed to spark the hosts into life, James McCarthy going close before Jagielka nudged them ahead after 16 minutes.
Southampton's usually rock-solid defence was a shambles, as they squandered several opportunities to clear from a corner, allowing Barry to square for Jagielka, who duly prodded home from close range.
The visitors came back strongly, with Ward-Prowse twice going close - first firing a free kick just wide of the post before then forcing Howard into another fine save with a rasping long-range drive.
Koeman turned to Tadic and Sadio Mane for inspiration with half an hour remaining, and Tadic was involved immediately as he whipped in a sublime corner towards the head of Shane Long, only for the striker to mistime his jump and direct a header wide.
In response, Martinez introduced Muhamed Besic and Steven Naismith, with the latter having two penalty appeals waved away by referee Lee Mason within a minute of coming on.
Everton showed little attacking intent as the game drew to a close, but hung on to secure the spoils and move up to 11th, while Southampton's hopes of European qualification hang in the balance.
Everton picked up their third consecutive Premier League victory with a win over Southampton at Goodison Park thanks to Phil Jagielka’s first-half goal.
Ronald Koeman's side missed out on the chance to move into fifth following Liverpool's 4-1 defeat at Arsenal as, despite a promising start, they fell behind to Jagielka's scappy goal against the run of play.
James Ward-Prowse almost restored parity with a curling free kick but, despite dominating large part of the match Southampton could not force an equaliser before the break and Everton held on for the win.
The Toffees were without top scorer Romelu Lukaku due to a hamstring problem, and also revealed prior to kick off that Darron Gibson will be out for the foreseeable future with a fractured metatarsal.
However, Martinez was able to welcome back Gareth Barry from suspension, while Ross Barkley also came into the starting line-up after an impressive cameo for England in midweek against Italy.
But it was Southampton who started on top, Tim Howard doing superbly to claw an effort from Graziano Pelle - whose last league goal came in the reverse fixture in December - off the line.
That chance seemed to spark the hosts into life, James McCarthy going close before Jagielka nudged them ahead after 16 minutes.
Southampton's usually rock-solid defence was a shambles, as they squandered several opportunities to clear from a corner, allowing Barry to square for Jagielka, who duly prodded home from close range.
The visitors came back strongly, with Ward-Prowse twice going close - first firing a free kick just wide of the post before then forcing Howard into another fine save with a rasping long-range drive.
Koeman turned to Tadic and Sadio Mane for inspiration with half an hour remaining, and Tadic was involved immediately as he whipped in a sublime corner towards the head of Shane Long, only for the striker to mistime his jump and direct a header wide.
In response, Martinez introduced Muhamed Besic and Steven Naismith, with the latter having two penalty appeals waved away by referee Lee Mason within a minute of coming on.
Everton showed little attacking intent as the game drew to a close, but hung on to secure the spoils and move up to 11th, while Southampton's hopes of European qualification hang in the balance.
Leicester 2-1 West Ham: Late King winner boosts survival hopes
Leicester gave their hopes of Premier League survival a huge boost with victory over West Ham at the King Power Stadium with Andy King the unlikely match-winner scoring a late goal to secure a 2-1 win.
The hosts' first league victory since January sees them move to within four points of safety, with Esteban Cambiasso's superb volley having initially put them ahead at the King Power Stadium.
David Nugent missed the chance to double the advantage three minutes later when he saw a penalty saved by Adrian after Leonardo Ulloa was felled by Carl Jenkinson in the area.
It appeared as though that would prove costly as West Ham deservedly levelled before the break through a well taken half-volley from Cheikhou Kouyate.
However, Leicester were the better side after the break and earned a crucial three points when King, who had only been on the pitch seven minutes, scored from close range in the 86th minute.
Sam Allardyce's West Ham, who remain in the top half, started sluggishly and the game burst into life in the 12th minute as Leicester deservedly took the lead.
Nugent combined with Ulloa before the ball cannoned off James Collins and sat up perfectly for Cambiasso, who guided a superb left-footed volley in to the bottom right-hand corner from 25 yards.
The hosts, who brought in Riyad Mahrez for Matthew Upson, had a great chance to go two up when Jenkinson was penalised for a clumsy sliding challenge on Ulloa in the penalty area.
However, Nugent fluffed his lines from 12 yards as Adrian flung himself low to the left to make the save.
