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Late penalty earns Liverpool 17th straight win in EPL



Liverpool’s James Milner celebrates his wining goal during English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Leicester City in Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Anfield, Oct 5 (AP) : Another victory for Liverpool thanks to the latest of goals. Another demoralizing loss for Tottenham thanks to an early — and painful — goalkeeping blunder.

Liverpool won a 17th straight game in the Premier League — and moved one off the record set by Manchester City in 2017 — by beating Leicester 2-1 at Anfield, with James Milner converting a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp let out a roar, punched the air and cupped his ears to the jubilant home crowd after a goal that sealed an eighth win in a row to open this league campaign. It left the Reds eight points clear of City, which plays Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday

While it couldn’t be going any better for the European champions, the team they beat in last season’s Champions League final is struggling badly four months later.

Tottenham followed up a 7-2 midweek loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League — the biggest home defeat in the club’s 137-year history — with its heaviest Premier League loss in nearly two years, 3-0 at lowly Brighton.

Tottenham conceded the opening goal in the third minute, after goalkeeper Hugo Lloris dropped the ball on his own goal line and fell back to the ground, seriously hurting his left elbow and requiring a trip to the hospital.

Under-pressure Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged he was going through the toughest period of his 5 1/2 years in charge of the London club, but said: “Now is a moment to be strong.”

In other games Saturday, Aston Villa delivered a performance fit for a king by winning 5-1 at Norwich in front of the club’s most famous fan, Prince William.

Burnley beat 10-man Everton 1-0 and Watford remained without a win heading into the second international break of the season after drawing 0-0 at home to Sheffield United.