LIVERPOOL, Feb 24, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both
struck twice as Liverpool cut the gap on Manchester City at the top of the
Premier League to three points with a 6-0 thrashing of Leeds at Anfield.

   Salah took his tally for the season to 27 in 31 appearances and set up a
rare goal for Joel Matip as the Reds registered a ninth consecutive win in
all competitions.

   Mane rubbed salt in Leeds wounds with two goals in the final 10 minutes
before Virgil van Dijk's header rounded off the scoring.

   Attention now turns to Sunday's League Cup final against Chelsea for
Jurgen Klopp's men and they remain very much in the hunt for a second Premier
League title in three years with a clash against City still to come in April.

   "I think for people outside it is better to have three or six-point gap
than to have a 20 or 30-point gap so it is more exciting," said Klopp.

   "But we have to win a lot of the games against all the difficult opponents
and that will be a tricky task. We will give it a try."

   At the other end of the table, Leeds are looking over their shoulders as
Burnley's 1-0 win over Tottenham cut their cushion over the relegation zone
down to three points.

   "We are fighting relegation," said Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa. "Of course
it worries me, how is it not going to?"

   Leeds have now conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season
with 56.

   Bielsa's men were similarly humiliated 7-0 at City in December and have
shipped 16 goals in their last four games alone.

   "The games against City and today are two games where our weaknesses have
shown against the superiority of these teams," added Bielsa.

   "The conclusions from today are totally negative."

   There was little doubt over the outcome from the moment Stuart Dallas
handled Andy Robertson's cross inside in the box and Salah sent Illan Meslier
the wrong way from the spot.

   The visitors did have the ball in the net shortly afterwards only for
Raphinha to be flagged offside when he forced in Jack Harrison's low cross to
the back post.

   Chances continued to flow at the other end with Luis Diaz quickly making
himself a favourite among the Anfield crowd as he terrorised a makeshift
Leeds back four.

   - Matip makes his mark -

   But when Liverpool's inevitable second arrived it came via an unlikely
source as Matip strolled forward, exchanged a one-two with Salah and dinked
the ball coolly over the advancing Meslier.

   Leeds felt hard done by 10 minutes before the break when Mane was adjudged
to have been clipped by Luke Ayling as he burst into the box.

   Salah again smashed home the penalty despite Meslier this time going the
right way.

   That strike took Liverpool's tally for the season to 50 goals in just 19
games at Anfield and allowed the hosts to take their foot off the gas in the
second half with one eye on Wembley.

   Salah should have completed his hat-trick on two occasions as Pascal
Struijk hooked a goalbound effort off the line before the Egyptian blazed
over from Curtis Jones' cut-back.

   Mane did make it 4-0 10 minutes from time when he rounded off a brilliant
move involving Salah and Jordan Henderson with a thumping finish high past
Meslier.

   The Senegalese had a simple task to get his second in the 90th minute as
he pounced to tap into an unguarded net after Meslier parried Divock Origi's
initial effort.

   Van Dijk then rose to inflict the final blow with the final touch of the
game when he powered home Robertson's corner.