Arne Slot, as ever, had to find something to improve. The Liverpool boss, always a perfectionist, wished his side had been able to keep a clean sheet against Ipswich. Then, even he would have to admit, it would have been the perfect day.

Jacob Greaves ensured that wasn’t to be the case with a late goal from a corner, but not before Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo (twice) had long since confirmed where the points would be heading. Liverpool, despite the late lapse in concentration, had been utterly dominant.

It was in that context that The Kop triumphantly sang Slot’s name at the final whistle. Arsenal had won at Wolves, which those in the stands would no doubt have been aware of, but it didn’t matter; the Reds had long completed their side of the bargain, maintaining that six-point gap.

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By the time the whistle had gone to signal the conclusion of the match, Liverpool had known for over an hour that it was going to win. In large part, that is because of its supreme level of control.

Slot saw exactly what he wants to see in matches like these. First, his team took an early lead. Then, it proceeded to stroll to victory by exerting its dominance on its opponent, penning it back and restricting it, on this occasion, to just 30 per cent possession.

Ipswich didn't have its first shot until the hour mark. Most of the second half was played with Liverpool’s opponent penned not just into its own half, but its own penalty area.

Kieran McKenna admitted post-match that any plan he had was thrown out of the window by Szoboszlai’s early finish. It is hard to imagine, though, that his players could have laid much of a glove on their superior host.

As the Liverpool crowd sang Slot’s name loud, proud and clear — a day short of a year on since Jurgen Klopp dropped the bombshell that he would be departing — it was a fitting message of appreciation for his coaching talent. This performance, alongside the current Premier League table, has allayed any fears that the announcement would be the beginning of a downfall.

Instead, Liverpool is thriving. It leads the standings by six points with 16 matches left to play (one more than Arsenal, its only genuine rival), and at PSV midweek, it could become the first team to win all eight Champions League group games.

Liverpool couldn’t be better placed. And if it continues to win as regularly — and particularly with as much ease as this — it won’t be long before the Reds' league table lead is unassailable.