Match report: Relentless Liverpool down Hull at Anfield

Adam Lallana opened the scoring early in the first half before James Milner netted from the spot after Ahmed Elmohamady received a red card for stopping Philippe Coutinho's shot on the line with his arm.

Sadio Mane extended his incredible start to the season with another goal before the break, though the visitors pulled one back in the second period through David Meyler's close-range finish.

That blow mattered little in the end, though, as Coutinho's fine curler quickly restored the Reds' advantage and Milner bagged another penalty to add gloss to the scoreline.

The key points...

• Lallana nets third goal of the season to open scoring
• Milner and Mane add to lead before half-time
• Meyler pulls one back but Coutinho and Milner seal it
• Reds temporarily up to third in the Premier League

The team news...

Jürgen Klopp opted to give Loris Karius his first taste of action at Anfield, as the German goalkeeper retained his place between the sticks.

And, with Dejan Lovren absent due to a viral infection, League Cup goalscorer Ragnar Klavan also remained in the starting XI, partnering Joel Matip at the heart of the Reds' defence.

The first half...

The Reds wasted little time in asserting themselves as Matip headed over the bar from a corner when he might have done better before Coutinho somehow failed to turn home a Mane cross on the line.

But a packed Anfield was not made to wait too long for a first goal, which came courtesy of Lallana.

In the 17th minute, the No.20 took the ball in his stride in the box after great work from Coutinho and sent a bobbling effort into the corner to spark scenes of celebration.

Milner was given the chance to effectively decide the game shortly after, when Elmohamady handled on the line after Mane's pull-back had provided Coutinho a close-range shooting opportunity.

The Englishman made no mistake from the spot, and Hull's numerical deficit meant they had a mountain to climb from then on.

Watch Ray Clemence and Phil Babb reflect on our 5-1 win

The visitors' task was made all the more daunting thanks to yet more slick football, which saw Lallana escape trouble in the area with a Cruyff turn before feeding Mane, who turned quickly to smash in a low finish.

A three-goal half-time lead was little more than the hosts deserved after an incredible first-half performance in which they were unfortunate not to score plenty more.

The second half...

Liverpool picked up where they left off when play resumed for the second half, and Nathaniel Clyne almost benefited from some quick feet from Mane early doors, though his snapshot effort was deflected away from danger.

Hull made the most of that let-off, with Meyler slamming home after the Reds failed to clear a corner properly.

But Coutinho quickly ruled out any faint hopes of a comeback with a trademark curler into the corner after cutting in off the left wing at the Kop end.

The sight of Daniel Sturridge emerging from the bench with little over 20 minutes remaining cannot have been a welcome one for Hull, and his introduction in place of Lallana reaped instant dividends.

The striker showed dancing feet in the box to bamboozle Andy Robertson, forcing the Scot into a trip that yielded another penalty, which Milner converted.

Klopp moved to give Marko Grujic and Emre Can yet more minutes on the pitch, with the pair replacing Coutinho and Jordan Henderson in the final moments of the game.

And they helped the Reds see out a well-deserved victory, which kept their Anfield record at 100 per cent after two outings this term. 

The stats...