Liverpool continue to set the pace

Liverpool maintained their unbeaten start to the season and moved back to the top of the Premiership with a convincing win over Coventry at Anfield last night.

A first-half goal from Patrik Berger and a second-half strike from Jamie Redknapp kept the Anglo-French bandwagon on the right track. Doubts about the partnership of Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier have been all but dispelled by Liverpool's confident start to the campaign.

And even the mini-Sweden v England showdown this time went the way of the English. Paul Ince, Michael Owen and Jamie Redknapp had suffered badly in Stockholm last weekend against a side that included Coventry's Magnus Hedman and Roland Nilsson. But they emerged much happier this time.

Steve McManaman, fit after the Achilles scare that wrecked his England hopes the previous week, was flying at Coventry's defence from all angles and had the sort of imaginative game that defies reason that he's not an England regular.

Coventry had their moments and should have scored after nine minutes when Trond Soltvedt ran on to a chipped pass into the box and with Brad Friedel dithering, the Norwegian clipped it away from the goalkeeper and crashed a cross into the six-yard box that was cleared amid near-panic.

But after 26 minutes, Liverpool struck. French defender Jean-Guy Wallemme was booked for a challenge on Berger some 30 yards out, and the free-kick was hit wide by Redknapp to Heggem on the right. He found Paul Ince, who jinked into the box and fed Berger who slammed the ball into the bottom corner of Hedman's net.

Wallemme was lucky not to be sent off for two separate hand-ball offences - from one free-kick, Staunton drove the ball to Hedman's right, and the Swedish goalkeeper saved well.

Three minutes into the second half, Liverpool were two ahead. McManaman had been at his creative best on the right. He'd held possession, tried a couple of avenues through the defence with nimble running and finally played the ball off Owen to allow him to surge into the box.

A neat flick to Redknapp allowed the midfielder to strike the ball past Hedman and inside the right-hand post.

Owen had a `goal' in each half disallowed for offside, and Redknapp should have made it three a couple of minutes from time after skipping past three defenders and forcing a fine save from Hedman, who also brilliantly turned away a scorching Owen drive in the dying seconds.

Liverpool: Friedel, Staunton, Babb, McManaman, Owen, Redknapp, Riedle, Heggem, Berger, Ince, Carragher. Subs Not Used: James, McAteer, Harkness, Matteo, Thompson. Goals: Berger 26, Redknapp 48.

Coventry City: Hedman, Nilsson (Shaw 69), Burrows, Breen, Wallemme, Huckerby, Dublin, Soltvedt (Edworthy 64), Boateng, Telfer, Hall (Shilton 76). Subs Not Used: Ogrizovic, Haworth. Booked: Wallemme.

Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).

Middlesbrough found that there is life without Paul Merson, as Paul Gascoigne showed he can still grab a headline or two by opening the scoring with a stunning goal just before the break against Leicester. Middlesbrough defended the single-goal lead in the second half to secure three points.

At Hillsborough, Dean Sturridge's 23rd minute strike was enough to give Derby three points at the expense of Sheffield Wednesday.