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Mohamed Salah scored two penalties as Liverpool closed to within three points of Premier League leaders Manchester City with a 6-0 hammering of Leeds United at Anfield.
Salah netted either side of Joel Matip’s superb strike to give Jurgen Klopp’s team a comfortable advantage, before Sadio Mane added a late double of his own and Virgil van Dijk completed the scoring.
The stunning victory gives Liverpool renewed hope of catching Pep Guardiola’s league leaders, who lost at home to Tottenham on Saturday and must still welcome the Reds to the Etihad Stadium.
City could have expected few favours from Leeds, however, with Marcelo Bielsa’s men firmly in a relegation scrap with the league’s most porous defence.
After a high-octane opening, Liverpool were awarded a 13th-minute spot-kick when Stuart Dallas handled a cross, allowing Salah to fire into the bottom corner.
Raphinha saw a tap-in ruled out for offside as Leeds looked to respond, but they found themselves two down after half an hour when Matip surged forward from the back, playing a one-two with Salah before thumping home his first goal of the campaign.
Rampant Liverpool earned a second penalty moments later, when Luke Ayling brought down Mane. Salah elected to smash the ball into the top corner this time, scoring two penalties in a single game at home to Leeds for a second season running.
Junior Firpo’s clearance denied Salah a first-half hat-trick and the winger spurned another chance for his treble on the hour, but Liverpool still were not done with the scoring.
An incisive move ended with Mane converting Jordan Henderson’s cross, before the same man was on hand to profit when the ball fell into his path after Illan Meslier blocked from Divock Origi.
Liverpool kept up their intensity until the final whistle, refusing to turn their attention to Sunday’s EFL Cup final ahead of time as Van Dijk nodded the 93rd-minute sixth.
What does it mean? Title race on as Liverpool hammer Leeds again
Liverpool’s dominant win moved them to within one victory of the Premier League summit. Wins are easy to come by right now, too, as Klopp’s team earned a ninth successive victory in all competitions.
They have now won their last four Premier League home games against Leeds, netting 16 goals in the process. They last won more consecutive Anfield clashes with them in the league between 1973 and 1978, a run of six victories.
Salah surpasses Owen’s Anfield exploits, with a helping hand
Salah’s spot-kicks represented his 64th and 65th Premier League goals for Liverpool at Anfield, moving him clear of Michael Owen’s tally of 63. Only Robbie Fowler (85) and Steven Gerrard (69) have now scored more home goals for the Reds in the competition.
His first penalty was the 170th spot-kick Liverpool have been awarded in the Premier League, a competition record ahead of Manchester United (169).
Van Dijk enters record-books
Defensive colossus Van Dijk has still never lost a Premier League home game at Liverpool, winning 51 and drawing eight of his 59 games at Anfield with the Reds in the competition.
He has now equalled Lee Sharpe’s Manchester United record for the most Premier League home games at a specific club without ever losing (59 – W47 D12).
What’s next?
Liverpool now head to Wembley in their pursuit of a first domestic cup triumph since 2012, facing Chelsea under the arch on Sunday. Leeds, meanwhile, host Tottenham in an early Premier League kick-off on Saturday.
