Salah’s hat-trick finally sees off plucky Leeds
LIVERPOOL 4
Salah (4 pen, 33, 87 pen), Van Dijk (20)
LEEDS UNITED 3
Harrison (12), Bamford (30), Klich (66)
Champions Liverpool were given an early indication of just how difficult the defence of their title will be after being pushed all the way in a thrilling victory over Leeds on their return to the Premier League.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side had waited 16 years for this moment and it was well worth the wait. Just like when they were last in the top flight, they are no respecters of reputations while Mateusz Klich’s brilliant 66th-minute effort for their third equaliser an indicator of the quality they possess.
However, when Mohamed Salah completed his hat-trick with an 87th-minute penalty, his second spot-kick of the game, dreams of an upset an Anfield were dashed as Jurgen Klopp’s mentality monsters pulled a late win out of the bag again.
The game had some of the thrills and a lot of the spills you expect from a season-opener: more Salah magic, a rare mistake from Virgil van Dijk, a Premier League debut strike for Jack Harrison, goals aplenty, just as many disallowed. And that was just the first 45 chaotic minutes.
If Klopp’s team are going to be this careless this season then the trophy they waited 30 years to get their hands on will very quickly slip through their grasp.
Allowances have to be made for the circumstances under which this campaign began, with a shorter pre-season, still no crowds in grounds and preceded by an international break.
But neither manager would have been happy with what they saw in a crazy first half in which the only surprise was that not more than five goals were scored. It was not even as if the attacks were on top – Leeds scored from
their only three shots on target – and more a case of defences being carefree to the point of being negligent.
But through the fog of that chaos there were moments of quality and familiarity.
Salah became only the second player to score on the opening day four seasons in a row, and while his first was a fifth-minute penalty, won after his shot hit the arm of Robin Koch, his second was a crisply-struck half-volley.
His strikes bookended a 29-minute spell in which United twice equalised with on-loan Manchester City midfielder Harrison’s goal a great individual effort, turning England internationals Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez inside-out before beating Alisson Becker down to his right.
Patrick Bamford’s chip over the Brazil international after uncharacteristic hesitation and miscontrol by van Dijk cancelled out the Holland captain’s powerful header which goalkeeper Ilan Meslier could not keep it out.
Both sides also had goals ruled out for offside, with Sadio Mane’s lob over an out-ofposition Meslier particularly unlucky to be flagged for Andy Robertson transgressing as he closed down the Leeds defence.
Klopp’s decision to leave out defensive midfield linchpin Fabinho in order to field a central three of Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Naby Keita undoubtedly contributed to their defensive frailty.
Fabinho was introduced just before the hour, moments after another bizarre moment when Alexander-Arnold headed into his own net only for him to be saved by an offside flag against Harrison.
It was the combination of Helder Costa and Klich which brilliantly restored parity, the Pole controlling a cross with his first touch and dispatching the ball inside the far post with his second.
Van Dijk blasted home only for the goal to be disallowed, but when Rodrigo fouled Fabinho late on, Salah secured victory.