Outplayed Town are sucked closer to the mire
REDS TOO ALERT: LIVERPOOL CRUISE TO VICTORY AGAINST THEIR HAPLESS HOSTS HUDDERSFIELD
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0 LIVERPOOL 3 PREMIER LEAGUE
THE embrace at the final whistle was warm and heartfelt, almost as if Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp knows his best friend David Wagner, his Huddersfield Town counterpart, is in big trouble.
Liverpool had just made light work of inflicting Huddersfield’s fourth defeat in as many league outings since the turn of the year – a run the club last suffered in 1988, when relegation from the old Second Division came with several weeks of the campaign still to play.
With Swansea City, Liverpool’s conquerors just eight days earlier, beating Arsenal 3-1 in south Wales, the Terriers dropped to within a point of the drop zone.
Huddersfield’s position could become even more perilous tonight when five of the sides sitting below Wagner’s men are in action.
Worrying times for Yorkshire’s sole Premier League representative and their head coach.
Life is not about to get any easier, either, with a trip to Manchester United in store on Saturday. Jose Mourinho’s men will, undoubtedly, be seeking revenge for their shock defeat at the John Smith’s Stadium in October.
If that fate is to be avoided, Huddersfield will have to improve massively on a night that once again saw the midfield struggle to make any inroads.
Of course, the Terriers are far from alone in being outclassed by Liverpool this term. They ended Manchester City’s unbeaten run earlier this month, after all.
But following on from similarly insipid efforts in defeat to West Ham and Stoke, two sides locked in the relegation scrap, this inability to stamp any authority on proceedings in the middle of the field is a major concern.
Before kick-off, Town’s intention had been to follow the lead of Swansea and West Bromwich Albion by making it a hat-trick of defeats for Liverpool.
After the first of those two losses for the Reds, Carlos Carvalhal had likened his Swansea side’s approach to stopping a “Formula 1 car in London traffic”.
Considering the interminable delays caused by the replacement of ageing gas pipes that have left Leeds Road gridlocked for months, the hope for the home fans in a sell-out crowd was that Town could do a similar stifling job on Klopp’s men.
By ditching his preferred 4-23-1 formation for what was effectively a back five sitting behind a deep midfield trio, Wagner clearly thought the same.
Any hopes of apeing Swansea’s shock victory, however, relied on Huddersfield getting the all-important first goal.
Laurent Depoitre did go close in the 17th minute with a first -time shot from a Chris Lowe cross that Loris Karius did well to beat away. That aside, however, much of a first half that ended with the Reds two goals ahead was played in the home side’s half.
The inability of Depoitre and Steve Mounie to hold up possession, not helped by being 25 or more yards apart for much of the night, meant the game quickly settled into a pattern that was akin to a game of attack and defence.
Town defended resolutely, none more so than Terence Kongolo on his full debut in the Premier League.
The on-loan Monaco defender twice defused dangerous deliveries from former Hull City fullback Andrew Robertson from the left flank through a mixture of anticipation and determination..
As impressively as Kongolo performed, however, there was an inevitability about Town falling behind.
Although it come through a deflection, Emre Can’s drilled 20yard shot clipping Philip Billing’s heel en route to beating Jonas Lossl, it should not disguise the control enjoyed by the visitors throughout the night.
Just moments before that 26th-minute opener, Can had brought a decent sprawling save from Lossl.
Lowe did curl a free-kick just wide in a brief Town foray forward, but the Reds were able to double their advantage in firsthalf stoppage time.
Neat play by Sadio Mane created a gap in the home defence that Roberto Firmino dashed through. As Christopher Schindler made his mind up whether to close down the Brazilian or try to prevent a likely cross, the Liverpool man took a couple of touches before squeezing the ball between Lossl and his post.
There was no way back for Town after that, Salah’s penalty after Billing had collided with Can merely confirming what had been clear to the 24,121 crowd for some time, which was that Klopp’s men had simply been too good for the hosts.