Spot-on Salah

Mohamed Salah scored from the penalty spot as Liverpool steadied their title-chasing nerves with a 1-0 win at Brighton in the English Premier League yesterday.

Salah struck his 14th league goal of the season to put Liverpool seven points ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who host Wolves tomorrow.

Liverpool went into the game with back-to-back defeats – to City in the league, and Wolves in the FA Cup.

Juergen Klopp’s men laboured throughout, unable to generate anything like their trademark attacking zeal against Brighton, but still had enough to claim all three points.

After a tight first half, Liverpool needed just four minutes to break the deadlock after the restart. Salah outsmarted Pascal Gross on the turn in the box, drew a cheap foul from the usually unflappable German and then converted the penalty.

Liverpool will have been encouraged by midfielder Fabinho’s assured showing as an emergency centre back, especially with Joel Matip working back to fitness.

At the other end of the table, bottom-placed Huddersfield were left counting the cost of referee Lee Mason’s change of mind in a 0-0 draw at fellow relegation strugglers Cardiff.

What had been a dreary match produced a 76th-minute talking point when Mason pointed to the penalty spot after Florent Hadergjonaj tumbled in the box. Several Cardiff players rushed toward Mason’s assistant in the corner and the referee soon made