Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah both scored twice as Liverpool hit seven past Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park to go six points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Firmino, Salah, Takumi Minamino, Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson were all on the scoresheet as the champions overwhelmed Roy Hodgson’s side with a stunning away performance.
Liverpool raced into the lead in the third minute as Mane set up Minamino, who coolly found the bottom corner.
And the Senegal international then doubled the advantage in the 35th minute after a superb turn, before Firmino tapped home to round off a brilliant counter-attack on the stroke of half-time.
Captain Henderson curled in a fourth just after the restart before Firmino added his second after good work from Salah.
Salah headed home a sixth with nine minutes remaining, before doubling his personal tally with a brilliant individual effort moments later.
The Egyptian forward rounded off a brilliant team performance, as a scintillating Liverpool ensured they would be top at Christmas for the third consecutive season.
Liverpool fantastic in huge statement win
Liverpool last scored seven in a top-flight away game against Derby County back in 1991.
And the side that had been hit for seven at Villa Park in October were back to their brilliant best, creating attack after attack against a sorry Crystal Palace side, and winning away from home in the league for the first time since September.
Two days after being named Fifa’s men’s coach of the year, Jurgen Klopp gave a rare start to Minamino, dropping Salah to the Premier League’s first ever nine-man bench.
And the Japan international soon opened the floodgates, netting his first Premier League goal exactly 12 months after it was announced he would be moving to Anfield.
Mane and Firmino were both on target in a blistering first period, and the Senegal international seemed in the mood to score more, looking furious after being replaced by Salah after 57 minutes.
Henderson rounded off Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cut-back before Brazil international Firmino netted Liverpool’s fifth. And Salah then got among the goals late on, with an opportunistic header and a late curling effort.
There was also a cameo for substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who made his first appearance since picking up a knee injury against Newcastle last July. It marked a perfect afternoon for the champions, who are now six points clear at the top of the table, with Southampton kicking off at 15:00 GMT on Saturday against Manchester City and Tottenham hosting Leicester on Sunday.
More to follow.
Player of the match
Roberto FirminoRoberto Firmino
Crystal Palace
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Squad number15Player nameSchluppAverage rating
4.17
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Squad number17Player nameClyneAverage rating
4.11
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Squad number25Player nameEzeAverage rating
4.11
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Squad number31Player nameGuaitaAverage rating
4.02
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Squad number24Player nameCahillAverage rating
3.91
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Squad number4Player nameMilivojevicAverage rating
3.87
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Squad number18Player nameMcArthurAverage rating
3.84
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Squad number5Player nameTomkinsAverage rating
3.79
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Squad number8Player nameKouyatéAverage rating
3.79
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Squad number9Player nameJ AyewAverage rating
3.72
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Squad number3Player namevan AanholtAverage rating
3.69
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Squad number44Player nameRiedewaldAverage rating
3.69
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Squad number11Player nameZahaAverage rating
3.67
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Squad number23Player nameBatshuayiAverage rating
3.66
Liverpool
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Squad number9Player nameRoberto FirminoAverage rating
8.87
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Squad number11Player nameMohamed SalahAverage rating
8.70
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Squad number14Player nameHendersonAverage rating
8.53
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Squad number10Player nameManéAverage rating
8.50
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Squad number26Player nameRobertsonAverage rating
8.43
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Squad number3Player nameFabinhoAverage rating
8.26
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Squad number18Player nameMinaminoAverage rating
8.17
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Squad number66Player nameAlexander-ArnoldAverage rating
8.12
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Squad number5Player nameWijnaldumAverage rating
8.03
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Squad number32Player nameMatipAverage rating
7.95
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Squad number1Player nameAlissonAverage rating
7.84
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Squad number8Player nameKeitaAverage rating
7.82
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Squad number15Player nameOxlade-ChamberlainAverage rating
7.75
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Squad number17Player nameJonesAverage rating
7.61
Line-ups
Crystal Palace
- 31Guaita
- 17ClyneBooked at 45mins
- 8KouyatéSubstituted forTomkinsat 63′minutes
- 24Cahill
- 3van Aanholt
- 15Schlupp
- 4Milivojevic
- 18McArthurSubstituted forRiedewaldat 75′minutes
- 25EzeSubstituted forBatshuayiat 69′minutes
- 11Zaha
- 9J Ayew
Substitutes
- 1Butland
- 2Ward
- 5Tomkins
- 6Dann
- 10Townsend
- 22McCarthy
- 23Batshuayi
- 27Mitchell
- 44Riedewald
Liverpool
- 1Alisson
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- 32Matip
- 3Fabinho
- 26Robertson
- 8Keita
- 14Henderson
- 5WijnaldumSubstituted forJonesat 69′minutes
- 10ManéSubstituted forSalahat 57′minutes
- 9FirminoSubstituted forOxlade-Chamberlainat 75′minutes
- 18Minamino
Substitutes
- 11Salah
- 13Adrián
- 15Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 17Jones
- 27Origi
- 46R Williams
- 47Phillips
- 62Kelleher
- 76N Williams
- Referee:
- Jonathan Moss
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Crystal Palace 0, Liverpool 7.
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Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 0, Liverpool 7.
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Offside, Crystal Palace. Vicente Guaita tries a through ball, but Gary Cahill is caught offside.
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Offside, Crystal Palace. Patrick van Aanholt tries a through ball, but Michy Batshuayi is caught offside.
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Goal! Crystal Palace 0, Liverpool 7. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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Goal! Crystal Palace 0, Liverpool 6. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Joel Matip following a corner.
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Attempt blocked. Joel Matip (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold with a cross.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by James Tomkins.
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Offside, Crystal Palace. Patrick van Aanholt tries a through ball, but Gary Cahill is caught offside.
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Foul by Curtis Jones (Liverpool).
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Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Substitution, Liverpool. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Roberto Firmino.
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Substitution, Crystal Palace. Jairo Riedewald replaces James McArthur.
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Offside, Crystal Palace. Patrick van Aanholt tries a through ball, but Michy Batshuayi is caught offside.
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Curtis Jones (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by James McArthur (Crystal Palace).
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Substitution, Liverpool. Curtis Jones replaces Georginio Wijnaldum.
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Substitution, Crystal Palace. Michy Batshuayi replaces Eberechi Eze.
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Goal! Crystal Palace 0, Liverpool 5. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mohamed Salah following a fast break.
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Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Trent Alexander-Arnold.