West Ham, who welcomed Winston Reid back from a hamstring injury in place of Matt Jarvis, grew into the match and Kevin Nolan was guilty of missing a free header from eight yards.
The pressure told in the 32nd minute when Alex Song's exquisite chipped pass was too high for Jeffrey Schlupp and Kouyate controlled the ball on the right of the area before finishing emphatically into the far corner.
Leicester started well after the break and Schlupp should have done more to test Adrian on the hour mark when he slashed wildly wide after being teed up by Nugent.
West Ham were on the back foot and Jamie Vardy headed wide from eight yards when Ritchie De Laet's long throw was flicked on by Ulloa, before the forward fired a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area wide.
Leicester were nearly made to pay for their profligacy as Kouyate's low effort from an acute angle rebounded off the woodwork.
Both teams had chances to win it in a frantic ending and substitute Andrej Kramaric had a shot cleared off the line before was Leicester made the breakthrough.
West Ham failed to deal with a goalmouth scramble and King got the final touch to send the ball over the line - much to the delight of the home faithful.
Leicester gave their hopes of Premier League survival a huge boost with victory over West Ham at the King Power Stadium with Andy King the unlikely match-winner scoring a late goal to secure a 2-1 win.
The hosts' first league victory since January sees them move to within four points of safety, with Esteban Cambiasso's superb volley having initially put them ahead at the King Power Stadium.
David Nugent missed the chance to double the advantage three minutes later when he saw a penalty saved by Adrian after Leonardo Ulloa was felled by Carl Jenkinson in the area.
It appeared as though that would prove costly as West Ham deservedly levelled before the break through a well taken half-volley from Cheikhou Kouyate.
However, Leicester were the better side after the break and earned a crucial three points when King, who had only been on the pitch seven minutes, scored from close range in the 86th minute.
Sam Allardyce's West Ham, who remain in the top half, started sluggishly and the game burst into life in the 12th minute as Leicester deservedly took the lead.
Nugent combined with Ulloa before the ball cannoned off James Collins and sat up perfectly for Cambiasso, who guided a superb left-footed volley in to the bottom right-hand corner from 25 yards.
The hosts, who brought in Riyad Mahrez for Matthew Upson, had a great chance to go two up when Jenkinson was penalised for a clumsy sliding challenge on Ulloa in the penalty area.
However, Nugent fluffed his lines from 12 yards as Adrian flung himself low to the left to make the save.
West Ham, who welcomed Winston Reid back from a hamstring injury in place of Matt Jarvis, grew into the match and Kevin Nolan was guilty of missing a free header from eight yards.
The pressure told in the 32nd minute when Alex Song's exquisite chipped pass was too high for Jeffrey Schlupp and Kouyate controlled the ball on the right of the area before finishing emphatically into the far corner.
Leicester started well after the break and Schlupp should have done more to test Adrian on the hour mark when he slashed wildly wide after being teed up by Nugent.
West Ham were on the back foot and Jamie Vardy headed wide from eight yards when Ritchie De Laet's long throw was flicked on by Ulloa, before the forward fired a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area wide.
Leicester were nearly made to pay for their profligacy as Kouyate's low effort from an acute angle rebounded off the woodwork.
Both teams had chances to win it in a frantic ending and substitute Andrej Kramaric had a shot cleared off the line before was Leicester made the breakthrough.
West Ham failed to deal with a goalmouth scramble and King got the final touch to send the ball over the line - much to the delight of the home faithful.
Inter 1-1 Parma: Five games without a win for lacklustre Nerazzurri
Inter's winless streak continued as they drew 1-1 with Parma on Saturday to make it five games without victory.
Despite dictating much of the play, Inter lacked fluidity in the opening period and were fortunate to take the lead, as Fredy Guarin's long-range drive struck Jose Mauri on its way into the net.
The hosts had been hoping to boost their dwindling European hopes with victory, though they were consistently wasteful in front of goal in the absence of injured top scorer Mauro Icardi.
Without him, Inter lacked potency in the final third and allowed Parma to claw their way back into the contest with an equaliser just before the break when Lila nodded past Samir Handanovic.
Roberto Mancini's side continued to dominate after the break and saw chances fall to Croatia pair Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic, but failed to break down Parma's resilient backline.
Two notable inclusions were present in Inter's line-up, as Felipe – who was released by Parma in February – was given his club debut, while 18-year-old striker George Puscas made his first Serie A start.
