Leeds United 0-3 Liverpool: 5 talking points as Reds continue unbeaten run with resounding victory | Premier League 2021-22
Liverpool thumped a hapless Leeds United 3-0 at Elland Road in the Premier League. Goals from Mohamed Salah, Fabinho and Sadio Mane helped continue the Reds' unbeaten start to their 2021-22 campaign.
The Reds were a cut above their hosts from start to finish, dominant in their performance and creating better chances too. Sure, they misfired in the opening stanza, with Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Diogo Jota, all scuppering their chances after Salah's opener.
But two more goals after the break added some gloss to the scoreline ,and went some way to doing justice to their top-notch performance. The Peacocks were in complete shambles in defence, and didn't create many clear-cut chances at the other end either. They mustered four shots on target.
With the win, Liverpool are back in third with ten points from four games, level with Manchester United and Chelsea, while Leeds have sunk to 17th.
On that note, here are the five key talking points from the match:
#5 Mohamed Salah hits century of Premier League goals
With his latest strike, Mohamed Salah now has a grand total of 100 goals in the Premier League, a distinction only 29 other players can boast of .
The Egyptian has been a prolific scorer for the Reds since joining from AS Roma in 2017. Salah, now, has served a timely reminder of his goalscoring prowess by scoring against Leeds.
And he has achieved that in just over four years. Salah now averages a staggering 25 goals a season - not a bad record for a player who was deemed a Premier League 'flop' before joining the Merseyside outfit.
Salha has also broken numerous scoring records along the way, including the most goals in a single campaign with 32 during the 2017-18 season, his first at Liverpool, while also winning the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons.
Still only 29, Salah has a few more years at the top, and at this rate, he could be set for a lot more records and milestones in the Premier League.
#4 What's up with Leeds United this season?
Last season, the Peacocks ended their 16-year wait to participate in the Premier League. They were a breath of fresh air, displaying an exciting attacking brand of football that won them the admiration of many.
With a late surge, they managed to finish inside the top ten. Leeds won their last four games of the 2020-21 season to end in ninth place, just behind North London sides Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the new season hasn't looked as promising for them by any stretch of imagination so far, Marcelo Bielsa's team have consistently struggled at both ends of the pitch, and it was no different against Liverpool.
The Reds literally ripped through Leeds in the first half with a dominant performance. Only a few wayward attempts kept the scoreline no more than 1-0 at the break.
On the attacking front too, the home side were absolutely toothless. Despite improving after the break, Leeds never really conjured many real chances to break Liverpool open.
In one notable moment, though, Patrick Bamford stole the ball off Liverpool's Thiago Alcantara and drove forward before trying his luck from distance after spotting Alisson Becker off his line. However, the Liverpool goalkeeper recovered well enough to tip the shot over the bar.
Leeds remain winless in the Premier League this season, after four games, having drawn and lost twice apiece, They are five points worse off than they were at this stage last season, as they hover just above the relegation zone.