Super Salah hits four as Liverpool crush Watford 5-0

Mohamed Salah’s stunning debut season with Liverpool hit a new high asthe Egypt winger’s four-goal spree set a club record in a 5-0 demolitionof Watford, while Crystal Palace boosted their bid for Premier Leaguesurvival 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 afourth win in their last five league games.Salah has scored 36 goals for Liverpool in all competitions sincejoining from Roma last year - the most by any player in a debut seasonwith 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 cleverturn left Miguel Britos sprawled on the turf and opened space to drillpast Orestis Karnezis.The 25-year-old’s struggles with Chelsea four years ago are a distantmemory and Salah etched his name in the Liverpool history books in the43rd minute with a close-range finish from Andrew Robertson’s cross.Salah turned provider for Roberto Firmino’s goal in the 49th minute witha pin-point cross that the Brazilian guided into the net with anaudacious 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 andcapping a memorable evening, Salah was on hand to slam in his fourth inthe 85th minute after Karnezis spilled Danny Ings’ shot.Liverpool move two points above Tottenham into third place as they aimto qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top four finish.After four successive defeats, Palace climbed out of the relegation zonewith a victory that dragged Huddersfield back into trouble. Palace tookthe lead in the 23rd minute at the John Smith’s Stadium when JamesTomkins struck from close range after his first effort was blocked byJonas Lossl.Roy Hodgson’s team wrapped up the points in the 68th minute when LukaMilivojevic stroked home a penalty after Andros Townsend was fouled byMathias Jorgensen. Palace’s first win in eight league games leaves themtwo points above the bottom three. Huddersfield are three points clearof Southampton, who drop into the relegation zone.“It is vitally important. We have had a difficult run of games and notgot any points,” Hodgson said. While Palace remain hopeful of retainingtheir lucrative top-flight berth, bottom-of-the-table West BromwichAlbion seem destined for relegation after an agonising 2-1 defeat atBournemouth.‘Hurtful blow’Albion went in front in the 49th minute at Dean Court when SalomonRondon’s header was met by Jay Rodriguez with a fierce finish for hisfirst goal since January.But Jordon Ibe levelled for Bournemouth in the 77th minute and JuniorStanislas gave the Cherries their first win in five league games with an89th-minute free-kick.West Brom’s seventh successive defeat equals their longest losing streakin the Premier League. They have won just one of their 17 leaguematches under Alan Pardew and lie nine points from safety with onlyseven matches left. “This was an opportunity to just get a win and getour confidence up, instead we have had a really hurtful blow,” Pardewsaid.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 losthis cool in the 30th minute when his reckless lunge on Wayne Rooneyearned a straight red card from referee Martin Atkinson. Everton hadlost their last five away league games, but Tosun’s 69th-minute strikeput them in front.Second-bottom Stoke, three points from safety after one win in theirlast 12 league games, looked like snatching a point in the 77th minutewhen Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting equalised.But Tosun had the final word with an agile diving header in the 84th minute.