Liverpool moved up to second in the Premier League table courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium this evening.
The visitors broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark when Adam Lallana planted a header past the keeper, and they were close to a second just before half time when Sadio Mane hit the post.
That did not prove to be a costly miss, though, as goals from Divock Origi and a second for Lallana sealed a comfortable win for Liverpool that sees them leapfrog Arsenal in the table.
Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match between Middlesbrough and Liverpool at the Riverside Stadium! Both teams are fighting for very different goals this season, and a victory tonight would be a big step in the right direction for both clubs. It is the league's best attack against the league's worst attack, so it promises to be a very intriguing affair. Before we get to that, though, let's take a look at the team news...
MIDDLESBROUGH STARTING XI: Valdes; Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Fabio; Clayton, De Roon, Forshaw, Traore; Fischer, Negredo
MIDDLESBROUGH SUBS: Guzan, Nsue, Bernardo, Leadbitter, Downing, Rhodes, Nugent
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Klavan, Milner; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Lallana; Firmino, Mane, Origi
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Moreno, Lucas, Stewart, Alexander, Ejaria, Woodburn
What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, the headline news as far as the home side are concerned is the return of ALvaro Negredo up front. The Spaniard missed the defeat to Southampton at the weekend with a hamstring problem, but has recovered in time for this evening's game and joins Fischer in attack as Jordan Rhodes drops back to the bench. Goals have been in short supply for Boro so far this season, so Karanka will be delighted to have Negredo back available.
Negredo's inclusion is one of two changes made to the side that lost to Southampton at the weekend, with Stuani dropping out altogether and Traore coming in in his place. Gaston Ramirez remains sidelined with a foot problem which slightly limits Karanka's options in that front three, but Adama Traore can certainly be a handful so Liverpool will need to keep an eye on him.
There are no changes in midfield a Clayton, De Roon and Forshaw all retain their places, with the fit-again Grant Leadbitter once again having to make do with a place on the bench. Middlesbrough need more goals throughout their side, and that midfield trio are very much included in that. They may not see a lot of the ball tonight, though, so their work rate and protection of the back four is likely to be vital.
The back four is also unchanged for Boro - unsurprisingly given that it has been their strongest area this season. Chambers partners the impressive Gibson at the heart of the defence, with the latter's performance so far this term seeing him tipped for an international call-up. At right-back Antonio Barragan starts against his former club, while ex-Manchester United man Fabio is on the opposite flank. There is another former United man in goal too, with Victor Valdes once again getting the gloves.
As for Liverpool, the biggest story from their team selection is the inclusion of Simon Mignolet, who had lost his place in the side following Loris Karius's return to fitness in September. Karius has been heavily criticised in recent weeks, though, and was at fault for both goals in his side's 2-2 draw with West Ham United last time out, and as a result he has been dropped to the bench this evening. Mignolet has not been free from criticism in his Liverpool career either, though, so this is a big night for him.
In addition to Karius, Matip is another notable exclusion from the Liverpool side this evening as he misses out entirely. The Cameroonian was also at fault for one of the goals at the weekend, and Ragnar Klavan starts in his place at the heart of the defence tonight. That is the only change to the back four, though, with Clyne, Lovren and Milner all retaining their places in Jurgen Klopp's starting XI.
Further forward, there are no changes to the midfield trio as Henderson, Wijnaldum and Lallana all keep their places, with Can still sidelined with a knee injury. Lallana got a goal on his return to the starting XI against West Ham at the weekend, meaning that he has now had a hand in nine goals in 13 Premier League games this season - scoring four and setting up another five. The midfielder has certainly grown since last season, when he was involved in just 10 goals across 30 appearances - again scoring four.
With Coutinho and Sturridge still out there are no changes to the front three either, meaning that Origi makes his 50th appearance for the club in all competitions. The Belgian has scored in his last four games in all competitions, becoming the first player to do that for Liverpool since Sturridge went on a run of eight in early 2014, and he will look to continue that streak tonight. Firmino and Mane, both of whom have proved themselves to be very dangerous this season, make up the trio.
