Liverpool has extended its dominance in the Premier League, expanding its lead to 16 points, with star player Mohamed Salah further solidifying his position at the top of the Golden Boot race by increasing his goal tally to a seven-goal advantage. This development was marked by Salah’s conversion of two second-half penalties, securing his 26th and 27th goals of the season during Liverpool’s 3-1 victory against Southampton, who currently sit at the bottom of the league standings. With only nine games remaining, it seems inevitable that Liverpool will claim its record-equalling 20th English top-flight championship, further advanced by second-place Arsenal needing to win its two games in hand to pose any real challenge.
A particularly notable statistic is the 23-point gap now separating reigning champions Manchester City from Liverpool. City’s 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, where Callum Hudson-Odoi scored in the 83rd minute, left them fighting to secure a place in the top five to ensure qualification for the Champions League. As it stands, Manchester City is placed fourth, just five points clear of Fulham sitting in 10th. Erling Haaland, City’s star, found himself in an unusually quiet game and remains on 20 goals, now finding it challenging to compete for the league’s top scorer.
Mohamed Salah is on the verge of capturing the Golden Boot, which he has previously won outright in 2017-18 and shared in the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons. He now matches Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero with 184 Premier League goals, placing them fifth in the all-time list, and as the highest-scoring foreign players in the history of the Premier League.
Liverpool’s encounter with Southampton came amidst a critical two-leg Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain. Holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Paris, Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot decided against major team rotations for the Southampton tie. Salah played the entire game, while Darwin Nunez, after having assisted the winner in Paris, scored for Liverpool early in the second half to equalize following Will Smallbone’s unexpected lead for Southampton. Nunez then won a penalty, which Salah jabbed home in the 54th minute, with another conversion following in the 88th minute after a handball incident.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest has bolstered its surprising push for Champions League qualification after defeating Manchester City. Forest goalkeeper Ederson Moraes was unable to prevent Hudson-Odoi’s efforts, including a critical close-range strike. Nottingham Forest, once battling relegation, now aims to qualify for Europe’s elite competition, energized by its historic European triumphs in 1979 and 1980.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Brighton secured a narrow 2-1 comeback victory over Fulham, thanks to Joao Pedro’s last-minute penalty. This result boosted Brighton to sixth place, level with Chelsea in fifth. Aston Villa achieved a 1-0 win at Brentford with Ollie Watkins, facing his former club, scoring the decisive goal. Crystal Palace managed a 1-0 victory over Ipswich with Ismaila Sarr’s goal, and Wolverhampton managed to draw 1-1 against Everton, repositioning themselves more securely away from relegation.