Reds thrash Huddersfield to reclaim top spot

All Liverpool can do now is win and hope. The first part of their title duty was fulfilled in rampant and historic fashion as Huddersfield were routed at Anfield. Top of the Premier League with two to play, their longing for a favour turns to Burnley on Sunday. Manchester City are acutely aware that Jürgen Klopp’s team will not go quietly.

Liverpool returned to the summit with a comprehensive victory over Jan Siewert’s relegated team, who looked every inch a Championship side from the first minute. Klopp’s leaders rarely had to exert themselves to break new ground. They have earned 91 points, eclipsing the total won by 105 of the 119 champions of English football if applying three points for a win to every season. Mohamed Salah overtook Roger Hunt and Sam Raybould for the most number of goals in his first 100 games for Liverpool. Numbers 68 and 69 arrived here, the latter courtesy of Andy Robertson’s 11th Premier League assist of the season. That equals the record for a defender set by Leighton Baines and Andy Hinchcliffe.

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Salah goal secures Reds unconvincing win

With this victory Liverpool equalled the 22 points from nine games of 10 seasons ago that is their best in the Premier League era. The good news for Jürgen Klopp’s side is that the cliche of grinding out wins in these circumstances can be evoked after this – they struggled throughout. Yet the manager may be concerned at the lack of midfield stability and a display during which his side often looked to be sleepwalking.

Huddersfield are second-bottom for a reason and it is difficult to imagine Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City struggling against them in a similar way. David Wagner made one change, replacing Rajiv van La Parra with Florent Hadergjonaj as he searched for a first Premier League win this term. Klopp made three adjustments: Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Xherdan Shaqiri replaced Sadio Mané, who was injured, and Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum, who were substitutes. It was Lallana’s first league start since New Year’s Day and Sturridge’s first for 11 months.

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