With a numerical advantage, Doku ruthlessly dismantled the remaining Liverpool structure. His deflected strike off Alexis Mac Allister allowed Erling Haaland to open the scoring, before the Belgian doubled the lead himself with a magnificent curling effort.
To cap off a remarkable cameo, the 24-year-old also initiated the move that led to Rayan Cherki netting the third goal. It marked a brilliant return to form for Doku following a frustrating calf injury earlier this season. Former Belgian star Toby Alderweireld was quick to praise his compatriot’s incredible impact.
Speaking on Match of the Day, he said: “In a defender’s point of view, it’s horrible to defend against him because he can go outside, inside, he comes dribbling at you and sometimes he stops and you think, OK. And then his acceleration is unbelievable and he’s a strong guy as well.
“And the only questions before was like, can he give the assist? Can he get that goal that he needs to deliver? But like today, yeah, when he shoots like this, it’s unbelievable. Yeah, a big star.”