Liverpool thumps Leeds at Elland Road

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Leeds United's Pascal Struijk fight for the ball at Elland Road....
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Leeds United's Pascal Struijk fight for the ball at Elland Road. PHOTO: REUTERS
Liverpool banished its away day blues as Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah grabbed two goals each in an emphatic 6-1 victory at Leeds United yesterday, a record home Premier League loss at Elland Road for the Yorkshire club.

Jota was on the scoresheet for the first time in more than a year while Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez were also on target as Liverpool recorded a second away win this year.

It moved to 47 points from 30 games, nine behind Newcastle United in the fourth Champions League qualification position.

Leeds had chances in the first half but it was far too open defensively.

Javi Gracia’s side remains two points above the relegation zone after 31 games.

Leeds winger Luis Sinisterra made it 2-1 soon after the interval before Liverpool netted four more.

"It was a special second half, we played really well," Jota said..

"We kept possession and tried to find ourselves in good positions. We scored some great goals.

"It has been a hard season for me and the team so it is a relief for me to score ... I would like to score more."

Salah now has nine goals in six league matches against Leeds, a joint Liverpool record with Gordon Hodgson, and has moved to 26 for the season in all competitions after two clinical finishes, his first set up by Jota.

There was some controversy over Liverpool’s first goal from Gakpo in the 35th minute as Leeds claimed a handball from Trent Alexander-Arnold in the build-up, but as the fullback was not the scorer the video assistant referee did not intervene.

It is a first win in six games for Liverpool, whose Champions League qualification hopes look a long-shot, but there was some swagger back in the performance that has been missing away from Anfield this season.

Liverpool led 2-0 at halftime. It battled to create chances in the opening half-hour but once Gakpo put it in front the side began to cut Leeds open at will.

Salah fed Alexander-Arnold down the right and although the ball struck the wing-back’s arm, he was allowed to continue and provided a tap-in for Gakpo at the back post.

Jota robbed Weston Mc-Kennie and led a counter-attack that brought Salah the second before a mistake from Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate allowed Sinisterra to pull a goal back for the home side early in the second period.

Jota restored Liverpool’s two-goal advantage when he ran on to a superb pass from Curtis Jones and swept the ball past goalkeeper Illan Meslier, later adding a second with a scuffed shot from the edge of the box.

Salah and Nunez also scored to compound the misery at a rapidly emptying Elland Road.

"Obviously we knew it would be a tough game. We started with a clear plan and tried to get them on the counter," Leeds defender Robin Koch said.

"Then we conceded two goals and it’s an extremely difficult game against a team like Liverpool."