There is plenty of attacking talent in the team, then, but Middlesbrough will be confident that they have what it takes to negate Liverpool's prowess in the final third. One of the reasons why this is such an intriguing contest is Liverpool's attack against Boro's defence, which has been very impressive for a newly-promoted side. As you might expect from a former defender, Karanka has built this Boro team on very solid foundations and they are not an easy team to score against at all.
Boro boasted the best defensive record in the Championship last season and they have conceded just 16 goals in their 15 outings so far this term too. Only three teams in the whole division have conceded fewer goals - Arsenal, Chelsea and Southampton - and their defensive record is by far the best of any team currently around them in the table. The problem, however, has been at the other end of the pitch, and that is one that Karanka needs to solve sooner rather than later.
Boro are the lowest-scoring team in the Premier League this season with just 13 goals from their 15 matches, so it is no surprise that they have also won the joint fewest number of games in the division. Their defence means that they are rarely beaten comfortably - indeed, they have only lost by more than one goal on one occasion this season - but if you can't score goals then you won't win games and that is the problem facing Karanka at the moment.
As things stand Boro sit 16th in the table, which is a position I'm sure they would be quite content with at the end of the season. There is still a long way to go, of course, but they do have a little bit of breathing space with three points separating them from the bottom three. It is very tight down at the bottom of the table too, so a couple of wins for Boro could life them right out of the mire and suddenly challenging for a place in the top half.
Tonight's match may not seem like a great opportunity to get one of those wins, but Boro face struggling Swansea City at the weekend before facing Burnley in their next match after that, so there are some realistic opportunities for points to be gathered over the festive period. Wins have been hard to come by for Karanka's side, though, with only two from their last 13 Premier League outings, drawing five and losing six in that time.
Boro have established themselves as a tough team to beat, though, and they haven't lost back-to-back matches since September 24 - something they are in danger of doing this evening. The fact that they are at home doesn't bode particularly well for them, though, as they have amassed just seven points in front of their own fans so far this season - an average of one point per game and the joint worst record in the league.
Boro have actually fared better away from home than they have here at the Riverside this season, while their tally of six home goals scored is the lowest in the league, although they have also only conceded seven. They have now lost a home game by more than a goal in any competition in 2016, and things are improving in front of their own fans, with two wins from their last three outings. A surprise victory tonight would give them back-to-back home Premier League wins for the first time since August 2008.
The contrast between Middlesbrough's attack and Liverpool's attack could not be greater so far this season. Boro have attempted a league-low 38 shots in the Premier League so far, and never more than four on target in a single game, whereas Liverpool have had the most shots on goal (280), including a league-high 101 on target. They are also the league's top scorers with 37 - the same number as Arsenal have managed having played a game fewer than the Gunners.
The big concern for Liverpool, unlike Middlesbrough, comes in defence. It is certainly the weak point of the Liverpool side with six goals conceded in their last two games and 20 for the season so far - the most in the top seven of the table. Mistakes have proved particularly costly in recent weeks, with Liverpool throwing away leads against both Bournemouth and West Ham in their last two outings to surrender five points.
Those five points could prove to be very costly in Liverpool's title chase, with the unstoppable Chelsea now six points clear of Jurgen Klopp's side at the top of the table. There was good news for Liverpool yesterday as Arsenal fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Everton, though, which means a victory by three goals or more for Liverpool tonight would see them leapfrog the Gunners and climb up to second in the table.
However, Liverpool have faltered in recent weeks with that defeat to Bournemouth being followed by a home draw with West Ham, and they come into today's match looking to avoid going three games without a win in the Premier League for the first time since January. They have still only lost one of their last 17 outings in all competitions, though, winning 12 of those, and Klopp will see this match as a good chance to get back to winning ways.
Away from home Liverpool are amongst the best teams in the Premier League this season, with only Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea having amassed more points on the road. However, both of their defeats so far this season have come away from home and they are winless in their last two - drawing with Southampton and losing to Bournemouth. The Reds have not gone three consecutive away league games without winning since October 2015.
