Kalika Mehta
@Journo_K
Naby Keita, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah return Jurgen Klopp’s team back to the top of the Premier League table
Last Updated: 26/04/19 10:24pm
Liverpool maintained the pressure on Premier League title rivals Manchester City with a convincing 5-0 victory over already-relegated Huddersfield on Friday Night Football.
Naby Keita scored the hosts’ fastest-ever Premier League goal after 15 seconds before Sadio Mane (23) netted his ninth league goal of the season at Anfield and Mohamed Salah lobbed Jonas Lossl shortly before the break.
Huddersfield tried to work their way into the game with Steve Mounie and Karlan Grant coming close to applying a decisive touch, but Mane’s (66) second header of the game and Salah’s 21st league goal of the season in the 83rd minute saw Jurgen Klopp’s side sweep to a 10th consecutive win.
The result means Liverpool re-establish their two-point lead over Manchester City, who travel to Burnley on Super Sunday and will still secure the league title if they win their remaining three matches.
Player Ratings
Liverpool: Alisson(8), Alexander-Arnold (8), Lovren (7), Van Dijk (8), Robertson (9), Henderson (7), Wijnaldum (6), Keita (8), Salah (9), Sturridge (6), Mane (9)
Subs used: Oxlade-Chamerlain (7), Shaqiri (6), Gomez (N/A)
Huddersfield: Lossl (3), Smith (4), Schindler (4), Kongolo (4), Durm (5), Stankovic (3), Hogg (4), Bacuna (5), Mbenza (4), Mounie (5), Grant (4)
Subs used: Lowe (5), Pritchard (5), Kachunga (N/A)
Man of the match: Andy Robertson
Reds show little signs of feeling the pressure
Having seen City move top of the league by winning their game in hand over Manchester United in midweek, it took a mere 15 seconds for Liverpool to take the lead against Huddersfield as Keita’s pressing of defender Jon Stankovic presented the ball to Salah just outside the box, who then slipped in Keita to finish.
Salah could have doubled their lead two minutes later when he raced through on goal, forcing Lossl into a fine save, before the visitors came within a whisker of equalising – Stankovic almost atoning for his error at the opposite end of the pitch when his pass toward the corner of goal was deflected just wide of the post.
The Run In – Remaining fixtures
| Date | Liverpool fixtures | Date | Man City fixtures |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 28 | Burnley (A) – SSPL | ||
| May 5 | Newcastle (A) – SSPL | May 4 | Leicester (H) – SSPL |
| May 12 | Wolves (H) | May 12 | Brighton (A) |
Rather than being daunted having fallen behind early, Huddersfield began to show a threat of their up front with Isaac Mbenza’s pass across the six-yard area just evading Steve Mounie.
But, as Liverpool began to exert their authority a powerful drive forward from Virgil van Dijk saw Andy Robertson feed on the left and his exquisite cross was nodded in by Mane – earning the full-back his 10th Premier League assist of the season.
With the Reds dominating possession, captain Jordan Henderson blazed over from 15 yards out but Salah brought Anfield to its feet just before the break as he latched on to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ball over the top, timing his run perfectly before chipping the ball over the on-rushing Lossl.
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Jurgen Klopp shuffled his pack slightly, as a groin strain ruled Roberto Firmino out of the match with Daniel Sturridge coming in to make his first since Premier League start since December 5. Dejan Lovren replaced Joel Matip after missing two games through illness. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was also in the match-day squad for the first time this season, but Fabinho did not even make the bench after suffering a head injury at Cardiff.
There were also two changes for Huddersfield with midfielder Aaron Mooy absent after picking up a knock last week, so Karlan Grant came into the side and Jon Stankovic replaced Elias Kachunga.
Jan Siewert’s side started the second half brightly, earning two big chances when Grant missed the chance to tap the ball into an empty net before Mounie took too long to steady himself after being put through on goal, allowing Liverpool’s defenders to recover.
And, when the linesman flagged Daniel Sturridge for offside to keep the score at 3-0, Juninho Bacuna’s long-range effort forced Alisson into a fine save.
But the home side’s superiority showed as the game wore on, Mane adding his second when he directed Henderson’s cross to the back post back across goal before Salah tapped-in from Robertson’s cross to seal another impressive three points.
Opta stats
- Liverpool have accrued 91 points in the Premier League this season, their second-highest ever total in a single league season (converting to three for a win) in their history, behind only 98 points in 1978-79, which was a 42-game season.
- Liverpool have won 10 consecutive matches in all competitions, their best winning run since May 2006 when they won 11 on the bounce.
- Huddersfield have now lost 28 Premier League matches this season – they have never lost more league matches in a single Football League campaign in the club’s history (also 28 in 1987-88 in the second tier).
- Liverpool are now unbeaten in 19 matches across all competitions (W14 D5), their longest such streak since a run of 20 without defeat between December 1995 and March 1996.
- This victory means Liverpool will end today top of the Premier League – it is the 29th time that the lead has changed hands at the end of a day this season, the outright post-war top-flight record, overtaking 28 times in 2001-02.
- Huddersfield have now failed to score in each of their last nine meetings with Liverpool in all competitions; this is Liverpool’s joint-second longest run of clean sheets against an opponent in their history, behind only a 10-match streak against West Brom in August 2010 (also nine v Everton in April 1976).
- Liverpool have now earned 50 points at Anfield this season, their best ever tally at home in a Premier League season (previously 49 in 2013-14), with this the first top-flight season they have reached 50 points at home since 1987-88 (also 50).
- Mohamed Salah has become only the third Liverpool player to score 20+ Premier League goals in consecutive seasons for the club, after Robbie Fowler (1994-95 and 1995-96) and Luis Suarez (2012-13 and 2013-14).
Newcastle vs Liverpool
May 4, 2019, 7:00pm
Live on
Man of the match: Andy Robertson
The Liverpool left-back continued to the be architect of fair bit of his side’s fine play in the final third of the pitch. Robertson added his 10th and 11th assist in the league this season – becoming just the third defender to assist at least 10 goals in a single Premier League season.
Pundits…
Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports: Andy Robertson has been unbelievable. I think when he was first signed people first though he was a squad player – signed for £8m from a team that had just been relegated. He took some time to settle but right now he is the best left-back in the league.
Gary Neville on Sky Sports: It was a shocking start from Huddersfield. Teams have stopped playing out form the back against Liverpool because they realise they are one of the best teams at Europe at pressing high up on the pitch.
What’s next?
Liverpool travel to Barcelona on Wednesday for the first leg of their semi-final in the Champions League (8pm BST) before taking on Newcastle on Saturday Night Football (7.45pm) – live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm. Huddersfield, meanwhile, hosts Manchester United on Sunday (2pm)- live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm.
Burnley vs Man City
April 28, 2019, 2:00pm
Live on
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