LONDON: Liverpool moved into second place in the Premier League as Egyptian international Mohamed Salah continued his remarkable scoring run in a 2-0 victory at home to Newcastle United on Saturday. Salah scored for the seventh match running, taking his Liverpool total for the season to 32, when he put the home side ahead after 40 minutes. Sadio Mane’s goal in the second half ensured there was no joy for Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez, whose Liverpool team won the Champions League in 2005. Manchester United will start next Saturday’s game at home to the Merseysiders back in second place if they win at Crystal Palace on Monday.
Tottenham Hotspur, apparently affected early in the season by playing home games at Wembley, achieved a sixth straight win there by beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 with a double by Son Heung-min. It was their 17th game unbeaten in all competitions and briefly moved them ahead of Liverpool. “We feel comfortable at Wembley, we enjoy playing here,” Son said after scoring four times this week at the national stadium where Tottenham are playing while they build a new home ground. Spurs, who did not win in their first three league games there, are fourth, a point behind United and five ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea, who visit runaway leaders Manchester City on Sunday. Defeat pushed Huddersfield right back into the relegation mix, only three points above the bottom three, after winning their two previous games.
Swansea City were the big winners at the bottom, moving above five teams to 13th, including West Ham United who they beat 4-1. Ki Sung-yeung scored the first after nine minutes and the unmarked Mike van der Hoorn added a second in the 32nd. Andy King’s goal and Jordan Ayew’s penalty ensured victory before a consolation by Michail Antonio. West Ham manager David Moyes, whose team travelled seven hours by coach to reach Swansea from London on Friday after their flight was cancelled, was bitterly disappointed with the performance, one of their worst since he took over in November. Victory continued Swansea’s improved form under Portuguese manager Carlos Carvalhal. Since he joined the club at the end of December with Swansea bottom, they have won five league games and lost only two.
Pardew despair: In contrast, West Bromwich Albion’s change of manager in the same month has not paid off. Alan Pardew’s job appears to be under greater threat than ever after a 1-0 defeat at Watford. Albion have now won one of 15 league games since Pardew took over at the start of December and are seven points adrift at the bottom of the table. Watford captain Troy Deeney was sent clear by Will Hughes to score the only goal. Stoke City stayed second-bottom but earned a valuable point in a 0-0 draw at Southampton.
Burnley supporters must have despaired when their team went a goal down at home to Everton. Sean Dyche’s team have never won a Premier League game after falling behind. This time they did, however, celebrating Dyche’s 250th game as manager by winning 2-1 with goals from Ashley Barnes and substitute Chris Wood.
Published in Daily Times, March 5th 2018.