By dismantling the European champions at Anfield, the tenacious Reds delivered a message to their competitors for the Premier League championship.

Can someone stop Liverpool, played by Arne Slot? Real Madrid gave it a shot at Anfield on Wednesday night, but they were finally defeated by the raging Reds, who defeated the champions 2-0 to keep their perfect record in this season’s Champions League.The only surprise was how long it took them to break the tie, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring in the 52nd minute after a fantastic one-two with Conor Bradley.

The hosts have had their share of suffering against Los Blancos in recent years, but they looked superior from beginning to end.After Andy Robertson brought down Lucas Vazquez in the area, and Caoimhin Kelleher saved the Frenchman’s unsatisfactory penalty, a horribly out of form Kylian Mbappe wasted the chance to unjustly draw Madrid level. Then, Mohamed Salah wasted a spot-kick that he had earned with a Lionel Messi-like run that made Ferland Mendy look like poor Jerome Boateng at Camp Nou back in 2015.

But when substitute Cody Gakpo scored Robertson’s cross to virtually guarantee a top-eight finish in the league phase, Liverpool finally scored the second goal their domination so rightly merited, guaranteeing Slot’s team a spot in the round of sixteen.

Ahead of Sunday’s crucial Premier League game at Anfield, the Reds send a dire warning to struggling Manchester City, as GOAL evaluates every player on display below.

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Goalkeeper & Defence

Caoimhin Kelleher (8/10):

In his own right, the world’s top No. 2 is an excellent goalie. Mbappe’s penalty stop was typical Kelleher, who consistently seems to step up when Allison isn’t there.

Conor Bradley (8/10):

No issue at all, no Trent Alexander-Arnold. On the right flank, the Irishman had a fantastic game. In addition to setting up Mac Allister for the first goal, he gave Mbappe a magnificent challenge that perfectly encapsulated his performance.

Ibrahima Konate (7.5/10):

The Konate appears to be among the world’s top defenders when he plays like this. The Frenchman hobbling out at the end was all the more concerning since he was so powerful, so in control, and so at ease throughout the evening.

Virgil van Dijk (7.5/10):

The Dutchman is 33 now but games of this calibre still look so easy for him. Wasn’t troubled at all by Mbappe & Co.

Andy Robertson (6.5/10):

A mixed bag for Robertson, who whipped over the magnificent ball that Gakpo headed home to seal the victory and gave Madrid a route back into the game with a poor clumsy foul on Lucas Vazquez.

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Midfield

Ryan Gravenberch (7.5/10):

When asked if he could play as a No. 6 against a top-tier midfield, he responded forcefully. He was excellent with the ball and constantly put pressure on his esteemed rivals.

Curtis Jones (7.5/10):

He has really blossomed in the past two weeks. In this outstanding performance, Jones, who contributed to Liverpool’s crucial opening goal, once again showed off his dribbling skills.

Alexis Mac Allister (8/10):

Despite his inconsistent play this season, the Argentine was selected ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai and proved his worth with a strong showing that culminated in a well-taken goal.

Attack

Mohamed Salah (7/10):

He deserved to score after winning a penalty by completely bamboozling Mendy but he struck the ball horribly and thus wasted a glorious chance to send another message to his employers. His work-rate was typically fantastic, though, and he created a couple of great openings for Nunez.

Darwin Nunez (6/10):

No end product, as per usual, but he worked tirelessly up top and was a constant menace to the Madrid defenders before being hauled off midway through the second half.

Luis Diaz (7.5/10):

As usual, a constant source of positive energy with his mix of directness and wonderful dribbling skills. Unlucky not to score late on.

Subs & Manager

Cody Gakpo (7/5):

What a player to bring off the bench! The Dutchman once again proved his worth by heading home the killer second goal.

Dominik Szoboszlai (N/A):

Barely saw 10 minutes of action.

Joe Gomez (N/A):

Came on for Bradley in the dying minutes.

Arne Slot (8/10):

Playing his starting lineup four days prior to a much more crucial match against Manchester City was a risk, and he will be worried about Konate’s health. However, this was just another example of Slot’s team’s strength—possibly their most striking to date.