Mohamed Salah continued his sensational form this season, scoring two crucial goals to help Liverpool secure a 3-1 comeback victory against Southampton on Saturday.
The win extends Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to 16 points, as they edge closer to their first league title since 2020 and a record-equalling 20th English top-flight crown.
Despite a shaky first half, Liverpool rallied after the break, with Darwin Nunez equalizing before earning a penalty that Salah converted to put the Reds ahead.
Salah later added a second penalty to seal the win, taking his goal tally to 32 in all competitions this season.
Liverpool now have 70 points from 29 games, while second-placed Arsenal trail with 54 points but have two games in hand.
The game started poorly for Liverpool, as Southampton’s Will Smallbone stunned the Anfield crowd with a goal in first-half stoppage time.
A miscommunication between Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and defender Virgil van Dijk allowed Smallbone to capitalize and slot the ball home from an angle.
However, Liverpool dominated the second half.
Nunez leveled the score in the 51st minute after a brilliant assist from Luis Diaz, who dribbled past two defenders before setting up the Uruguayan striker for a close-range finish.
Just three minutes later, Nunez was fouled in the box by Smallbone, earning a penalty that Salah confidently converted with a powerful shot past Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Salah then secured the win with a second penalty in the 87th minute after a handball by Southampton’s Yukinari Sugawara.
Also, Salah’s brace took him to 242 goals for Liverpool, moving him into third place on the club’s all-time top scorers list, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
The Egyptian forward also equaled the record for the most goals scored by an international player in the Premier League (184) and set a new benchmark for the most goal contributions in a 38-game season (44).
After the match, Salah revealed that Liverpool manager Arne Slot was visibly frustrated during halftime.
“It was a bit of frustration. His head was going for us. We were sloppy and slow in the first half. I don’t think we played well today. If you want to win the Champions League or Premier League, you have to win games like that,” Salah said.
This match was Liverpool’s only Premier League fixture in March due to a packed schedule that includes the Champions League round of 16, the League Cup final, and the international break.
Salah’s record-breaking form will be crucial as the Reds aim to secure silverware on multiple fronts this season.
In other Premier League action, Ismaila Sarr’s late goal gave Crystal Palace a 1-0 home win over relegation-threatened Ipswich Town.
The victory moves Palace to 11th place with 39 points, while Ipswich remain in the bottom three with 17 points, five adrift of safety.
