Liverpool vs Ipswich LIVE: Result and reaction as Reds cruise to victory at Anfield
Liverpool 4-1 Ipswich: Cody Gakpo scored twice to lead the charge as the table-toppers stayed six points clear
Mohamed Salah scored his 100th Premier League goal for Liverpool fc at Anfield but it was the 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town which was more significant as Arne Slot's side maintained their stranglehold at the top of the table.
Salah's 19th league goal of the season and 176th ever in the competition, which puts him just one behind sixth-placed Frank Lampard (177) on the list of its all-time scorers, came in between strikes from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo as the visitors were clinically exposed in the first half.
Gakpo headed in a fourth just past the hour to afford Slot the luxury of resting the forward, fellow Dutchman Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai with 25 minutes remaining.
Ten-man Arsenal kept within six points, albeit having played a game more, with a win at struggling Wolves but third-placed Nottingham Forest fell nine behind after defeat at Bournemouth.
Ipswich, who have now lost eight of the last 11 league matches, did not manage a shot until the hour mark and got off lightly in some respects as had their hosts - for whom this was the first of six games in 18 days in four competitions - not eased off the intensity it could easily have been a repeat of last week's humiliation at Manchester City.
Relive all of the action from Anfield in our live blog below:
Things livening up around Anfield
Andoni Iraola interview: The reluctant coach leading a post-Pep tactical revolution
Bournemouth face Nottingham Forest this afternoon in a meeting of two of the Premier League’s success stories. This week, Miguel Delaney went down to the south coast to meet the man at the heart of a tactical revolution - and find out what makes Andoni Iraola tick:
Andoni Iraola: The reluctant coach leading a post-Pep tactical revolution
Virgil van Dijk makes 300th Liverpool appearance
Big day for Reds skipper Virgil van Dijk, who hits the 300-appearance milestone for the club.
In that time, Van Dijk has won 208 games, drawn 47 and lost 44. An incredible record for one of the league’s greatest ever defenders.
Arne Slot's dad unimpressed by son's success
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot may have lost only two matches all season but there are still occasions when he cannot impress his dad.
The Dutchman regularly calls his father Arend after matches but following the 2-1 midweek Champions League win over Lille, which extended their 100 per cent record in the competition to seven matches, Slot senior was not particularly impressed.
It would have been difficult to match the drama of the two goals in stoppage time which secured the Premier League leaders’ victory at Brentford last weekend but Slot’s dad felt the team should have been more adventurous against the Ligue 1 side.
However, Slot, whose remarkable maiden season has seen him win 26 of 33 matches with just one Premier League defeat, said patience will be important as he expects struggling Ipswich to pose a tough test at Anfield.
“It is difficult for fans and my father is a fan as well,” he said.
“When I called him after the game he says, ‘ah, it wasn’t as exciting as other games of Liverpool’ when he watched the game against Lille.
“I had to try to explain to him these games you can easily lose if you are starting to force all kinds of difficult balls but he’s not always agreeing with me then.”
Philogene makes Ipswich debut
Kieran McKenna has handed Jaden Philogene his debut in an Ipswich shirt following his move from Aston Villa earlier this month.
Can the tricky winger help throw a spanner in the works of Liverpool’s title push?
Liverpool vs Ipswich team news
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Diaz, Salah, Gakpo.
Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Elliott, Tsimikas, Danns, Quansah, Bradley.
Ipswich XI: Walton, Burns, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy, Phillips, Hutchinson, Philogene, Delap.
Subs: Muric, Johnson, Godfrey, Townsend, Luongo, Taylor, Broadhead, Enciso, Hirst.
Team news on the way...
The XIs are imminent at Anfield. How much rotation will Arne Slot feel he needs?
Kieran McKenna says Ipswich still on the hunt for additions
Kieran McKenna says Ipswich are still in the market to improve their starting XI during the remainder of the January window.
Ipswich signed Julio Enciso on loan from fellow Premier League side Brighton on Thursday.
Manager McKenna insists any further signings will need to improve the starting line-up.
"We'll have to wait and see. Look, we'll go to the last day and try to improve the squad in any way possible," he told reporters.
"We have enough depth in the squad. It's only if we can add players who we think can have a really big impact on the starting XI or the matchday squad and improve us over the remaining games.
"If we can do that, we'll do it. If that's not possible we have good depth, everyone's on board and everyone's hungry.”
Liverpool labelled ‘best team in the world’ after maintaining Champions League perfection
The Champions League win over Lille prompted high praise from visiting forward Jonathan David - and it’s hard to argue with the Canadian’s declaration:
Liverpool labelled 'best team in the world' amid Champions League dominance
Arne Slot explains Liverpool's new problem: ‘All of them are in a low block’
Liverpool are having to find solutions, though, as teams figure out Slot’s style, as the manager articulated last weekend.
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