Salah’s double helps Liverpool beat West Ham

(BBC) – Mohamed Salah scored for the first time in seven Premier League games with a brilliant double at West Ham United to help Liverpool move up to third in the table.
A trademark quick shift and curling finish by the Egyptian striker was a reward for a bright start to the second half of the Reds after Jurgen Klopp’s side failed to add advantage to their first-half possession. Salah capped Liverpool’s spectacular counter-attack to double his side’s lead 11 minutes later, immediately controlling an over-the-top Xherdan Shaqiri looping pass before pushing past Lukasz Fabianski. Without the injured Sadio Mane and with Roberto Firmino among the substitutes, the onus was on Salah to end his little drought and he achieved in style.

Firmino came off the bench to set up Georginio Wijnaldum for a third slick in Liverpool before Craig Dawson headed home a corner to comfort West Ham.
Liverpool’s second victory in London in four days cut the gap for Manchester City leaders – who have a game in hand – to four points, and the two sides meet at Anfield on Sunday.
Klopp’s decisions pay dividends at eyeball when excluding Firmino from Liverpool’s starting line-up given that Senegal forward Mane is missing with a minor muscle injury.
A toothless first-half display, in which Liverpool’s only effort on target was a straight Salah strike 20 yards at Fabianki, suggested that the reigning champions suffered from the absence of two of their famous three forwards – as well as the injured Diogo Jota .

But Klopp’s introduction of Curtis Jones from the bench early in the second half proved a game-changer as the young playmaker played neatly at Salah for the opener.
His stunning midfield run put West Ham on the back foot and, after exchanging passes with Trent Alexander-Arnold, he found Salah, who made space for himself against Aaron Cresswell before curling the ball past Fabianski. Liverpool’s second goal was even easier on the eye, Shaqiri receiving a diagonal ball across a field from Alexander-Arnold before punching Salah with a pass the first time as the visitors broke from the Hammers corner with devastating effect. Their third was equally impressive, with one-two fullback Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replacing one with two with Firmino releasing Brazil and the substitute square for Wijnaldum to cool home.

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