They have, however, only kept one clean sheet in their eight Premier League away games this season and only four in 23 since Jurgen Klopp took charge of the team - a record that will surely need to improve if they are to make a genuine push for the title this term. After tonight their next away game is a big one too, taking on Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Monday.
One area where Liverpool have improved already this season is from set pieces. The Reds have scored a league-high 13 goals via that route this season, which is already one more than they managed throughout the whole of last term. Defensively they struggle from set pieces, but in attack it has proved to be a fruitful avenue for Jurgen Klopp's side this season.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the Riverside, which means that it is time for a prediction! It will be very interesting to see which style prevails tonight - be it Boro's defensive solidity or Liverpool's free-scoring prowess. The visitors are favourites and I am backing them to get the win, but I can see it being quite a tight match. I'll go for 1-0 to Liverpool!
The last time these two sides met was a memorable affair in the League Cup a couple of years ago, when the match went to a record-breaking penalty shootout. Patrick Bamford's injury-time equaliser in extra time made it 2-2 at Anfield to send the match to penalties, and it eventually finished 14-13 in Liverpool's favour. None of the goalscorers from that match are playing tonight, though.
These two sides have not met in the Premier League since February 2009, when Middlesbrough picked up a 2-0 victory here at the Riverside. Xabi Alonso scored an own goal to get the hosts on their way on that occasion before Tuncay double the advantage. Ultimately it didn't help Boro avoid the drop that season, but they boast a pretty good record against Liverpool here.
Indeed, Boro are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League home games against Liverpool. winning three and drawing four of those. That run stretches back to March 2002, since when the Reds have only ever scored one goal against Boro here - a Fernando Torres strike in a 1-1 draw in January 2008.
Right, the players are out and we're just about ready to go here! This is a big game for both sides, but for very different reasons - who will come out on top?
KICKOFF: Here we go then! Middlesbrough get us underway at the Riverside!
Boro have made a good, positive start to this match, looking to put early pressure on the Liverpool defence. The visitors stand up to the initial questions, though.
Better from Liverpool now as Mane flicks the ball around the corner for Wijnaldum. The midfielder races down the right channel and plays a low ball into the middle, but Gibson is there to put it behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.
Lallana looks to make it two wins in the space of a few days as he cuts inside onto his left foot and goes for goal from range, but his effort is blocked before it can test Valdes.
Still no major changes to speak of for either side here. Both teams have made one or two bright breaks forward, but neither Mignolet nor Valdes have been tested so far.
Liverpool have seen more of the ball so far, but there has not been a lot to separate these two teams at all in the opening 10 minutes or so. It is very even so far.
There is a good atmosphere inside the Riverside tonight, with the home fans and the away fans making plenty of noise. There hasn't been too much to cheer so far, though.
De Roon is perhaps a little fortunate to avoid a yellow card here as he catches Henderson with a late challenge that leaves the Liverpool skipper in a heap on the floor. De Roon gets a talking-to from the ref, but nothing more.
There are seven other Premier League games taking place tonight, but it remains goalless in all of them at the moment. All the goals seemed to have been used up at the weekend!
SAVE! The first save of the evening comes from Mignolet, but it is an easy one for the returning keeper. Fabio picks the ball up and has a go from range, but it is straight at Mignolet, who gathers it comfortably.
Almost a chance for Liverpool as Clyne exchanges passes with Mane to get in behind the defence down the right flank. He plays a low ball into the box, but it goes all the way through and neither Milner nor Origi can make anything of it.
Middlesbrough come forward at the other end as Fischer breaks into the box, getting the better of Clyne in the process. Klavan comes across to bring an end to the run, though, and another decent attacking platform passes by.
CHANCE! Best chance of the match so far falls to Middlesbrough as Gibson climbs highest in the penalty area to get his head to a free kick. He nods it downwards, but Mignolet makes the save and crucially holds on to it too.
Liverpool just haven't got going so far. They are seeing more of the ball as expected, but they have been unable to make any serious inroads into this Boro defence.
Liverpool have their best attacking opportunity of the night as Traore loses the ball in a very dangerous position. Origi, Mane and Firmino all combine in the box, but they are unable to get a shot away and the chances goes begging.
