LIVERPOOL’S Mohamed Salah scored twice in a 2-0 win at Bournemouth that put them nine points clear atop the Premier League while Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood went one better with a hat-trick in a 7-0 rout of Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
Newcastle United missed the chance to move fourth though as they surrendered the lead in a 2-1 home defeat by Fulham.
Bottom club Southampton enjoyed some rare joy as they beat Ipswich Town 2-1 away for only their second league win of what has been a thoroughly gloomy campaign.
Liverpool under Arne Slot has quickly acquired the habit of winning even when not completely at their fluent best and in Salah they have a weapon of lethal efficiency.
The Egyptian converted a penalty on the half-hour and then curled home his second goal in the 75th minute to secure the points and end Bournemouth’s 11-match unbeaten league run.
Salah now has 21 Premier League goals this season and 178 in his career, taking him sixth on the all-time list ahead of Chelsea great Frank Lampard.
Liverpool have 56 points from 23 games with Arsenal, who host fourth-placed Manchester City on Sunday, and Forest level on 47 points, though the Midlands side have played a game more.
Forest’s 5-0 loss to Bournemouth last weekend had some people suggesting their bubble may have burst. But Nuno Espirito Santo’s team put that notion to bed in devastating fashion.
Wood’s hat-trick and goals from Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams and Jota Silva plus an own goal helped Forest consolidate third spot as they chase what would be their first Champions League qualification in 45 years.
Fulham substitute Rodrigo Muniz struck in the 82nd minute to secure a 2-1 win at Newcastle who had taken the lead when Jacob Murphy slammed home a shot after good work by Anthony Gordon.
Fulham leveled after the break when Murphy deflected in a shot by Raul Jimenez. In-form Newcastle striker Alexander Isak struck the crossbar before Muniz stole it for Fulham. — Reuters
