Liverpool 5-0 Huddersfield: Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane net a brace each in easy win for Red
Liverpool's title destiny may still be out of their hands but they refuse to submit, with the 5-0 demolition of Huddersfield a reminder they are ready to pounce should Manchester City slip up.
The gap between top - the place occupied by Jurgen Klopp's side after this victory - and bottom could not have been more glaring as the visitors were outclassed at Anfield.
City, now two points behind with a game in hand, face a potentially tricky trip to Burnley knowing they cannot afford a mistake at this late stage of the campaign,
The relegated Terriers did themselves no favours after allowing Naby Keita to score after just 16 seconds, Liverpool's quickest Premier League goal and their 100th in all competitions this season.
With principal owner John W Henry making a rare Anfield appearance Sadio Mane and Mohamed both scored twice.
Liverpool now have the Premier League's top scorers this season (Salah 21, Mane 20) and with the team on course to reach 97 points it shows just how impressive City have had to be - and will still have to be - to deny the Reds their first title since 1990.
The windy conditions posed more of a problem to Liverpool than Huddersfield did, although no-one noticed after Keita struck before some fans had taken their seats.
Jon Gorenc Stankovic was caught in possession by the Guinea international, who took the return pass from Salah to sweep home the second fastest goal in the club's history, narrowly missing Paul Walsh's 14-second record against West Ham in 1984.
Salah fired wide and Virgil Van Dijk headed over before the Holland defender strode out of defence to tee up an Andy Robertson cross which was met by Mane's downward header.
In doing so Robertson became the first Liverpool defender to provide 10 assists in a Premier League season and only the third in the competition's history after Leighton Baines and Andy Hinchcliffe.
Opposite full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is only one behind, however, after he clipped the ball forward and Salah lobbed the advancing Jonas Lossl to score his 68th goal on his 100th appearance for the club - equalling the record of Roger Hunt and Sam Raybould.
Incredbly Salah, with 25 goals this season, was not even on the PFA shortlist but became only the third Liverpool player to score 20-plus Premier League goals in successive seasons after Robbie Fowler and Luis Suarez.
In the second half Mane lobbed over and Daniel Sturridge, making his first league start at Anfield since November 2017 after Roberto Firmino was left out with a minor muscle injury, had a goal ruled out for offside. In between Karlan Grant missed an open goal from four yards for the visitors.
Mane added another header, this time from a Henderson cross, and Liverpool were so comfortable they were able to give Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 20 minutes after 367 days out with a serious knee injury.
He almost scored after his first couple of touches, denied by Lossl's outstretched leg and while Mane was denied a hat-trick of headers by the post Salah could not miss from Robertson's 11th assist of the campaign.
Liverpool's thoughts now turn to the considerably more difficult proposition of Barcelona in the Nou Camp in a Champions League semi-final on Wednesday - but before then they may just be keeping an eye on events at Turf Moor on Sunday.
Opta facts
- Liverpool have accrued 91 points in the Premier League this season, their second-highest ever total in a single league season (converting to three for a win) in their history, behind only 98 points in 1978-79, which was a 42-game season.
- Liverpool have won 10 consecutive matches in all competitions, their best winning run since May 2006 when they won 11 on the bounce.
- Huddersfield have now lost 28 Premier League matches this season – they have never lost more league matches in a single Football League campaign in the club’s history (also 28 in 1987-88 in the second tier).
- Liverpool are now unbeaten in 19 matches across all competitions (W14 D5), their longest such streak since a run of 20 without defeat between December 1995 and March 1996.
- This victory means Liverpool will end today top of the Premier League – it is the 29th time that the lead has changed hands at the end of a day this season, the outright post-war top-flight record, overtaking 28 times in 2001-02.
- Huddersfield have now failed to score in each of their last nine meetings with Liverpool in all competitions; this is Liverpool’s joint-second longest run of clean sheets against an opponent in their history, behind only a 10-match streak against West Brom in August 2010 (also nine v Everton in April 1976).
- Liverpool have now earned 50 points at Anfield this season, their best ever tally at home in a Premier League season (previously 49 in 2013-14), with this the first top-flight season they have reached 50 points at home since 1987-88 (also 50).
- After just 15 seconds, Naby Keita's goal for Liverpool was the quickest they have ever scored in a Premier League match.
- No defender in Premier League history has assisted more goals in a single season in the competition than Liverpool's Andrew Robertson (11), moving level with Leighton Baines in 2010-11 and Andy Hinchcliffe in 1994-95.
- Mohamed Salah has become only the third Liverpool player to score 20+ Premier League goals in consecutive seasons for the club, after Robbie Fowler (1994-95 and 1995-96) and Luis Suarez (2012-13 and 2013-14).
- Liverpool are the first club to have two players score 20+ goals in a single Premier League season (Sadio Mane and Mo Salah) since the Reds themselves also last did so in 2013-14 (Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge).