Liverpool made it back-to-back Europa League wins against Union Saint-Gilloise.
Ryan Gravenberch opened his account for Jurgen Klopp’s side late in the first half when Antony Moris spilled Trent Alexander-Arnold’s long-range attempt.
A second followed during second-half added time as Diogo Jota slid home in front of The Kop after being teed up by substitute Luis Diaz’s clever pass.
The Reds’ maintained 100% start to their Group E campaign sees them remain in pole position, two points clear of upcoming opponents Toulouse.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Reds ease back to normality
After events of the previous five days, it would have been easy for Liverpool to become distracted by the controversy behind their defeat at Tottenham.
The scandal of VAR incompetence that denied Luis Diaz a legitimate goal in last weekend’s Premier League encounter continues to cast a long shadow.
A comfortable win over Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League group stage may not feel like a perfect palette cleanser to those ongoing issues.
But this was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Save for a fleeting spell at the end of normal time, the Reds found themselves almost entirely untroubled by their Belgian counterparts on Thursday night.
At times, it resembled a training exercise with Klopp’s charges barely breaking a sweat as the hosts asserted their dominance with late goals in either half.
This will not go down as one of Anfield’s great European nights but Liverpool providing a semblance of normality after a truly turbulent week was enough.
No half-measures from Klopp
Klopp could be forgiven for a relaxed approach to the Europa League.
By his own admission, this was never the tournament which the Liverpool manager envisaged his side beginning at the start of the current campaign..
The German’s reputation for going full-throttle extends to the Champions League’s poor relation after fielding strong line-ups in successive group games.
From front to back, Liverpool’s XI against Union could hardly be classed as substandard; with Trent Alexander-Arnold also making a returning start.
A series of pre-planned changes saw them later joined by further established figures including Alexis Mac Allister making his much-touted family reunion.
In previous years, Klopp may have surrendered to the temptation of sending out a side comprised almost entirely of fringe and inexperienced players.
Such half-measures, however, are becoming increasingly less common.
TAA leads by example
Alexander-Arnold’s recent elevation to Liverpool’s vice-captain threatened to be a potential poisoned chalice for the returning homegrown full-back.
Beyond the burden of added responsbility, the England international has big shoes to fill as the latest in a long line of academy graduates to rise the role.
No fewer than seven esteemed figures from Anfield’s past have been named second in command with all bar one – Chris Lawler – stepping up permanently.
A chance to stake his future candidacy was done no harm in Alexander-Arnold’s first start since being laid low by a hamstring injury in September.
His return saw a true captain’s display complimented by a 63-minute outing in which he did more than simply lay the groundwork for Liverpool’s opener..
The 24-year-old’s long-range effort proved too hot for Anthony Moris to handle as he spilled it into Ryan Gravenberch’s path just moments before half-time.
A keen eye for inch-perfect deliveries from distance was also evident with multiple cross-field passes pinged in for Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah.
His talent has never been in question but Alexander-Arnold went some way to establishing himself as Liverpool’s future leader in waiting in this latest outing.