Liverpool prove Jurgen Klopp right but more goals must come at Tottenham

Georginio Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold were always confident the goals would eventually come

Liverpool were at their brilliant best against a limited Maribor outfit (Getty)

Ten points: that is the total cost of Liverpool's wastefulness in front of goal since the start of September.

Jürgen Klopp's side out-shot Sevilla, Burnley, Spartak Moscow, Newcastle United and Manchester United in their respective meetings over the last month and a half, yet they beat none of those teams, drawing with all five in a stuttering start to the new season.

Klopp himself was understandably frustrated after each of those results, almost reaching boiling point after the 1-1 draw at St James’ Park. The Liverpool manager was tired of repeating, over and over again, his explanation for why Liverpool could not find a win: the underlying performances were there, luck was not. Eventually, the goals would come.

Against Maribor on Tuesday night, when only victory would suffice, Klopp was vindicated. Liverpool put seven unanswered goals past the Slovenian champions, the third-lowest ranked team in the competition, to record their biggest-ever European away win.

Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah ended with a brace each, while Philippe Coutinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Trent Alexander-Arnold also got in on the act to confound those who expected a tight contest.

What’s more, thanks to Spartak’s surprise 5-1 defeat of Sevilla, Liverpool’s emphatic win was enough to send them top of Group E, level on points with the Russians but two goals better off.

For Georginio Wijnaldum, who bossed the centre of the park alongside captain James Milner, it was always only a matter of time before Liverpool filled their boots.

“We were a little bit sad that we didn't score a lot of goals [in previous matches] as we created a lot of chances,” the midfielder said. “The manager told us if we play like that creating a lot of chances and maybe be more ruthless in the chances we get, then we would score goals. We just kept the belief.”

Alexander-Arnold, who scored the second goal of his Liverpool career after opening his account during August’s play-off round against Hoffenheim, agreed. “We always knew we had the goals in us and it was just a matter of when and where they would come for us,” he said. “They came tonight in abundance for us.”

The challenge now will be to bring such free-scoring form back home and make up for lost ground in the Premier League, with a trip to Wembley to face Tottenham Hotspur up next. Mauricio Pochettino’s side earned an impressive point at the Bernabeu while Liverpool were running wild in Maribor, and Wijnaldum stopped short of promising another rout on Sunday.

“I am not the person to say: 'Today we scored seven and the next one we will do the same again'. Every game is different,” he said. “Every game you have to work hard and show your best to score goals and win the games. Against Tottenham it will be a good game but we have to wait for that.”