GOAL! Middlesbrough 0-1 Liverpool (Adam Lallana)
Liverpool break the deadlock with their first real chance of the night! It is Clyne who whips a cross in to the far post, and Lallana times his run to perfection to plant his header past a helpless Valdes. Big breakthrough for the visitors!
SAVE! Boro go in search of an equaliser immediately, and they are very close to getting it. Fischer collects the ball on the right side of the area and everyone is expecting a cross, but instead he powers an effort towards the near post and Mignolet has to be very alert to turn it behind for a corner. Good effort, and a very good save too.
UPDATE: It took a while for the goals to come, but Tottenham have also broken the deadlock against Hull City through Christian Eriksen now.
Shooting chance for Middlesbrough as Liverpool are only able to clear a free kick as far as Clayton, who runs onto the ball and fires one goalwards. Lovren throws himself in the way of it, though, and Liverpool are able to get the ball away.
Middlesbrough have responded well to going behind here, enjoying 65% of possession in the last five minutes. The hosts have looked the most dangerous team for most of tonight, but that Lallana header separates the two as things stand.
Boro threaten to get in behind the Liverpool defence as De Roon plays a ball forwards towards Negredo, but the Spaniard can't take it in his stride.
CHANCE! Blistering counter from Boro as Traore storms forward down the right, beating Henderson and Klavan on his way to the byline. He pulls the ball back and it goes all the way through to Clayton, but Lovren makes a crucial block from his resulting shot.
UPDATE: Bad news for Liverpool from elsewhere in the league as Chelsea have taken the lead against Sunderland through Cesc Fabregas. Elsewhere, Stoke are down to 10 men against Southampton courtesy of a red card for Marko Arnautovic.
OFF THE POST! Liverpool are inches away from doubling their lead! Mane is released in on goal with only one defender in his way, and he beats him on his way into the box before drilling a low strike against the foot of the post. The ball bounces back out to Origi, but his follow-up strike ripples the side-netting.
There will be one minute of added time at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: Middlesbrough 0-1 Liverpool
The referee brings an end to the first half, then, and it is Liverpool who have the narrow lead at the break. Clear cut chances have been very few and far between - and Boro have arguably looked the more dangerous of the two teams - but so far Liverpool have been the more clinical of the two sides and that is the difference as things stand.
The only goal of the game so far came from Adam Lallana, who also broke the deadlock against West Ham at the weekend. Clyne was the creator with a deep cross towards the back post, and Lallana timed his run to perfection to steam in and nod the ball past Valdes.
The closest we have come to a goal aside from that Lallana header also came from Liverpool when Mane was released through, beating one defender on his way into the box only to be denied by the foot of the post when drilling a low strike towards the bottom far corner. The ball bounced back out to Origi, but he couldn't fit the target with his rebound.
Middlesbrough have had a couple of opportunities themselves, but Mignolet has so far answered every question asked of him on his return to the side. He made one particularly good save to deny Fischer at his near post, while the others stops he has had to make have been relatively routine.
KICKOFF: Liverpool get us back underway for the second half at the Riverside - can they hold on to return to winning ways?
CHANCE! Early chance for Liverpool to double their lead as Mane races away from his man down the right channel, but the angle is against him and Valdes makes the save at his near post.
CHANCE! Another chance for Liverpool, who have come flying out of the traps for his second half! Origi's cross from the left is nodded down to Mane in the middle, but he can't get the ball out from under his feet his eventual shot is blocked.
CHANCE! It is all Liverpool right now. Again they come forward down the left flank and this time it is Mane who turns the provider. He puts a cross into the middle which Lallana is running on to once again, but Firmino gets there first and puts his header wide.
Middlesbrough just can't get their foot on the ball at the moment. It has been all Liverpool since the restart and again they break into the Boro box here, but the final ball is lacking and another decent position goes begging.
Liverpool will want to make the most of this period on top by getting a second goal. A 1-0 lead is never a safe one, particularly for a side who have had defensive troubles like Liverpool this season.
