MOHAMED Salah scored a spectacular goal and had a sublime assist on Saturday, inspiring Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League.
The dominant Reds beat Watford 5-0 at Vicarage Road, with their other goals coming from Sadio Mane and Firmino, who scored thrice.
In what was Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge as manager, Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong and his Watford colleagues were given the run around by a far superior Liverpool side.
Liverpool started brightly, with Salah torturing Watford’s unfit left-back Danny Rose, and it was the Egyptian who set up the opening goal.
After skipping past Rose yet again, Salah swung a delicious ball to Mane who swept home from the edge of the box in the ninth minute for his 100th Premier League goal.
The Senegal forward has become the third African player to reach 100 goals in the Premier League, after Didier Drogba and Salah.
Firmino got the first of his hat-trick goals in the 37th minute, tapping in from close range from James Milner’s low cross.
The second half started like the first, Liverpool scoring twice within the first nine minutes of the restart.
Firmino got his second goal in the 52nd minute, while Salah made it 4-0 two minutes later.
Salah’s goal was special because he escaped the attentions of four defenders crowded around him before scoring and because it was his 104th Premier League goal, bringing him level with Didier Drogba as joint-top African top scorers in Premier League history.
Firmino sealed his hat-trick in added time as Liverpool eased to victory that took them to the top of the table.
Troost-Ekong’s compatriot Emmanuel Dennis also endured the torture, although he was taken off in the 69th minute for Joao Pedro.
The defeat was the heaviest Ranieri has ever suffered in his Premier League career which has spanned Chelsea, Leicester City and Fulham.
