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Mohamed Salah’s stunning Anfield record is making his brilliance appear normal
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 01:52
Cubs ace Marcus Stroman leaves London Series with mysterious injury
Cubs ace Marcus Stroman leaves London Series with mysterious injury
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman left the London Series with what seemed like a minor injury, though a mysterious one.Marcus Stroman has garnered plenty of trade interest over the past few weeks, but if he continues to pitch like the ace he is, then perhaps the Cubs will keep him aft...
2023-06-26 00:21
Man City's Laporte joins Saudi side Al-Nassr
Man City's Laporte joins Saudi side Al-Nassr
Aymeric Laporte joined the Premier League exodus to Saudi Arabia on Thursday as the Manchester City defender moved to Al-Nassr in a deal worth a...
2023-08-24 22:20
Eovaldi's 9th win leads Rangers to 8-4 victory, stops Tampa's 7-game streak
Eovaldi's 9th win leads Rangers to 8-4 victory, stops Tampa's 7-game streak
Nathan Eovaldi became the majors second nine-game winner, Corey Seager had five hits and four RBIs, and the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-4 in a matchup of teams with the major leagues’ top records
2023-06-11 08:54
Georgia football rumors: 5-star Crystal Balls, 4-star Michael Uini watch, Dawgs scaring Harbaugh
Georgia football rumors: 5-star Crystal Balls, 4-star Michael Uini watch, Dawgs scaring Harbaugh
Georgia football rumors: Jim Harbaugh already worried about the DawgsJim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines didn't see the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff this past season, notably because they didn't make it out of the semis and were taken down by TCU. Given what the ...
2023-06-30 02:21
Tatum's 4th-quarter 3s push Celtics past 76ers 95-86; force Game 7
Tatum's 4th-quarter 3s push Celtics past 76ers 95-86; force Game 7
Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7
2023-05-12 10:29
Another former Yankees headache is thriving with his new team
Another former Yankees headache is thriving with his new team
As is tradition for former New York Yankees players, they have a career resurgence with their new team. The newest ex-Yankee to do so is Gary Sanchez.For any team, it seems that their former players who didn't exactly perform up to expectations, succeed elsewhere. New York Yankees fans have...
2023-06-08 07:57
Pac-12 may be torn asunder but its women's teams dominate AP Top 25 rankings
Pac-12 may be torn asunder but its women's teams dominate AP Top 25 rankings
The Pac-12 has the most teams of any conference in the AP Top 25 women’s preseason poll
2023-10-28 01:56
Perfect moments help Man City and Real Madrid set up thrilling encore
Perfect moments help Man City and Real Madrid set up thrilling encore
Two perfect strikes, that would have been great enough to crown any European champions, but instead serve as the perfect set-up for the second leg. That was the overriding sense as Manchester City came back from 1-0 down to claim a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid. It was an absorbing game, elevated by two goals of the highest quality, but the feeling was it was just getting going as it ended. It is instead only halfway, for a match that could well decide almost everything this season - and certainly the competition that means more than anything else. Real Madrid can perhaps be slightly frustrated that they didn’t claim a killer second goal when City seemed there for the taking. It was uncharacteristic, and left them open to what they often do to everyone else in Europe, but not as uncharacteristic as how the game went for Pep Guardiola’s side. This was only the first time since April 1 that they were behind in a game. While it may not have been their best performance in that time, the fortitude shown might be just as important to finally winning this Champions League that the Abu Dhabi project so desires. It is the knowledge of such greater powers in the game which has so fired this version of Madrid, and defined their last half-decade, but that’s not quite the case with Carlo Ancelotti. He has his own ways, especially since he also has the record for most Champions League that Guardiola so desires. That did weigh over this match. As tends to happen in games on this stage, and especially when the main cast have now met so often, there are echoes of so many previous nights. Ancelotti had tried this exact approach against Guardiola before. It was on the way to his third Champions League, and Madrid’s 10th, as they sought to limit space for a technically superior Bayern Munich but only around their own box. Ancelotti was prepared to cede plenty of the pitch beyond, which again left a Guardiola team with so much possession, but only because it also allowed his fast players so much space to run into. Madrid won that match 1-0, getting the vital touch when Guardiola’s team had so many passes. Now, Ancelotti has even faster players, and more of them. It is one of the most striking elements of this iteration of Madrid. They have so many immensely promising players, who can eat up 80 yards of the pitch in no time. It means they can go from defending to devastating in seconds. Chief among them is Vinicius Jr, who by this point has long gone from “promising” to perhaps the most effective player in world football, perhaps the best. The goal was another great illustration of this, as well as a glorious combination of so many different qualities. There was first of all the divine and deft touch under pressure that was Luka Modric’s pass to Eduardo Camavinga. It was one of those moments that in the instant felt innocuous but actually did so much in one individual move. Modric both released the pressure and released Camavinga. The French international, here as a left-back but potentially one of the best midfielders in the world, just thundered up the pitch in the manner Madrid see as their future. The actual moment was something else. Vinicius let the ball run across him and, with one touch without breaking stride, almost broke the net with a strike that soared into the