Liverpool produced one of the best attacking displays we’ve seen all season in their crushing 6-1 victory over Watford at Anfield.
Sadio Mane scored twice for the Reds, who added further goals through Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum. Daryl Janmaat’s goal for the visitors was a mere footnote.
The win moved Jurgen Klopp’s team to the top of the Premier League, and confirmed that they are without doubt genuine title contenders.
There are some matches where a six-goal haul flatters the winning team, but this was not one of those. Indeed, the victory featured more shots on target for the hosts than in any other league game since Opta’s records began in 2003.
Most shots on target by Liverpool in a PL game 2003-2016
17 v Watford today
15 v Burnley Sep 2009
14 v Stoke Aug 2009
14 v Arsenal Apr 2009— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) November 6, 2016
It’s interesting to note that the three previous highs all came during the tenure of Rafa Benitez, rather than during the free-flowing attacking displays of Brendan Rodgers’ 2013/14 entertainers.
Indeed, the one time that season Rodgers’ team scored six – the 6-3 win at Cardiff in March – they hit the target just nine times.
So, let’s take a look back at those three games in 2009.
v Burnley – September 2009
A comfortable 4-0 win, in which Yossi Benayoun scored his final hat-trick for the club.
The victory came just days after goalkeeper Pepe Reina ruled Liverpool out of title contention just four games into the campaign.
Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
v Stoke City – August 2009
One of those previous four games had seen Liverpool put four past Stoke City, though they took just six points from their first four matches in the 2009/10 campaign.
Dirk Kuyt was among the goals, as he was in the demolition of Burnley, and he was joined on the scoresheet by Glen Johnson, Fernando Torres and David N’Gog.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
v Arsenal – April 2009
Another game in which the Reds scored four times. However – unlike the two above – they did not win.
What’s perhaps more remarkable is that Benitez’s team were 1-0 down at half-time before Torres and Benayoun each helped themselves to second-half braces. It probably would have been enough, were it not for a virtuoso performance from Andrey Arshavin. The Russian scored all four for the visitors, not that you needed reminding.
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
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