February 23 – Liverpool and their talisman Mohamed Salah took a major step toward Premier League glory with a 2-0 victory at Manchester City after second-placed Arsenal had slumped to defeat against West Ham United.
Predictably, Salah led the league leaders to three points that may well have decided the title race in the English top flight. The Egyptian was instrumental with a goal and an assist as Liverpool opened up a lead of 11 points over Arsenal. Arne Slot’s side will play seven of their remaining 11 fixtures at Anfield.
Salah opened the score after a training-ground move from a corner kick. At the near post, Dominik Szoboszlai rolled it to the penalty spot where the Egyptian, left in acres of space, beat Ederson with a huge deflection. It was Salah’s 30th goal of the season.
At the half-hour mark, his fellow countryman Omar Marmoush, replacing the injured Erling Haaland up top for City, equalised with a sharp finish, but the linesman flagged for offside. Liverpool were lethal and once again Salah proved instrumental, teeing up Szoboszlai in the 37th minute. The Hungarian remained cool and composed to double Liverpool’s advantage with a simple finish.
Curtis Jones had a goal ruled out for offside but it mattered little in a statement victory for Liverpool. Their rivals are down and out on the canvas, even more so after Arsenal’s shock defeat to West Ham United on Saturday.
The London club had failed to close the gap with the league leaders as their run of 15 unbeaten matches came to an end with a 1-0 loss. Jarred Bowen scored the winner late in the first half for the visitors. Arsenal, with Mikel Merino as number nine again, failed to fight back. Having scored twice against Leicester City, the Spaniard was largely invisible.
Arsenal were their own worst enemies again as Myles Lewis-Skelly, a substitute for Riccardo Calafiori, was sent off. Under Mikel Arteta, the Londoners have struggled for discipline. The defeat all but ends the club’s title hopes. By Sunday evening a rampant Liverpool had left them even further behind.
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