Doubles from Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota helped Liverpool thrash Leeds at Elland Road on Monday night to end a run of five games without a victory.
The Reds have offered clinical displays infrequently during a disappointing season but rattled in six goals to further emphasise United’s defensive issues.
Cody Gakpo prodded in unmarked for the opener despite VAR complaints from the hosts before Salah fired in at the near post.
Luis Sinisterra jumped on an error from Ibrahima Konate to pull one back but Jota grabbed his first from Curtis Jones’ through ball before Salah finished off a flowing move from the visitors.
Jota grabbed his brace with an arrowed strike that bounced in off the post before Darwin Nunez registered his side’s sixth from the bench, controlling Trent Alexander-Arnold’s lob and finishing in front of a sparse Elland Road crowd.
Rodrigo went close first for the hosts, glancing his header from Jack Harrison’s free kick straight at Alisson early on. A giveaway from Jota ended with the Spaniard getting another shot at goal shortly after, but his effort skewed wide.
Konate then did well to show Sinisterra wide before the winger crashed a shot into the side-netting.
Liverpool took the lead in controversial fashion. A block from Alexander-Arnold appeared to hit the right back’s arm before a one-two with Salah ended with Gakpo tapping in at the back post. No VAR intervention came for Leeds.
Not soon after, Salah made it 2-0. Jota won the ball off the weak Weston McKennie, charged upfield and fed Salah, who took his shot first time, belting past Illan Meslier at the goalkeeper’s near post.
The Reds fully merited their lead at half time but threatened to put their fans through more unwanted drama by conceding right at the start of the second period.
Defender Konate took a horrible touch, allowing Sinisterra to latch onto the ball, surge towards Alisson and dink the Brazilian goalie to half the deficit.
However, just as soon as Leeds dragged themselves back into the contest by catching Konate cold, they gifted Liverpool their two-goal lead back to them. Jones picked out Jota with a quick turnover to send the former Wolves forward free and he clipped past Meslier with ease.
Leeds puffed in response, not looking capable of dragging themselves back for a second time, and instead Liverpool ran away with the game late on.
Salah grabbed his second as Andy Robertson cut the ball back to Gakpo, who in turn found the Egyptian who curled into the far corner. Another…
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