With second-placed Manchester City
travelling to bottom-of-the-table
Huddersfield on Sunday, Liverpool seized
the chance to tighten their grip on the title
race.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were pushed hard by
Palace but Salah’s predatory instincts and
a woeful mistake from Eagles goalkeeper
Julian Speroni ensured Liverpool improved
their unbeaten home league run to 32
games.
“He’s world class, simply world class,â€
Klopp said of Salah.
Liverpool’s haul of 60 points from 23
matches tops the Reds’ previous best tally
of 59, set at the same stage of the
1893-94 and 1987-88 campaigns.
“We had to stay positive, being one down is
not a massive blow. We just needed to win
the second half,†Klopp said.
“We have 60 points now. It’s crazy.â€
Palace, the last team to beat Liverpool in a
Premier League game at Anfield, in April
2017, took a shock 34th-minute lead.
Wilfried Zaha picked out Andros Townsend,
who drilled a crisp finish past Alisson
Becker.
Salah equalised 60 seconds after the
interval, the Egypt forward slotting in his
18th goal of the season after Virgil van
Dijk’s shot deflected into his path.
Liverpool went ahead in the 53rd minute
when Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino,
surrounded by defenders, still managed to
unload a shot that deflected in off Palace’s
Cheikhou Kouyate.
James Tomkins out-jumped Fabinho to
head Palace level in the 65th minute, yet
Liverpool were gifted the crucial third 10
minutes later thanks to a howler from
Speroni.
James Milner’s cross prompted a nervous
flap from Speroni, who tipped the ball high
over his own head and Salah was on hand
to convert on the line.
Milner was sent off in the 89th minute for a
second booking, but Liverpool made it four
in stoppage-time through Sadio Mane
before Max Meyer capped a frantic finale
with Palace’s third.
Child’s play for Pogba
At the Emirates Stadium, fifth-placed
Arsenal closed the gap on fourth-placed
Chelsea to three points in the race to
qualify for the Champions League with a
2-0 win.
Unai Emery’s team had lost three of their
last six league games, sparking the first
criticism of their Spanish manager.
But they tore into London rivals Chelsea,
opening the scoring in the 14th minute.
Hector Bellerin’s cross found Alexandre
Lacazette and the French striker took a
touch before smashing a sublime strike
past Kepa Arrizabalaga from a tight angle.
The Gunners increased their lead in the
38th minute when Laurent Koscielny
mistimed his attempted header, only to see
the ball bounce off his shoulder and loop
into the net.
Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin was stretchered
off in the second half, but spluttering
Chelsea have now won only two of their
last five matches.
“It was a big result. We wanted to do a
special moment in this derby. Chelsea were
six points ahead, so it helps us. We can be
optimistic,†Emery said.
Manchester United beat Brighton 2-1 to
make it seven successive wins since
interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho.
Solskjaer’s sixth-placed side took the lead
in the 27th minute at Old Trafford when
Gaetan Bong conceded a penalty with a
foul on Paul Pogba and the France
midfielder stroked home the spospam blocked by adminick.
Pogba’s “rocking the baby†celebration was
to mark him becoming a father for the first
time, with his girlfriend Maria Salaues
believed to have given birth this week.
United winger Marcus Rashford marked his
150th game for the club with his side’s
second goal in the 42nd minute, with
Pascal Gross reducing the deficit in the
72nd minute.
Solskjaer, the first United boss to win his
first six league games, said: “I can’t
complain can I? I am smiling and this is
one of these things I will remember for the
rest of my life.â€
Newcastle climbed out of the relegation
zone with a 3-0 win over Cardiff at St
James’ Park that saw their opponents drop
into the bottom three.
Southampton boosted their bid to avoid
relegation with a 2-1 victory against
Everton at St Mary’s.
Diogo Jota’s hat-trick piled pressure on
Leicester manager Claude Puel as the
Wolves midfielder’s last-gasp strike secured
a 4-3 win.
Bournemouth beat West Ham 2-0 with
goals from Callum Wilson and Josh King,
while Watford drew 0-0 against Burnley.
