With an emphatic 7-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, Liverpool raced six points clear at the top of the Premier League table going into Christmas. Takumi Minamino, Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson scoring braces, both Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah scored braces.
With his first Premier League goal after just three minutes, Minamino opened the scoring. Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed a ball into Mane, which he squared but Minamino scored emphatically. Crystal Palace had plenty of opportunities. But none of them could convert and were made to pay for 35 minutes.
A loose ball found its way to Mane, who hit it in the lower left corner. Andy Robertson and Firmino paired up with the Brazil international for Liverpool’s third, beginning the transfer high up the pitch. Before returning the pass to Firmino, he passed to Robertson, who brought it up, who calmly struck the ball past Vicente Guaita.
There was little hope of Guaita getting close to Henderson’s 52-minute target. The Liverpool captain struck the ball from 22 yards out into the top left corner of the goal with his first touch. After Liverpool launched a counter-attack from a Crystal Palace corner, Firmino got his second on 68 minutes. Before scoring from a close angle, he took a touch.
Salah, who started the game on the bench, headed the ball home from close range on 81 minutes before adding his second on 84 minutes.
