Mohamed Salah delivered a stellar performance for Liverpool, scoring two goals in their decisive 2-0 victory against a strong Bournemouth side, thereby solidifying their position at the top of the Premier League with a nine-point lead on Saturday.
In another impressive display, Nottingham Forest marked its presence by achieving a record-breaking 7-0 triumph over Brighton, demonstrating their potential as genuine competitors this season.
Salah not only helped his team secure the three points but also climbed the ranks in the Premier League’s all-time scoring chart, moving past Chelsea legend Frank Lampard to sixth place with a tally of 178 goals. His remarkable contributions included converting a penalty in the 30th minute and crafting a stunning goal in the 75th minute. Currently, Salah has amassed 21 goals this season, which could potentially be his last with Liverpool as his contract is set to expire at the end of the season. This season marks the fifth occasion where he has notched more than 20 league goals during his time at the club.
The win ended Bournemouth’s impressive 11-match unbeaten streak in the league and placed Liverpool firmly ahead of both second-placed Arsenal and third-placed Nottingham Forest. Forest made a strong comeback from a recent heavy defeat with their record-breaking win against Brighton, marking their most significant victory in the Premier League era.
Chris Wood was the star for Nottingham Forest, netting a remarkable hat trick, bringing his total to 17 goals this season, and positioning the team in contention for European competitions, potentially even a Champions League spot if they maintain a top-four or top-five finish.
As Arsenal prepares to face Manchester City on Sunday, they will seek to reduce the gap between themselves and Liverpool back to six points.
On the injury front, Liverpool will be concerned about right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who left the match in the 70th minute with a suspected thigh injury. He is set to undergo a scan, and the manager expressed doubts about his availability for the upcoming match against Tottenham in the second leg of the English League Cup semifinals, where Liverpool will aim to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.
In a standout performance for Nottingham Forest, Wood, who is enjoying the best season of his Premier League career at age 33, is now just behind Salah and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. He highlighted the transformation in his team’s performance from the previous week, demonstrating their resilience and determination. Forest, which narrowly avoided relegation last season, now stands a great chance of reclaiming their place in European football, a position they were in two generations ago when they won consecutive European Cups in 1979 and 1980.
In another astonishing event, Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the fourth-fastest goal in Premier League history, just 10.18 seconds into the match, leading Everton to a commanding 4-0 victory over Leicester. Following the kickoff, the ball was quickly sent back to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, whose long clearance set up Doucoure perfectly to slot it home.
This goal marks the earliest in the Premier League for Everton and the fourth-fastest overall, solidifying Doucoure’s immediate impact. Beto added two goals in the first half, with Ilaman Ndiaye chipping in a late score to complete a successful third consecutive win for Everton under the management of David Moyes.
Leicester, having recently won against Tottenham, finds themselves sinking into the relegation spots after this defeat, especially after Wolverhampton’s late victory against Aston Villa. Ahead of this match, Aston Villa was rumored to be eyeing a move for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford after having sold Jhon Duran.
Additionally, Fulham managed to turn the tables, winning 2-1 against Newcastle, while Southampton, still struggling at the bottom of the table, managed to secure a win over Ipswich with a last-minute goal, yet remains significantly under the safety mark with only nine points.
