Liverpool hammer Chelsea to restore five-point lead

Liverpool restored their lead to five points at the summit of the Premier League table with a convincing 4-1 victory over Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday night.

From the beginning, Chelsea found themselves predominantly stationed within their own half as Liverpool relentlessly launched attacks.

The dynamic Darwin Nunez, in particular, posed a constant threat to the Blues' defence. In the fifth minute, he had his first attempt on goal, but Dorde Petrovic easily tipped it over. Another powerful strike from Nunez in the eighth minute was denied by a combination of Petrovic and the crossbar.

Another attempt again in the 20th minute when Nunez's shot across the goal was on target, but Petrovic managed to tip the ball onto the post.

With 23 minutes on the clock, the hosts managed to take the lead after Conor Bradley dispossessed Ben Chilwell and delivered a precise pass to Jota, who bundled home.

A tussle between Chilwell and Jota opened acres of space on the left wing, which Bradley exploited, striking a terrific shot across goal to double Liverpool's lead with 39 minutes played.

The first half, seemingly flawless for the hosts, almost improved further in injury time. Referee Paul Tierney awarded a penalty after Badiashile fouled Jota, but Nunez astonishingly hit the frame of the goal for the third time in the match.

Jurgen Klopp's men secured their third goal in the 65th minute, courtesy of a remarkable cross Bradley to Dominik Szoboszlai, who guided a low header over the line.

Substitute Christopher Nkunku provided a glimmer of hope in the 70th minute, eluding Alexis Mac Allister and Van Dijk before scoring a consolation goal via the inside of the post.

Nunez's misfortune continued as he hit the bar again with a header four minutes later, becoming the first Premier League player on record to strike the woodwork four times in a single game.

In the 79th minute, Nunez made amends for his misses, delivering a precise ball across the goal for Luis Diaz to poke home and restore Liverpool's three-goal lead.

With this result, the Reds reestablished their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League, while Chelsea remains in the 10th position. 

Next up, Liverpool will visit north London to face third-placed Arsenal on Sunday, and Chelsea will host Wolves, also on Sunday.