Off to see the wizard

EVEN the tiniest uptweak in Mo Salah’s touch could decide this title race.

Small margins don’t come much smaller than the one between Liverpool and Manchester City (4.30pm) these days. City have won a single point more over the 144 games since their 2018 title.

But that’s a yawning chasm compared to the infamous 12mm that denied the Reds an ‘on the line’ effort when they lost 2-1 at the Etihad in 2019. In almost every football match ever, from back yard to Bernabeu, a goal. Computer says no.

The cold, dead eye of VAR has been getting the evils from Jurgen Klopp in the build-up. Paul Tierney will be today’s wizard of Stockley Park.

Clearly, the real VAR blooper was revealing it’s just some bloke sitting behind a big curtain, with a mug of instant and a wagon wheel.

Today, along with many exciting pauses while the Almighty Oz scratches his almighty arze, we can surely expect goals. The last five Prem meetings have seen 19. Salah has scored in four of them.

He’s in a micro-slump after two career-bruising defeats with Egypt, but Mo’s still got the brains, the heart, the nerve… and Skybet’s standout price is bewitching. Get on Salah ‘anytime’ at 5/2.