Mohamed Salah scored a stoppage-time penalty against Burnley on Sunday as Liverpool maintained their perfect record to return to the top of the Premier League. Scott Parker’s men had doggedly kept the champions at bay but a Hannibal Mejbri handball in the dying seconds gave Salah a chance to win the match and he made no mistake.
Liverpool are the first side in Premier League history to win four consecutive games with winning goals scored in the final 10 minutes or later — with Sunday’s coming in the 95th minute. They are three points clear of Arsenal, who went top of the table on Saturday with a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest. Arne Slot’s Liverpool, chasing a record 21st English league title, have not been at their best this season but have found a way to win all four of their matches. The Dutchman said his team had struggled to create clear-cut chances against a side who defended deep.
They had 27 shots at Turf Moor but just four of those were on target.
“We kept playing, we kept moving the ball around,” Slot told Sky Sports. “They got more and more tired which is normal when you have to defend for 80 per cent of time and then we got as many attackers on as possible.
“Difficult game but all of them are in the Premier League. A clean sheet and from open play we hardly concede a chance. That’s a good thing. “It is normal and a lot of new players, we will get better and better but in the meantime we have 12 points.”
ISAK ABSENT
Slot left new signing Alexander Isak out of his squad after warning he would ease the forward into action gradually.
But he could still field an impressive attacking line-up including Salah, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. — AFP
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