CHANCE! Another decent sight of goal for Liverpool as Mane peels off his man in the area to get on the end of a cutback. He fires a first-time effort towards goal, but it strikes Chambers before it can trouble the keeper.
MIDDLESBROUGH SUBS: Double change from the hosts here as Grant Leadbitter and former Liverpool winger Stewart Downing come on in place of Clayton and Fischer.
Brilliant defending from Leadbitter as he makes a crucial challenge on Mane inside the area, although the flag is raised anyway so it would not have counted. Mane is causing all sorts of problems at the moment, though.
GOAL! Middlesbrough 0-2 Liverpool (Divock Origi)
Liverpool have their second, and it has certainly been coming! This is a brilliant team goal too, with Mane sparking things into life with a couple of quick passes in midfield. The ball is then played in to Lallana on the right channel and he feeds a first-time pass into the middle for Origi to sweep home.
That goals means that Origi has scored in each of his last five games for Liverpool - not a bad replacement for the injured Coutinho and Sturridge!
Traore looks unstoppable at times, and off he goes again here. He wriggles away from four Liverpool players before getting down the right flank and being fouled in a good crossing position. The free kick comes to nothing, but that was fine play from the winger.
Middlesbrough have not been able to threaten at all in this second half so far. It has been all Liverpool since the interval, which is a big chance from the first half when it was an even affair.
GOAL! Middlesbrough 0-3 Liverpool (Adam Lallana)
That is surely game over now! Liverpool get their third, and it is a second for Lallana who now has two goals and an assist! Mane races through down the right channel and Origi then takes over, pulling the ball back into the box. Lallana is racing in and plants a clinical finish past the keeper.
There is surely no way back for Boro now. They have offered very little going forward in this second half and now find themselves staring down the barrel of a rare heavy home defeat.
This scoreline, incidentally, would be enough to send Liverpool second in the table following Arsenal's slip-up last night. Chelsea are currently winning so the gap would remain six points to top, but as things stand Liverpool will leapfrog the Gunners.
Liverpool are still pushing for more goals here, and I wouldn't bet against them getting at least one more. They have been much better in this second half and deserve a comfortable victory.
UPDATE: Some news that Middlesbrough fans may be interested in - struggling Swansea are now two goals down against West Brom courtesy of a Rondon brace.
UPDATE: ...make that 3-0 to West Brom and three for Rondon!
MIDDLESBROUGH SUB: The hosts make their third and final change of the evening as Jordan Rhodes replaces Negredo.
Just 10 minutes remain in this match now, and that third goal really has killed this off as a contest. Liverpool are in complete control at the moment and Boro are spending most of their time chasing shadows.
LIVERPOOL SUB: The visitors make their first change of the evening as Lallana departs to be replaced by Lucas Leiva. A good night's work from Lallana!
More bright play from Traore, but that end product always seems to be lacking. He reaches the byline and looks up for a pass into the middle, but that gives Lovren the time to come across and block the resulting delivery.
Chance for Liverpool to get a fourth here as Firmino wins a free kick just outside the area...
LIVERPOOL SUB: Liverpool make a change before the free kick, with Ovie Ejaria replacing Wijnaldum.
Poor from the free kick in the end as Firmino puts it straight into the wall.
There will be a minimum of three minutes added time at the end of this match.
LIVERPOOL SUB: The visitors make their third and final change as Trent Alexander-Arnold replaces the injured Origi.
FULL TIME: Middlesbrough 0-3 Liverpool
The referee brings an end to proceedings at the Riverside, then, and it is a comfortable win for Liverpool in the end. They dominated the second half and get the three-goal winning margin they needed to climb above Arsenal and up to second in the Premier League table. Lallana was the star of the show with a brace either side of an Origi strike as Liverpool become the first team to beat Middlesbrough by more than one goal at the Riverside in more than a year.
That is all we have time for I'm afraid! Thank you for joining Sports Mole for tonight's midweek match between Middlesbrough and Liverpool as the visitors moved second in the table with a comfortable 3-0 win. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. From me, though, it is goodbye for no
