Liverpool 4-0 LASK: Cody Gakpo nets double as Jurgen Klopp’s Reds secure top spot in Europa League group with rampant win at Anfield… with Mohamed Salah netting his 199th goal for the club

Winter is coming, and this was a clash of ice and fire at Anfield. As temperatures plummeted to lows of -4C on Merseyside, Liverpool produced a red-hot performance to affirm their status as kings of Group E and ensure safe passage to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Jurgen Klopp had challenged his team to make this a ‘special night’ and qualify for the next rounds of the competition and they passed that task with flying colours, easily seeing off Austrian side LASK.

A Cody Gakpo brace added to goals from Luis Diaz and Mo Salah on what, in many ways, was a perfect night for Klopp and Co. A goal for each of the starting front three and confident performances all round, plus minutes for plenty of fringe players and young stars.

It was also a night that many key men, such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister, spent in puffer jackets, hats and snoods on the subs’ bench. 

That will likely be the case again when Liverpool go to Union Saint-Gilloise in the final group game in a fortnight.

Salah calmly converted from the penalty spot at Anfield to score his 199th goal for Liverpool 

‘Result was top, performance was really good,’ said Klopp. ‘Nobody got injured. When we play this competition, it’s the most important competition on the planet. Now we play the Premier League on Sunday, then that’s the most important.’

The restful European evenings are notably important to Klopp, whose side begin a run of eight games in 23 days starting with the visit on Sunday. 

Young Luke Chambers and Conor Bradley got minutes off the bench here and would fancy more chances in the trip to Brussels. 

Diaz was one of the key men who started, but he – along with Salah and Ibrahima Konate – were taken off in the second half. 

The Colombian recently lost his first-choice XI spot through no fault of his own as Diogo Jota excelled during Diaz’s absence due to his father’s kidnapping.

But Diaz will have a prolonged spell in the team with Jota now injured. 

He was the architect of everything good for Liverpool as he played a part in helping his side to a two-goal advantage after just 15 minutes.

He scored the first with a header on 13 minutes, ghosting in to complete a one-two with Gomez and thumping home, then seized possession in a dangerous area for the second goal. 

He fed Salah, who danced past a defender and teed up Gakpo for an easy tap-in.

Luis Diaz had set Liverpool on their way to a comfortable night with a headed opening goal

Liverpool’s third goal gave Jurgen Klopp the chance to take Salah and Diaz (pictured) off

Salah led Liverpool out as captain for the first time at Anfield and continued a trend of featuring prominently in this competition despite many other key men often left on the bench. 

He scored his 199th goal for the club from the penalty spot after Gakpo was felled early in the second half.

Gakpo added a fourth for Liverpool in injury time with a tidy finish for his second goal of the game. 

He had came close to getting a brace earlier in the half when he struck the post from distance, but took his goal well after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defence-splitting pass.

Klopp gave more minutes to young defender Jarell Quansah, and the manager added: ‘Jarell played a super game. Before this season, a lot of people told us we should buy a defender. We had Jarell. Home boy, calm on the ball, good on the challenges.’

Salah’s goal had put the result beyond any doubt, having earlier teed up Gakpo to make it 2-0

There was lots of smiles at the end as Liverpool’s win means they have topped Group E