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Liverpool went six points clear at the top of the Premier League table after beating Crystal Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Takumi Minamino sent them flying early, before goals from Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino made it 3-0 at half-time.
It was more of the same in the second period when captain Jordan Henderson found the target, before Firmino grabbed his second and then substitute Mo Salah pulled off a late double.
Palace boss Roy Hodgson handed over starts to Nathaniel Clyne, Gary Cahill, Jeffrey Schlupp and Jordan Ayew for the visit of the champions.
In four changes to the team that claimed a 1-1 draw at West Ham on Wednesday, Joel Ward, Scott Dann and Andros Townsend all fell to the bench, while Christian Benteke was lost due to suspension.
Jurgen Klopp also turned things around for the Liverpool team that beat Tottenham 2-1 earlier in the week to go to the top of the league.
Joel Matip, Naby Keita and Minamino were removed with Rhys Williams, Curtis Jones and Salah named among the substitutes.
Reds Quick Start
Minamino needed just three minutes to seize his opportunity and put Liverpool into a 1-0 lead.
Trent Alexander-Arnold made a wonderful pass to Sadio Mane, and found the attacker from Japan inside the hosts’ penalty area.
After working a yard of space, Minamino drilled the corner from 10 yards to score his first Premier League goal.
It was a nightmare start for Palace against the champions, as both teams were able to list nine substitutes for the first time after a rule change was agreed to this week.
Mane continued his remarkable scoring streak against Palace with Liverpool’s second in the 36th minute at Selhurst Park.
After scoring in his previous six games against the south London club, he made seven when he picked up Roberto Firmino’s pass and shot home to make the champions 2-0.
Just 😱
What team ❤️ pic.twitter.com/kGNlBFer0h
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 19, 2020
It happened after Palace asked visitors several questions, but the lack of quality in the last third proved costly and Klopp’s men showed their class with a second clinician to take control of the procedures at SE25.
Liverpool went up 3-0 with one minute left in the first half.
Firmino, under pressure, made a wonderful pass with the outside of his boot to the errant Andrew Robertson inside the visiting half.
The Brazilian continued his career and controlled the cross from the left side before applying the required shot with a push to the corner for his fourth goal of the season.
Crystal Palace were the first team to leave after the break, but did little to stop Liverpool’s train with the visitors scoring a quarter at seven minutes into the second period.
Henderson hits a stunner
Alexander-Arnold received an assist in his name with a cut from captain Jordan Henderson, who huddled in the corner from the edge of the box to make it 4-0.
It was the midfielder’s first goal in five months and ensured Liverpool were on track to top the table at Christmas for the third year in a row.
The Reds made it 5-0 in the 68th minute with another masterful shot.
Substitute Salah got in the way of Firmino and took the ball with a firm step and aspired to Vicente Guaita to take the second of the afternoon.
After scoring against Tottenham on Wednesday, the Brazilian had more than doubled his account for the season in the space of a few days and had time to find a hat-trick.
Salah made six with nine minutes to go when Joel Matip earned a header from a corner that felt the Egypt star head home from close range.
And surprisingly, it was seven just three minutes later when Salah cut from the right with his left foot and launched a dipping shot over the goalkeeper and into the top corner.
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