Match ends, Liverpool 4, Southampton 0.
Diogo Jota scored twice as Liverpool thrashed Southampton to move up to second in the Premier League, one point behind leaders Chelsea.
Southampton arrived at Anfield clearly determined to attack the hosts but their bold intent was punished after less than two minutes when Andrew Robertson was allowed to get away down the flank and cross for Jota to poke in.
Sensing the opportunity to secure a big win against wide-open opponents, Liverpool kept up the attack, Sadio Mane heading wide before having a goal ruled out for a marginal offside.
But a second goal duly arrived just after the half-hour mark when the unmarked Jota tapped in from Mohamed Salah's square ball after good link-up play between the Egypt international and Jordan Henderson.
Those two strikes took Liverpool to 700 goals scored since Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield - they have also become the first top-flight team in English football to score at least twice in 17 straight matches in all competitions since Sunderland in 1927.
The Reds were not done there, however, and a third goal arrived just a few minutes later when the visitors failed to clear their lines properly and Thiago Alcantara punished them with a deflected strike for his second goal in as many games.
The half-time interval provided only a brief respite and Liverpool made it 4-0 soon after the restart as Virgil van Dijk fired in from a corner.
Jota almost completed his hat-trick midway through the second half but stabbed just wide as Southampton kept the damage to four goals when in truth it could have been much worse.
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A perfect result heading into busy festive period
With games every three or four days, December is looking like it could be a crucial month in the title race but Liverpool head into the festive period in imperious form.
In the space of seven days they have sent Arsenal, Porto and now Southampton away from Anfield empty handed - scoring 10 goals and conceding none.
It is the sort of marker they needed to lay down after a couple of disappointing results at the start of this month - drawing at home to Brighton and losing at West Ham - but the last few days have shown Liverpool at their attacking best.
They were helped in this game by a Saints side who looked disjointed and far too open from the outset, but the hosts' attacking play would have found a way through a stiffer defence than this.
Liverpool's pace going forward was relentless, with Jota, Mane and Salah hanging off the shoulders of the Southampton defenders, ready to pounce on any opportunity.
This was a rare game in which Salah was not on the scoresheet but he still more than played his part and his assist for the second meant he has now been directly involved in 150 Premier League goals in his 171 league games for the Reds.
The pace certainly dropped off after Van Dijk scored Liverpool's fourth but with nine games coming up in December, Liverpool perhaps wisely conserved their energy.
Player of the match
Diogo JotaDiogo Jota
Liverpool
Avg
- Squad number20Player nameDiogo JotaAverage rating
8.33
- Squad number26Player nameRobertsonAverage rating
8.16
- Squad number11Player nameMohamed SalahAverage rating
8.11
- Squad number4Player namevan DijkAverage rating
8.03
- Squad number6Player nameThiago AlcántaraAverage rating
7.95
- Squad number10Player nameManéAverage rating
7.83
- Squad number66Player nameAlexander-ArnoldAverage rating
7.74
- Squad number15Player nameOxlade-ChamberlainAverage rating
7.73
- Squad number3Player nameFabinhoAverage rating
7.69
- Squad number18Player nameMinaminoAverage rating
7.66
- Squad number14Player nameHendersonAverage rating
7.65
- Squad number1Player nameAlissonAverage rating
7.61
- Squad number5Player nameKonatéAverage rating
7.53
- Squad number7Player nameMilnerAverage rating
7.37
Southampton
Avg
- Squad number10Player nameAdamsAverage rating
5.06
- Squad number21Player nameLivramentoAverage rating
5.05
- Squad number9Player nameA ArmstrongAverage rating
4.86
- Squad number6Player nameOriol RomeuAverage rating
4.83
- Squad number18Player nameBrojaAverage rating
4.80
- Squad number22Player nameSalisuAverage rating
4.78
- Squad number15Player namePerraudAverage rating
4.71
- Squad number2Player nameWalker-PetersAverage rating
4.70
- Squad number4Player nameLyancoAverage rating
4.64
- Squad number23Player nameTellaAverage rating
4.63
- Squad number11Player nameRedmondAverage rating
4.55
- Squad number35Player nameBednarekAverage rating
4.54
- Squad number1Player nameMcCarthyAverage rating
4.54
- Squad number8Player nameWard-ProwseAverage rating
4.23
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alisson
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- 5Konaté
- 4van Dijk
- 26Robertson
- 14HendersonSubstituted forMilnerat 67'minutes
- 3Fabinho
- 6Thiago AlcántaraSubstituted forOxlade-Chamberlainat 59'minutes
- 11Salah
- 20JotaSubstituted forMinaminoat 81'minutes
- 10Mané
Substitutes
- 7Milner
- 15Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 18Minamino
- 21Tsimikas
- 27Origi
- 32Matip
- 62Kelleher
- 76N Williams
- 80Morton
Southampton
Formation 3-4-3
- 1McCarthy
- 35BednarekBooked at 11minsSubstituted forRedmondat 45'minutes
- 4Lyanco
- 22Salisu
- 21Livramento
- 8Ward-Prowse
- 6Romeu
- 15PerraudSubstituted forWalker-Petersat 88'minutes
- 18Broja
- 10AdamsSubstituted forTellaat 45'minutes
- 9A Armstrong
Substitutes
- 2Walker-Peters
- 7Long
- 11Redmond
- 20Smallbone
- 23Tella
- 27Diallo
- 32Walcott
- 43Valery
- 44Forster
- Referee:
- Andre Marriner
- Attendance:
- 53,040
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home65%
- Away35%
- Shots
- Home20
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away3
- Corners
- Home5
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away14
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Liverpool 4, Southampton 0.
Post update
Foul by Fabinho (Liverpool).
Post update
Oriol Romeu (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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Foul by James Milner (Liverpool).
Post update
Nathan Tella (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Southampton. Kyle Walker-Peters replaces Romain Perraud.
Post update
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.
Post update
Foul by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool).
Post update
Adam Armstrong (Southampton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Fabinho.
Post update
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Romain Perraud (Southampton).
Post update
Attempt missed. James Milner (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Takumi Minamino replaces Diogo Jota.
Post update
Foul by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool).
Post update
Armando Broja (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Diogo Jota.
Post update
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Mohammed Salisu.
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Comments
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The great entertainers.
3 easy wins.
10 goals to nil aggregate.
Awesome.