Liverpool smashed Crystal Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Park as they consolidated their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Crystal Palace 0-7 Liverpool
• 0-1: Takumi Minamino (3′)
• 0-2: Sadio Mane (36′)
• 0-3: Roberto Firmino (44′)
• 0-4: Jordan Henderson (52′)
• 0-5: Roberto Firmino (62′)
• 0-6: Mohamed Salah (81′)
• 0-7: Mohamed Salah (84′)
As it happened →
Highlights →
Takumi Minamino, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino put the Reds 3-0 up at the break before Jordan Henderson, Firmino and a Mohamed Salah brace sealed a magnificent 7-0 win for Liverpool.
The result sees the champions go six points clear at the summit of the Premier League table before Tottenham’s clash against Leicester tomorrow afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp made three changes as Joel Matip returned in defence and Naby Keita and Takumi Minamino made relatively rare starts. Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah were both named on the bench.
Liverpool took the lead inside the opening three minutes as Minamino seized his opportunity early on with a tidy finish.
Sadio Mane received the ball inside the box before turning and finding the Japanese forward, who took an extra touch and found the back of the net with an excellent low strike.
The Eagles responded well as they put together some dangerous moves, with Eze and Wilfried Zaha often being the catalysts.
The hosts had a glaring opportunity to equalise as Jordan Ayew brushed Fabinho aside before trying to pull the ball back for the unmarked Zaha. But the Ghanian’s ball woefully missed Zaha’s path as the Reds breathed a sigh of relief.
Despite the hosts threatening in bouts, Liverpool doubled their advantage ten minutes before the break. Roberto Firmino found Mane at the edge of the box before the Senegalese pivoted and thumped the ball into the bottom corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
It didn’t take much longer for the Reds to make it 3-0 as an outstanding counter-attack was finished off by Firmino, who received Andy Robertson’s cross with a subtle touch before casually caressing the ball past Vicente Guaita with the outside of his foot.
The goals didn’t stop coming after the break as another well-worked Reds move saw Trent Alexander-Arnold lay it off for Jordan Henderson, who whipped the ball into the far corner to make it 4-0.
Mane had a chance to make it five but failed to hit the target before being replaced by Mohamed Salah, with the Reds’ no 10 visibly unhappy at the decision to be withdrawn.
The hosts were by no means poor and had forays inside Liverpool’s half, but the Reds looked far sharper as they dealt with the threat and looked menacing in attack.
Firmino made it five as the Reds put together another excellent counter-attack. Alexander-Arnold found Salah, who cut inside and played Firmino through on goal. The Brazilian made no mistake as he elegantly dinked the ball over Guaita to score his second of the game.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on to make his first appearance of the season as the Reds looked to cruise to victory in the final stages.
Salah added the icing on the cake with two quick-fire goals, the first coming from a Reds corner and the second an unstoppable dart from outside the box, sealing a club record 7-0 win away from home.
It was an outstanding performance from Klopp’s side, who looked to be at their unequivocal best after some tricky encounters in recent weeks. Next up, West Brom in eight days’ time…
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita, Minamino, Firmino, Mane.
LFC Globe’s MOTM: Roberto Firmino
Next Fixture: West Brom (H) – 27 Dec, 4.30pm
