Mohammed Salah Scored Rocket Goal As Liverpool Beat Chelsea To Return Top Of Premier League

It was magnificent from Mo. Salah as he scored another outstanding goal, for the second Premier League in a row, to help return Liverpool to the top of the table.

In defeating Chelsea there was also a sense of catharsis, exorcising the trauma of Steven Gerrard’s slip five years ago that cost Liverpool the last time they were this close to being champions. They even won by the same 2-0 scoreline.

Salah was in Chelsea blue that day, a peripheral player in Jose Mourinho’s second string, but no-one doubts his status now at Liverpool where he is one of the very best forwards in world football.

Maybe there was extra meaning in Salah’s celebration – as he stood on one leg, his left leg bent in the air and placed his hands together in prayer. It looked like a yoga pose, maybe it was religious, but it appeared to have significance to Salah.

His goal was quite brilliant and it doubled Liverpool’s advantage. It came in two minutes of madness – followed by two more minutes of madness, in fact, when Chelsea could amazingly have drawn level.

After a tense, tight, nervy first-half which remained goalless Jurgen Klopp’s side simply tore into Chelsea and went ahead when the excellent Fabinho played the ball into Salah with Jordan Henderson taking over possession inside the opposition penalty area before chipping a superb cross to the far post where it was met by Sadio Mane who planted his header past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

As Anfield erupted and continued to celebrate Liverpool scored again. After his wonderful solo effort away to Southampton nine days ago here was another by Salah as Virgil Van Dijk played the ball out to him on the right wing. Salah cut inside, away from Emerson, before driving a powerful left foot shot from the angle of the area that swerved away from Arrizabalaga and tore into the net.

This time the celebrations were even wilder but, astonishingly, Chelsea twice quickly spurned clear chances to equalise with Eden Hazard – of all people – guilty on both occasions of a rare wastefulness.

The forward had started through the middle but after Salah’s goal Chelsea heads coach Maurizio Sarri reacted by bringing on Gonzalo Higuain and restoring Hazard to the left, which he he prefers. It was from there that he ghosted in to meet David Luiz’s ball over the top, take control and then shoot low to beat Alisson only for his effort to come back off the post. Then he met Willian’s cut back and clear on goal his shot was saved by the Liverpool goalkeeper.

It meant that Klopp’s 200th game as Liverpool manager ended in victory and moved two points ahead of City once more after they had earlier beaten Crystal Palace away. They have just four games left Cardiff away, Huddersfield at home, Newcastle away and Wolves at home and although it is not in their hands they have arguably now negotiated their most difficult remaining fixture.

This was Chelsea first loss at Anfield in seven years, having gone eight games unbeaten, but Liverpool were worthy, worthy winners.