One may say that calling the match thrashing is putting it mildly, as others would see it as a massacre. Not only did Liverpool snatch the upper hand with 6 goals, but Leeds United also could not even answer with a single net.

Representing the home side, Liverpool had 63.7% ball possession and attempted 23 shots as compared to Leeds’ disappointing 3. Out of those 23, 15 were on target, when Leeds only managed to get 2 shots at max. Liverpool completed nearly twice as many passes, and Leeds committed almost a dozen fouls when Reds did only 5.

Match Highlights
In the first half, Jürgen Klopp’s team was already leading the game with three goals to none. The first goal happened at the 15-minute mark, where Mohamed Salah fired a penalty following the handball call for Stuart Dallas. After the penalty kick, the Egyptian winger contributed again by setting another goal for Joel Matip in the 30th minute. On minute 35, VAR determined Sadio Mané had been tripped inside the six-yard box by Leeds’ defender Luke Ayling. Mohamed Salah then scored the second penalty goal for the foul, giving the Reds a huge lead before halftime.

35 minutes after the halftime whistle, Jordan Henderson crossed a low ball to Mané which amounted to another net. Not stopping there, Mané scored another goal at the 90-minute mark. The match ended with a header by Virgil Van Dijk at injury time, welcoming the assist from the corner by Andrew Robertson.

The match had also become a cornerstone in Virgil van Dijk’s career. He has now equaled Lee Sharpe’s Premier League record of being unbeaten in all 59 of his home matches. The match concluded at 6 – 0, giving Liverpool 3 points that translated to 60 for the championship run.

Facing Relegation
The losing result only put Leeds closer to relegation — the 18th seed Burnley have 20 points and Leeds United, standing on 15th, are just three points apart. Since their last clean sheet, Leeds has conceded a calamitous 39 goals in 11 Premier League matches. The squad of Marcelo Bielsa had lost 6 out of their 9 last Premier League fixtures while earning only 7 points within that period. After the blow in Anfield, the Argentine said:

“A result like today you can’t explain it with the absences. We are fighting relegation. Of course, it worries me, how is it not going to?”

Championship opportunity for the Reds
While it was a relegation battle for the visitors, the match stood as a Premier League championship race for the hosts. The winning points place Liverpool to trail the league leaders Manchester City closely, with just three points difference. But one of the catches in this race is the goal difference. Liverpool, sitting at 70, is far superior as compared to the Citizens’ 63.

Liverpool has been waiting for such a small point margin all season to bring down the reigning champions. With 12 matches left in the season, the Reds are even more optimistic to repeat the title in this 21-22 season.