LONDON – Egypt’s forward Mohamed Salah said that Liverpool is not giving up on the English Premier League title after the Egyptian’s strike in a 1-0 win inflicted Manchester City’s first defeat of the season.
The Reds are still 10 points behind City and 14 adrift of leaders Arsenal, but kick started their season with just a third league win of the campaign.
“Personally I love to play always for a title,” Salah said according to AFP. “In my head I am going to fight for it, but we need to focus more and take one game at a time.”
Jurgen Klopp was sent off in the closing stages as he lost the plot with the officials for refusing to award Salah a free-kick.
But City was also left fuming at referee Anthony Taylor after he disallowed Phil Foden’s strike early in the second half after a VAR review.
Klopp said he was delighted with Salah’s display in a more central role after the Egyptian’s goal sealed a victory over champions City.
Salah raced away from Joao Cancelo to score and give his side a much-needed win after they came into the encounter having suffered their worst start to a Premier League season after eight games since 2012-13.
“Absolutely outstanding,” Klopp said. “Obviously he was one of two strikers in the centre together with Roberto Firmino. The goal was world class.”
Klopp said Salah, who typically plays in a wider role, was unlucky not to have scored earlier.
“The situation immediately before was really unlucky that he didn’t score there already. Apart from that, good on the ball, a constant threat in behind, working extremely hard, an outstanding performance.”
“Hopefully it gives us more confidence so we start winning games. The last few weeks, as you saw, we were not on our best,” the Egyptian said.
“We started from the last game already and won this game as well, so we need to carry on,” Salah added.
“This is Anfield,” said City boss Pep Guardiola, who was targeted by coins thrown from the crowd in the aftermath of the disallowed goal.
“The referee spoke with my assistant and Jurgen before the game and said ‘Today I won’t make soft fouls’ and all the game was play on, play on, play on, except the goal we scored.”
For all their achievements under Guardiola, City is still to master Anfield in front of a crowd as Liverpool’s proud unbeaten home league record with fans in attendance dating back to 2017 goes on.
‘HAALAND DRAWS A BLANK’
Klopp claimed in his pre-match press conference that no one can compete with the wealth of resources at City’s disposal after adding Erling Haaland to a squad filled with seasoned Premier League winners.
But the Norwegian’s 10-game scoring streak at club level came to an end on an afternoon Liverpool will hope gives their season lift-off.
“On a normal day you should not even try against City, you have to play to your limits and further,” added Klopp.
“That’s what we did in a well organised and very passionate way.”
Liverpool has caused City more problems than anyone else in England over the past five years and belied the form of both sides heading into the game to inflict the champions’ first league defeat since February.
A lacklustre first-half was followed by an explosive second period.
Salah should have opened the scoring when he latched onto Roberto Firmino’s through ball and Ederson made a brilliant save low to his right.
Seconds later the ball was in the Liverpool net as Foden swept home the loose ball after Alisson Becker bravely saved at Haaland’s feet.
However, the goal was ruled out after a VAR check for a foul by Haaland on Fabinho in the build-up.
Guardiola was still furiously remonstrating with the officials on the touchline when the home side missed another huge chance to break the deadlock.
Salah’s cross picked out Jota at the far post, who headed against the post when it seemed easier to score.
Haaland was next to be denied as the game raged from one end to the other as his low effort was palmed away by Alisson.
But it was Liverpool’s star marksman who finally found his range.
Salah bent another effort inches wide after turning Ruben Dias.
But the Egyptian did not spare City at the third time of asking as he outmuscled Joao Cancelo to latch onto Alisson’s long ball and kept his cool to slot past Ederson.
Virgil van Dijk’s dip in form has been one of the key factors in Liverpool’s slow start to the season.
The Dutchman, though, rose to the challenge of stopping Haaland and made one vital intervention to turn Cancelo’s cross away from the City No 9.
Klopp was given his marching orders for coming face-to-face with the assistant referee after Salah appeared to have been hauled back by Bernardo Silva.
“The red card is my fault, I went over the top in that moment,” said Klopp.
“I lost it in that moment, that’s not ok, but a little bit as an excuse I would like to mention is how can you not whistle that as a foul?”
But City was also lacking in composure to make their possession count on the field as Liverpool held out.
Arsenal made it nine wins from their first 10 games with Bukayo Saka’s goal earning them a 1-0 victory at Leeds United.
Mikel Arteta’s side has 27 points from 10 games with City and Tottenham Hotspur on 23. Chelsea is in fourth spot with 19 points, with a game in hand, thanks to a 2-0 win at Aston Villa courtesy of a double by England midfielder Mason Mount.
Manchester United is fifth with 16 points from nine games after drawing 0-0 at home to sixth-placed Newcastle United, who has 15.
Despite Arsenal’s flying start to the season the popular theory is that relentless City are primed to claim a fifth title in six seasons.
