Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah scores the group’s fourth objective in opposition to Newcastle United from the penalty spot within the Premier League sport on January 1, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Mohamed Salah’s second-half brace made up for a missed penalty as Liverpool kicked off the brand new 12 months three points clear atop the Premier League standings with a 4-2 victory over Newcastle United at a rain-drenched Anfield on Monday.
Juergen Klopp’s group, who started the day degree with Aston Villa on points, now have 45 from 20 video games. Villa have 42 points whereas Manchester City, who’ve performed one fewer sport, are third on 40. Newcastle are ninth on 29.
The 31-year-old Salah, who has 150 Premier League targets for Liverpool, modified his boots at halftime and it labored like a attraction. His two targets moved him even with City’s Erling Haaland as joint top scorers with 14 targets. He is the joint top on assists, degree with Villa’s Ollie Watkins on eight.
Liverpool dominated the sport, and Salah, who had fired a first-half penalty straight at goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, lastly broke the impasse within the forty ninth minute when Darwin Nunez reduce the ball throughout to the Egyptian for a detailed vary end.
Alexander Isak scored in opposition to the run of play with Newcastle’s second shot of the sport within the 54th minute when he ran onto a via ball from Anthony Gordon and knocked it previous keeper Alisson into the far nook.
However, Curtis Jones put the house facet again in entrance within the 74th minute with a tap-in after a cross throughout objective from Diogo Jota, and Cody Gakpo scored 4 minutes later.
Sven Botman pulled one again for Newcastle within the 81st earlier than Salah, who was enjoying his final sport earlier than departing for the African Cup of Nations, struck from the penalty spot after Jota had been fouled to seal the win within the 86th.
Liverpool have been on the entrance foot in opposition to Newcastle just about from kickoff, and an excellent show by keeper Dubravka stored the guests within the sport.
Liverpool had 18 photographs within the first half to Newcastle’s one, their most within the first half of a Premier League sport since April 2016 in opposition to Everton.
Liverpool’s early probabilities have been met by groans from the Anfield crowd, together with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s strike following Salah’s missed penalty that he launched properly over the crossbar.
Alexander-Arnold additionally had an extended shot at a decent angle hit the far submit.
But they lastly discovered the online after the break and the floodgates opened.
“It’s a great result for us. The game was very intense and we managed to pick up three points and now we are top of the table. We need to stay calm and win every game,” Salah instructed Sky Sports.
“The players spoke in the dressing room (at halftime). ‘We have to stay calm’. I missed the pen. I didn’t want to leave for the national team with that performance.”
