Salah strikes again, Liverpool goes top
LONDON: Mohamed Salah struck again to ensure an underpowered Liverpool maintained its perfect earlyseason record in the 10 win over Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield and climbed to the top of the Premier League yesterday.
Salah, the league’s top scorer last year, scored the firsthalf winner to give Liverpool nine points from three matches after Manchester City’s spotless start to its title defence was halted by a 11 draw at newcomer Wolverhampton Wanderers.
On a day when Arsenal earned its first win under Unai Emery, a 31 victory over West Ham United, the two title favourites, while far from their best, both dominated their matches but with very different outcomes.
City, which won its first two games of the season in fine style, again largely controlled affairs against Championship winner Wolves at Molineux but still had to come from behind to earn a point.
Wolves had gone ahead fortuitously after the break — Willy Boly’s diving header actually went in off his arm — only for Aymeric Laporte to then equalise with a header, his first goal for City.
The champions hit the woodwork three times, once through Raheem Sterling, whose thunderbolt was tipped brilliantly on to the woodwork by Rui Patricio, and twice from Sergio Aguero, whose free kick struck the crossbar in the dying seconds.
Manager Pep Guardiola felt his side had been let down by fragile defending but reckoned it was still a good point against newcomers who had demonstrated why they can still thrive in the top flight.
In the day’s late game, however, Salah demonstrated the clinical edge City had earlier lacked with his sliderule leftfoot finish handing the edge to Liverpool.
It earned a lacklustre Liverpool a twopoint lead over unbeaten Manchester City and Bournemouth.
Arsenal prevailed after two losses under Emery but only after Marko Arnautovic’s firsthalf goal for West Ham prompted brief thoughts that the home side might lose its first three league matches of the season for the first time since 195455.
Arsenal, however, responded quickly with a goal from Nacho Monreal, before a secondhalf own goal from Issa Diop and a Danny Welbeck clincher in injury time left the Hammers still searching for a first point under new boss Manuel Pellegrini.
Bournemouth and Everton maintained their unbeaten starts to the season in a dramatic match at Dean Court in which both sides ended with 10 men.
Everton’s new Brazilian strike hero Richarlison was dismissed for a headbutt aimed at Adam Smith just before the break while Smith himself was sent off for a secondhalf foul on Theo Walcott.
The home side then fought back after Walcott and Michael Keane had put Everton two up, with goals in the last 15 minutes from Josh King, from the penalty spot, and Nathan Ake.
Southampton’s difficult start continued as Harry Maguire’s stoppagetime winner earned Leicester City a 21 comeback win. Southampton also had midfielder PierreEmile Hojbjerg sent off for two yellow card offences. — Reuters