LONDON
\nLiverpool thrashed West Ham United 5-0 at the London Stadium to stretch their Premier League lead to eight points on Sunday with Mohamed Salah once again in irrepressible form.
\nLuis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota were on target for the rampant Reds in east London as they ended the year as huge favourites to deliver just a second league title in 35 years.
\nSalah has been enjoying a vintage season despite uncertainty over a new contract and scored once and provided two assists as Liverpool dismantled their outclassed hosts.
\nReports in recent weeks have suggested an agreement is getting closer between the 32-year-old and the Reds, but Salah shot down those suggestions.
\n\u201cWe are far away from that,\u201d Salah told Sky Sports.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t want to put something in the media and people start saying stuff, but nothing really has moved on. Now I am focused on the team and hopefully we win the Premier League.\u201d
\nSalah now has 20 goals in all competitions this season, has scored and assisted in eight Premier League games and appears to be firing Liverpool towards a 20th league title in Dutchman Arne Slot\u2019s first season in charge.
\nLiverpool have 45 points from 18 games with surprise package Nottingham Forest their closest pursuers with 37 points having played a game more.
\nWhile Slot was delighted to see five different players on the scoresheet on Sunday, a first clean sheet in five games was equally satisfying after his side conceded nine goals in their previous four.
\n\u201cClean sheets are one of the reasons why you win a lot. If every time you have to score two, three or four goals it is difficult,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cAt the moment we do but it is not sustainable for a longer period of time.
\n\u201cSometimes you need a win by keeping a clean sheet and scoring one or two.\u201d
\nThe only negative for Liverpool on almost a perfect day was that their defender Joe Gomez picked up a hamstring injury during the match and faces a spell on the sidelines.
\n\u201cYou saw today an injury of Joe Gomez. If a player says he wants to stop, he has to be changed,\u201d Slot told Sky Sports.
\n\u201cIn a sprint, then we all know it\u2019s a hamstring and we all know it\u2019s going take a while before he is back. I don\u2019t know how long but he will be out for quite a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Liverpool thrashed West Ham United 5-0 at the London Stadium to stretch their Premier League lead to eight points on Sunday with Mohamed Salah once again in irrepressible form. Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota were on target for the rampant Reds in east London as they ended the year […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":452886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-452868","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n