Salah Stars as Liverpool Thrash Everton

Soccer Football - Premier League - Leeds United v Liverpool - Elland Road, Leeds, Britain - September 12, 2021 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Peter Powell
Soccer Football - Premier League - Leeds United v Liverpool - Elland Road, Leeds, Britain - September 12, 2021 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Peter Powell
TT

Salah Stars as Liverpool Thrash Everton

Soccer Football - Premier League - Leeds United v Liverpool - Elland Road, Leeds, Britain - September 12, 2021 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Peter Powell
Soccer Football - Premier League - Leeds United v Liverpool - Elland Road, Leeds, Britain - September 12, 2021 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Peter Powell

Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool showed no mercy on former manager Rafael Benitez to leave the Spaniard clinging to his job as Everton boss after losing the Merseyside derby 4-1.

The Reds had won just one of their previous nine visits to Goodison, but were in complete control from the first whistle against Benitez's men, who have now taken just two points from the last 24 on offer in the Premier League.

Stunning strikes from Jordan Henderson and Salah inside 20 minutes gave Everton a mountain to climb, AFP reported.

Demarai Gray's strike gave the Toffees hope before the break.

But that was extinguished by another clinical Salah finish just after the hour mark as the Egyptian took his tally for the season to 19 goals in 19 games before Diogo Jota blasted home a fourth 12 minutes from time.

"It was for sure the best performance at Goodison since I have been at Liverpool," said Reds' boss Jurgen Klopp.

"We had some good games here but never as good or convincing as tonight.

"Tonight we showed we made a big step in our development. This is now our benchmark we have to reach when we play these type of games."

Benitez was an unpopular appointment among many of the Everton support before he had even taken charge of a game given his history as Champions League winning coach for Liverpool during six years at Anfield.

A positive start had quelled some of the disquiet, but Everton are sinking fast towards a relegation battle with the fans in no doubt as to who is responsible.

The travelling Liverpool fans sang Benitez's name in ironic celebration, but he was met with a barrage of boos as he headed down the tunnel at full-time.

"I think anyone who could see the game we made too many mistakes and when you do that against a top side you pay for it," said Benitez.

Liverpool could have been out of sight inside 10 minutes as Joel Matip headed just wide before Salah turned Sadio Mane's dangerous cross over from close range and was then denied by a brilliant save from Jordan Pickford.

The opener arrived on nine minutes when Andy Robertson picked out Henderson in acres of space at the edge of the box and the England midfielder caressed the ball past Pickford.

The England goalkeeper was helpless again when Salah added to his collection of special goals in the past few months when he sprinted onto Henderson's perfect pass and bent the ball into the top corner.

Michael Keane nearly turned into his own net moments later as Everton were rocking.

But they and the crowd were given fresh belief seven minutes before the break when Richarlison picked out Gray in space between Matip and Alexander-Arnold to fire low past Allison Becker.

Everton at least made the game a contest for the first 20 minutes of the second period.

But one moment's hesitation from Seamus Coleman was pounced upon by Salah as he sprinted from halfway before slotting into the far corner.

"I expected him to do a mistake which he did," said Salah. "The game was tough at 2-1 but at 3-1 it becomes much better."

Jota then rounded off the scoring in style by drilling the ball high past Pickford as Liverpool scored four for the third consecutive league game.

Jurgen Klopp's men remain on the tails of leaders Chelsea and champions Manchester City, both of whom also won on Wednesday, with the top three separated by just two points.



Sinner, Djokovic in Opposite Halves at Australian Open, Sabalenka vs Stephens in 1st Round

09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
TT

Sinner, Djokovic in Opposite Halves at Australian Open, Sabalenka vs Stephens in 1st Round

09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa

Defending champion Jannik Sinner and 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic have landed in opposite sides of the draw for the season’s first major, ruling out a replay of last year’s semifinal match.
Sinner upset Djokovic in the semifinals at the Australian Open last year before coming back to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 for his first Grand Slam singles title.
Top-ranked Sinner has a first-round match against Nicolas Jarry and also has Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Medvedev in his quarter of the draw. Fritz will open against fellow American Jenson Brooksby.
Djokovic and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz could meet in the quarterfinals, with a possible semifinal against No. 2 Alexander Zverev.
At the draw Thursday to set the brackets for the singles fields, defending champions Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka walked into the official ceremony holding thei trophies.
Sabalenka won her second consecutive title at Melbourne Park in 2024 by defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Sabalenka will be attempting to win a third consecutive women’s singles title at Melbourne Park, something last accomplished by Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.
Sabalenka drew a tough opening match against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and has 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva and Zheng in her section.
“I have a lot of great memories and to be back here ... as a two-time Australian Open champion, it’s definitely something special,” Sabalenka, who won the Brisbane International title last week, said at the draw ceremony. “I hope that I can keep doing what I’m doing here in Australia.”
Third-seeded Coco Gauff is a potential semifinal rival for Sabalenka. Gauff has a challenging first-round match against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and is in the same section of the draw as seventh-seeded Jessica Pegula.
The Australian Open starts Sunday morning in Melbourne (Saturday night EST) and will run for 15 days.
Djokovic will be playing in his first event alongside new coach Andy Murray, his former on-court rival and a three-time major champion. Nobody has won the men's title at Melbourne Park more often than Djokovic, although he said he still feels trauma from the one year he wasn’t allowed to play.
Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up who withdrew from an exhibition against Djokovic this week because of an abdominal strain, will face Jacob Fearnley in the first round if the mercurial Australian is fit enough to contest his first major since the 2022 US Open. Kyrgios is in the same section as Zverev.