But service to the young Romanian during the early exchanges was in short supply, with Parma crafting the first opportunity in the second minute, as Handanovic kept out Silvestre Varela's long-range drive.
Inter eventually came to life in the 14th minute, with Xherdan Shaqiri's first-time effort forcing Antonio Mirante into action after a precise cut-back from Rodrigo Palacio.
The Parma goalkeeper was rendered helpless 10 minutes later, though, as Guarin's audacious effort from 35 yards took a hefty deflection off Mauri and squeezed inside the right-hand post.Inter failed to fully capitalise on their dominance, however, and they went into the break level.
Varela clipped a teasing delivery into the penalty area from the right and, after breaking free of Gary Medel, Lila guided a fine header into the top-left corner with just a minute left of the first half.
Mancini introduced Kovacic for the anonymous Puscas at half-time and he almost made a telling difference in the 53rd minute when he headed Juan Jesus' cross just wide of the target.Kovacic's compatriot Brozovic was the next to go close for Inter, smashing just past the post from 25 yards 13 minutes later, as the hosts' frustration grew.
Inter piled the pressure on towards the end and almost snatched the points in dramatic fashion three minutes from time, but Palacio failed to get meaningful contact on Shaqiri's devilish cross and Mirante grasped it gratefully as Parma held firm.
Inter's winless streak continued as they drew 1-1 with Parma on Saturday to make it five games without victory.
Despite dictating much of the play, Inter lacked fluidity in the opening period and were fortunate to take the lead, as Fredy Guarin's long-range drive struck Jose Mauri on its way into the net.
The hosts had been hoping to boost their dwindling European hopes with victory, though they were consistently wasteful in front of goal in the absence of injured top scorer Mauro Icardi.
Without him, Inter lacked potency in the final third and allowed Parma to claw their way back into the contest with an equaliser just before the break when Lila nodded past Samir Handanovic.
Roberto Mancini's side continued to dominate after the break and saw chances fall to Croatia pair Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic, but failed to break down Parma's resilient backline.
Two notable inclusions were present in Inter's line-up, as Felipe – who was released by Parma in February – was given his club debut, while 18-year-old striker George Puscas made his first Serie A start.
But service to the young Romanian during the early exchanges was in short supply, with Parma crafting the first opportunity in the second minute, as Handanovic kept out Silvestre Varela's long-range drive.
Inter eventually came to life in the 14th minute, with Xherdan Shaqiri's first-time effort forcing Antonio Mirante into action after a precise cut-back from Rodrigo Palacio.
The Parma goalkeeper was rendered helpless 10 minutes later, though, as Guarin's audacious effort from 35 yards took a hefty deflection off Mauri and squeezed inside the right-hand post.Inter failed to fully capitalise on their dominance, however, and they went into the break level.
Varela clipped a teasing delivery into the penalty area from the right and, after breaking free of Gary Medel, Lila guided a fine header into the top-left corner with just a minute left of the first half.
Mancini introduced Kovacic for the anonymous Puscas at half-time and he almost made a telling difference in the 53rd minute when he headed Juan Jesus' cross just wide of the target.Kovacic's compatriot Brozovic was the next to go close for Inter, smashing just past the post from 25 yards 13 minutes later, as the hosts' frustration grew.
Inter piled the pressure on towards the end and almost snatched the points in dramatic fashion three minutes from time, but Palacio failed to get meaningful contact on Shaqiri's devilish cross and Mirante grasped it gratefully as Parma held firm.
Palermo 1-2 AC Milan: Menez magic snatches late winner
A piece of Jeremy Menez magic saw AC Milan snatch a late 2-1 win over Palermo at San Siro on Saturday afternoon.
Menez, so often Milan's stand-out player in a testing season, took centre stage once again with seven minutes remaining to move Filippo Inzaghi's men within six points of fifth-placed Napoli.Inzaghi reacted to Menez's superb finish with glee, racing down the touchline to celebrate with his players near the corner flag.
Palermo dominated much of the first half, but Milan went in ahead at the interval thanks to Alessio Cerci's 37th-minute opener.
Mattia Destro had two chances to double the visitors' lead after the break but failed to take them, and the visitors were punished when Palermo's in-demand star Paulo Dybala converted a penalty 20 minutes from time.The game looked to be heading for a draw, but Menez's intervention in the 83rd-minute earned what could prove to be a crucial three points for Milan.
