Liverpool ran rampant at Anfield as visiting Southampton faced the ruthlessness of the Reds rampaging attacking line on matchday 13 of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
The Reds set a new club record in the Premier League after smashing four goals past Southampton on Saturday afternoon. Diogo Jota put Liverpool in front after just two minutes, before scoring another thirty minutes later.
Thiago Alcantara and Virgil van Dijk rounded off the scoring in the second half with goals in the 37th and 52nd minute to seal another three points for the Reds and break a club Premier League goalscoring record. Liverpool have now scored 700 goals under Jurgen Klopp since he took over in 2015.
The four goals from this victory put them at 39 goals from their opening 13 games of the season, which is their best-ever tally at this stage of a top-flight season. The Reds are also the Premier League’s highest goalscorers this season, nine goals ahead of table-toppers Chelsea.
The win also helped them reduce the point deficit to the league leaders by one point pending the outcome of the Chelsea-Manchester United game on Sunday afternoon.
Mohamed Salah also notched another milestone for himself after he set up Jota for his second of the day. The assist has now put the Egyptian forward at 150 total goal involvements in the Premier League from Liverpool are two goals short of recording 700 since Jurgen Klopp took charge.
The Reds also matched another longstanding Premier League record by being the first team to score at least twice in 17 straight games since Sunderland in the 1927 season.
Klopp attributes Salah and Mane form to pre-season; heaps praise on Diogo Jota for being a Liverpool player
Liverpool failed in their title defence last season largely due to a large number of injuries in the squad which affected the balance of the team, losing the title to Manchester City.
After last season’s injury problems and an empty Anfield, the rhythm is back at Liverpool and Klopp’s heavy metal football is in full flow.
Klopp said to journalists after the win: “We knew we lacked stability last season. We had no centre-halves for a while and to find solutions. So it wasn’t a shock we couldn’t find the solidity we have now where everyone knows exactly what he has to do.”
Klopp also attributed the fine form of Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah to an extended pre-season. The attacking duo has been the best in the league – and arguably the world – for a number of seasons and are currently in the top two for goalscorers this season, with teammate Jota.
“This year we had a proper pre-season and especially upfront with Sadio and Mo they had the longest pre-season they had for ages and that was helpful and found the stability back,” Klopp said of Mane and Salah.
He also praised Diogo Jota who has been a revelation since moving from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Liverpool last season. The Portuguese forward was a guaranteed starter at Wolves and was believed to be at Anfield to provide cover for the front three of Mane, Salah and Firmino.
He has since slotted seamlessly into the attack that Klopp has had to expand his attack to a front four on many occasions. “He made the right decision [to sign]. When you talk to a player and they ask where they will play, I say you decide that with our performances,” Klopp said.
“It is not like the line-up is set in stone. It is about making 35 really good games rather than getting through a season and somehow playing 50 games. You need more than 11 players in a squad and more than three strikers and Diogo was smart enough to see that.”