Gakpo double helps Liverpool thrash struggling Ipswich

Arne Slot hailed Liverpool’s “almost perfect” 4-1 demolition of Ipswich as the Premier League leaders moved a step closer to the title on Saturday.

Cody Gakpo struck twice after Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah netted at Anfield in a dominant performance that kept Liverpool six points clear of Arsenal with a game in hand.

Just a second league title in 35 years and a 20th overall to match Manchester United’s English record now seems just a matter of time in Slot’s first season in charge.

“It’s been a few times we have played a home game and conceded a goal at the start. Today is the way you want to start a game,” Slot said.

“We were aggressive, dominant for 85 minutes, they had hardly been in our half.

“At the end, we are all disappointed conceding from a corner, the first one this season, but for 85 minutes it was almost a perfect performance against a team that plays a low block.

“That’s not always easy but the way we did it was really good.”

The Dutchman was able to make five changes from Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Lille that also secured direct passage to the last 16 of the Champions League in a sparkling season for the six-time European champions.

By contrast, Ipswich are finding the step up to the Premier League a bridge too far after back-to-back promotions.

Kieran McKenna’s men were thrashed 6-0 at home by Manchester City last weekend and could easily have suffered the same margin or more on their first trip to Anfield since 2002.

Slot has been keen for Szoboszlai to up his scoring contribution from midfield and the Hungarian led the way with a fine low strike for his fourth goal of the campaign after just 11 minutes.

Salah had been made to wait to usurp Thierry Henry as the Premier League’s seventh highest goalscorer of all