A statement win on Austrian soil

Liverpool are back to winning ways in emphatic fashion, putting six past LASK in Austria in a Champions League fixture that will have raised eyebrows right across Europe. A 6-3 scoreline is the kind of result that demands attention, and on a night when everything clicked into place, the Reds delivered exactly the sort of performance that reminds you what this squad is capable of.

It was a commanding, confident display from start to finish. Even conceding three could not overshadow what was an irresistible attacking showing, and there were contributions right across the pitch to take genuine encouragement from.

Barcola was the story of the night

If one player wrote the headline on the night, it was Bradley Barcola. A hat-trick in the Champions League is not something you stumble into, you earn it, and Barcola earned every single one. This is precisely the kind of performance that defines a player's reputation in Europe's elite competition, and on a big stage against organised opposition, he delivered when it mattered.

But the goals were not his alone to carry. Ronald Araujo, Jeremie Frimpong and Lewis Koumas all got themselves on the scoresheet too, which speaks to how broadly the attacking threat was spread across the side. When a team can share six goals among four different names, that is a manager getting exactly what he wants.

What Iraola will take from this

By all accounts, manager Andoni Iraola walked away from the night having received everything he could have asked for. That is the kind of phrase that means more than just three points, it suggests a performance that matched a tactical plan, with players executing roles and contributing in the ways demanded of them.

There are always questions to answer after conceding three, but context matters. Six scored against three conceded in a European away fixture is still a very good night's work, and the overall picture here is an encouraging one. This Liverpool side showed real attacking depth, and with European football continuing, that depth is going to matter enormously in the weeks ahead.