Sadio Mane scored a brilliant overhead kick and Mohamed Salah added his 150th goal for the team as Liverpool came from behind to beat Norwich 3–1 and keep the pressure on Manchester City in the Premier League title race on Saturday.
Luis Diaz grabbed the third for Liverpool, his first since joining from Porto, to complete the comeback at Anfield.
Norwich, which is in the relegation zone, threatened a big upset when Milot Rashica’s deflected strike in the 48th left a heavily rotated Liverpool trailing.
Mane and Salah, recently returned from African Cup of Nations duty, came to Liverpool’s rescue in a devastating three–minute span.
After Konstantinos Tsimikas headed the ball into the middle of the area, Mane jumped with his back to goal and acrobatically volleyed home in the 64th.
Salah then controlled a long punt forward from goalkeeper Alisson, turned outrushing Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn on the edge of the area, and sent in a low right–footed shot that dribbled into the bottom corner.
The Egypt forward became the 10th player to score 150 goals in all competitions for Liverpool, and the second–quickest to reach that total — in 233 appearances — after Roger Hunt, who did it in 226 games.
Liverpool by now had four forwards on the field as the team poured forward and another of them, Diaz, ran onto Jordan Henderson’s defense–splitting pass and deftly chipped Gunn with his left foot in the 81st.
Liverpool started Saturday nine points behind City, which plays Tottenham later, and has a game in hand against Leeds on Wednesday.
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp rested a number of first–choice players, including Trent Alexander–Arnold, Andrew Robertson and Fabinho, while Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota missed out through injury. (AP)
