Liverpool continues to remind Premier League rivals Manchester City that they are alive and kicking in the title race during the current 2021-22 league campaign and are on course to climb within just three points of City after jumping to a comfortable and deserved 3-0 lead against visiting Leeds United.
Marcelo Bielsa’s outfit has been a shadow of themselves all season long as that trend has continued tonight at Anfield as the Elland Road outfit has been second-best throughout proceedings on Merseyside, with Mohamed Salah once again at the forefront of the Red’s efforts in the final third.
A first-half brace from the Egyptian star on either side of center-back Joel Matip’s wonderful effort from inside the area pushed the club 45-minutes closer to their sixth win on the bounce and a league-leading 67-goals at the time of writing.
Mohamed Salah is the first player in the Premier League to score 10+ goals and provide 10+ assists in the league this season:
◉ 19 goals
◉ 10 assistsDouble-Double: Done. pic.twitter.com/lVgMvURp90
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 23, 2022
But Salah’s 2-goal effort proved once more that he is the premier attacking player in the top flight of English football in an appearance that, together with his assist for Matip’s effort, now sees him on 19-goals and 10-assists in 24-appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League. Both marks are good for the top spot in the data chart.
Liverpool set Premier League record
170 – Liverpool have been awarded 170 penalties in the Premier League, more than any other side:
170 – Liverpool
169 – Man Utd
157 – Chelsea
156 – Arsenal
137 – Man CityHelping. pic.twitter.com/GwRaFLu4dN
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2022
The first of Salah’s goals was the 170th time the club had been given a spot-kick, jumping head of bitter rival Manchester United (169). Salah would cushion that lead later in the first half, smashing the 171st penalty awarded past Illan Meslier to triple the Reds’ lead before the half-time interval.
