Steven Gerrard marked his return to Liverpool’s starting line-up with a hat-trick as Kenny Dalglish’s side returned to winning ways with a 3-0 win over Everton in the Mer-seyside derby yesterday.
Gerrard, who has been plagued by injury this season, became the first player since Ian Rush in 1982 to score a treble in the fixture as David Moyes’s 10th anniversary celebrations in charge of Everton fell flat at Anfield.
Liverpool’s first win in four league games lifted them to within two points of sixth-placed Newcastle United.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Man. United | 28 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 68 | 27 | 67 |
| Man. City | 28 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 69 | 20 | 66 |
| Tottenham | 28 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 52 | 34 | 53 |
| Arsenal | 28 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 57 | 39 | 52 |
| Chelsea | 28 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 48 | 32 | 49 |
| Newcastle | 28 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 40 | 41 | 44 |
| Liverpool | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 33 | 26 | 42 |
| Sunderland | 28 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 36 | 31 | 37 |
| Everton | 28 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 31 | 37 |
| Fulham | 28 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 37 | 37 | 36 |
| Swansea City | 28 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 31 | 34 | 36 |
| Norwich City | 28 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 39 | 45 | 36 |
| Stoke City | 28 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 36 |
| West Brom | 28 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 34 | 37 | 35 |
| Aston Villa | 28 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 31 | 35 | 33 |
| Blackburn | 28 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 40 | 60 | 25 |
| Bolton | 28 | 7 | 2 | 19 | 31 | 57 | 23 |
| QPR | 28 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 29 | 48 | 22 |
| Wolves | 28 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 30 | 58 | 22 |
| Wigan | 28 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 53 | 21 |