Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo have given Premier League leaders Liverpool a 3-0 half-time advantage over Town at Anfield.

Boss Kieran McKenna handed Jaden Philogene his full Blues debut as he made five changes to the team which lost 6-0 at home to Manchester City on Sunday.

Philogene, who signed from Aston Villa earlier in the month and featured as a sub against City, came in for Jack Clarke, who was left out of the 20-man squad, but was fit, alongside Omari Hutchinson behind central striker Liam Delap.

In central midfield, skipper Sam Morsy was joined by Kalvin Phillips with Jens Cajuste rested and out of the squad due to his recent heavy workload with the club continuing to manage his knee.

Wes Burns replaced Ben Johnson wide on the right with Leif Davis on the left, while Axel Tuanzebe made his first start since suffering a hamstring injury at Nottingham Forest at the end of November on the right of the defence with Ben Godfrey among the subs.

Dara O’Shea continued in the middle with Jacob Greaves coming in for Cameron Burgess, who was left out of the 20.

Christian Walton was on goal with Julio Enciso on the bench having joined on loan from Brighton.

Liverpool also made five changes from the team which beat Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Ibrahima Konate, Alexis Mac Allister, Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Trent Alexander-Arnold all returned to the XI with Curtis Jones missing out having picked up a knock.

Two minutes in, with the home side unsurprisingly seeing most of the ball, Gakpo cut in from the left but shot well over. On nine, Robertson’s effort from the edge of the box was blocked.

The Reds had dominated without seriously threatening but in the 12th minute they went in front. Konate played a pass through to Szoboszlai, who had got behind Phillips, then cut into a wide gap between O’Shea and Tuanzebe before hitting a low shot from the edge of the box into the left corner of Walton’s net.

Town caused the home defence problems for the first time, Hutchinson’s ball in behind for Burns on the right winning a corner, taken by Davis, which Alisson was forced claw away from under his bar, not entirely comfortably. Referee Michael Salisbury gave a rather generous free-kick.

In the 24th minute, Burns suffered an injury after appearing to catch his studs in the turf and twist his ankle as he challenged Gakpo. After treatment on the field, the Wales international eventually left the field on a stretcher to applause from both sets of fans, Johnson replacing him.

Once it had restarted, the game continued in a similar vein, the Reds dominating with the Blues preventing any more serious chances, although Greaves had been force to block Mo Salah’s shot after he had cut in past Davis.

And in the 35th minute, Salah doubled the home side’s lead. Gakpo floated a deep cross to the far post and the Egypt international stepped out away from Davis, who got drawn inside, took a touch before smashing past Walton from a tight angle. The home fans delightedly celebrated Salah’s 100th Premier League goal at Anfield and his 23rd of the season.

Liverpool continued to control the game and look for openings with the Blues occasionally breaking forward, Philogene making a burst forward on the left without finding Delap.

A minute before the scheduled end of the half, the Reds added their third. Szoboszlai’s low shot across Walton from the right of the box was saved by the Town keeper but not held and Gakpo followed up from close range.

In seven minutes of injury time, Trent Alexander-Arnold sent over a very dangerous cross from the left which flew just beyond Luis Diaz at the far post.

Moments before the whistle, Szoboszlai curled an effort from the right of the box across the face and only just beyond the post.

Liverpool had dominated from start to finish, having 72 per cent of possession, and biding their time and creating the opportunities from which they scored.

Town, however, will be disappointed with their defending with the defence and the midfield holding a lengthy discussion after the first.

Going forward, the Blues had failed to cause any concern aside from Davis’s in-swinging corner. Hutchinson, Delap and Philogene’s occasional breaks had been ended by Konate or Virgil van Dijk with little fanfare.

In the second half, the Blues will be looking to prevent the scoreline from hitting the same level as last week’s loss to Manchester City or their previous Premier League visit to Anfield in 2002 when they lost 5-0.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk (c), Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Alister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz. Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Elliott, Tsimikas, Danns, Quansah, Bradley.

Town: Walton, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (c), Phillips, Burns (Johnson 29), Hutchinson, Jaden, Delap. Subs: Muric, Townsend, Godfrey, Taylor, Luongo, Enciso, Broadhead, Hirst. Referee: Michael Salisbury (Preston). VAR: Paul Tierney.

