Magnificent seven

Magnificent seven

by Adrian Pancucci of "Press Association"

Liverpool returned to the top of the First Division with an emphatic win over a poor Derby County side, and gave the perfect response to those who have talked about a crisis at the Anfield club.

Derby were so comprehensively beaten that seven goals seemed to be poor reward for Liverpool's overwhelming superiority.

However, a large victory is just what Liverpool needed to eat away Arsenal's superior goal difference - a factor that could be crucial in deciding the outcome of the League championship.

Liverpool were in complete control and John Barnes, who has pledged himself to Liverpool for at least one more year - he signed a new one-year deal for a reputed 8,000 pounds a week only hours before this game - was Derby's greatest tormentor with his mesmerising runs and superb close control.

He was involved in all but the first of Liverpool's goals, which came from a Jan Molby penalty after England international Mark Wright had fouled Ian Rush.

Derby equalised after 20 minutes from a penalty of their own, after Liverpool goalkeeper Mike Hooper had brought down Ted McMinn. Welsh international Dean Saunders scored the penalty.

Clinical

Barnes restored Liverpool's lead three minutes later, and Rush gave them an unassailable half-time lead with a clinical finish from Beardsley's through-ball.

Barnes got his second only two minutes after half-time, and Derby's former England international goalkeeper Peter Shilton was left exposed time and again to Liverpool's ruthless attack.

The versatile Steve Nicol weighed-in with two goals and Ray Houghton completed the rout with the seventh in injury time.

With Arsenal held to a goalless draw at Norwich, Liverpool are now a point clear at the top. Derby could not be in a worse position, firmly rooted to the bottom of Division One, and heading for the Second Division, 12 points adrift of the safety zone.