LONDON: Rafa Benitez has been sacked as Everton manager only seven months after succeeding Carlo Ancelotti. The decision was taken by an emergency meeting of the board after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Norwich.

Everton have won only one of their last 13 Premier League games and are six points above the relegation zone.

Benitez was always unpopular with fans because of disparaging comments he made about the club during his Champions League-winning years at Liverpool.

Liverpool shrugged off the African Cup absence of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane to overtake Chelsea and go second in the league after beating Brentford 3-0.

This was the first time Liverpool had started without both players in the league since May 2017. Fabinho scored his second league goal of term in the first half. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and substitute Takumi Minamino scored in the second. Diogo Jota also hit a post.

Manager Jurgen Klopp said: “Our game was not always fluent but often that’s how it is.”

Jack Harrison scored his first career hat-trick as Leeds avenged their third round FA Cup defeat by winning 3-2 over West Ham in London.

Harrison, 25, once of New York City and Manchester City, joined Leeds in 2018. His goals enabled Leeds to celebrate consecutive league wins for the first time this season. Victory lifted Marcelo Bielsa’s side nine points clear of the relegation zone. West Ham remained fourth but the pursuing pack of clubs all have games in hand.

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