Liverpool should have been up 1-0 in the ninth minute. Sadio Mane got in a decent cross from the right. Coutinho was all alone in front of the keeper and either tried to toe poke it or scuffed it, but neither put it in the net.
The Reds kept on the pressure though and their patience paid off. In the 17th minute, Coutinho drove his way into the area and dished it off to Adam Lallana. The Englishman got a weak left foot through it, cutting it across his body and into the side netting.
It wasn't a pretty goal, but it broke down the defending and gave the keeper no chance. There is not much more you can ask for than that.
The patience was the key for the entire half. They just took what was available to them and built upon it each time. It paid off in the 29th minute.
Again, good build up from the right hand side after a giveaway and Mane pushed down the right. His strong cross found Coutinho at the penalty spot. He blasted one and the defender got caught with his hands out and was awarded a red card.
Liverpool went up 2-0 on a James Milner penalty kick. He tucked it in nicely in the bottom right corner, just slipping it under the goalkeeper. That opened the flood gates from there.
Liverpool kept up the pressure, putting the squeeze on the depleted Hull City defense. Mane, who was begging for a goal after all his set up play, was rewarded in the 35th minute. Lallana cut toward the box from the left and put it right to Mane at the penalty spot. The Liverpool newcomer was surrounded by defenders, but calmly spun around and slotted it past the despairing keeper.
The Reds came within a whisker of making it 4-0 before half. Milner, playing as a left back, got all the way to the attacking endline. He flashed a great pass across the face of goal, but nobody was on the doorstep to tap it in.
It would not be all sunshine and rainbows in the second half though. Hull City earned a corner kick in the 50th minute. Unfortunately, Liverpool's habit of making a hash of set pieces continued. They failed to clear the ball and it was smashed past Karius to cut the lead to two.
Coutinho was having none of that though. The Brazilian absolutely ripped home a goal not even a minute later.
Liverpool took the ball right after the kick and Lallana found some space. When closed down, he crossed to Coutinho in the middle. His shot came from about 22 yards away and there was no shot for any keeper to get a hand on it.
The Reds kept on it from there. Daniel Sturridge earned a penalty in the 70th minute, which Milner finished off for a second time, again sticking it just under the keeper.
Liverpool mainly toyed with the Tigers after that. The Reds pressed up the field a few times, but never really sought out their sixth goal with any great urgency.
In the end, it was a fine performance against a team Liverpool should beat. These are the games that have tripped them up in the past, so it was good to come away with three points.
The win, whether temporarily or not, puts them in third place in the table. It vaulted them past Everton and keeps them above Manchester United. Liverpool seem to have really settled into some good form and it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.
Random Thoughts:
- It was a shame that Sturridge couldn't get a goal after earning the penalty. After the Balotelli incidents where everyone was whining about taking the penalties, I understand having to use one kicker but it still seems as though you should be allowed to take it if you earned it.
- I'm curious as to the switch in goalkeepers. I know many fans are against Simon Mignolet, but Karius didn't do much in the midweek game and didn't do much against Hull. So, what did he do to earn the start? If Liverpool wins, it's fine. Just curious as to the reasoning.
Walk On
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Have you changed your mind about Lallana yet?
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