Palermo's attacking trident of Dybala, Franco Vazquez and Robin Quaison provided a constant threat throughout the first half, and the hosts should have been ahead when Dybala created a golden opportunity for Vazquez.
As the Milan defence stood stationary, he raced into the penalty area before pulling the ball back to Vazquez, only for his fellow Argentinian to inexplicably miss an open goal from six yards.
Luca Rigoni and Quaison then both tested Milan goalkeeper Diego Lopez from the edge of the area, only for the visitors to take the lead against the run of play eight minutes before half-time.
Stefano Sorrentino failed to collect a low cross from the right, and Cerci was on hand to bundle his first Milan goal over the line.
Destro had a goal disallowed for offside shortly after the interval and, although Palermo's strikeforce was not as potent as before the break, they were gifted a way back into the game when Gabriel Paletta felled substitute Andrea Belotti in the area.
Dybala stepped up and unerringly fired his spot-kick beyond Lopez, and Palermo appeared set to take a point.
However, Milan remained a threat on the break and when Menez was sent clean through on goal, he made no mistake - firing high past Sorrentino from 18 yards to spark wild celebrations from a relieved Inzaghi.
A piece of Jeremy Menez magic saw AC Milan snatch a late 2-1 win over Palermo at San Siro on Saturday afternoon.
Menez, so often Milan's stand-out player in a testing season, took centre stage once again with seven minutes remaining to move Filippo Inzaghi's men within six points of fifth-placed Napoli.Inzaghi reacted to Menez's superb finish with glee, racing down the touchline to celebrate with his players near the corner flag.
Palermo dominated much of the first half, but Milan went in ahead at the interval thanks to Alessio Cerci's 37th-minute opener.
Mattia Destro had two chances to double the visitors' lead after the break but failed to take them, and the visitors were punished when Palermo's in-demand star Paulo Dybala converted a penalty 20 minutes from time.The game looked to be heading for a draw, but Menez's intervention in the 83rd-minute earned what could prove to be a crucial three points for Milan.
Palermo's attacking trident of Dybala, Franco Vazquez and Robin Quaison provided a constant threat throughout the first half, and the hosts should have been ahead when Dybala created a golden opportunity for Vazquez.
As the Milan defence stood stationary, he raced into the penalty area before pulling the ball back to Vazquez, only for his fellow Argentinian to inexplicably miss an open goal from six yards.
Luca Rigoni and Quaison then both tested Milan goalkeeper Diego Lopez from the edge of the area, only for the visitors to take the lead against the run of play eight minutes before half-time.
Stefano Sorrentino failed to collect a low cross from the right, and Cerci was on hand to bundle his first Milan goal over the line.
Destro had a goal disallowed for offside shortly after the interval and, although Palermo's strikeforce was not as potent as before the break, they were gifted a way back into the game when Gabriel Paletta felled substitute Andrea Belotti in the area.
Dybala stepped up and unerringly fired his spot-kick beyond Lopez, and Palermo appeared set to take a point.
However, Milan remained a threat on the break and when Menez was sent clean through on goal, he made no mistake - firing high past Sorrentino from 18 yards to spark wild celebrations from a relieved Inzaghi.
Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool: Rampant Gunners leave 10-man Reds' Champions League hopes in tatters
Arsenal dealt Liverpool's hopes of a top-four finish a savage blow as a whirlwind of goals shortly before half-time set them up for a 4-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
In a match in which the Reds often looked too cautious and unable to take control, Gunners right-back Hector Bellerin took advantage of slack defending from Alberto Moreno to put the hosts in front.
A free kick from Mesut Ozil compounded the Reds' troubles just three minutes later and Alexis Sanchez's powerful finish to a slick team move moments before the break left Liverpool crippled.
The visitors got one back in the second half when Jordan Henderson scored from the penalty spot, Raheem Sterling having been brought down by Bellerin, but they could not push on to save the match.
All that Liverpool got for their troubles in the final stages was a second yellow card for Emre Can, leaving them to close out their defeat with 10 men, and their numerical disadvantage was punished when Olivier Giroud continued his fine recent form by striking a fantastic fourth at the death.
And yet the script could have read so differently if Lazar Markovic had found his passing range in the 20th minute, when he failed to supply the ammunition for Sterling - starting up front in place of Daniel Sturridge - to net what would have been a simple finish.
