BOURNEMOUTH: Mohamed Salah’s controversial penalty put Liverpool on course for a 2-0 win at Bournemouth as the Premier League leaders moved nine points clear on Saturday. Meanwhile, fired-up Nottingham Forest thumped Brighton & Hove Albion 7-0 helped by a hat-trick from striker Chris Wood Liverpool took the lead in the first half when Salah netted with a penalty awarded after Cody Gakpo appeared to trip over his own feet rather than go down from Lewis Cook’s challenge.

Bournemouth were left outraged after referee Darren England’s on-field decision was upheld by VAR.

Salah added insult to injury for Bournemouth when he struck again late in the second half to extend Liverpool’s lead over second-placed Arsenal.

The Egypt forward has 21 goals from 23 league games this season, reaching the 20-mark for the fifth time in his English top-flight career.

Salah has 178 career Premier League goals, moving him one ahead of Frank Lampard into sixth place in the competition’s all-time scoring chart.

Liverpool are unbeaten in 19 league games, winning 17 of their 23 top-flight matches in a remarkable run since Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the close-season.

Persuing an English record-equalling 20th title and their first in the competition since 2020, Liverpool can sit back and wait to see if old rivals Manchester City can do them a favour when they face Arsenal on Sunday.

Bournemouth’s 11-match unbeaten run in the league came to an end against a relentless Liverpool side that look destined to end the season with the Premier League crown in the Anfield trophy cabinet.

Liverpool were capable of carving through the Bournemouth defence at will, with Kepa Arrizabalaga keeping out Dominik Szoboszlai’s effort.

The Reds were too precise and electric in attack for Bournemouth to hold them at bay and the opener finally arrived in dubious fashion in the 30th minute.

Rubbing salt into Bournemouth’s wounds, David Brooks had an instant equaliser ruled out for offside by VAR.

Liverpool had to ride their luck at times and Alisson denied Semenyo, alertly racing off his line to save at the Ghana winger’s feet.

Salah made Bournemouth pay for their profligacy in the 75th minute.

Curtis Jones’ pass sent Salah racing the area and he guided a fine finish past Kepa in typically predatory style.

FOREST HIT SEVEN

At the City Ground in Nottingham, Forest staged an in an emphatic bounce back from last week’s humbling loss at Bournemouth.

They move to 47 points after 24 games to consolidate third spot as they chase Champions League qualification, while Brighton are ninth on 34. Forest are now level with second-placed Arsenal.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest side romped to their biggest margin of victory since a 7-0 rout of Chelsea in 1991.

An own goal from Lewis Dunk in the 12th minute kicked off the scoring as Brighton’s skipper lunged to clear Morgan Gibbs-White’s low cross and poked the ball into the net.

Gibbs-White doubled Forest’s lead in the 25th minute with a glancing header from Anthony Elanga’s corner.

Wood, who has scored 17 league goals this season including seven in his last six games, netted his first of the day seven minutes later when, left completely unmarked, he headed Elanga’s cross past Bart Verbruggen.

Forest continued to run riot after the break and the 33-year-old Wood tapped home Elanga’s cross in the 64th.

The New Zealand international completed his hat trick five minutes later with a penalty, which was awarded after Tariq Lamptey bundled Gibbs-White to the ground.

Neco Williams got Forest’s sixth in the 89th and Jota Silva put the icing on the cake with a low strike in added time.

Elsewhere, Fulham substitute Rodrigo Muniz struck in the 82nd minute to give his side a 2-1 win over Newcastle United, with the visitors coming back from a goal down to grab the victory following a superb second-half effort.

Jacob Murphy scored the opener in the first half before getting a deflection on a Raul Jimenez shot that steered the ball past Martin Dubravka as the Londoners levelled in the 61st minute.

Muniz stole in at the near post to get a touch on Andreas Pereira’s free kick to secure the win.

Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the fastest goal of the season in a 4-0 win over Leicester City. Doucoure latched on to a long ball from keeper Jordan Pickford to score in 10.18 seconds — the fastest goal Everton have ever scored in the Premier League and the fourth-fastest in league history.

Beto then grabbed a double when he scored his first five minutes later and once again just before halftime as Everton punished Leicester’s high line to go 3-0 up by the break.

Everton added a fourth in the 90th minute when Iliman Ndiaye pinched the ball after a mix-up in defence.

Meanwhile, Southampton beat Ipswich Town 2-1.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2025