Salah strikes again as Liverpool overthrow Palace
United ease back into second spot with win over Swansea
LIVERPOOL’S Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah scored his 29th Premier League goal six minutes from time to secure a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace yesterday.
Palace took an early lead with Luka Milivojevic’s seventh successful penalty this season after Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius had charged into goal-bound Wilfried Zaha and was booked.
Sadio Mane made up for missing some first-half chances by giving Liverpool a deserved equaliser early in the second half, tapping in James Milner’s loss cross from the left.
Palace striker Christian Benteke was guilty of two bad misses against his former club in quick succession before Salah struck to leave the hosts mired in the relegation fight.
“Maximum credit to my players,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said after marking his 100th Premier League game with victory. “It’s very difficult after the international break because we are all used to a specific training intensity and then the players go away to different teams.”
Klopp felt Sadio Mane should have been given a penalty instead of a yellow card for simulation in the first half. But he agreed the Senegalese international could have received a second yellow after deliberate handball when he felt he had been fouled.
“It looked like a clear penalty. Yes he goes down late but there was contact there. For me it’s a penalty and no yellow card,” he said.
“The second one is a foul on Sadio and yes, he puts his hand on the ball, which is a second yellow, so we were lucky in that instance.”
Palace’s Roy Hodgson was left to rue another late home defeat after suffering the same fate against Manchester United earlier this month.
Romelu Lukaku became the first Belgian to reach 100 Premier League goals as Manchester United quickly regained second place from Liverpool with a comfortable 2-0 win over Swansea City.
The powerful striker put his team in front within five minutes from a pass by Alexis Sanchez, who added the second quarter of an hour later.
United, with record signing Paul Pogba back in the side, were dominant, although David de Gea did have to make two saves from Tammy Abraham.
Swansea, revitalised under Jose Mourinho’s friend and compatriot Carlos Carvalhal, remained three points above the relegation zone.
West Ham United moved further away from the Premier League relegation zone after two goals by Marko Arnautovic and another by forward Joao Mario gave them a 3-0 home win over Southampton in their relegation dogfight.
The result lifted the Hammers to 14th place, on 33 points from 31 games, five more than 18th-placed Southampton, whose manager, Mark Hughes, suffered a miserable Premier League debut for the Saints, who remain in the bottom three.
Mario fired the home side ahead in the 13th minute with his first goal for West Ham, driving the ball into the top corner from the edge of the penalty box after a darting run and cut-back by Cheikhu Kouyate.
Arnautovic tapped in his own rebound four minutes later after keeper Alex Mccarthy had parried the towering striker’s header and emphatically drove in a volley on the stroke of halftime following Arthur Masuaku’s brilliant cross.
Newcastle United playmaker Ayoze Perez struck the only goal of a tense game to give his side a valuable 1-0 Premier League win over Huddersfield Town at St James’s Park.
Striker Dwight Gayle had several good chances in a first half dominated by Newcastle but he failed to find the back of the net.
With the home fans growing increasingly restless in a scrappy second half, Perez eased their nerves by sweeping the ball home from close range 10 minutes from time after Huddersfield keeper Jonas Loessl failed to gather a cross.
The win lifted Newcastle to 12th place, seven points above the relegation places, while Huddersfield remained 15th.
Substitute Jermain Defoe’s stoppage-time equaliser helped Bournemouth come from behind to hold Watford to a 2-2 draw in an entertaining Premier League clash at Vicarage Road. Watford took the lead against the run of play in the 13th minute.
Jose Holebas crossed into Bournemouth’s box from a short corner and defender Kiko Femenia’s shot flew past goalkeeper Asmir Begovic after a deflection off striker Joshua King.
A moment of madness from Holebas at the other end brought the visitors level.
The Greek international handled the ball out of play after Watford goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis parried Junior Stanislas’ effort and King stepped up to score from the penalty spot.
Pereyra put Watford back in front four minutes into the second half, stroking the ball in from close range after being set up by midfielder Will Hughes.
Bournemouth striker Defoe then came off the bench to tuck the ball in with seconds remaining.
In yesterday’s late game Manchester City maintained their 16-point lead at the top of the table with a 3-1 win over Everton at Goodison Park.
In the first half City raced to a 3-0 lead with goals from Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Starling. Yannick Bolasie scored a consolation goal for the Toffees in the 63rd minute.