Mohamed Salah’s stunning Anfield record is making his brilliance appear normal
The names feel a throwback to a different time. As the final whistle blew, the players on the pitch for Graham Potter’s Chelsea included Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Cesar Azpilicueta, Hakim Ziyech and Jorginho. A mismatched group who had Chelsea’s worst season for decades can claim few distinctions but they remain the last Premier League side to leave Anfield without Mohamed Salah either scoring or assisting a goal against them. That stalemate was in January and it is starting to look very possible that Salah will complete a year of decisive contributions on home soil. A brace against Brentford had a certain predictability but knowing about Salah’s threat and stopping him are very different things. There is a certain normality to his brilliance. For a 15th consecutive league game here, Anfield’s Egyptian king reigned. For a sixth in a row this season, he scored, and only Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand and Thierry Henry have started a Premier League campaign in similar vein. Not for the first time, Salah is in elite, esteemed company. He is accustomed to rubbing shoulders with the goalscoring greats and he may yet give Erling Haaland a battle for the Golden Boot. A dozen games into the campaign, Salah is already in double figures for top-flight goals. There was a precision to the latest pair: his ninth was both a trademark Salah goal and a high-class team strike. It was a clinical finish after crisp, incisive passing: Trent Alexander-Arnold fed Darwin Nunez who picked out Salah. He, in turn, found the far corner of the Brentford net. It continued the profitable alliance of Nunez and Salah: all nine of the Uruguayan’s Liverpool assists have come for the Egyptian. Salah’s second of the afternoon came as many a player on either side simply stood and watched. They seemed to think the ball was out after a sliding Kostas Tsimikas crossed and an unmarked Salah planted a header past Mark Flekken. Yet the goal stood and it was the start of the second double: Tsimikas, found badly wanting in Thursday’s defeat to Toulouse, got two assists. The second owed more to Diogo Jota, who jinked infield and fizzed in a shot from the edge of the box. It was his sixth goal in his last seven outings at Anfield – Salah is not alone in enjoying home comforts – and Liverpool could have had six of their own. There might have been a hat-trick for their top scorer. Some of Alexander-Arnold’s passing was sublime and Salah volleyed wastefully over from the vice-captain’s cross. Before the deadlock was broken, Nunez had an idiosyncratic double of his own, with two goals chalked off inside five minutes, both for offside and after consulting VAR. The first was marginal, the second altogether clearer. Nunez finished adeptly after intercepting Dominik Szoboszlai’s misdirected shot and then spectacularly with an overhead kick; the offside flag rewarded goalkeeper Flekken, who had saved brilliantly from Virgil van Dijk’s header before Joel Matip headed the ball to Nunez. The striker was excellent; perhaps it was perversely typical that one of his best performances did not bring a goal. For Liverpool, though, there was a win to end what had been, in terms of performances, their worst week of the season. Below par at Luton, rather worse in Toulouse, they had attacking verve, if not always defensive solidity. But perhaps it was understandable Liverpool were too open. A makeshift midfield, shorn of five injured or suspended players, contained a forward, in Cody Gakpo, and a man making a first Premier League start at Anfield, in Wataru Endo. The Japanese rightly survived a VAR check for a red card for a challenge on Christian Norgaard, irritating Thomas Frank, and Brentford, often the scourge of the big six, posed Liverpool problems. They ought to have returned south with a goal to show for their efforts. Quick-witted and sharp of foot, Bryan Mbuemo brought Brentford a menace on the break and, almost, a lead. He latched on to a loose touch by Alexander-Arnold to shoot wide. He raced on to Mads Roerslev’s long pass, in behind the Liverpool defence; Alisson’s expertise in one-on-one situations was required to deflect his shot and allow Alexander-Arnold to clear. Norgaard came close with a volley from Mbuemo’s corner; the imperious Van Dijk also hooked a Norgaard header off the line. Yet their bid for a club record fourth consecutive Premier League win was ended by Salah, just as Liverpool’s record of winning every match at Anfield this season by at least two goals continued. They still average exactly three goals a game on their own turf, with 27 in nine. If it takes a team to forge such statistics, they are helped when they have someone of the consistency and quality of Salah. Anfield is a fortress but, in part, that is the Salah effect. Read More Jurgen Klopp reignites early kick-off row ahead of Man City vs Liverpool clash Liverpool vs Brentford LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Father of Luis Diaz reveals details of kidnapping ordeal
2023-11-13 01:46
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Chelsea vs Manchester City LIVE: Premier League team news and line-ups as Cole Palmer and Jeremy Doku start
