LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -A superb second-half goal from Mohamed Salah earned Liverpool a 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday as the champions lost their unbeaten start to the Premier League season in a heated thriller that saw home coach Juergen Klopp red-carded.
Salah raced away from Joao Cancelo to slot home and earn Liverpool a much-needed victory after they came into the encounter having suffered their worst start to a Premier League season after eight games since 2012-13.
The Egypt international, like many of his team mates, had also struggled to get going, but after scoring the fastest Champions League hat-trick in Liverpool’s 7-1 rout of Rangers in midweek, his telling strike 14 minutes from fulltime continued his side’s mini-revival.
The win moved Liverpool up to eighth in the standings on 13 points, 10 behind second-placed City, who trail leaders Arsenal by four points.
“Our position is not the best and it is just one game so we have to carry on. Hopefully this gives us more confidence,” Salah, who had missed a similar opportunity to his goal earlier in the game, said.
“Today we created chances and when I missed the first I was calm because I knew the second would come. I just tried to stay focused and put it in the net because I missed the first one, and I got lucky.”
EPA-EFE/PETER POWELL
Something had to give as Liverpool came into the game unbeaten in their previous 27 home league matches, while City had not tasted defeat in 22 on the road.
However, after an opening period that failed to live up to the game’s blockbuster billing, with Erling Haaland, looking for his 21st goal of a remarkable season, twice going close for City, the second half began at a ferocious pace.
Salah was denied by a superb save from City goalkeeper Ederson moments after the break, before City then thought they had taken the lead through Phil Foden, only for it to be ruled out following a VAR review, Haaland deemed to have fouled Fabinho in the build-up.
City coach Pep Guardiola was furious on the touchline as the referee was asked to have another look and even more so when it was ruled out, turning around to remonstrate with several Liverpool supporters in the stands.
“The referee said play on, play on, play on, there were a thousand, million fouls like this and this one is because we scored a goal,” Guardiola said. “So they disallowed because we scored a goal, otherwise it would not have been disallowed.
“We lost because we make a mistake but this is Anfield.”
The Spaniard’s blood pressure would have gone through the roof if Diogo Jota had headed Salah’s superb cross into the net moments after City’s effort was ruled out, with the Portuguese forward missing the target from close range.
Liverpool kept coming at City after their VAR reprieve, with Salah spinning away superbly after a slip from Cancelo before firing the winner, sparking wild celebrations on the Kop.
Salah has now been directly involved in 14 goals against City in all competitions for Liverpool – nine goals, five assists – his most against any opponent for the Reds.
As City threw everything at Liverpool late on, tensions boiled over with Klopp sent to the stands for his over-zealous protestations against a foul he felt his side should have had.
The final pass was lacking for the visitors in the end as Liverpool held on for just their third league win of the season.
Reporting by Peter Hall; Editing by Ken Ferris and Toby Davis
Newcastle frustrate Man United and misfiring Ronaldo
MANCHESTER, England, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Manchester United and an unusually goal-shy Cristiano Ronaldo were unable to find a way past Newcastle United at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday in a 0-0 draw that kept both teams in the top six.
Showing a passion and solidity sometimes lacking from their hosts, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle had the best chance of the game with an extraordinary double header from Joelinton in the first half that came first off the crossbar then off the post.
Newcastle’s Callum Wilson also had a penalty shout denied.
“We’ve had our moments and chances today. I’m very proud of our players and what they’ve given, especially the defensive performance,” Howe told reporters.
Feted before the game for reaching 700 club goals in his career, Ronaldo twice had the ball in the back of the net. But he was offside for the first, while the second was disallowed when he cheekily nicked the ball off Newcastle to stroke it home after claiming a free kick had been taken.
Ronaldo has only scored twice this season for Manchester United, with some pundits already declaring the 37-year-old to be in the twilight of his brilliant career.
The player trudged off the field muttering to himself when he was substituted in the 72nd minute, but United boss Erik Ten Hag defended his decision.
“We have four games in 10 days. We have to keep the strikers fresh. We have to rotate,” he told reporters.
He also defended the Ronaldo’s recent lack of goals.
“It will come. Our strikers will score and they will score a lot. I am confident of that. As long as we keep working hard.”
SUBDUED STRIKERS
The result left Manchester United fifth on 16 points, with Newcastle sixth on 15 points with one more game played.
Antony was again Manchester United’s brightest spark, with one close-range shot stopped by Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope’s shins. Despite seeing plenty of the ball, however, he was unable to wriggle past Newcastle’s dogged defence or find the perfect cross for his fellow strikers.
Marcus Rashford, on as a substitute for Ronaldo, set up Fred with a late chance but the midfielder pulled his shot just wide. Rashford then missed a header in the final minute as Manchester United pressed for what would have been an undeserved winner.
Roared on non-stop by their travelling army, Newcastle had the best of the first half, frequently finding promising positions after sloppy passing by their opponents.
But without injured striker Alexander Isak, the visitors failed to apply the finishing touch their efforts deserved.
“We just lost that little bit of zip (in attack) but I’m very pleased with the team effort,” Howe said.
In the second half, Newcastle were forced more onto the backfoot, but in truth had little trouble holding out against the hosts.
Erik ten Hag’s subdued strike force will again come under a harsh spotlight after an unimpressive mid-week Europa League performance when they missed countless chances and left it late for a 1-0 win over Omonia Nicosia.
(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Toby Davis and Ed Osmond)
Reuters
