Salah leads Reds rout
Mohamed Salah reached 20 goals in all competitions in his first season for Liverpool by scoring in a 4-0 win over Bournemouth that lifted his team into the English Premier League’s top four.
In a devastating attacking display by Liverpool on the south coast yesterday, the Egypt winger was an inevitable scorer to move his leaguehigh tally to 14 goals.
Philippe Coutinho, from a jinking solo run, and Dejan Lovren had already netted in the opening 26 minutes and Salah’s goal put Liverpool 3-0 ahead at halftime.
With memories still raw about squandering a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 in this fixture a year ago, Liverpool did not let up and Roberto Firmino completed the rout with a diving header in the 66th minute.
The Reds rebounded from back-toback draws at Anfield — to Everton, then West Bromwich Albion — with another big away victory, having already won 5-1 at Brighton this month. Liverpool climbed above Burnley and Arsenal, and back into the Champions League qualification positions.
Liverpool visit fifth-place Arsenal on Saturday as the Premier League reaches the halfway point.
Sadio Mane was given a rest by Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp but the other three members of the so-called “Fab Four” attacking unit — Salah, Coutinho and Firmino — played and scored.
“Going forward, we have the ability to open doors and score goals,” said Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane’s replacement.
“The front four have been on fire . . . Everyone’s a quality player and the rest of us have to sneak our noses in there.”
Salah is the first Liverpool player to get to 20 goals in a season by December since Ian Rush in 1986, and showed once more against Bournemouth why he is proving to be the best signing of last summer.
“I am really pleased about everything,” Klopp said. “We could have scored more, but we didn’t really give a lot away so it was well deserved and I enjoyed the performances.”
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said his players “were well off it.”
“We were flat, we never got going. All credit to Liverpool,” Howe said. “Against Liverpool, who are so good on the counterattack, you can’t turn the ball over like we did today.” — AP