Brendan Rodgers marked his 100th game in charge by watching Liverpool produce an irresistible performance as they beat a toothless Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 in the Premier League at White Hart Lane yesterday.

Raheem Sterling, Steven Gerrard and Alberto Moreno were on target as Liverpool bounced back from the defeat by champions Manchester City with a classy performance that ended Tottenham’s 100 per cent start to the season.

Enigmatic striker Mario Balotelli made amends for his wasteful finishing on his Liverpool debut with his impressive all round performance and positive work ethic.

“It was great link up play by Daniel (Sturridge) and Jordan (Henderson). The manager has been telling me to get inside the post and try add to my goal tally and that’s what I’ve done,” Sterling told Sky Sports.

“Mario and Daniel up front is always a threat and I’ve got to try be in the box to get some goals.”

The result allowed fifth-placed Liverpool to move level with Tottenham and Manchester City in the standings with six points.

Later, Arsenal missed the chance to move up to third in the table after they were held to a 1-1 draw by a dogged Leicester City.

Alexis Sanchez opened the scoring with his first Premier League goal but Arsenal were pegged back within two minutes by Leicester’s record signing Leonardo Ulloa.

The visitors dominated for long spells but appeared to miss the presence of last season’s top scorer Oliver Giroud, who faces up to four months on the sidelines with a broken leg.

Arsenal sit seventh in the standings while Leicester, in 15th, remain winless but have performed well in their three games since returning to the Premier League.

In north London, Balotelli nearly enjoyed a dream start inside three minutes but his powerful close-range header was parried by keeper Hugo Lloris.

Spurs had been joint Premier League leaders after winning their opening two league games without conceding a goal but were left reeling by Liverpool’s trademark explosive start.

Sturridge and Henderson linked up well and the latter’s well weighted cross was steered in at an acute angle at the far post by Sterling in the seventh minute.

Tottenham took just one point from eight games against last season’s top four, conceding 27 goals and scoring just two, and Sterling’s goal signalled the start of another forgettable day.

Sturridge and Balotelli had chances to extend their lead but were thwarted by a combination of poor finishing and the athletic Lloris.

Spurs were second best for much of the first half but could have drawn level in the 42nd minute had it not been for Simon Mignolet’s stunning save that blocked Nacer Chadli’s rasping shot.

Liverpool started the second half with the same intent they displayed in the first, with Gerrard coolly converting a penalty after Joe Allen had been needlessly pulled back by Eric Dier.

Moreno, who had been at fault for Stevan Jovetic’s first goal as Liverpool were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City in their previous match, added a third with a superb solo run and finish after he had dispossessed Andros Townsend on the halfway line.

In yesterday’s other match, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann scored as Aston Villa maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 victory against Hull City at Villa Park.

Aston Villa suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat against third-tier Leyton Orient in the League Cup on Wednesday but showed no lingering effects of that loss.

The lively Agbonlahor opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a pinpoint finish from Wei-mann’s clever lay off.

The hosts doubled their lead after 36 minutes when Weimann capped a flowing move with an accurate shot.

Aston Villa were coasting to victory but were made to sweat when Nikica Jelavic headed home in the 74th minute to set up a tense finale.

Results and standings

Premier League

Aston Villa 2
Agbonlahor 14; Weimann 36;
Hull City 1
Jelavic 74;

HT: 2-0. Att: 28,336.

Leicester City 1
Ulloa 22;
Arsenal 1
Sanchez 20;

HT: 1-1. Att: 31,535.

Tottenham 0
Liverpool 3
Sterling 7; Gerrard 49 pen; Moreno 60;

HT: 0-1. Att: 36,130.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Chelsea	3	3	0	0	11	4	9
Swansea	3	3	0	0	6	1	9
Aston Villa	3	2	1	0	3	1	7
Man. City	3	2	0	1	5	2	6
Liverpool	3	2	0	1	6	4	6
Tottenham	3	2	0	1	5	3	6
Arsenal	3	1	2	0	5	4	5
Southampton	3	1	1	1	4	3	4
Hull City	3	1	1	1	3	3	4
Stoke City	3	1	1	1	2	2	4
West Ham	3	1	0	2	4	5	3
QPR	3	1	0	2	1	5	3
Sunderland	3	0	2	1	3	4	2
Man. United	3	0	2	1	2	3	2
Leicester City	3	0	2	1	3	5	2
Newcastle	3	0	2	1	3	5	2
Everton	3	0	2	1	7	10	2
West Brom	3	0	2	1	2	5	2
C. Palace	3	0	1	2	5	8	1
Burnley	3	0	1	2	1	4	1

League One
N. County 1 - Bristol City 2

Next fixtures

Saturday, Sept. 13
13.45 Arsenal vs Manchester City.
16.00 Chelsea vs Swansea; Crystal Palace vs Burnley; Southampton vs Newcastle United; Stoke City vs Leicester; Sunderland vs Tottenham; West Brom vs Everton.
18.30 Liverpool vs Aston Villa.

Sunday, Sept. 14
17.00 Man. United vs QPR.

Monday, Sept. 15
21.00 Hull vs West Ham.