Liverpool tops Premier League after beating Spurs

After a 24-year wait, the English league title could be on its way back to Liverpool.

A 4-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday saw Liverpool overtake Chelsea and become the new Premier League leader in a close fight for the title.

The fight for Champions League qualification intensified across the other leagues to Europe, too, while Serie A leader Juventus fell to a rare loss in Italy.

Here is a look at the action across the continent's top leagues:

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ENGLAND

Liverpool fuelled the growing belief that the English championship could be returning to Anfield by thrashing Tottenham 4-0, lifting the team to the top of the Premier League.

On a successful day for the Merseyside clubs, Everton won 3-1 at last-place Fulham to close to within four points of fourth-place Arsenal ahead of their meeting at Goodison Park next weekend.

Liverpool — the league's top scorers — produced another masterful attacking display against a porous Spurs defense, with Younes Kaboul's second-minute own-goal added to by strikes from Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson to seal an eighth straight win for the Reds.

They made the most of Chelsea's 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Saturday and are two points clear of Jose Mourinho's side with six games left. Manchester City, which drew 1-1 at fourth-place Arsenal, is two points further back in third and crucially has two games in hand.

Chelsea and City both play at Anfield next month.

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SPAIN

Getafe fought back for a much-needed 3-1 victory at Valencia on Sunday, breaking a 15-round winless streak and escaping from the Spanish league's relegation zone.

Getafe's first away win since Oct. 31 and first under new coach Cosmin Contra lifted the struggling Madrid-based side one point clear of the drop.

Forwards Angel Lafita, Ciprian Marica and Pedro Leon scored for Getafe after Eduardo Vargas had given Valencia the lead.

Earlier, Real Sociedad was held to a 1-1 draw at Osasuna and Villarreal drew 1-1 at home with Elche, so neither was able to capitalize on the losses by Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla, and Espanyol on Saturday in the fight for a European spot.

That left Bilbao in fourth place and in control of the last Champions League spot. Sevilla and Real Sociedad are six points behind in fifth and sixth places, while Villarreal is a further point back in seventh.

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ITALY

Jose Maria Callejon scored in the first half and Belgium international Dries Mertens added a late goal as Napoli handed Serie A leader Juventus only its second loss of the season with a 2-0 victory Sunday.

Still, Juventus has an 11-point lead over second-place Roma and is 17 points ahead of Napoli with seven rounds remaining.

In the 37th minute at the San Paolo stadium, Callejon beat Juve midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah to redirect a cross from Lorenzo Insigne from the edge of the box for his 12th goal since transferring from Real Madrid in the offseason.

Mertens added the second in the 81st with a long bouncing shot.

Earlier, Roma beat relegation-threatened Sassuolo 2-0 and fourth-place Fiorentina was held to a 0-0 draw at Sampdoria. Parma remained one point behind Inter Milan in the race for fifth and the final Europa League berth after a 3-2 loss at Lazio, and Luca Toni scored twice after Marco Donadel's opener in Hellas Verona's 3-0 win over Genoa.

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GERMANY

Borussia Moenchengladbach came from a goal down to beat Hamburger SV 3-1 and leave the visiting side second from bottom in the Bundesliga.

Hamburg is the only club to have played in each of the Bundesliga's 51 seasons and the players are under immense pressure to prevent its first relegation.

Moenchengladbach reclaimed sixth place while Hamburg is just two points above bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig, and behind 16th-placed Stuttgart on goal difference.

Sebastian Proedl's last-minute header earned Werder Bremen a 2-1 win at Hannover later Sunday, lifting his side eight points above the relegation zone.

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FRANCE

Lille edged Guingamp 1-0 to pull within six points of second-place Monaco in the French league despite a mediocre performance, while Rennes thrashed mid-table Bastia 3-0 to move closer to securing safety.

In the second minute of stoppage time, Lille center back Marko Basa redirected a corner toward Salomon Kalou, who flicked home the winner for his 11th league goal this season.

In Rennes, the hosts took the lead in the 14th minute with a powerful strike from winger Romain Alessandrini that goalkeeper Mickael Landreau fumbled into his own net. Sweden forward Ola Toivonen fired a half-volley into the top corner to double the lead in the 28th and set up midfielder Jean Makoun for the third goal in the 59th.

Also, Saint-Etienne kept pace with Lille in the race for a Champions League spot by defeating Lyon 2-1.