Adam Lallana scored a brace to help Liverpool return to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside.

Adam Lallana scored a brace to help Liverpool return to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside.

The England international opened the scoring in a closely-fought first-half with a back post header and added his second after the restart, sandwiched between a goal from Divock Origi who scored in his fifth consecutive goal.

The first period proved to be a close affair but Boro were punished for a single lapse of concentration on 29 minutes when Lallana headed in at the back post.

Boro responded well initially with Viktor Fischer and Adam Forshaw both testing goalkeeping Simon Mignolet, who was restored to the side in place of under-fire Loris Karius.

But the visitors stepped up their game after the restart and were by far the deserving winners. The game was all but sealed on the hour-mark when Origi completed a fantastic team move before Lallana sealed the rout eight minutes later.

It all means Liverpool move up to second, leapfrogging Arsenal on goal difference, while Boro drop to 17th, three points above the relegation zone.