Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Southampton was the latest of many: not just another Reds victory, but one which seemed to set yet more new standards and break more new records.
An up-and-down first half saw the Reds and Saints head into the break goalless, but it was largely one-way traffic after the restart.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored minutes into the second half, before Jordan Henderson finished well and Mohamed Salah notched twice late on.
Jurgen Klopp‘s relentless Reds stretched further their lead at the top of the table as a result, as the seniors head off for a mid-season break now – with the youngsters set to play in Tuesday’s FA Cup replay, of course.
Here are five key stats as the Reds made it 24 wins from 25 in the Premier League this season.
Salah is Liverpool’s most-lethal ever
Two more goals for Mo show that he’s clearly back in scoring form, with five goals now in his last six games.
It’s hardly recent news that Salah is a serial goal-getter, though, with the No. 11 having been a regular source of strikes since joining the Reds.
In fact, such has been his consistency in front of goal that he has moved into top spot in the club’s entire history in terms of goals per game.
Mohamed Salah's goal per game ratio now stands at 0.65, the highest in the club's 127 year history surpassing Gordon Hodgson's record of 0.64. #LFC
— Carl Clemente (@clemente_carl) February 1, 2020
He has a way to go to trouble the all-time scorers, of course, as he’s only been here three seasons—but he’s already inside the top 20 in our long history, the 100-mark is quickly closing in and now no Red has scored at Salah’s rate.
Next in Mo’s sights are John Toshack (96 Liverpool goals), Kevin Keegan (100) and John Barnes (108), all absolute legends which Salah is making an enormous claim to be held in the same esteem as in the coming years.
Finally, it’s now 50 Premier League appearances at Anfield for our Egyptian King, with a sum total of zero defeats in that time – and 57 combined goals and assists.
Alisson’s shot-stopping reaches new highs
Liverpool impress at both ends of the pitch, though, and in terms of clean sheets it’s thanks in no small part to the efforts of Alisson Becker.
There was a time when it seemed almost every shot on target resulted in a goal for the opposition; it’s fair to say that the same no longer applies with the Brazilian in goal.
Alisson faced 17 shots against Southampton, with four of them on target, and all four went the same way as most – saved.
Alisson Becker has saved 50 of the last 54 shots on target he has faced in all competitions (93%). Absolutely flawless again today. #LFC
— DanKennett.bsky.social (@DanKennett) February 1, 2020
His ninth clean sheet of the season means he remains tied for the Golden Glove award with Sheffield United‘s Dean Henderson, whose team won 1-0 this weekend.
Alisson also has more clean sheets (30) in the league since joining the Reds than he has goals conceded (29), which is frankly ridiculous.
Great foundations lead to everlasting triumphs
Alisson would no doubt be the first person to say his clean sheets and influence on the game is helped considerably by those in front of him.
And, while several pairings have held fort at centre-back over the last year or two, it’s unquestionably Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk which is the dominant force and the base upon which this team is built.
It’s now well over two years since Gomez was part of a losing team in the league, and while some of that is down to being injured or not selected on specific occasions, it highlights the monolithic standing he has in the side.
35 games. 30 wins. 5 draws.
Joe Gomez has not lost a Premier League game since 22nd January 2018. ? pic.twitter.com/U1c4oqLfrw
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 1, 2020
In the first 23 games as a pairing, the Gomez-Van Dijk axis has conceded just five goals.
They, along with Ali, are the base that the success of the side stems from.
Table-toppers doesn’t do it justice
Liverpool are absolutely steam-rollering home to the title this season.
There’s work to do, but also absolutely no reason to think that there will be any kind of slackening as the rest of the campaign unfolds.
With Man City not in action until Sunday evening, full-time in the Reds’ match marked yet another record attained as the gap at the top reached 22 points.
22 – Liverpool will end today 22 points clear of second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League table; this is the biggest lead any league-leader has ever had at the end of a day in English top-flight history. Gap. pic.twitter.com/xgG4P8m3w1
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 1, 2020
And across an entire rolling season’s worth of matches, the Reds are simply untouchable, setting unthinkable highs which surely no team will ever match.
The history continues.
Liverpool are now the first team to ever take 108 points from a run of 38 league games.
W35 D3 L0 F93 A22. What a team. pic.twitter.com/nDLctCKWr6
— Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) February 1, 2020
Fantastic Firmino forever the fulcrum
He might not have a Premier League goal at Anfield yet this season, but it’s a measure of the importance of Roberto Firmino to the team that very, very few people find that a cause for complaint.
Yet again on Saturday, the No. 9 was the epicentre of the best the Reds had to offer, ending the match with a hat-trick of assists to his name.
The second of those was a milestone one, too, and puts him out in front in terms of being the assist king in the squad since Klopp has been in town.
50 – After his two assists today, Roberto Firmino has now assisted 50 goals for Liverpool in all competitions (228th appearance); 11 more than any other player for the club since he joined in 2015. Sensation. #LIVSOT pic.twitter.com/LOE8OfmeUb
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 1, 2020
In addition, it takes Firmino’s haul for the season to 13 assists across all competitions, meaning he more assists than goals—a genuine all-round centre-forward and the perfect team-first player to lead the line in this team.
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