Liverpool: Takumi Minamino delivers bold statement in Crystal Palace win
Liverpool extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table as they secure their top spot ahead of Christmas. An emphatic 7-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park has sent their title rivals a huge message as they defend their league title.
Who was Liverpool's Man of the Match vs Crystal Palace?
Mohamed Salah
Roberto Firmino
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Sadio Mane
It was a day full of statements as Roberto Firmino scored for his second consecutive game, impressing the boss with two goals and an assist. Another man who was difficult to ignore this afternoon was Takumi Minamino, who earned a rare start ahead of Mohamed Salah.
Minamino masterclass
It took Liverpool just three minutes before they were on the front foot against Palace. Little did they know, it would open up the floodgates for a demolishing.
It was Minamino, who earns £75,000-a-week, who found the back of the net first, latching onto a ball from Sadio Mane to give the Reds an early lead. The former Red Bull Salzburg man slotted perfectly into the lineup, despite being limited to his time on the pitch this season.
According to Sofascore, the 25-year-old completed 100% of his dribbles and won three of his six attempted ground duels. He also missed a big chance to score his second goal of the game in the second half, which just highlights further how much of a problem he was for Roy Hodgson’s defence.
Despite being an underrated member of the team, his colleagues are more than aware of his attacking threat. Joe Gomez recently described him as an “unbelievable addition” to the Merseyside outfit.
Since the arrival of Diogo Jota in the summer, Liverpool are heavily stacked with their attacking options. Many are fighting for their spot in the starting lineup and Minamino ensured he did not waste this rare opportunity. His performance in such an influential win will have pricked up Jurgen Klopp’s ears and the Japanese international will be hoping that he has done enough to warrant more starts in the Premier League this campaign.
In other news, Liverpool should cash in on Divock Origi amidst Wolves interest…
Article title: Liverpool: Takumi Minamino delivers bold statement in Crystal Palace win
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