Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal. — Reuters
Premier League leaders Liverpool secured a 3-2 victory over bottom-placed Southampton on Sunday, extending their lead over reigning champions Manchester City to eight points. Mohamed Salah spearheaded a second-half comeback for the visitors, scoring twice to bring his league tally to 10 goals this season.
Liverpool found themselves trailing 2-1 before Salah's double in the second half. The win came on the heels of Manchester City's third consecutive league loss on Saturday, a 4-0 drubbing by Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool now boasts 31 points from 12 games, compared to City's 23.
Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai expressed satisfaction with the win, stating, "They are a good team, good with the ball. They scored two quick goals but the most important thing was the reaction. We showed it very well and happy with the three points." He also cautioned, "It is a great feeling (going eight points clear) but it is the beginning of the season. We just need to continue and not think where the other teams are."
Southampton's downfall began when they attempted to play out from the back under Liverpool's pressure. Flynn Downes's pass fell to Szoboszlai at the edge of the box, and the unmarked midfielder capitalized to make it 1-0.
Southampton briefly equalized through Adam Armstrong, who scored from the rebound after his initial penalty was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. However, Southampton took the lead 11 minutes into the second half with a counter-attack, culminating in Mateus Fernandes scoring.
Liverpool's response was swift. Salah equalized by running through on goal and deftly chipping the ball past goalkeeper Alex McCarthy. Southampton's error-prone defense then conceded a penalty in the 83rd minute, which Salah converted to seal the victory for Liverpool.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
