EPL: Salah Fires Liverpool 16 Points Clear, Forest Beat Man City
In a dramatic Saturday of Premier League football, Liverpool maintained their commanding lead at the top of the table, needing two penalties from Mohamed Salah to secure a 3-1 victory over bottom-of-the-table Southampton. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest took a significant step towards the Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Manchester City.
Liverpool, fresh off a gritty 1-0 Champions League victory against Paris Saint-Germain, initially struggled against a resilient Southampton side, trailing 1-0 at halftime. Will Smallbone stunned Anfield by capitalizing on a defensive mix-up between goalkeeper Alisson Becker and defender Virgil van Dijk. Despite having only nine points from 28 games this season, Southampton’s shock lead sent the home fans into disbelief.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot made three halftime substitutions, bringing on Harvey Elliott, Alexis MacAllister, and Andy Robertson, which quickly transformed the game. Darwin Nunez equalized with a sharp finish from Luis Diaz’s cross before Salah converted a penalty after being fouled in the box. The Egyptian added another penalty late in the match, bringing his season tally to an impressive 32 goals and extending Liverpool’s lead at the top to a staggering 16 points.
As Liverpool looks poised to claim their second league title in 35 years, Arsenal trails in second with two games in hand, starting with a crucial clash against Manchester United on Sunday.
Nottingham Forest edged closer to a Champions League spot with a late winner from Callum Hudson-Odoi against Manchester City. The former Chelsea winger scored with just seven minutes left to play, sparking jubilant celebrations at the City Ground. This victory marks Forest’s first win over the English champions since 1997, further solidifying their top-five ambitions.
City, now fourth, faces pressure as they succumbed to their ninth league defeat of the season. They could be overtaken by Chelsea, who are set to host struggling Leicester on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa moved within two points of the top four, thanks to Ollie Watkins’ goal in a 1-0 win over Brentford. Brighton also kept their Champions League hopes alive, with Joao Pedro scoring a last-minute penalty to seal a 2-1 victory over Fulham.
Crystal Palace triumphed 1-0 against Ipswich, despite losing top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta to injury, while Wolves secured a crucial 1-1 draw against Everton to edge six points clear of the relegation zone.
