Liverpool extend EPL lead with 4-1 win
Liverpool mounted a second-half fightback to overwhelm Luton in a 4-1 win and move four points clear atop the English Premier League yesterday.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Liverpool recovered at Anfield, thanks to goals in 125 seconds by Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo that put the hosts in front by the 58th minute.
Luis Diaz added a third for the Reds in front of his celebrating father, Luis Manuel Diaz, who was at the stadium – and wearing a Liverpool jersey – two and a half months after being released by members of a guerrilla group who kidnapped him in northern Colombia. Harvey Elliott wrapped up the scoring in the 90th.
It was ultimately a strong response from an injury-hit Liverpool to title rivals Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Brentford on Tuesday. That has Liverpool, City, and Arsenal separated by just two points in what is shaping to be a three-team fight for the title.
Liverpool are now four points clear of City and five ahead of Arsenal but have played an extra game.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was without senior players Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones, among others, for the match and it showed at times with Luton – adopting a bold manto-man marking approach – looking dangerous on the break.
From one of those occasions, Tahith Chong raced into the area, sent in a shot that was saved by the legs of goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher and rebounded out to Chiedozie Ogbene, who nodded the ball into an empty net in the 12th minute.
Liverpool squandered a glut of half-chances before the break, though, either weak shots or poor decision-making in the final third. When
Elliott overhit a pass through to Diaz, there were groans from the main stand – eliciting an angry reaction from Klopp as he turned to Liverpool’s fans in that section.
Liverpool found their cutting edge in the second half, with Van Dijk heading in a 56th-minute corner by Alexis Mac Allister, who then drove over a cross Gakpo nodded in.
Substitute Andrew Robertson forced a turnover that led to
Diaz’s goal in the 71st, and Elliott whipped home a finish for the fourth as Luton’s overstretched defence tired.
Liverpool play Chelsea in the English League Cup final on Sunday.