Sterling dominated the headlines in the build-up to the match, having publicly discussed his contract situation at Liverpool and declared himself "flattered" with links to Arsenal.
But it was the Gunners who started much the brighter as the visitors nervily conceded possession in dangerous areas early on. Joe Allen was the first to err inside 30 seconds, giving the ball away when facing his own goal, with Alexis ultimately shooting wide from 20 yards.
Simon Mignolet was called upon to save from Santi Cazorla and then Aaron Ramsey, the latter having been sent clear by former Arsenal man Kolo Toure's mistake.
Liverpool's moment came and went when Markovic drew the attention of David Ospina, only to fluff his lines in playing a simple square pass for Sterling - the ball narrowly eluding the forward with only the unguarded net in front of him.
It heralded a promising spell of play for Rodgers's men, in which Sterling fired wide and Henderson was agonisingly close to collecting a cross from the 20-year-old inside the box.
Having failed to make that pressure count, Liverpool were punished three times in quick succession. First, Bellerin cut in from the right to curl a shot past Mignolet, who then saw Ozil's precise free kick sail into the same corner three minutes later.
And the match as a contest was effectively ended when Alexis rifled home from the edge of the box, with questions to answer for Mignolet, who appeared to be caught flat-footed.
Sturridge was introduced for Markovic at the break, but Arsenal continued to force the issue - the in-form Giroud's header bringing an excellent save from Mignolet.
Ospina denied Can at the other end before Sterling was hacked down in the box by Bellerin, who was fortunate not to be shown a second yellow.
Henderson just squeezed his 76th-minute spot kick past Ospina but Liverpool's hopes of a comeback were dashed when Can lunged in on Danny Welbeck to earn his marching orders, with Giroud's 10th goal in as many matches wrapping up an excellent afternoon for Arsenal.
Arsenal dealt Liverpool's hopes of a top-four finish a savage blow as a whirlwind of goals shortly before half-time set them up for a 4-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
In a match in which the Reds often looked too cautious and unable to take control, Gunners right-back Hector Bellerin took advantage of slack defending from Alberto Moreno to put the hosts in front.
A free kick from Mesut Ozil compounded the Reds' troubles just three minutes later and Alexis Sanchez's powerful finish to a slick team move moments before the break left Liverpool crippled.
The visitors got one back in the second half when Jordan Henderson scored from the penalty spot, Raheem Sterling having been brought down by Bellerin, but they could not push on to save the match.
All that Liverpool got for their troubles in the final stages was a second yellow card for Emre Can, leaving them to close out their defeat with 10 men, and their numerical disadvantage was punished when Olivier Giroud continued his fine recent form by striking a fantastic fourth at the death.
And yet the script could have read so differently if Lazar Markovic had found his passing range in the 20th minute, when he failed to supply the ammunition for Sterling - starting up front in place of Daniel Sturridge - to net what would have been a simple finish.
Sterling dominated the headlines in the build-up to the match, having publicly discussed his contract situation at Liverpool and declared himself "flattered" with links to Arsenal.
But it was the Gunners who started much the brighter as the visitors nervily conceded possession in dangerous areas early on. Joe Allen was the first to err inside 30 seconds, giving the ball away when facing his own goal, with Alexis ultimately shooting wide from 20 yards.
Simon Mignolet was called upon to save from Santi Cazorla and then Aaron Ramsey, the latter having been sent clear by former Arsenal man Kolo Toure's mistake.
Liverpool's moment came and went when Markovic drew the attention of David Ospina, only to fluff his lines in playing a simple square pass for Sterling - the ball narrowly eluding the forward with only the unguarded net in front of him.
It heralded a promising spell of play for Rodgers's men, in which Sterling fired wide and Henderson was agonisingly close to collecting a cross from the 20-year-old inside the box.
Having failed to make that pressure count, Liverpool were punished three times in quick succession. First, Bellerin cut in from the right to curl a shot past Mignolet, who then saw Ozil's precise free kick sail into the same corner three minutes later.
And the match as a contest was effectively ended when Alexis rifled home from the edge of the box, with questions to answer for Mignolet, who appeared to be caught flat-footed.
Sturridge was introduced for Markovic at the break, but Arsenal continued to force the issue - the in-form Giroud's header bringing an excellent save from Mignolet.
