Huddersfield 0-3 Liverpool: Dominant reds in full control to power to 50 points

Premier League
Tuesday 30 January 2018 - 8:00 pm
Kirklees Stadium
Huddersfield0
3Liverpool
Show Match Events
26'Can ⚽️
45'Firmino ⚽️
Mounie off, Quaner on ↔️64'
78'Salah ⚽️
Löwe off, Iheanacho on ↔️79'
Mooy off, van La Parra on ↔️79'
83'↔️ Henderson off, Wijnaldum on
83'↔️ Salah off, Oxlade-Chamberlain on
89'↔️ Firmino off, Solanke on
Possession %
2575
Total Shots
514
Shots on Target
17
Shots Blocked
24
Offside
32
Hide Match Events

Liverpool are continuing with one of their best League campaign since Kenny Dalglish resigned 27 years ago.

Liverpool move on to 50 points after 25 games - a tally beaten only once - under Rafa Benitez in 2009.

After defeat to Swansea ended an 18 game unbeaten run - the reds returned to Premier League action keen to avoid a potential banana skin.

Huddersfield have been in poor form for the past month or so, and tonight in Yorkshire the reds hardly let them have a kick of the ball.

Jordan Henderson making his first start in a month was joined in midfield by James Milner and Emre Can.

From the outset Huddersfield's mindset was one of preventing danger at the back - with a genuine back 5 in place protected by the other 5 outfield players in a tight line in front of them.

As it happened: Huddersfield 0-3 Liverpool

It was difficult for the reds to make the space to exploit despite overwhelming domination in terms of possession and intricate passes.

Jonas Lossl in goal for the hosts made some useful interventions in collecting crosses - but it was Liverpool's Karius who was drawn into the first major save of the game when Depoitre fired in a quick shot after a ball was fed across the reds area.

Opening goal

In the end it was Emre Can who put away the intricacies and stepped up with a piledriver to force open the scoring.

His shot midway through the first half hit a Huddersfield defender - the connection forcing the ball to fool the initial flight of the ball and beat the keeper.

Klopp would say after the game that he had to decide which midfielder to drop after the West Brom game but was glad that Emre Can 'repaid' his faith.

As half time edged closer the reds made it 2, deservedly, through the effervescent Roberto Firmino.

From a tight angle, 6 yards out, he feigned to pass and instead squeezed it narrowly inside the Huddersfield keeper - the ball ricocheting off the post and in from an acute position.

Second half - more of the same from Liverpool who were rarely troubled by Huddersfield.  The home fans even ironically cheering when their side strung a handful of passes together in the 65th minute.

Misfiring Mane

Sadio Mane should have helped himself to two goals in the second half but failed to convert either identical header from an Emre Can pass.  It was another below par performance from the attacker who also should have grabbed the games first goal when he was fed by a Firmino through ball.

Eventually Emre Can was involved yet again - he was fouled inside the area and the reds were awarded a penalty.  There was some discussion who would take it but Mo Salah pulled rank over James Milner stepped up and dispatched the ball to give Liverpool a deserved 3-0 win.

It was his 26th goal of the season and he is now the 2nd highest scoring Liverpool player in the entire squad.  He joined a little over 5 months ago.

The reds stay in 4th place by virtue of goal difference, but 50 points from 25 games this season and 49 points at the same stage last season, prove that Klopp has made significant progress after almost 3 decades of league dysfunction at Anfield.

Liverpool welcome Spurs next to Anfield and will be hoping that the blip really was a minor one.

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