Goals continue to flow for Liverpool
The scoring prowess of Liverpool’s forward line hasn’t been diminished by Philippe Coutinho’s departure to Barcelona.
For the second straight game, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane all scored as Liverpool climbed into second place (perhaps temporarily) in the English Premier League with a 4-1 home win over West Ham yesterday.
The Reds passed a century of goals for the season, Salah moved onto 31 in all competitions - a jointhigh 23 coming in the league - and Firmino continued the most efficient season of his career with a 22nd goal in 38 club appearances.
With Mane following up his hat trick against Porto in the Champions League last time out with another goal, Liverpool’s front three is hardly missing the individuality of Coutinho behind them two months after the Brazilian left for Spain.
Liverpool, the only member of the top six to play yesterday, moved a point ahead of Manchester United, who hosted fourth-placed Chelsea overnight.
Only Manchester City (111), the leader by 15 points, has more goals than Liverpool’s 103 in all competitions among English clubs.
The race to avoid relegation remains tight except for last-placed West Bromwich Albion, who are in danger of being cut adrift after losing at home to Huddersfield 2-1. West Brom are last by six points.
Loud boos rang around The Hawthorns after West Brom’s fifth straight loss in all competitions. There were chants of ‘‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’’ directed at manager Alan Pardew, who has won just one of 14 league games in charge since taking over in November.
‘‘This was an opportunity to get us rolling, and we’ve let that slip,’’ said Pardew, who took charge when West Brom were 17th.
Rajiv van La Parra and Steve Mounie scored to put Huddersfield
2-0 ahead by the 56th. Craig Dawson replied with a header in the
64th for West Brom. Southampton climbed out of the relegation zone thanks to some help from the referee.
Substitute Manolo Gabbiadini scored a 90th-minute equaliser for Southampton in the 1-1 draw at Burnley after referee Bobby Madley inadvertently blocked off home midfielder Ashley Westwood to allow the Saints to break clear.
Stoke stayed in the bottom three after a mistake by their goalkeeper. With his team 1-0 up, Jack Butland failed to hold onto Leicester winger Marc Albrighton’s driven cross from the right, instead fumbling the ball sideways into his own net in the
70th-minute equaliser. Butland made amends by producing a stunning double save to deny Riyad Mahrez then Harry Maguire in quick succession, but his mistake will be better remembered.
Newcastle squandered a twogoal lead with 10 minutes left to draw at Bournemouth 2-2, leaving them two points above the bottom three.
Watford beat Everton 1-0 thanks to a 79th-minute goal by Troy Deeney.