Ospina denied Can at the other end before Sterling was hacked down in the box by Bellerin, who was fortunate not to be shown a second yellow.
Henderson just squeezed his 76th-minute spot kick past Ospina but Liverpool's hopes of a comeback were dashed when Can lunged in on Danny Welbeck to earn his marching orders, with Giroud's 10th goal in as many matches wrapping up an excellent afternoon for Arsenal.
Manchester United 3-1 Aston Villa: Herrera double sends Van Gaal's men eight points clear of Liverpool
Manchester United put eight points between themselves and Liverpool as they saw off Aston Villa 3-1 on Saturday, Ander Herrera scoring twice.
Their top-four ambitions boosted by Arsenal's win against the Reds earlier in the day, the Red Devils consolidated their position with a largely comfortable victory at Old Trafford.
Herrera made the breakthrough for Louis van Gaal's side shortly before half-time, his low drive getting the reward that their domination of the game deserved.
A delightful finish into the top-left corner by Wayne Rooney with 10 minutes to go looked to have sewn things up but Christian Benteke's effort almost immediately thereafter went through David de Gea to keep United on their toes.
The win was confirmed in stoppage time, however, when Herrera was fed by Rooney to slide home his second of the afternoon.
The home side were deserved winners and are now a point above rivals Manchester City - who play Crystal Palace on Monday - ahead of April 12's derby and a face-off with leaders Chelsea on the following weekend.
Defeat for Villa leaves them without a victory over United in their last 12 attempts and Tim Sherwood's side are now just three points ahead of third-from-bottom QPR, who beat West Brom on Saturday and travel to Villa Park on Tuesday.
Van Gaal made only one change to his starting line-up, with Marcos Rojo replacing Chris Smalling at the heart of the United defence. On-loan Tom Cleverley was ineligible to face his parent club so Carlos Sanchez came into the Villa side. Matt Lowton and Andreas Weimann replaced Leandro Bacuna and Scott Sinclair.
United made a blistering start and Rooney was furious with referee Roger East for failing to award an early penalty when he appeared to be brought down by Ciaran Clark.
Villa were struggling to live with the home side's intensity and Juan Mata's goalbound shot was well blocked by Clark after Ashley Young had tormented his former club with a great run down the left.
Rojo almost marked his recall with a goal 23 minutes in but the Argentina international's long-range strike was brilliantly tipped over the crossbar by the agile Brad Guzan.
Villa defended resolutely but it came as no surprise when they fell behind two minutes before half-time courtesy of a well-worked goal from Herrera. The Spanish midfielder was left unmarked in the penalty area and punished Villa by drilling into the far corner with his left foot after Daley Blind had cut the ball back from the byeline.
Marouane Fellaini ought to have doubled United's lead just after the hour but the unmarked Belgian midfielder headed the ball down into the ground and Guzan palmed the effort behind.
Rooney did give them breathing space 11 minutes from time, though, sticking out his left leg to control substitute Angel Di Maria's cross before swivelling to fire into the top corner of the net with his right boot.
United had barely finished celebrating when they were caught napping from a corner and Benteke fired under David de Gea, who will not want to see a replay of his attempted save.
But any hopes of Villa snatching a point were ended when Herrera swept a shot home from the edge of the area.
Juventus 2-0 Empoli: Tevez thumps home indirect free kick in victory
Carlos Tevez led by example in the absence of several key stars as injury-hit Juventus' ominous march towards a 31st Serie A title continued with an unconvincing 2-0 defeat of Empoli on Saturday.
Juve were without a multitude of players due to injury, including Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo, but Tevez produced an all-action display in their absence to inspire Massimiliano Allegri's side to all three points.
The Argentina international was a constant nuisance to the Empoli backline during the first half, though the visitors were successful in frustrating their hosts for over 40 minutes.Juve's breakthrough eventually came just before the break, Tevez slamming home an indirect free-kick from 10 yards to delight the home fans.
Empoli improved after the break and were only denied a 53rd-minute equaliser by GIanluigi Buffon's fine one-handed save, as Juve's hold of the midfield battle began to loosen.
The Italy goalkeeper came to Juve's rescue again 19 minutes from time, before more fine work from Tevez led to substitute Roberto Pereyra adding a late second for Allegri's side, who restored their 14-point lead at the summit following Roma's win over Napoli earlier in the day.
