Liverpool ran riot against Southampton and cruised to a 4-0 victory on Saturday in the English Premier League. With the victory, Jurgen Klopp’s side moved within a point of Chelsea, in the process becoming the first top-flight team to score two or more goals for 17 straight matches in all competitions since Sunderland in 1927.

Liverpool has scored 39 times in 13 matches and no player has more Premier League goals individually this season than any of the starting front three — Mohamed Salah (11), Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota (both seven).

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Jota scored two more goals from a combined distance of seven yards, Thiago Alcantara made it two in two games with a deflected shot soon before halfway, and Virgil van Dijk put an end to any fantastical Southampton comeback dreams immediately after the interval.

It was the ideal warm-up for a Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park in midweek, which will be a reunion with former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.

Only three league wins all season leaves Southampton five points above the bottom three.

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After missing the past two games due to injury, Andy Robertson, who was one of six changes from the midweek Champions League triumph over Porto, resumed his rampaging left back duty.

He got to the byline with Mane along the left flank and pulled back a cross for Jota to finish from close range.

Salah blasted a shot wide of the far post after robbing Mohammed Salisu on the outside of the box, while Mane’s header from Robertson’s free-kick was ruled out for offside.

After Jordan Henderson missed an excellent chance, Jota doubled his score in the 32nd minute with the 700th goal of Klopp’s reign, after Southampton was carved open along its right side for the second time.

Trent Alexander-Arnold intercepted Thiago’s daring cross-field ball and feed Salah. He took a great return pass from Henderson and slipped in a low cross that Jota couldn’t miss.

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Thiago was denied a hat trick in the first half by a Lyanco stop, but the Southampton defender could only divert the ball when the Portugal international fired a shot from just inside the box seconds later after a wonderful drop of the shoulder created space.

Shortly after halftime, the fourth goal duly arrived courtesy of a low volley by Van Dijk from Alexander-Arnold’s right-wing corner.

With inputs from the Associated Press