Mo Salah's double helped Liverpool to a 3-1 victory at West Ham United which suggests their Premier League defence is still very much alive.
Liverpool controlled the first half without creating clear chances but the introduction of substitute Curtis Jones immediately gave the Reds an impetus as he passed to Salah in the right hand side of the box and curled inside the far post in typical fashion.
LIVERPOOL GET BACK IN THE GOALS TO DOWN TOTTENHAM
The second goal was a sublime counter-attack goal as Jones played the ball across the field to Xherdan Shaqiri who first time curled the ball behind the West Ham defence and Salah took the ball down beautifully with his right foot before slipping past Lukasz Fabianski with his left.
Georginho Wijnaldum made it three after Roberto Firmino squared the ball to him six yards out and then Craig Dawson poked home a corner from close range for a consolation.
Liverpool rise to third in the table, four points behind Manchester City, although they have played a game more.
TALKING POINT - JONES COULD BE A KEY PART OF LIVERPOOL’S NEXT MIDFIELD
As good a player as Thiago is, there is some truth in him not fitting into the way Liverpool have previously been set up to play.
Since his arrival, sometimes Liverpool have been a team that has passed and kept the ball without a cutting edge.
In this match, this changed when Curtis Jones came on for James Milner, whose upset at coming off was quickly dissipated by the youngster’s involvement in both goals.
Jones’ driving runs committing defenders is a good foil to Thiago’s sublime passing making it impossible for defenders to just sit off.
Personnel in top sides often has to evolve for them to remain dominant – midfields like Manchester United at the turn of the century and Barcelona ten years later are probably outliers in their consistent make-up - and Thiago, Jones and Henderson (when defensive availability makes this possible) could be a midfield that helps Liverpool get back to their level of last year.
MAN OF THE MATCH – MO SALAH
There was more pressure on him today with Sadio Mane injured and Roberto Firmino not fit enough to start and for the first half he was a bit of a frustrated figure as the Liverpool midfield struggled to find a way to get him clear chances.
When it mattered though, he delivered in the manner he has in each of his four seasons with Liverpool.
The first goal was the type he has scored more of than any player in Premier League history. Drawing three men to him on the right hand side of the area, he used the defenders in front of him as a shield for the goalkeeper who then could only watch as his left-footer curler nestles just inside the far post.
The second a marvellous team goal with just four perfect touches needed to bring the ball 80 yards and nestle in the West Ham net, but the third of these, from him, was the best of these bringing down Shaqiri’s forty-yard high curling ball in swirling wet and windy conditions with his right foot, gifting himself the easy task of finishing.
(Eurosport)
