Rampant Reds reverse slump

Liverpool hits free-falling Leeds for six as Anfield boss Klopp hails team's 'best game this season'

LEEDS, England — Liverpool won for the first time in five English Premier League games after thrashing Leeds United 6-1 on Monday.

Liverpool hadn't tasted victory in more than six weeks, since routing Manchester United 7-0.

But after Cody Gakpo's opener and Mo Salah's quick-fire addition for a 2-0 halftime lead, the Reds tore apart Leeds in the second half. Salah and Diogo Jota finished with a pair each, and Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score late.

Leeds halved the deficit two minutes after the break when Ibrahima Konate was caught in possession by Luis Sinisterra, who lifted his effort over goalkeeper Alisson Becker to make it 2-1.

But the Leeds defense collapsed in familiar fashion, and now the Yorkshire club faces a major fight for survival in the Premier League. It is 16th in the standings, two points above 17th-place Everton and the three-team drop zone, which is occupied by Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Southampton.

Liverpool remained eighth in the standings, two points behind Brighton & Hove Albion.

Jurgen Klopp hailed what he called Liverpool's best performance of the season.

"The moment in the game I enjoyed the most was the 92nd minute," the Reds manager said. "It's already 6-1 and we lose the ball and we had four players chasing.

"From a counter-pressing point of view that was definitely the best game we've played this season, in possession probably as well.

"We were calm in the decisive moments to pass exceptional balls. Mo's second was super play. Curtis (Jones) to Robbo (Andrew Robertson), then Cody (Gakpo) and then the ball to Mo. That was really good. There were lots of good moments."

Next up for the Reds is the visit of relegation-haunted Forest, who lost to Manchester United on Sunday.

Call for composure

Leeds manager Javi Gracia said his free-falling side must find more composure in defense in its battle to avoid relegation.

Monday's loss saw the Whites concede five or more goals in a second successive league game for the first time in the club's history.

The 6-1 thrashing followed a 5-1 humbling at home to a team that, at least until last week, was also fighting to stay alive in the top division — Crystal Palace.

Leeds now has the worst defense in the English top flight with 60 goals conceded in 31 games.

Leeds next faces a difficult trip to 10th-placed Fulham on Saturday.

"It's hard to accept the game today, the result as well," Spaniard Gracia, who took over in February, told the BBC.

"We lost composure during the game. Maybe the first goal opened the game and maybe came from a handball (by Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold) but after that there is nothing to say, we have to improve for the next game."

Gracia was surprised at his side's woeful defending in the last few weeks.

"It's something we need to work on and try to improve," he said. "It's something we didn't do in the previous games and now we are in the most important part of the season. We have to be more solid and defend better."

Leeds was booed off the pitch at the final whistle by the fans who had not left their Elland Road seats early in disgust, and Gracia acknowledged there was no quick fix to his team's defensive frailties beyond heightened effort.

"We played today against a very good team. They played much better, they deserved the result and we tried but it was impossible to do it better," he said.

"The only message (to the players) is to try to play better next game, try and get a better result and this way they (the supporters) will be with us. There is only one way. Try to work hard and try to improve."

Agencies