BOURNEMOUTH: A Mohamed Salah hat-trick sent Liverpool top of the Premier League with an assured 4-0 victory at AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.
Liverpool went ahead on 25 minutes at Vitality Stadium after Asmir Begovic parried Roberto Firmino’s fierce shot, and Salah netted the rebound.
Three minutes after the break, Salah doubled the lead when Bournemouth’s Steve Cook was dispossessed in midfield and the Egyptian finished neatly into the far corner.
After 68 minutes another incisive Liverpool move ended with the unlucky Cook turning Andrew Robertson’s cross into the net to make it 3-0. Nine minutes later Salah ran clear and coolly beat Begovic twice before scoring his 10th league goal of the season.
The victory lifts Liverpool a point ahead of Manchester City, who visit fourth-place Chelsea in Saturday’s late match. Bournemouth remain seventh pending the outcome of later matches.
James Milner made his 500th Premier League appearance in Saturday’s match, becoming the 13th player to reach the landmark. He is the second youngest to do so, aged 32 years 338 days, behind only Gareth Barry.