Egyptian star Mohamed Salah marked his return to Liverpool’s lineup with an assist after coming on as a first-half substitute in their 2-0 win over Brighton on Saturday in the English Premier League, receiving applause and support from the Anfield crowd.
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Having been left out of the match in which his team defeated Italian side Inter Milan 1-0 on Tuesday in the Champions League, and previously benched in the 3-3 draw against Leeds United in the league, Salah started on the bench against Brighton but was brought on in the first half to replace Joe Gomez following an injury.
The Egyptian star entered the game in the 26th minute amid cheers and chants of his name, underscoring the importance of the forward, who, with this assist, became the third-highest contributor to goals in Premier League history (280), surpassing Chelsea legend Frank Lampard.
Only former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney (311) and Alan Shearer (324) have more in this statistic than Salah.
Salah had sparked wide controversy with his remarks accusing the club of “abandoning him” after being left on the bench for three consecutive matches, before being excluded from the Inter Milan game.
He also noted last Saturday in comments to reporters a breakdown in his relationship with manager Slot, before the Dutch coach announced on Friday that he would speak with his player later in the day, adding, “The result will determine how things look tomorrow (Saturday).”
Salah replaced Gomez, who had been playing at right-back. His substitution in this tactical role appeared as a conciliatory gesture from the manager toward the star forward.
This match was Salah’s last before joining the Egyptian national team for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which concludes on January 18.
After Liverpool quickly took the lead with a goal from striker Hugo Iketikei following a pass from Gomez (1’), Salah set up the second goal for the French player from a corner kick (60’).
This assist marked Salah’s 89th in the Premier League for Liverpool, alongside 188 goals in 302 appearances.
It was also Liverpool’s first league win after two draws, bringing their tally to 26 points and temporarily placing them sixth.
In London, Chelsea regained their form and won for the first time in four matches, defeating Everton 2-0 with goals from Cole Palmer (21’) and Frenchman Malo Gusto (45+1’).
This was Palmer’s first goal for Chelsea since September 17, following a 15-match absence due to injury and only two prior appearances.
Chelsea’s point total rose to 28, temporarily placing them fourth, while Everton remained at 24 points.
AFP
