Mohamed Salah continued his sizzling form to help Liverpool recover from an early jolt and secure a 3-1 win against Southampton that lifted the Premier League leaders 16 points clear at the top on Saturday.
Arne Slot's side were rocked by Will Smallbone's first half opener for bottom of the table Southampton at Anfield.
But Liverpool recovered after half-time and Darwin Nunez equalised before earning the penalty that Salah converted to put them ahead.
Salah netted another penalty to reach 32 goals in all competitions this season as the Reds edged closer to a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020.
Slot's men have 70 points after 29 games, while second-placed Arsenal have 54 but two games in hand.
It was a different tale earlier in the match as Smallbone stunned the crowd at a sun-drenched Anfield with a goal for the visitors in first-half injury time, when a mix-up between Reds goalkeeper Alisson and centre-back Virgil van Dijk saw the ball fall invitingly to Smallbone, who scored from an angle.
The league leaders thoroughly dominated after the break and Nunez levelled in the 51st minute after Luis Diaz worked the ball past two Southampton defenders before teeing up the Uruguayan who slotted home from close range.
Nunez drew a penalty three minutes later when Smallbone caught him on the back of the ankle in the box, and Salah unleashed a blistering shot from the spot past Aaron Ramsdale into the inside side netting. Salah ensured Liverpool's lead with a second penalty in the 87th minute after a handball from Yukinari Sugawara.
Salah moved to third in Liverpool's all-time top scorer list with 242 goals, behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
More records came Salah's way in what is turning out to be a stupendous season. The Egyptian star now has the joint most goals scored by an international player (184) in the Premier League and also the most goal contributions in a 38-game season (44).
After the match, Salah revealed Slot, who was serving the final game of his touchline suspension in the Main Stand, was understandably unhappy during half-time.
"It was a bit of frustration (at half-time). His head was going for us. We were sloppy and slow in the first half. I don't think we played good today. If you want to win the Champions League or Premier League you have to win these games like that," Salah told Premier League Productions.
The match marked Liverpool's only Premier League game in March due to a busy month that features appearances in the Champions League round of 16, the League Cup final and the FA Cup quarter-finals plus the international break.
Meanwhile, a chipped finish from Ismaila Sarr late in the second half gave Crystal Palace a 1-0 home win over relegation-threatened Ipswich Town, with the visitors left to rue a slew of missed chances.
The win moves the Eagles to 11th place on 39 points, while Ipswich remain in the bottom three in 18th spot on 17 points, five behind 17th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers who face Everton later on Saturday.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
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Our commentary on Brexit
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The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
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THE%20SPECS
Tomorrow 2021
Plastic tipping point
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Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
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Tomorrow 2021
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Kareem Shaheen on Canada
The%20specs
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
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Our commentary on Brexit
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UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
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Countries so far running:
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Rawat Al Reef, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Noof KB, Richard Mullen, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: UAE Arabian Derby – Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Dergham Athbah, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Emirates Championship – Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Irish Freedom, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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War on waste
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• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
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Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The five pillars of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
Tomorrow 2021
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
