BOURNEMOUTH: Mohamed Salah reached 20 goals in all competitions in his first season for Liverpool by scoring in a 4-0 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium as the Reds powered back into the Premier League’s top four on Sunday.

In a devastating attacking display by Liverpool on the south coast, the Egypt winger was an inevitable scorer to move his league-high tally to 14 goals, two clear of Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane. Salah is the first Liverpool player since Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in 2013-14 to hit the 20-goal mark in all competitions, and he has done it in only 26 matches.

Philippe Coutinho, from a jinking solo run, and Dejan Lovren had already netted in the opening 26 minutes and Salah made it 3-0 a minute before halftime by skipping past fullback Charlie Daniels in the right channel and beating goalkeeper Asmir Begovic with a neat left-foot shot.

With memories still raw about squandering a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 in this fixture a year ago, Liverpool didn’t let up and Roberto Firmino completed the rout with a diving header off Coutinho’s cross in the 66th minute.

Liverpool are now unbeaten in nine league matches and have moved up to fourth in the standings, one point ahead of Arsenal, who drop to fifth.

“I’m really pleased about pretty much everything,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp, whose side head now into the Christmas schedule in confident mood, said. “We knew how Bournemouth can play football if you let them. Our tactical discipline was good.

“We scored a fantastic first goal, forced the second goal, scored a world-class third goal and then the fourth was a fantastic cross and a fantastic header.

“We could have scored more, but we didn’t really give a lot away so it was well deserved and I enjoyed the performances.”

Bournemouth have not won in six games in the league and remain 16th, one point above the relegation zone.

“We didn’t get our game going today and when you don’t perform against the top teams, you’re going to get punished,” Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said. “It was very disappointing for us today.

“Against Liverpool, who are so good on the counterattack, you can’t turn the ball over like we did today. We are well aware our style can make us vulnerable.”

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2017