Liverpool 3-0 Huddersfield Town – reds pick up all three points with clinical second half

Premier League
Saturday 28 October 2017 - 3:00 pm
Anfield
Liverpool3
0Huddersfield
Show Match Events
33'↔️ van La Parra off, Kachunga on
42' Smith
⚽️ Sturridge49'
⚽️ Firmino58'
Firmino off, Oxlade-Chamberlain on ↔️66'
69'↔️ Williams off, Mounie on
69'↔️ Smith off, Hadergjonaj on
Sturridge off, Can on ↔️73'
⚽️ Wijnaldum75'
Salah off, Solanke on ↔️81'
Possession %
7426
Total Shots
161
Shots on Target
8
Shots Blocked
2
Offside
1
Hide Match Events

Liverpool left it to the second half to grab all the goals at Anfield - overcoming the disappointment of Mo Salah's first half penalty save.

Dejan Lovren and Simon Mignolet were both named in the starting XI - perhaps a surprise but Lovren picked up an injury during the warm up meaning that Ragnar Klavan started in his place.

Him and Matip helped themselves to a clean sheet but they didn't have too much defending to do in a game that Liverpool dominated.

The only two changes were the injured Coutinho (replaced by Sturridge) and Emre Can was dropped - with Wijnaldum in to replace him.

The reds didn't have too many chances in the first half but Mo Salah was behind everything good.

An unusual front three - Sturridge, Salah and Firmino were very flexible in their positioning throughout the first half.  Possibly too flexible as despite their movement they couldn't interlink well enough to get more than a couple of shots away - Salah and Milner the two players to test the keeper with low drilled shots.

Then in the 42nd minute the reds were awarded a penalty after Firmino had his shirt pulled as he waited to connect with a corner.  Salah stepped up to take it - but his effort was tame, and Henderson's rebounded effort struck the post.

Milner was available to take the penalty but with him a bit part player in the team so far this season it was Salah who had been given the nod as the new penalty taker.  3 consecutive missed penalties now at Anfield for the reds with Milner, Firmino and Salah all responsible of suffering the jitters.

It was a disappointing end to an average first half of football.

But the second half was much better from the reds and Alberto Moreno's cross into the area and it fell kindly into the path of Daniel Sturridge who lifted it over the keeper to make it 1-0.  It was his 100th club goal in his career - 62 of them coming for Liverpool.

That seemed to give the reds even more confidence and the reds then decided they fancied a goal from, of all places, a corner.

Milner whipped it in and Firmino connected with the header to double the lead.

As it happened Live: LFC 3-0 Huddersfield

He was withdrawn shortly after, probably with an eye on the midweek game against Maribor, before Sturridge too was replaced.  Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emre Can coming on for them.

And then it was the turn of Georginio Wijnaldum to add another home goal to his account.  He collected the ball from Salah and fired it high into the top of the net in front of the Kop.

The game was safe now and there was little trouble for the reds defence in the remainder of the game.  Gomez had another good game at right back - possibly rewarding Klopp's decision to keep him there.

Attention turns to the midweek game against Maribor now for Liverpool - their 4th game in the Champions League group stages.

Man of the Match: (Despite missing the penalty) Mo Salah

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