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Liverpool have ignited their Premier League season at last as Mohamed Salah’s late goal earned them a stormy 1-0 win over Manchester City to leave Arsenal four points clear at the top.
Salah, fresh from his quickfire hat-trick in midweek against Rangers in the Champions League, latched onto a long clearance by goalkeeper Allison in the 76th minute and fired into the net to inflict a first defeat of the season on champions City in Sunday’s barnstormer.
Mo Salah’s goal proved the decisive moment on a dramatic day when Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was shown a red card for angrily charging out of his technical area.
City Manager Pep Guardiola also made the headlines, saying coins were thrown at him during the match. He remonstrated angrily with a section of the Anfield crowd on Sunday after Phil Foden had a goal ruled out when VAR invited referee Anthony Taylor to review the pitchside monitor.
Guardiola repeatedly gesticulated at fans in the immediate aftermath and later said coins were thrown in his direction.
“Next time they will do it better,” he said in the post-match news conference, adding wryly: “They didn’t get me. They try it again next year.
“All these coins, they tried, but didn’t get it. They got the coach years ago.”
Guardiola was referring to an incident when Liverpool fans attacked City’s team bus ahead of a Champions League match in 2018.
Asked if he had enticed a reaction from the home supporters, Guardiola said: “They shout, we shout more.”
He was clearly still angered by Foden’s goal being disallowed after Taylor spotted a foul on Fabinho in the build-up.
“This is Anfield,” he said.
Klopp said he had not been aware of any coin throwing but apologised on behalf of the home club.
“Oh, horrible. I am sorry. I apologise for that. I had no idea about it. It never should happen, never,” he said.
On a rare blank day for City’s goal machine Erling Haaland, Liverpool produced a performance that suggests it is far too early to disregard Klopp’s side, who have 13 points from nine games after a rocky start.
Clashes between the sides have produced some classics over the past few seasons and while Sunday’s match had plenty of the usual quality, it was a blood and thunder affair that occasionally boiled over.
Guardiola was furious when Foden’s goal, with the score at 0-0, was ruled out after referee Anthony Taylor checked a pitchside monitor and decided there had been a foul by Haaland on Fabinho in the build-up.
Salah had earlier been denied by a great save from Ederson, but when he found himself one-on-one again he made no mistake with a superb finish.
With tackles flying in Klopp was livid when Salah was not given a foul and he was sent from the technical area.
Klopp was calmer later, admitting that he had probably deserved a red card.
“Perfect. Performance, really, really good, in an incredibly intense game,” Klopp said of the win.
“We showed up today and that is all we wanted to do.”
The defeat was City’s first in 23 away games in the Premier League and Guardiola was left bemused by the decision to disallow Foden’s goal.
The loss leaves Guardiola’s team four points behind leaders Arsenal, who won 1-0 at Leeds earlier on Sunday. The game was delayed for over 30 minutes just after kick -off with technical issues to the VAR.
Mikel Arteta’s side have 27 points from 10 games, with City and Tottenham on 23.
Bukayo Saka’s thumping first-half finish on Sunday was enough to clinch the Gunners a ninth win in 10 league games, while Leeds missed a penalty and had another spot-kick decision overturned in stoppage time.
Both decisions came after VAR interventions and a third saw Leeds substitute Patrick Bamford’s second-half ‘equaliser’ ruled out for a push by the striker on Gabriel.
When asked if Leeds had given his side their biggest test yet, Arteta, whose side are now four points clear after Manchester City’s defeat at Liverpool, conceded they probably had, adding, “We expected some very hectic and chaotic moments.
“The way they play and the atmosphere that this produces in this stadium, I’m really pleased we managed to handle it.”
Arteta admitted his side rode their luck in a game that had been delayed by 40 minutes shortly after kick-off when referee Chris Kavanagh and his officials lost contact with VAR and goal-line technology due to a power cut.
He felt his side should “have scored two or three” in the first half, but admitted they lost their way in the second after coming under sustained pressure.
“From the first whistle in the second half we started with no rhythm, not making the right decisions time after time and we put ourselves in big trouble,” the Spaniard said.
“But when you get in those moments I love the resilience, the fight, the character and the courage that the team showed to win the game.”
Bamford, a halftime replacement for Rodrigo, was central to Leeds’ inspired second-half display.
He had the ball in the net moments after the restart but it was ruled out by VAR for his push on Gabriel, and he dragged a penalty wide after Kavanagh had consulted the pitch-side monitor to judge on William Saliba’s handball.
Kavanagh awarded Leeds another spot-kick in time added on after Gabriel had kicked out at Bamford and the Arsenal defender was shown a straight red card.
But after checking the monitor again, Kavanagh overturned both decisions, with Bamford shown to have shoved Gabriel first, and the Brazilian’s red card was changed to yellow.
Arteta felt Kavanagh was correct with both ultimate decisions, adding: “I’m extremely happy because we keep winning and you have to be able to win in any context.”
Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t reach the highs of last week’s record-breaking goal during Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle.
After being presented with an award for his 700th goal before the match, Ronaldo received a yellow card for having a shot at goal after he believed the ball was in play. On top of the disallowed goal and card, Ronaldo was substituted in the 71st minute and showed his disapproval by shaking his head and slumping in his seat.
Chelsea are fourth on 19, 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 are fifth with 16 points from nine games after another dispiriting draw 0-0 at home to sixth-placed Newcastle United, who have 15.
In Sunday’s other match, Declan Rice earned West Ham United a point with the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Southampton.
© AAP
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