Chelsea host Manchester City in the Premier League this afternoon seeking to earn back-to-back league wins after they triumphed over Tottenham in a bizarre and highly entertaining encounter last time out. Mauricio Pochettino’s men defeated Spurs 4-1 but struggled to break down the north London outfit after they had been reduced to nine-men due to red cards for Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie. Raheem Sterling set up Nicolas Jackson in the 75th minute which broke Tottenham’s resolve and two further late goals for the 22-year-old striker saw him complete an unlikely hat-trick. That win took the Blues back into the top-10 and they will be hoping to make further inroads up the table with a positive result at Stamford Bridge. In contrast, Man City hammered Bournemouth 6-1 before competently sweeping aside Young Boys 3-0 in the Champions League during the week. Pep Guardiola’s men are in top form and despite Chelsea earning a much needed win on their previous outing Pochettino’s men will be up against it today. Follow all the Premier League action below plus get the latest odds and tips for the game right here: Read More Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Chelsea’s downward spiral offers stark warning to Man City Gareth Southgate admits Reece James’s injury record could impact England’s Euro 2024 squad decision
2023-11-12 23:45
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Liverpool vs Brentford LIVE: Premier League team news and line-ups as Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo start
Liverpool take on Brentford this afternoon in their bid to maintain a challenge towards the top of the Premier League table. The Reds are three points behind leaders Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola’s men face Chelsea in Sunday’s late kick off. Still, three points for Liverpool will add a bit of pressure to City’s trip to Stamford Bridge and Jurgen Klopp will want his team to get back to winning ways today. Klopp’s men suffered a setback against Luton in their last league outing, with Luis Diaz’s stoppage time goal rescuing a point at Kenilworth Road. Defeat to Toulouse in the Europa League continued Liverpool’s downward trend and they will want to turn around the form that has seen them take only eight points from their last five league games. In contrast Brentford are in fine shape. Thomas Frank’s men have won each of their last three fixtures after a slow start to the season and are now up to ninth in the table. A win at Anfield would be another impressive results and give the Bees a realistic sense that they can compete to get into Europe during this campaign. Follow the action from Anfield below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:
2023-11-12 21:20
Is Chelsea v Manchester City on TV? Channel, time and how to watch Premier League fixture
After surviving a chaotic Monday night fixture against Tottenham, Chelsea are back in Premier League action as they welcome the champions to Stamford Bridge. Manchester City travel down to London looking back to their best, scoring 12 goals in their last three games for the concession of just a single consolation at Bournemouth last weekend. By contrast, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have yet to find consistency this season, though Nicolas Jackson’s hat-trick in the win over Spurs should have done the striker’s confidence some good. The Londoners will be hoping to put a horrible recent record against their visitors behind them and secure a win Here’s everything you need to know. Get the latest match odds here. When is Chelsea vs Manchester City? Chelsea vs Manchester City is due to kick off at 4.30pm GMT on Sunday 12 November at Stamford Bridge. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage due to begin at 4pm GMT. Subscribers can stream the action via Sky Go. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider. Team news A numbers of Chelsea’s injury absentees are moving closer to a return, though both Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia remain out for now. Enzo Fernandez and Reece James, who asked to be left out of the England squad this week, should be available to feature, though. Manchester City suffered their own injury blow in midweek Champions League action, as John Stones left the pitch after picking up a knock. Pep Guardiola admitted his side could be “in trouble” if the versatile defender misses a significant period of time. He was unable to put a possible timeline on a return ahead of this game, while it is also unclear when Kevin De Bruyne will be back to fitness after a long lay-off. Predicted line-ups Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Fernandez, Gallagher; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling. Manchester City XI: Ederson; Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Walker, Rodri, Kovacic, Doku; Silva, Alvarez; Haaland. Odds Chelsea win 4/1 Draw 13/5 Manchester City win 3/4 Get all the latest Premier League odds here. Prediction Manchester City win. Chelsea 1-3 Manchester City Read More Liverpool vs Brentford LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Kieran Trippier confronts Newcastle fans after defeat at Bournemouth Mikel Arteta praises VAR and officials as 10-man Arsenal beat Burnley Victor Lindelof: Scoring more goals is next step for Manchester United Man United can ‘make life easy by scoring goals’, says Erik ten Hag after Luton win Chelsea’s downward spiral offers stark warning to Man City
2023-11-12 20:46
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