corner. Its impact was all the greater since it had come out of City’s best spell of the game for some time. So it was for the next goal, except this was the reverse. Kevin De Bruyne scored a ludicrously good goal out of Madrid’s best spell. It is another difference from that 2014 match, too. If Ancelotti now has more faster players, Guardiola has better ones, not least the Belgian. Before then, Madrid had actually sought to replicate their city rivals at Atletico Madrid last season by rattling Jack Grealish. Dani Carvajal shockingly barged him into the advertising hoardings, before Toni Kroos brutally cut him down in midfield. Madrid were really embracing this approach. It ensured they maybe got more of a hold of it than they expected. They were in full control in the 20 minutes before De Bruyne’s equaliser, and sensing the game was there to be killed. Unusually for Madrid, though, they couldn’t quite manage it. They instead felt the impact of what they frequently do to English sides. Out of nothing, De Bruyne produced a shot that had everything behind it. There was maybe a bit more to it than that since he and Rodri had repeatedly tried to catch Thibaut Courtois out from distance. This proved the logic. The game immediately became one governed by emotions, end to end, both sides probably content to take the draw but neither yet willing to accept it. That meant Federico Valverde destroying the City left side with one luscious turn, with Grealish then matching him through the middle - and the otherwise quiet Erling Haaland racing ahead dangerously - only for Antonio Rudiger to robustly block him and celebrate doing so. By that point, it felt like the tie was only getting going, and it could have done with a half-hour more. There will be at least 90 minutes to come on Wednesday, and it could decide the season. Read More I know Pep Guardiola - and this is why Man City will win the Champions League The six types of Pep Guardiola full-back, and what each says about Man City’s evolution Player ratings from Man City’s first-leg comeback against Real Madrid Player ratings from Man City’s Champions League first-leg comeback at Real Madrid Jay Rodriguez revels in ‘surreal’ promotion as Burnley celebrate title Laureus award winners and Crouch meets Lasso – Tuesday’s sporting social
2023-05-10 05:59
Harry Kane is put to the test during 'Hot Ones' appearance - but how did he do?
Harry Kane is put to the test during 'Hot Ones' appearance - but how did he do?
Harry Kane was the latest guest to appear on First We Feast's Hot Ones challenge and proved he could handle the heat off the pitch. The YouTube show sees host Sean Evans interview celebrity guests. During each question, both he and a guest eat a chicken wing that has been coated in different hot sauces, with the Scoville level (the heat or spiciness) increasing each time. Some of the previous celebrity guests include Jennifer Lawrence, Gordon Ramsay, Florence Pugh, and Noel Gallagher. In the latest episode, host Evans began by asking the England captain how he is around spicy food, to which Kane admitted that he's "not great," adding that "it's not something [he] normally [has] a lot". The first wing had a Scoville level of 1,600 which Kane ate with ease and said it was "not too bad," as Evans asked the footballer about his record-breaking season, scoring over 30 goals and becoming England's all-time leading goal scorer. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Kane described the latter achievement as a "dream come true," before having a slight cough and reaching for a glass of milk - was the spice getting to him already? Harry Kane Takes One For the Team While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones www.youtube.com Next up was a wing with a Scoville level of 6,000 and to Kane's surprise he found this one "a little easier". "I do like a curry back home in England, so I'm quite familiar with that taste," he told Evans, appearing more confident in his ability to handle the spice. For the wings with a Scoville level of 15,500, 36,500, and then 49,000, followed by 71,000 and 103,000, Kane took them in his stride, with some coughs, a runny nose and sips of milk along the way. Then came "Da Bomb," hot sauce at a Scoville level of 135,600 which a nervous Kane commented: "I've heard about this. I've just heard it's brutal. Unenjoyable." Though it didn't stop the Tottenham player from taking a bite, before telling Evans that it was "not nice," and "disgusting," and added that he could have the other sauces he's tried with food, but not with "Da Bomb". Despite the discomfort, Kane continued on to eat wings that had a Scoville level of 641,000 before finally making it to the final wing where he join in the tradition of dabbing an extra bit of sauce on the wing. Going straight for it, the footballer noted how the heat "straight up [his] nose". Footy fans loved seeing Kane on Hot Ones and in the comments praised performance for making it to the end. One person said: "Never in a million years did I think I'd see Harry Kane on this show, but I'm all here for it." "Let's be real he surprised every single one of us after seeing his reaction to the first wing. Respect," another person wrote. Someone else added: "Harry seems so wholesome!! And handled the hot sauces so well for someone who doesn't appear to eat much hot sauce." "One of the best episodes ever! Big bites, no complaints and a good talk," a fourth person commented. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-14 23:56
Eubanks edges Tsitsipas to reach quarters in Wimbledon thriller
Eubanks edges Tsitsipas to reach quarters in Wimbledon thriller
Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out of Wimbledon at the hands of unseeded American Christopher Eubanks after a thrilling...
2023-07-11 00:26
Appalachian State ends unbeaten run by No. 18 James Madison 26-23 in overtime
Appalachian State ends unbeaten run by No. 18 James Madison 26-23 in overtime
Kaedin Robinson’s toe barely touched the goal line before the football squirted out, scoring the winning touchdown in overtime as Appalachian State beat previously unbeaten and 18th-ranked James Madison 26-23
2023-11-19 08:46