SALAH READY TO STRIKE SPARTAK
Liverpool’s deadly raiding force shows nerve
MOHAMED Salah has hogged the headlines this season, but as Liverpool’s 5-1 demolition of Brighton and Hove Albion demonstrated at the weekend, the Egyptian is but one component in a scintillating attacking armada.
Salah took a back seat at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, contenting himself with an assist as Roberto Firmino scored twice and Philippe Coutinho found the net with a delightful free-kick beneath a jumping Brighton wall.
With five wins in their last six games, Liverpool have returned to the Premier League top four for the first time since August.
One misstep in recent weeks was the 3-3 draw at Sevilla in the Uefa Champions League, in which their failure to protect a 3-0 lead left them requiring at least a point at home to Spartak Moscow tonight to reach the last 16.
But with 25 goals in their last eight games in all competitions, the Reds are playing with as much verve and confidence as in any previous phase of manager Jurgen Klopp’s two-year tenure.
Liverpool’s display at Brighton moved beaten manager Chris Hughton to dub Klopp’s side the best team they had played this season – despite his men having also lost 2-0 to Pep Guardiola’s runaway English Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Although Klopp’s team struggled to beat some of the league’s lesser lights last season, he downplayed their feat on the south coast, saying it had simply been a case of doing the job.
He was more forthcoming in his praise of Brazilian forward Firmino, who finished off two superb counter-attacks to take his tally of goals for the season to 11 in all competitions. “Roberto scored twice, but what he did around these goals is what excites me the most, to be honest,” Klopp said.
“In all the counter-attacks, pretty much, he won the ball. By being here, by being a little annoying – a little foot, a little toe – that for us is important.
“With all the rest around him, you need to get used to it. They are all different – and all good. I really like these players,” he said. “That’s why they are here.” Coutinho, for now, appears to have put his aborted close-season move to Barcelona behind him, his artful free-kick bringing him a sixth Premier League goal.
Salah continues to dazzle, having surpassed former Liverpool luminaries such as Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez by scoring 12 goals in his first 15 league appearances for the Reds.
Klopp could even afford the luxury of leaving Sadio Mane, the final member of his “Fab Four” of attackers, on the bench, ensuring the Senegalese flier will be primed for action tonight against Spartak in the Champions League.
Liverpool have kept their form despite niggling injury problems, with midfielders Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum playing as makeshift centre-backs in an experimental back three.
They are also more robust defensively, having shipped only three goals in the last six league games – with one a penalty.