Liverpool crush Everton to move eight points clear of the drop zone
Klopp hails 'statement' win as Salah double inspires Reds to victory
Hafez: "This performance was a statement," Klopp says
Mohamed Salah struck twice as Liverpool condemned neighbours Everton to a chastening 4-1 defeat at Anfield. The Egypt international added to Darwin Nunez's opener before half-time and then struck again late on after Cody Gakpo had extended the lead.
Everton briefly threatened a comeback when Tom Davies reduced the deficit in the second half, but the Reds were too strong on the day and moved eight points clear of the relegation zone with the victory.
"This performance was a statement," said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. "We showed today that we are a team that is capable of great things. We were dominant from start to finish and fully deserved the win."
The result leaves Everton just one point above the bottom three and heaps pressure on manager Frank Lampard. The Toffees have now lost five of their last six Premier League games and are in danger of being dragged into a relegation battle.
"We need to be more resilient," said Lampard. "We conceded some poor goals today and we can't afford to do that if we want to stay in this league."
The match was played in front of a capacity crowd at Anfield and the atmosphere was electric. The Reds fans were in full voice from the first whistle and they were rewarded with a dominant display from their team.
Nunez opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he latched onto a through ball from Salah and fired home. The Uruguayan has now scored five goals in his last six Premier League games and is starting to show his worth.
Salah doubled the lead in the 20th minute with a fine individual effort. The Egyptian cut inside from the right and drove a low shot into the bottom corner. It was a goal of real quality and it gave Liverpool a deserved two-goal lead.
Everton briefly threatened a comeback when Davies reduced the deficit in the 55th minute. The midfielder latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the area and fired home a low drive. It was a good goal, but Liverpool were not to be denied.
Gakpo extended the lead in the 69th minute with a close-range finish after Salah had done the hard work. It was the Dutchman's first goal for Liverpool and it all but secured the points.
Salah added his second in the 84th minute to wrap up the scoring. The Egyptian was played in by Nunez and he finished coolly past Jordan Pickford. It was a fitting end to a dominant display from Liverpool.
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