Crucial Mohamed Salah sends Liverpool 8 points clear at the top

Liverpool secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Southampton, solidifying their lead at the top of the Premier League table. The win now places Liverpool eight points clear of Manchester City and nine points ahead of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Brighton.

The match began with controversy, as Southampton felt aggrieved when a potential penalty was turned down in the 7th minute. Armstrong was brought down by Ibrahima Konaté inside the box, but referee Samuel Burratt ruled against awarding a penalty, a decision that was backed by a VAR review.

Liverpool took advantage in the 30th minute after a defensive mishap from Southampton. A loose clearance fell to Dominik Szoboszlai, who unleashed a superb strike from the edge of the box, finding the top right corner of the goal to put Liverpool 1-0 up.

Late in the first half, Andrew Robertson fouled Tyler Dibbling on the edge of the box, resulting in a disputed penalty. Despite Liverpool’s protests that the foul occurred outside the area, the penalty was given. Kelleher initially denied Adam Armstrong’s attempt, but in first-half stoppage time, Armstrong equalized with a composed finish to make it 1-1.

The second half saw Southampton grab the lead in the 56th minute through Mateusz Fernandes, who finished off a swift counterattack with a well-placed shot. Liverpool, however, responded swiftly. In the 65th minute, a long pass from Ryan Gravenberch found Mohamed Salah, who capitalized on a slip by goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, slotting the ball into an open net to level the match at 2-2.

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Liverpool’s pressure paid off in the 82nd minute when Yukinari Sugiwara handled the ball inside the box, leading to a penalty. Salah stepped up and confidently converted, sealing the 3-2 victory with a low shot to the bottom right, despite McCarthy getting a touch on the ball.