Mohamed Salah returned with a goal as Premier League leaders Liverpool routed Brentford 4-1 despite a rash of injuries, while Arsenal demol-ished Burnley 5-0 to keep up the pressure in the title race on Saturday.
Salah came off the bench to replace the injured Diogo Jota in his first Liverpool appearance since their win over Newcastle United on New Year’s Day.
Having returned from the hamstring injury he sustained on Egypt duty at the African Cup of Nations, Salah made up for lost time with his first goal for the Reds since the Newcastle game.
The 31-year-old’s 19th goal in all competitions this term put Liverpool on course for a sixth win in their last seven league games.
The much-maligned Darwin Nunez had given Jurgen Klopp’s side the lead with a sublime chip late in the first half at the Gtech Community Sta-dium.
Alexis Mac Allister doubled Liverpool’s advantage after the interval with just his second goal this season. Ivan Toney got one back for Brentford, but Cody Gakpo netted in the closing stages.
While the victory was valuable for Klopp, it came with a downside as first half injuries to Nunez, Jota and Curtis Jones added to Liverpool’s increasingly packed treatment room.
At Turf Moor, second placed Arsenal made it five consecutive wins to move within two points of Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta’s side have beaten Liverpool and won 6-0 at West Ham United in their most notable results since a revitalising warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
And they were too hot for second bottom Burnley to handle from the fourth minute when Martin Odegaard drilled home from Gabriel Marti-nelli’s pass.
Bukayo Saka netted with a 41st minute penalty awarded for Lorenz Assignon’s foul on Leandro Trossard.
Saka struck again two minutes after half-time, rifling into the top corner from Odegaard’s pass as the England winger made it six goals in his last four games.
Trossard got the fourth from close-range in the 66th minute and Kai Havertz converted Jakub Kiwior’s pass with 12 minutes left.
Third placed Manchester City, who have two games in hand on Liverpool, will move level on points with Arsenal if they beat Chelsea in Satur-day’s late game.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspurs top four bid suffered a blow as Joao Gomes struck twice in Wolverhampton Wanderers surprise 2-1 win in north London.
Ange Postecoglou’s team were beaten in the league for the first time in 2024, with Gomes heading in the opener after 42 minutes.
Dejan Kulusevski equalised immediately after the interval, but Brazilian midfielder Gomes won it for Wolves with a 63rd minute blast after an incisive break from the visitors.
Aston Villa took advantage of Tottenham’s stumble to climb back into fourth place with a 2-1 win at Fulham.
Ollie Watkins scored either side of the break for Unai Emery’s side and although Fulham got one back through Rodrigo Muniz, they were unable to force an equaliser.
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest beat 10-man West Ham 2-0 at the City Ground in a major boost to their survival hopes.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side moved five points clear of the relegation zone thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal five minutes into first half stoppage-time and Callum Hudson-Odoi’s strike just before the final whistle.
West Ham midfielder Kalvin Phillips, on loan from Manchester City, was sent off in the 71st minute for two bookings in the space of four minutes.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe avoided defeat against his former club Bournemouth in a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park.
Dominic Solanke’s 51st minute opener for Bournemouth was cancelled out by Anthony Gordon’s penalty seven minutes later.
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo fired into the bottom corner in the 69th minute, but Matt Ritchie equalised in stoppage-time.—AFP
