Salah helps Liverpool crush Arsenal 5-1 | English Premier League

Roberto Firmino scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Liverpool rallied to a 5-1 win over Arsenal to open a nine-point lead at the top of the standings on Saturday.

Liverpool bounced back in emphatic style to going behind in the 11th minute in another statement of intent as the team marches toward a first league title since 1990, and its 19th overall.

Firmino equalized with a trademark no-look finish from close range three minutes later, put Liverpool 2-1 ahead with a brilliant solo goal, and capped the victory with a spot kick in the 65th after regular penalty taker Mohamed Salah handed over duties to the Brazil striker.

In between, Sadio Mane and Salah — also from the penalty spot — scored as Liverpool capitalized on an inept defensive performance from Arsenal. It was the visitors’ heaviest loss since Unai Emery took charge in the off-season and the tame display revived memories of some of the poorer performances in the latter years of predecessor Arsene Wenger’s long reign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzzIHJoHWjw

Liverpool started the 20th round of the league with a six-point lead over second-placed Tottenham and that has been extended, with Spurs having unexpectedly lost 3-1 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier.

“I’m not the smartest person in the world,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said, “but I’m not an idiot. It’s not important how far you are ahead in December.”

Manchester City will climb back into second place if it beats Southampton on Sunday, but the gap to the leader would still be seven points ahead of their meeting at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.