The Sunday Mail
Mohamed Salah yesterday set up Sadio Mane’s 100th Premier League goal and scored a brilliant goal of his own, while Roberto Firmino bagged a hat-trick as Liverpool reclaimed top spot with a 5-0 win over Watford in Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge.
The visitors took the lead in the ninth minute when Liverpool won a Watford kickout, and Mohamed Salah played a sublime pass to Mane with the outside of his left boot for the Senegalese striker to notch his Premier League century.
Mane then picked out James Milner on an overlapping run and he drove a perfect ball across the goal for Firmino to steer home from close range in the 37th minute.
This then put the Reds 2-0 up at halftime.
Firmino added his second seven minutes after the break, pouncing on a defensive mistake to poke home, before Salah stole the headlines two minutes later with an outrageous display of close control, outwitting three defenders in a tight space before curling the ball into the net.
Ranieri, who took over as Watford boss on October 4, following the sacking of Xisco Munoz, was left in no doubt about the size of the task he faces as Watford came up woefully short, and Firmino added his third in second-half stoppage time.
The win temporarily put Liverpool back to the Premier League summit on 18 points, while Watford remain 15th with seven points.
After the game, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp then hailed Salah as the best player in the world, with the Egyptian’s wonder goal and superb assist in the game just the latest examples of his outstanding talent.
“Come on, who is better than him?” quipped the Liverpool boss.
“We don’t have to talk about what Messi and Ronaldo have done for world football and their dominance, but right now, he is the best.
“His (Salah’s) performance was massive today. The pass for the first goal was great, and the second goal was special.
“He is top. We all see it,” he added.
Many in Klopp’s star-studded squad were away on international duty, but they slotted back into their club side quickly as they set about demolishing Watford.
“After the international break it is hard to find the rhythm after playing different systems, but the boys were so good,” Klopp explained.
“I think Watford had ideas, but we didn’t let them play.
“The goals were really brilliant, there was great attitude, energy and character.” — Reuters
EPL Results and Fixtures
Watford 0-4 Liverpool
Aston Villa 2-3 Wolves
Leicester 4-2 Manchester United
Man City 2-0 Burnley
Norwich 0-0 Brighton
Southampton 1-0 Leeds
Brentford v Chelsea (Played late)
Fixtures
Today
Everton v West Ham 3pm
Newcastle v Tottenham 5.30pm
Tomorrow
Arsenal v Crystal Palace 9pm
