Twenty-year-old Conor Bradley scored his first goal for Liverpool and then set up one for Dominik Szoboszlai as Jurgen Klopp’s team moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea on Wednesday.
While Darwin Nunez peppered Chelsea‘s goal with seven shots in the first half, it was Diogo Jota who broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when he bundled past a couple of Chelsea defenders to score.
Bradley whipped the Anfield fans into a frenzy in the 39th minute when he hammered home an angled shot to the far corner after a surging run. The youngster from Northern Ireland then left a defender in his wake in the 65th minute before launching a pinpoint cross that Szoboszlai leapt to head past Djordje Petrovic.
Christopher Nkunku pulled one back in the 71st but Liverpool‘s Luis Diaz replied with a goal eight minutes later to send many of the Blues fans in attendance to the exits.
Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele picks out some of the things you may have missed.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez hit the woodwork four times against Chelsea on Wednesday
Nunez does everything right but score
Darwin Nunez had a typical Darwin Nunez performance here – do everything right but score.
He has now hit the woodwork nine times this season in the Premier League – no other player has done so more than three times.
Four of those were in this match – the first time a player has hit the woodwork on four separate occasions in a single match since records began in the 2003-04 season.
But although he still misses at least one gilt-edged chance per game on average, he is undroppable for Liverpool due to his all-round game – his cross for Luis Diaz’s goal was the Uruguayan’s 11th assist of the season – only Bukayo Saka has more from Premier League stars.
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp became the seventh manager to win 200 Premier League games, with only Pep Guardiola (269) doing so in fewer matches than the German (318). Others on the list are Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Harry Redknapp, Jose Mourinho and David Moyes.
Jackson forced to change his plans
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino was denied the chance to select Nicolas Jackson, despite planning for the striker to feature.
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse ordered his squad to return to Dakar together after their Africa Cup of Nations exit, delaying the return to their clubs.
Jackson had been planning to fly to London from Ivory Coast and was forced to change his plans.
Salah’s on comeback trail already
Liverpool were also without a star man due to Afcon, of course – the injured Mohamed Salah.
But they were handed a boost on Wednesday when their talisman returned to running drills on the grass at Kirkby.
Liverpool have been in such exceptional form that Salah has hardly been missed.
And the Reds will not rush his recovery. He will miss the trip to Arsenal on Sunday but Wednesday was a step in the right direction.
Mohamed Salah was pictured back on the grass as he continues his recovery from injury
Van Gaal causes a stir with Anfield appearance
Louis Van Gaal was a special guest at Anfield, sitting not far from Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan – which sparked debate, or concern, that he could be in line to succeed Jurgen Klopp.
But Van Gaal retired, of course, after managing the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup. He does do advisory work for Ajax in his spare time.
But as a lover of football, he was probably just here to watch a game between two top sides.
Pressure on Chelsea boss Pochettino
The first half here highlighted the task ahead for Mauricio Pochettino.
No one can doubt the Argentine has turned Chelsea’s form around in the last month or so but, having spent so much money, should we be cutting them so much slack?
Raheem Sterling had some nice touches, as did Cole Palmer, but they offered little in the way of an attacking threat.
An era-defining second half of the season is coming for Pochettino and Co.
Kop kid contrite after Man United flare-up
Liverpool have offered an olive branch to Manchester United after tempers flared between the clubs’ Under 18 sides on Tuesday, when Kop kid Luca Furnell-Gill punched and elbowed an opponent. United won 4-3 at Carrington.
United staff were livid with Luca Furnell-Gill for punching Ethan Wheatley in Under 18s game
The Reds will reach out to their rivals to apologise for the 17-year-old’s actions. Furnell-Gill is said to be remorseful and the club have supported him after online abuse was aimed at him.
The Under 18s had an educational day on Wednesday – most are still of school or college age – but will return to training on Thursday and Liverpool academy chiefs are expected to sit down with Furnell-Gill to discuss a possible punishment.
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