Liverpool hammer Leeds for first win in five games


Cody Gakpo taps Liverpool into the lead at Leeds
Cody Gakpo scored his fifth goal for Liverpool since joining the club in January

Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota both scored twice as Liverpool claimed a first league win in five games by inflicting a second successive home hammering on Leeds, who remain mired deep in the relegation battle.

The Reds had not won since putting seven unanswered goals past Manchester United at the start of March, but after a slow start they ruthlessly dismantled hapless Leeds.

The home side claimed Trent Alexander-Arnold used an arm to control the ball but he then drove forward to set up Cody Gakpo for the opener before Salah fired in from an angle to put the visitors in control.

Leeds were given hope after the break when Luis Sinisterra dispossessed ponderous Ibrahima Konate and cleverly chipped the ball past Alisson.

However Liverpool quickly responded through Jota’s neat finish – the Portugal forward’s first goal since April 2022.

After seeing a goal ruled out for offside, Salah then slotted home at the end of a superb move to put the game to bed before Jota grabbed his own second from a Jordan Henderson cross.

Substitute Darwin Nunez completed the rout with a neat side-foot finish against a shambolic Whites side, who conceded five last weekend at home to Crystal Palace and now have the worst defensive record in the Premier League.

On an encouraging night for the visitors, there was also a return to action for Luis Diaz, making his first appearance since October as a late substitute.

Jurgen Klopp’s side remain eighth in the Premier League table, a point behind seventh-placed Brighton and two shy of Aston Villa in sixth.

More to follow.

helpHow to play

Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.

Rating range key1 = Give it up10 = Pure perfection

Leeds United

  1. Squad number1Player nameMeslier

  2. Squad number25Player nameKristensen

  3. Squad number5Player nameKoch

  4. Squad number21Player nameStruijk

  5. Squad number3Player nameFirpo

  6. Squad number28Player nameMcKennie

  7. Squad number8Player nameRoca

  8. Squad number11Player nameHarrison

  9. Squad number7Player nameAaronson

  10. Squad number23Player nameSinisterra

  11. Squad number19Player nameRodrigo

  1. Squad number4Player nameForshaw

  2. Squad number10Player nameSummerville

  3. Squad number24Player nameRutter

  4. Squad number29Player nameGnonto

Line-ups

Leeds

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Meslier
  • 25Kristensen
  • 5Koch
  • 21Struijk
  • 3Firpo
  • 28McKennie
  • 8Roca
  • 11HarrisonSubstituted forGnontoat 77′minutes
  • 7AaronsonSubstituted forRutterat 66′minutes
  • 23SinisterraSubstituted forForshawat 77′minutes
  • 19RodrigoSubstituted forSummervilleat 66′minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Ayling
  • 4Forshaw
  • 6Cooper
  • 10Summerville
  • 22Robles
  • 24Rutter
  • 29Gnonto
  • 39Wöber
  • 42Greenwood

Liverpool

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Alisson
  • 66Alexander-Arnold
  • 5Konaté
  • 4van Dijk
  • 26Robertson
  • 14HendersonSubstituted forMilnerat 81′minutes
  • 3FabinhoBooked at 42minsSubstituted forThiago Alcántaraat 85′minutes
  • 17Jones
  • 11SalahSubstituted forNúñezat 81′minutes
  • 18GakpoSubstituted forDíazat 81′minutes
  • 20JotaSubstituted forFirminoat 82′minutes

Substitutes

  • 6Thiago Alcántara
  • 7Milner
  • 9Firmino
  • 19Elliott
  • 21Tsimikas
  • 23Díaz
  • 27Núñez
  • 32Matip
  • 62Kelleher

Referee:
Craig Pawson

Attendance:
36,657

Live Text

Everything you need to know about your Premier League team banner

  • Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before – here’s everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment

BBC Sport banner footer





Source link

You may also like...