Liverpool go top as Mané and Salah grab braces apiece
A 5-0 win over Huddersfield put The Reds back ahead of Manchester City with just two games to go. A perfect evening at Anfield for Klopp and co.
Liverpool vs Huddersfield: match report
Naby Keita scored Liverpool's fastest ever Premier League goal as the Reds ripped through Huddersfield Town on Friday - with Mohamed Salah marking a personal milestone in style just before the break.
Just 15 seconds were on the clock when Keita doubled his tally of league goals for the campaign, slotting in off the post after robbing Jon Gorenc Stankovic of possession and exchanging passes with Salah. It was Liverpool's fastest league strike in the competition, while also making Huddersfield the first Premier League side to score and concede a first-minute goal in the same season since Bournemouth in 2016-17.
Jürgen Klopp's side soon had another when Sadio Mané headed home Andrew Robertson's cross, the forward notching his 10th in his last nine games at Anfield. Two from Salah and another from Mané ensured the three points, and a lot more besides, stayed in Liverpool. Check out below for how it went down...
Liverpool vs Huddersfield: how it happened
Liverpool vs Huddersfield: match preview
35 down, 3 left to play. The 2018/19 Premier League title battle threatened at times across the season to include others, but there have always been two clubs that stood out. Tonight, one of those, Liverpool, will look to add pressure to their rival, Manchester City, but stepping a couple of points clear once again, in what has been an intriguing contest from the off. Already relegated Huddersfield are the visitors to fortress Anfield, knowing that only pride, and possibly a chance for players to swap the drop for a transfer, is at stake.
Liverpool
Jürgen Klopp will be delighted to be playing the league's worst side as he looks ahead to a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on Wednesday. Playing it on Friday night should also help with his preparations and could well mean that a strong starting line-up is announced, safe in the knowledge that there is plenty of time to recover energy levels, and they can be taken off in the second half if the game has been put to bed as many expect. In saying that, a couple of injuries to his key men could prove costly, so some rotation may be involved.
Joe Gomez started this season on fire in the heart of The Reds' defence alongside Player of the Season, Virgil van Dijk, but is only now looking to make a starting return following his long-term injury. If they can immediately forge the same relationship, that would be very positive ahead of Messi and co. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, missing since last season's semi against Roma, is also close to being back, named in tonight's squad.
Huddersfield
Klopp's opposite number in this game has had a similar path to the Premier League. Jan Siewert, another German, was also at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund before taking over from David Wagner as the club aimed to turn things round at the start of 2019.
"He's a great guy and everybody realises what he's doing with Liverpool," Siewert said about his compatriot in the run up to this clash. "Of course we had a look at what he did and the way he influenced the German way of playing and at Dortmund. It was, for me, a big part of my coaching career."
The Terriers boss was realistic about his side's chances of causing a major upset but also said that they "have possibilities" and that his "players will have to go there and perform to the best of their ability." Back-up goalkeeper Jonas Lössl may get a chance to really perform.