LIVERPOOL: Mohamed Salah was inevitably on the scoresheet as Liverpool took full advantage of the inactivity of their top-four rivals to thrash West Ham United 4-1 at Anfield and provisionally move into second in the Premier League.
With leaders Manchester City facing Arsenal in the League Cup final on Sunday, when Manchester United host Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur travel to Crystal Palace in the league, Juergen Klopp’s free scorers topped 100 goals for the season in their 40th match.
Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane also netted in another Liverpool goal rush that moved them 15 points behind Pep Guardiola’s City.
Liverpool’s win was not quite as routine as the scoreline suggested with West Ham occasionally threatening on another nerve-tingling Anfield afternoon although David Moyes’ long wait for a first win at the ground continues.
Salah scored for the sixth successive game in all competitions and his goal took him level with Harry Kane at the top of the Premier League scoring charts with 23 this season.
But Can was equally influential in Liverpool’s win, heading the opener and laying on a superb through pass for Firmino to score Liverpool’s third before Mane chipped in with a fourth goal in two games.
“It is difficult to be top, Manchester City are too far away, but of course we want to finish second,” said the German, whose six league goals represent the best haul of his Liverpool career which could be in its final season as his contract expires at the end of the campaign.
At the bottom of the table, the future of West Bromwich Albion manager Alan Pardew looks increasingly bleak after their 2-1 defeat at home to relegation rivals Huddersfield Town.
Swansea City crashed 4-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Newcastle United.
Mohamed Salah stars again as Liverpool go second in the Premier League
Mohamed Salah stars again as Liverpool go second in the Premier League
Arsenal hoist first Women’s Champions Cup in thrilling win over Corinthians
- Foord beat goalkeeper Lele at her near post in the 104th minute to earn a dramatic winner over the Copa Libertadores champions in front of a crowd that included FIFA president Gianni Infantino
- As the winners of FIFA’s new intercontinental tournament featuring champions from all six confederations, Arsenal will collect a $2.3 million prize
LONDON: Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord struck in extra time to power them to victory in the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup on Sunday, defeating Brazil’s Corinthians 3-2 in a rain-soaked final at the Emirates Stadium.
Reigning Champions League winners Arsenal looked set to seal the title in normal time, leading 2-1 before Vic Albuquerque converted a 96th-minute penalty to force extra time.
Olivia Smith and Lotte Wubben-Moy also scored for Renee Slegers’ team before Foord beat goalkeeper Lele at her near post in the 104th minute to earn a dramatic winner over the Copa Libertadores champions in front of a crowd that included FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“It’s not often that at Arsenal you can write history because history has been written so many times,” Wubben-Moy told Sky Sports.
“We stand on the shoulders of giants. To come to this inaugural competition and win it and do it with all of our fans here in style — — our fans are wonderful and that’s who we do it for.
“To win the first silverware this year is a big leap forward. We want more. Stick with us, 2026 has more to come.”
As the winners of FIFA’s new intercontinental tournament featuring champions from all six confederations, Arsenal will collect a $2.3 million prize.
The one negative on the night was Arsenal’s goalkeeper Anneke Borbe being carried off on a stretcher following a collision with teammate Wubben-Moy late in extra time.
The timing of the tournament favored Arsenal, who are in the midst of their Women’s Super League season, while Corinthians are in their pre-season and CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Gotham FC are in their off-season.
Arsenal had thrashed Moroccan champions AS FAR 6-0 in Wednesday’s semifinals, while Corinthians had edged Gotham, of the National Women’s Soccer League, 1-0 in the other semis.
Gotham secured third place with a 4-0 win against AS FAR earlier on Sunday.