Photo: Reuters

jerryelvin added 16:07 - Jan 25 Isn't about time we decided to attack theses sides. Sitting back and defending results in a loss anyway. Let's go down fighting, like we were doing at the beginning of the season.
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jerryelvin added 16:08 - Jan 25 Isn't about time we decided to attack theses sides. Sitting back and defending results in a loss anyway. Let's go down fighting, like we were doing at the beginning of the season.
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TimmyH added 16:08 - Jan 25 Men against boys episode 2.
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grow_our_own added 16:09 - Jan 25 Goal 1: Phillips positional play not great, Walton: a top Prem keeper saves that. Goal 2: Not much pressure on the crosser, but a very good finish by Salah Goal 3: Axel playing everyone on. Defensive line was blancmange. The worst of the three from our PoV. We need to buy a new right wing-back in the next week. Johnson inadequate. Is there a slower outfield player in the Prem?

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tractorboybig added 16:15 - Jan 25 need a new left back davis is a liability, still lets hope its not 9-0
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aas1010 added 16:19 - Jan 25 Obvious they win . World class against championship .
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TimmyH added 16:23 - Jan 25 grow_your-own - you should add, Goal 2: Davis leaves Salah on his own briefly to somehow try and help Greaves on a cross. By the way Johnson is playing right side midfield is he not?...doesn't suit him.
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blueboy1981 added 16:31 - Jan 25 Is what we are seeing progress, with half a Season gone ? - if it is, I’m not seeing it. Every week, half the Team are strangers to one other - that should never happen unless enforced through Injury or Illness. It smacks of thrashing around in the dark, without knowing a settled best eleven. It needs to change, otherwise the Season is over and gone, other than it being a somewhat embarrassing excursion into the Premiership. Now 10 Goals against without reply thus far !! Defend that you Usuals - maybe YOU should be our Defence after all ?

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joyousblue added 16:33 - Jan 25 Why dont you give it a rest , im here because i go home and away and always will, sick of your moan moan moan ,weare playing liverpool , oh and going toe to toe would be 8.0 we have southampton next thats when we will attack , shut up ypu get on mine and every true blue if you havnt got snything good to say shut up please shut up
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oioihardy added 17:05 - Jan 25 The one moan I do have with team selections are why do we bench broadhead so often. He's the only player who can do what he does in the team . He takes players on runs at them finds space when other can't and is a major threat . So frustrating seeing him on the bench again today . He improved the team display again today when came on
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Karlosfandangal added 17:10 - Jan 25 Joyousblue Let’s home we lose against Southampton so Town can get back to the Championship and have the excitement of being in a game rather than be out of it by 20 or 30 minutes
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Leejames99 added 17:29 - Jan 25 10 goals conceded on 10 shots on and off target combined in 2 games. Everton win again, thank goodness everyone else lost. I dont know what we are doing, Morsy was at fault for first goal he couldn't keep up with Sabazolski, he is not a Pr player. Godfery should of came on for Burns, in fact should of been starting. We need a new midfielder in to play with Ensico and Phillips or Cajuste. I think we need a new keeper also Walton is no better than Muric, I rate Muric better for shot stopping but fans shattered his confidence harping on about the old guard, that's what they are old guard. Of course we expect to get beat fair enough against Man City and Liverpool but if we don't beat Southampton with the signings we have made then hope and confidence will fade. I agree re Davis he has gone from an outstanding LB to now thinking he is a left winger, needs a rest, Davis of course is good as WB but if he going to play there we need someone behind him, the obvious LB to go and get is Ben Chillwell. What was Luongo doing on bench, shows need to get another midfielder. Subs did well. 6 pointer next week, have to attack and have Portman Road roaring. Everton 7 points clear now! I'd bench Hutchinson for Broadhead also at mo. My team for next week would be - Muric Tunazabe O Shea C Greaves Godfrey Davis Phillips Enciso Broadhead Phillogene Delap 4-4-3 Just opinion, next week is a huge 6 pointer

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