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MOHAMED Salah scored for the sixth successive game as Liverpool moved above Manchester United into second place in the Premier League with an entertaining win over West Ham.
Emre Can headed Jurgen Klopp’s side ahead from a corner – the Reds’ 100th goal this season – after Salah had earlier been denied by a post.
Salah made it 2-0 to the hosts with an instinctive, low finish after a delicious pass by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, before Roberto Firmino added the third after a mistake by goalkeeper Adrian.
Substitute Michail Antonio’s quality, low finish gave West Ham hope – but Mane, who had hit the post moments before, completed a fine Liverpool win.
On the weekend of the Carabao Cup final, Klopp is still chasing his first major trophy since taking charge of Liverpool in October 2015.
But at least the latest league table makes healthy reading for the Liverpool boss, whose side have one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after the 5-0 thrashing of Porto.
On 22 October, the German’s side were battling to stay in the top half after a 4-1 defeat against Tottenham at Wembley left them ninth behind the likes of Burnley, Watford and Newcastle.
Four months on, and fresh from hammering the Hammers, Liverpool lead the best of the rest pack, one point ahead of third-placed United and 15 behind runaway leaders Manchester City.
With 10 matches remaining, Liverpool are on course for their highest league finish since 2013-14. Their 10 March trip to Old Trafford will go a long way to deciding whether they can seal second spot.
Liverpool’s clinical finishing again proved the difference, although not until Firmino made it 3-0 were the hosts able to relax.
When they did, they conceded but even Antonio’s goal could not take the shine off this win.
Liverpool are now unbeaten in 16 matches at home in the league. Klopp’s team are hitting excellent form at the right time of the season.
Mark Arnautovic produced an outrageous lob which was tipped onto the bar by Loris Karius, before the Liverpool keeper was tested from outside the area by West Ham’s Austria forward.
Yet positives were few and far between for Hammers boss David Moyes, who gave a debut to former Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra.
His side is down to 13th in the table, just three points above the relegation zone with 10 matches remaining.
Fifteen years on from his first visit to the venue as a manager, Moyes has yet to taste victory at Anfield. This was his 15th game at Liverpool’s home – and his eighth defeat. There’s plenty of fight in this West Ham side.
They came within seven minutes of a draw at Manchester City on 3 December, while they have beaten Chelsea and drawn with Tottenham and Arsenal since Moyes took charge in November.
This was a day to forget, however. — BBC Sport
Bongani Ndlovu