Liverpool 2-1 Brighton: Reds go top after comeback win over Seagulls
Liverpool came back from a goal down to defeat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 and move to the top of the Premier League ahead of Manchester City's match against Arsenal later on Sunday.
Salah's sublime second-half strike put Liverpool on 67 points, three ahead of second-place Arsenal and four ahead of City on a crucial day in the title race.
The Egyptian striker tormented Brighton, taking 12 shots, his highest total in a Premier League game, and while only one of them found the back of the net, it proved crucial.
Danny Welbeck gave Brighton the lead after 84 seconds, when his side broke up a Liverpool attack and found him just inside the box, where he drilled an unstoppable shot past Caoimhin Kelleher to break the deadlock.
The early goal jolted Liverpool into action, and Luis Diaz equalised in the 27th minute after Joel Veltman's attempted clearance went awry, allowing the Colombian winger to sneak in behind the defence and hook the ball home.
Liverpool's suffocating pressure and incisive attacking paid off again when Alexis MacAllister set up Salah to give them the lead.
Diaz thought he had put the Reds ahead 3-1 six minutes later, but his goal was ruled out for a razor-thin offside, which was confirmed by VAR, and Salah came close on the break in the 74th minute, but fired straight at the keeper.
Adam Lallana, a Brighton substitute and former Liverpool player, dragged a shot wide in the 86th minute, and Salah forced a brilliant diving one-handed save from Bart Verbruggen in the final minute of normal time as Liverpool held on to win, much to the delight of former Seagull, Mac Allister.
"We didn't start as we wanted but it was an amazing game. We played against an unbelievable team. I know them very well, I know what they can do and it was a tough match, but in the end we won it and we are very happy," he told Sky Sports.
"I would rather not concede so early but the mentality of the boys is amazing and that is what you need when you are 1-0 down, and today we showed it again. But next time we have to start the game winning, not losing," he added.
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