Liverpool recorded arguably their best result under Arne Slot as they brushed aside Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 to move to the top of the UEFA Champions League standings.
Luis Diaz’s first Liverpool hat-trick and a close-range header from Cody Gakpo – all in the second half – gave the Reds a commanding win at Anfield as Xabi Alonso endured an unhappy return to his old hunting ground.
While Slot’s side dominated the second half, the game was quite even before the interval as Leverkusen played some good football in the opening exchanges.
Liverpool emphatically put their opponents to the sword, but Steve Nicol has been taken aback by a stat from the game which makes for interesting reading.
The Reds scored four unanswered goals in the second half and were by far the superior team as they launched waves of attacks after Diaz broke the deadlock.
However, it was brought to Nicol’s notice that Leverkusen actually had more possession than Liverpool during the game, a star that really took him by surprise.
“Do you know what? For the majority of the game, I thought Liverpool were absolutely in control,” said Nicol on ESPN FC’s YouTube channel.
“I think after 20 minutes, Leverkusen had a wee spell of six-seven minutes where they were getting some possession. But before that and after that I thought we were in control.