LONDON, Oct 5: Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge tore Crystal Palace apart to send Liverpool top of the Premier League with a 3-1 victory on Saturday as Manchester City bounced back from their Bayern Munich mauling with a 3-1 win over Everton.

Suarez, making his first Anfield appearance of the season after completing a suspension for biting, set Liverpool on their way to their fifth league victory when he broke the deadlock in the 14th minute.

The goal showcased the Uruguayan’s flair for improvisation, as he hooked the ball into the net from a prone position after slipping as he shaped to shoot.

England forward Sturridge, who has now scored or assisted 16 goals in his last 11 league appearances, made it two with a fine solo goal, and Steven Gerrard’s penalty — his 99th Premier League goal — made it three before half-time against struggling Palace, before substitute Dwight Gayle replied for the visitors with a late glancing header.

Victory took Brendan Rodgers’s side a point clear of Arsenal, who can reclaim top spot if they win at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

In the early kickoff at the Etihad Stadium, Alvaro Negredo and Sergio Aguero scored to help City come from behind to beat Everton, easing the disappointment of their home loss to Bayern in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Everton took a 16th-minute lead through on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, who broke the offside trap to collect Phil Jagielka’s pass and deftly nutmegged Joleon Lescott before beating Joe Hart with a low shot.

It was his third goal in two games, following his brace against Newcastle United on Monday, but City replied within two minutes, Negredo squeezing the ball past Tim Howard from Yaya Toure’s fine reverse pass.

City were dealt a blow in the 34th minute when captain Vincent Kompany went off with an injury, but they moved ahead on the stroke of half-time.

David Silva strode forward and threaded a pass down the inside-right channel for Aguero, who rattled a low shot into the bottom-left corner.

A foul by Seamus Coleman on Pablo Zabaleta gave Aguero a chance to extend City’s lead from the penalty spot in the 69th minute and although Howard turned his shot onto the post, the ball bounced against the American goalkeeper and into the net for an own goal.

“Equalising immediately was important, but more important was the character of the team, playing against Everton — the only unbeaten team in the league,” said City manager Manuel Pellegrini.

“After a defeat [by Bayern] on Wednesday, it was important for me to see how the players reacted.”

French striker Loic Remy gave Newcastle United’s under-pressure manager Alan Pardew some relief by scoring twice in a 2-1 win at Cardiff City, who replied through Peter Odemwingie.

Remy opened the scoring in the 30th with a solo effort as he broke down the left flank, then cut inside past two defenders and slotted a shot from outside the area inside the near post.

He added the second with a deft finish from outside the area when a rebound fell into his path seven minutes later.

Fulham did the same for manager Martin Jol, edging past Stoke City 1-0 after Darren Bent’s 83rd-minute winner to climb out of the relegation zone.

Bent collected a deflected ball in the area and slotted into the net to give Fulham their first home win of the season, and only second overall after their opening-day victory at Sunderland.

Hull City and Aston Villa played out a goalless draw at the KC Stadium.

Results:

Cardiff City 1 Newcastle United 2

Fulham 1 Stoke City 0

Hull City 0 Aston Villa 0

Liverpool 3 Crystal Palace 1

Manchester City 3 Everton 1—Agencies