'Ruthless' Reds run riot over Palace

LONDON • Jurgen Klopp believes his Liverpool players should be proud of their "ruthless finishing", after the Reds ended a three-month wait for an away win in the Premier League with a 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace yesterday.

In an ominous sign for the challengers hoping to dethrone the Merseyside club as English champions, Liverpool built on the momentum of a last-minute winner that beat Tottenham 2-1 in midweek.

Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah scored twice at Selhurst Park, while Takumi Minamino, Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson also netted.

"It was hard work as well as ruthless finishing," Klopp said after the match on BT Sport.

"We had a lot of calm in the moments. They had their moments, 100 per cent, but our finishing in the first half was really clinical.

"I'm not thinking the game is finished (at 3-0) at half-time. We had to stay concentrated. That was the challenge. We controlled the game and scored wonderful goals.

"This is a very intense period but it clicked today. The boys should be really proud."

The Liverpool manager has repeatedly bemoaned having to play Saturday lunchtime kick-offs after Wednesday night games, but his side suffered no hangover from their exertions against Spurs.

Salah was given a rare rest from the start, but his Japanese replacement Minamino took just three minutes to open the scoring when he was teed up by Mane for his first Premier League goal.

Mane then ended his longest goal drought as a Liverpool player at nine games with an excellent finish from Firmino's pass.

A clinical counter-attack made it three before the break as this time Firmino latched on to Andy Robertson's cross before flicking the ball beyond Vicente Guaita.​

7 Takumi Minamino is the seventh Japanese player to score in the Premier League, after Junichi Inamoto, Hidetoshi Nakata, Shinji Kagawa, Maya Yoshida, Shinji Okazaki and Yoshinori Muto.

7 The 7-0 victory is Liverpool's biggest away win in the English top flight.

7 Different players created the goals.

Liverpool had not won in their previous five league games. They have already dropped more points this campaign than they had before sealing a first league title in 30 years last season.

However, Klopp's men have survived an injury crisis and, with more players returning to fitness, are now in pole position to retain their title.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of those to have returned in recent weeks after a month out and the England international's pass was swept home by Henderson from outside the box to make it 4-0.

Klopp then took the chance to give Mane a rest, but the Senegalese voiced his frustration at being removed from the game and replaced by Salah.

The Egyptian forward played his part for the fifth with the pass to Firmino, who has now scored as many goals (three) in his last two games than his previous 27 Premier League appearances.

Salah then moved to the top of this season's Premier League goalscoring charts with a late double. He headed home from a corner before bending a stunning effort into the top corner.

Victory ensured Liverpool - who had only 14 shots on goal, eight of which were on target and seven went in - will lead the league at Christmas for a third successive season. On this evidence, they will take some catching in the new year.

Liverpool captain Henderson agreed with Klopp's assessment of the Reds' performance, saying on BT Sport: "I thought we were ruthless today and took our chances, which is always important.

"In certain ways it was our best performance of the season. We dominated the game for large periods but I still thought we were sloppy at times.

"Overall, we're delighted with the performance."

Palace manager Roy Hodgson, meanwhile, admitted that it was a crushing defeat for his side.

"There's nothing positive I can say. We're humiliated by the result, we take it very badly. It's a new experience for most of us," he said.

"I can't think of anything positive to say at all. I'm still trying to come to terms with a 7-0 defeat at home, albeit by a very good team.

"First time I've suffered it, and many others in the dressing room.

"A day or two of grieving, I feel. We just have to come over it and learn some lessons from it. I'm sure we will."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE