There are no excuses, Jürgen Klopp had said while listing his injury list for the visit to Luton. The statement seemed to need revision when Liverpool They lost after 45 uncertain minutes against Rob Edwards' enterprising team but, in the end, no excuses were needed.
Liverpool regained their four-point lead at the top of the table. first division with a strong second half performance and the belief that it will take more than injuries to derail their title challenge.
All problems are relative, of course, and what Luton would give for an injury crisis that still left room for Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk, international colleague Cody Gakpo, top Colombian Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott to score for a second consecutive goal. -1 victory.
Luton's excellent first-half performance was forgotten when World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister provided two assists in two minutes for the Dutch duo.
Liverpool's long list of absences included Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, who suffered muscle and hamstring problems respectively in the win at Brentford on Saturday.
They are not ruled out for the Carabao Cup final, but their chances are being evaluated day by day. Gakpo and Elliott took their places, allowing the latter to make his 100th appearance for the club. Elliott may be frustrated by his limited number of starts, but he should take solace in being the fourth-youngest player in Liverpool history to reach a century of appearances at 20 years and 323 days.
The centurion and Díaz stood out in a lively and dominant start for Liverpool. There was little sign of their pace or confidence being shaken by the number of forced substitutions, although that became evident as the first half progressed.
Díaz was presented with an early opportunity when hesitancy between Luton defenders Teden Mengi and Gabriel Osho allowed a long ball from Caoimhín Kelleher to reach the Colombian international. The winger would have wanted to score but he couldn't control the first half and Mengi made a valuable interception. Luton's defense would follow his lead repeatedly in the first half.
A wide reverse pass from Elliott sent Diaz clear for the second time but, having cut inside Osho, he shot wide. Mac Allister, Diaz and Elliott then combined to set up Gakpo for an overhead kick which was aimed into the arms of Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
The visitors had shown flashes of ingenuity and bravery in possession at the time, albeit without any real attacking intent, but they surprised Liverpool by taking the lead on their first genuine foray forward. A clever pass from Alfie Doughty found Cauley Woodrow inside the area who put the ball into the path of Tahith Chong. The former Manchester United player's low shot struck Kelleher's legs and rose towards the far post, where Chiedozie Ogbene was perfectly positioned to head home from close range.
Luton's composure on the ball and willingness to take on the Liverpool press was impressive. His assured defending also added to Liverpool's frustrations before the break, although too many loose passes and hasty decisions by the home team also contributed to the unrest inside Anfield.
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That all changed when, as is often the case with Klopp, Liverpool re-emerged in the second half with more conviction, more intensity and a willingness to commit more men forward. The visitors were immediately besieged and drowned by two goals in two minutes.
Conor Bradley created a clear opening for Diaz with a brilliant run into the heart of the Luton defence, but Mengi managed to block the shot. Diaz instantly returned and although his penalty appeals for a handball by Osho were dismissed by referee Andy Madley and the VAR, Liverpool soon equalised. It was a captain's contribution from Van Dijk, who beat Ogbene to a Mac Allister corner and sent an unstoppable, crouching header past Kaminski.
Mac Allister was involved again as Liverpool took the lead amid a vibrant atmosphere. A clever throw-in from Bradley found the midfielder's run behind the Luton defence. From his first cross, Gakpo directed another emphatic header into the roof of Kaminski's goal. The visiting goalkeeper saved well from Bradley, Gakpo and Van Dijk as Liverpool continued to press.
It was counted when Andy Robertson, fresh off the bench, was the first to clear Luton and his touch freed Diaz in space on the left. The Colombian got rid of Mengi with ease and left Liverpool's return to the top beyond doubt with a convincing shot near the near post.
Elliott marked his historic night with the fourth in the 90th minute. Jayden Danns, an 18-year-old striker presented for his Liverpool debut moments earlier, laid off Gakpo with a good ball. Mengi managed to stop the forward's career only by Elliott to sweep up the loose ball.