Despite their injury woes in midfield, Juventus did not appear to have any problems dictating proceedings during the early exchanges, crafting the first chance after just five minutes.
Tevez was unsurprisingly at the fore, as he cut on to his right foot and curled a delicate effort towards the bottom-right corner, only for Luigi Sepe to turn it around the post.
Serie A's top scorer was central to Juve's next opportunity 14 minutes later, deceiving two defenders with a delightful feint on the edge of the area before seeing his eventual effort smothered by the advancing Sepe.
Juve remained utterly dominant and Daniele Rugani - who is set to join Allegri's men in July - eventually presented them with a glorious opportunity from an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area after a 42nd-minute backpass.
Tevez duly smashed the ball beyond the helpless combination of Sepe and his wall, finding the roof of the net in emphatic fashion to break the deadlock.
Regardless of their dominance, Juve had to rely on goalkeeper Buffon to keep them ahead seven minutes into the second period, as Manuel Pucciarelli raced on to Mirko Valdifiori's long pass and saw his header acrobatically tipped wide.
The match began to descend into a scrappy midfield battle as the hour mark approached, with neither side crafting much in terms of goal-scoring opportunities.
Juve had to count on the brilliance of Buffon again in the 71st minute, the veteran rushing out to tackle Pucciarelli before then denying the Empoli striker with a reaction save.
Arturo Vidal almost put the result beyond doubt with 80 minutes on the clock, stroking just wide of the bottom-left corner from 20 yards.The Chilean then jogged off gingerly with a knock four minutes from time, to leave Allegri with another potential midfield injury concern.
But any late collapse was prevented by Pereyra, who tapped home in stoppage time after Sepe had parried another effort from the influential Tevez.
Carlos Tevez led by example in the absence of several key stars as injury-hit Juventus' ominous march towards a 31st Serie A title continued with an unconvincing 2-0 defeat of Empoli on Saturday.
Juve were without a multitude of players due to injury, including Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo, but Tevez produced an all-action display in their absence to inspire Massimiliano Allegri's side to all three points.
The Argentina international was a constant nuisance to the Empoli backline during the first half, though the visitors were successful in frustrating their hosts for over 40 minutes.Juve's breakthrough eventually came just before the break, Tevez slamming home an indirect free-kick from 10 yards to delight the home fans.
Empoli improved after the break and were only denied a 53rd-minute equaliser by GIanluigi Buffon's fine one-handed save, as Juve's hold of the midfield battle began to loosen.
The Italy goalkeeper came to Juve's rescue again 19 minutes from time, before more fine work from Tevez led to substitute Roberto Pereyra adding a late second for Allegri's side, who restored their 14-point lead at the summit following Roma's win over Napoli earlier in the day.
Despite their injury woes in midfield, Juventus did not appear to have any problems dictating proceedings during the early exchanges, crafting the first chance after just five minutes.
Tevez was unsurprisingly at the fore, as he cut on to his right foot and curled a delicate effort towards the bottom-right corner, only for Luigi Sepe to turn it around the post.
Serie A's top scorer was central to Juve's next opportunity 14 minutes later, deceiving two defenders with a delightful feint on the edge of the area before seeing his eventual effort smothered by the advancing Sepe.
Juve remained utterly dominant and Daniele Rugani - who is set to join Allegri's men in July - eventually presented them with a glorious opportunity from an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area after a 42nd-minute backpass.
Tevez duly smashed the ball beyond the helpless combination of Sepe and his wall, finding the roof of the net in emphatic fashion to break the deadlock.
Regardless of their dominance, Juve had to rely on goalkeeper Buffon to keep them ahead seven minutes into the second period, as Manuel Pucciarelli raced on to Mirko Valdifiori's long pass and saw his header acrobatically tipped wide.
The match began to descend into a scrappy midfield battle as the hour mark approached, with neither side crafting much in terms of goal-scoring opportunities.
Juve had to count on the brilliance of Buffon again in the 71st minute, the veteran rushing out to tackle Pucciarelli before then denying the Empoli striker with a reaction save.
Arturo Vidal almost put the result beyond doubt with 80 minutes on the clock, stroking just wide of the bottom-left corner from 20 yards.The Chilean then jogged off gingerly with a knock four minutes from time, to leave Allegri with another potential midfield injury concern.
But any late collapse was prevented by Pereyra, who tapped home in stoppage time after Sepe had parried another effort from the influential Tevez.
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