LEEDS: Liverpool banished their away day blues as Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah grabbed two goals each in an emphatic 6-1 victory at lowly Leeds United on Monday, a record home Premier League loss at Elland Road for the Yorkshire club.

Jota was on the scoresheet for the first time in over a year while Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez were also on target as Liverpool recorded a second away win in 2023.

They move to 47 points from 30 games, nine behind Newcastle United in the fourth Champions League qualification position.

Leeds had chances in the first half but just as in their 5-1 home loss to Crystal Palace in their previous match, they were far too open defensively.

Javi Gracia’s side remain two points above the relegation zone after 31 games. Leeds winger Luis Sinisterra made it 2-1 soon after the interval before Liverpool netted four more.

“It was a special second half, we played really well,” Jota told Sky Sports. “We kept possession and tried to find ourselves in good positions. We scored some great goals. It has been a hard season for me and the team so it is a relief for me to score. I always want to be involved, I got an assist too in the first half, but I would like to score more.”

Jurgen Klopp’s side took the lead at Elland Road when Gakpo’s goal was controversially allowed to stand despite the ball striking Trent Alexander-Arnold’s arm in the build-up. It was reported the VAR official did not check the incident because it happened too far back in the move, but Leeds were furious at the perceived injustice.

Salah rubbed salt into Leeds’ wounds when he increased Liverpool’s lead four minutes later before Sinisterra got one back for the struggling hosts. Jota’s double, another Salah strike and Nunez’s late effort ensured Liverpool ended their five-game winless run in all competitions.

After coming within a whisker of winning a quadruple last season, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have been reduced to scrambling to reach next season’s Europa League or Europa Conference League, with the Champions League seemingly out of reach.

With that target in mind, the eighth-placed Reds are now within two points of seventh-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.

“It’s the best game we’ve played this season from all different perspectives,” Klopp said. “My favourite part was in the 92nd minute when we chased the poor boy on the ball from Leeds. The counter-pressing was the best for, I want to say, decades!”

Leeds were booed off after becoming only the second club to concede five or more home goals in successive Premier League games.

“Obviously we knew it would be a tough game. We started with a clear plan and tried to get them on the counter,” Leeds defender Robin Koch said. “Then we conceded two goals and it’s an extremely difficult game against a team like Liverpool. It’s hard for us but we need to put this game aside. We have three massive games coming up [against Fulham, Leicester City and Bournemouth’.”

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2023