Liverpool 5-1 Toulouse: Reds cement grip on Europa League Group E as Darwin Nunez and Ryan Gravenberch among goals

Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah were among those on target as Liverpool made it three wins from three in UEFA Europa League Group E courtesy of a thumping 5-1 victory over Toulouse at Anfield.

Diogo Jota opened the scoring when he was allowed to surge through the centre of the visiting defence and coolly fire home on nine minutes.

Toulouse briefly stunned Anfield just seven minutes later when Thijs Dallinga beat the hosts’ high line to rampage clear and slot a shot beyond Caoimhin Kelleher.

Liverpool took their time to rekindle their early impetus but two goals in four minutes just past the half hour put them firmly in charge.

First, Wataru Endo netted his maiden goal for the club with a superb flying header, before Nunez got in on the act with a venomous rising shot at the near post.

Ryan Gravenberch put the result beyond doubt on 65 minutes when he rounded the ‘keeper and slotted into the corner after Nunez had somehow hit the post with the goal gaping.

Substitute Salah then applied the icing to the cake with a strike that crashed in off the bar in stoppage time.

The victory sees the Merseysiders move well clear at the summit of Group E with a maximum nine points from their first three outings.

Union SG are second on four points, with Toulouse on the same tally in third. LASK are still pointless and sit bottom.

Liverpool return to Premier League action at home to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, while Toulouse visit Montpellier in Ligue 1.

The general consensus amongst Liverpool fans when the UEFA Europa League group stage was drawn was that The Reds should come through this pool with the minimum of fuss. Indeed, Kopites generally felt it would offer the club the chance to give fringe players opportunities, blood youngsters and rest star men.

So far, that has proved to be the case with a perfect record in Group E that means they are already on the verge of qualification.

In his post-match interview on TNT Sports, skipper for the night Trent Alexander-Arnold stated that the team are taking this competition seriously and they look like clear favourites at this stage as Liverpool 2.0 continues to go from strength-to-strength.

The Dutchman is already proving to be a very shrewd signing. His driving runs from midfield caused problems all night long and he capped an all-action display with a composed finish in front of the Kop.

LIVERPOOL: Kelleher 6, Alexander-Arnold 8, Gomez 7, Matip 7, Chambers 7, Endo 8, Jones 7, Gravenberch 9, Elliott 7, Jota 8, Nunez 8. Subs: Gakpo 6, Scanlon 6, Salah 7, Quansah 6, McConnell n/a.

TOULOUSE: Restes 7, Desler 6, Costa 6, Nicolaisen 6, Diarra 6, Casseres Jr 6, Sierro 6, Schmidt 6, Donnum 6, Dallinga 7, Suazo 6. Subs: Genreau 6, Gelabert 6, Magri 6, Kamanzi 6, Begraoui n/a.

09’ – GOAL! – Liverpool 1-0 Toulouse. Jota turns just inside his own half to collect Gomez’s stab forward, surge right through the heart of the visiting defence and calmly fire past the keeper.

16’ – GOAL! – Liverpool 1-1 Toulouse. Thijs Dallinga beats Liverpool’s high line to charge clear and lash a low shot beyond Kelleher.

30’ – GOAL! – Liverpool 2-1 Toulouse. Endo opens his account for the club with a flying header into the corner from Alexander-Arnold’s whipped cross.

34’ – GOAL! – Liverpool 3-1 Toulouse. Nunez rifles a rising shot in from the left side of the area after the ball fell his way off Jones’s diverted shot. It all came after Gravenberch’s driving run caused panic in the visiting defence.

65’ – GOAL! – Liverpool 4-1 Toulouse. Nunez powers through, beats his man, rounds the keeper and then hits the post! Gravenberch follows up, darts past the keeper and makes no mistake with a low finish.

90+3’ – GOAL! – Liverpool 5-1 Toulouse. Salah gets his obligatory goal as he hammers a firm shot in off the bar to cap a five-star display from the Reds.

• Salah has now scored 43 goals for Liverpool in major European competitions, the most of any player for an English club.