It was a Thursday night party at Anfield as Liverpool thrashed Toulouse 5-1 to maintain their perfect record in the Europa League group stage. It was one of the more comprehensive wins of the season for the Reds. They were rampant from the start.
Just a few days ago I did an article focusing on Liverpool getting comfortable with winning ugly. In that piece I said that the enjoyable wins would become more frequent.
I wasn’t exactly sure it would happen two days later but I can’t complain. The Reds came out on the front foot in this one and made it a show for the patrons.
Five different players bagged a goal on this night. Diogo Jota, Wataru Endo, Darwin Nunez, Ryan Gravenberch and Mo Salah all saw their names in lights. It was one of those balanced outings that managers dream of before kickoff.
Two of the brightest lights on this night were Gravenberch and Endo. The Dutchman continues to show that he is a massive talent not only for the future but right now.
His elegance as he glides around the midfield and seamlessly shifts into attack mode is something that not every player can do.
He is quickly making this competition his own with another sterling display.
Endo showed out in what was probably his best all-around performance since joining Liverpool late in the summer. His willingness to get stuck in to any tackle should not be overlooked. He was also reading plays before his opponents.
There is no rampant Reds attack without Endo setting the foundation at the heart of the midfield. He needs more chances to show the world and Klopp just what he is fully capable of.
Nunez had yet another performance enigmatic of his current standing. He bagged a goal and was a constant willing runner. Yet, he also somehow contrived to hit the post after rounding the keeper in a brilliant solo effort.
Still though, he was a dangerous option as always and will be pushing for a significant role at the weekend.
These kinds of performances are something that teams can build on. When youth gets to mix with the stars and the overall squad still performs at a high level, that is the good stuff.
Toulouse had nothing for the Reds this day and there is every indication they could be rampant again when Liverpool goes to France in the reverse fixture.
This was a beautiful night of action at Anfield. Stress free with goals flowing. It’s what fans should expect more of going forward. This team has it in them. I hope this is just the start. Do it again on Sunday.