Mohamed Salah’s stunning debut season with Liverpool hit a new high as
the Egypt winger’s four-goal spree set a club record in a 5-0 demolition
of Watford, while Crystal Palace boosted their bid for Premier League
survival with a 2-0 victory at Huddersfield yesterday.
After a 2-1 defeat at arch rivals Manchester United in their last game,
Salah’s latest masterclass helped Liverpool get back on track with a
fourth win in their last five league games.
Salah has scored 36 goals for Liverpool in all competitions since
joining from Roma last year - the most by any player in a debut season
with the Reds.
Spain striker Fernando Torres netted 33 times for Liverpool in 2007-08.
Salah took just four minutes to shred the Watford defence as his clever
turn left Miguel Britos sprawled on the turf and opened space to drill
past Orestis Karnezis.
The 25-year-old’s struggles with Chelsea four years ago are a distant
memory and Salah etched his name in the Liverpool history books in the
43rd minute with a close-range finish from Andrew Robertson’s cross.
Salah turned provider for Roberto Firmino’s goal in the 49th minute with
a pin-point cross that the Brazilian guided into the net with an
audacious mid-air back-flick.
Salah wasn’t finished yet as he twisted past a group of bewildered defenders to complete his treble in the 77th minute.
He is the first Egyptian player to score a Premier League hat-trick and
capping a memorable evening, Salah was on hand to slam in his fourth in
the 85th minute after Karnezis spilled Danny Ings’ shot.
Liverpool move two points above Tottenham into third place as they aim
to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top four finish.
After four successive defeats, Palace climbed out of the relegation zone
with a victory that dragged Huddersfield back into trouble. Palace took
the lead in the 23rd minute at the John Smith’s Stadium when James
Tomkins struck from close range after his first effort was blocked by
Jonas Lossl.
Roy Hodgson’s team wrapped up the points in the 68th minute when Luka
Milivojevic stroked home a penalty after Andros Townsend was fouled by
Mathias Jorgensen. Palace’s first win in eight league games leaves them
two points above the bottom three. Huddersfield are three points clear
of Southampton, who drop into the relegation zone.
“It is vitally important. We have had a difficult run of games and not
got any points,” Hodgson said. While Palace remain hopeful of retaining
their lucrative top-flight berth, bottom-of-the-table West Bromwich
Albion seem destined for relegation after an agonising 2-1 defeat at
Bournemouth.
‘Hurtful blow’
Albion went in front in the 49th minute at Dean Court when Salomon
Rondon’s header was met by Jay Rodriguez with a fierce finish for his
first goal since January.
But Jordon Ibe levelled for Bournemouth in the 77th minute and Junior
Stanislas gave the Cherries their first win in five league games with an
89th-minute free-kick.
West Brom’s seventh successive defeat equals their longest losing streak
in the Premier League. They have won just one of their 17 league
matches under Alan Pardew and lie nine points from safety with only
seven matches left. “This was an opportunity to just get a win and get
our confidence up, instead we have had a really hurtful blow,” Pardew
said.
Cenk Tosun’s double pushed Stoke deeper into the relegation mire as Everton won 2-1 at the bet365 Stadium.
In a snow blizzard in the Potteries, Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam lost
his cool in the 30th minute when his reckless lunge on Wayne Rooney
earned a straight red card from referee Martin Atkinson. Everton had
lost their last five away league games, but Tosun’s 69th-minute strike
put them in front.
Second-bottom Stoke, three points from safety after one win in their
last 12 league games, looked like snatching a point in the 77th minute
when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting equalised.
But Tosun had the final word with an agile diving header in the 84th minute.
Liverpool’s midfielder Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring the team’s fourth goal during the English Premier League match against Watford at Anfield in Liverpool yesterday. (AFP)