Wow! Salah's hat-trick saves porous Liverpool in seven-goal thriller
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (centre) celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal at Anfield. Photo: Shaun Botterill/NMC Pool/PA Wire.
A RETURN to the Premier League after a 16-year absence ended in breathtaking defeat for Leeds United at Anfield but, in this strange new world in which football currently finds itself, this was a game that should offer Jurgen Klopp more cause for concern than Marcelo Bielsa.
A frantic, frenetic, and breathtaking opening 33 minutes featured five goals, two Leeds equalisers, two disallowed goals, and more bad defending from Klopp’s reigning champions than they packed into pretty much the entirety of last season.
But by the time Mo Salah completed his hat-trick, with his second penalty of the night following a clumsy trip by debutant Rodrigo on Fabinho two minutes from time, Liverpool could testify that Leeds’ return to the big stage had been well and truly announced.
The TV cameras caught the Liverpool manager mouthing one word as it focused on his face on the final whistle which summed up the previous 90 minutes succinctly … “Wow."
Indeed, when the dust had settled on a game that looked like an end of season testimonial in parts due to the lack of defensive intensity, Bielsa’s legend as the football connoisseur’s coach of choice had gathered a little more momentum and Leeds - historically, not the most widely-loved of clubs among neutrals - had, hopefully, gained a few new admirers.
But for Klopp and his “attacking” champions, as he prefers to call them, this was not a comfortable start to their title defence.
Virgil van Dijk, arguably the best defender in Europe over the past two seasons, was badly at fault for Leeds’ second equaliser, gifting the ball to Patrick Bamford with a perfunctory clearance on the half-hour that the striker turned past Alisson.
That was one of a number of errors at the back from the champs who were equally exposed in conceding their first as Kalvin Phillips’ long pass and a brilliant close touch from Jack Harrison beat Trent Alexander-Arnold too easily before Harrison advanced and buried a fierce strike past Alisson.
Klopp’s defence, best in the Premier League last season, was also conspicuous by its absence after 66 minutes when Mateusz Klich buried an unstoppable third equaliser past Alisson, following a superb give-and-go with Helder Costa. Unbeaten at Anfield in the league since April 2017, Liverpool could have had few complaints had their opening day ended in defeat, with Harrison having contributed Leeds’ second disallowed goal just before Klich struck.
Such was the nature of this thrilling encounter, one which suggests Bielsa, the itinerant 65-year-old Argentinian who made Leeds the longest club employer of his career when he agreed a one-year deal this week, will be a welcome addition to the Premier League.
Bielsa’s critics claim his main weakness is his idealism, the fact that he does not have, or will not adopt a Plan B, if his default setting is not working.
Klopp had hinted as much in his Friday press conference, promising that his champions, and their trademark pressing game, would put Leeds under more pressure than they had experienced all of last season.
Certainly, the opening minutes suggested Klopp had won that particular tactical duel. Leeds, conditioned to pass out from the back, were unable to get out of their own half, a Salah shot struck the arm of summer signing Robin Koch and Salah buried the resulting penalty after just four minutes.
Koch, signed for £13 million from Freiburg, was equally culpable for Liverpool’s second, losing van Dijk at an Andy Robertson corner and allowing the Dutchman a free header from six yards.
But Leeds’ momentary stage fright was nothing more than that. Their passing principles started to play them out of trouble and, despite concerns about their lack of a cutting edge up front, they threatened almost every time they entered Liverpool’s final third.
Yet, like their hosts, they also looked constantly susceptible at the back. They showed that in going behind for a third time, on 33 minutes, when Pascal Struijk headed a Robertson free-kick straight to Salah who lashed the ball in from 12 yards.
Not surprisingly, conceding for a third time did not kill of Leeds’ belief. His players talk often and long of Bielsa’s man management and motivational skills and, given the daunting nature of this opening fixture, that confidence was fully on display over the remaining hour of the game.
Van Dijk had yet another “goal” disallowed - bringing the game’s total to four - and Firmino wasted a glorious opening before Salah clinched the victory.
It was a home win that will have surprised few on this opening Premier League weekend but the manner of Leeds;’ defeat will not only have offered encouragement to their own supporters that they can comfortably remain in the top flight - something four of the last six Championship champions have done.
It will also have offered encouragement to Liverpool’s rivals that Klopp’s champions are not quite the invincible proposition they appeared for so much of last season.
Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 5 (Matiz 89), Gomez 6, Van Dijk 5, Roberston 7; Wijnaldum 6, Henderson 6 (Jones 65, 6), Keita 7 (Fabinho 58, 7); Salah 9, Firmino 5, Mane 7. Subs (not used) Adrian, Milner, Minamino, Origi.
Meslier 6; Ayling 7, Koch 5, Struijk 6, Dallas 7; Phillips 9; Costa 7, Hernandez 6 (Rodrigo 62, 6), Klich 7 (Shackleton 81), Harrison 7; Bamford 7 (Roberts 62, 6). Subs (not used) Casilla, Poveda, Alioski, Casey.
M Oliver 8
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