LIVERPOOL, England: Mohamed Salah converted a penalty before scoring a sublime solo goal as Liverpool beat Arsenal 3-1 to open up a three-point gap at the top of the Premier League on Saturday.
Liverpool hadn’t found its best form in opening wins over Norwich and Southampton, and faced the only other top-flight team with a 100 percent record.
It proved to be a mismatch.
After Joel Matip’s first league goal in 11 months broke the deadlock just before halftime, Salah converted a penalty after being fouled by David Luiz and then made it 3-0 by turning Luiz near halfway, sprinting down the right wing and cutting in to deliver a finish into the bottom corner.
Substitute Lucas Torreira scored a consolation for Arsenal five minutes from the end.
Liverpool will end the third round of games as the only team with nine points from a possible nine.
The game started at a frenetic pace, with the hosts setting a high tempo that penned Arsenal back in the final third. Within 80 seconds, Andy Robertson whipped a ball across the six-yard area which Roberto Firmino narrowly missed.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery’s tactics were to defend deep with eight men behind the ball in an attempt to draw the opponent in before trying to release the explosive pace of offseason signing Nicolas Pepe, given a full debut at the expense of Alexandre Lacazette.
Pepe had three chances in the first half, while Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian — fresh from the error that cost his team a goal at Southampton last week — came out of his area to clear the ball only to find Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who lobbed the ball back just past the far post.
Pepe’s best chance came when Jordan Henderson’s mistake on the halfway line allowed the Ivory Coast international to run past Robertson but, in a one-on-one situation with Adrian, he shot straight at the goalkeeper.
Soon, incessant pressure on Arsenal’s defense began to tell and after Salah held off Granit Xhaka to cleverly turn and fire wide, the breakthrough came.
From a corner, Trent Alexander-Arnold finally found his range and Matip benefited from the space created by Virgil van Dijk’s tangle with Matteo Guendouzi to power home a 41st-minute header.
Sadio Mane should have done better with his header in injury time but if the interval was a period for Arsenal’s players to clear their heads, no one told Luiz who, in a moment of madness four minutes after the break, tugged on Salah’s shirt.
The Egypt international confidently dispatched the penalty and added a second by brilliantly putting the seal on a three-pass move which eliminated most of the opposition.
Started by Adrian and including Alexander-Arnold, the ball came to Fabinho who flicked forward an inviting ball allowing Salah to skip past Luiz with embarrassing ease 40 yards out. He ran into the penalty area before placing a shot inside the far post with his left foot.
It was then an exercise in damage limitation for the visitors, with Emery’s first change being to send on combative midfielder Torreira for playmaker Ivan Ceballos.
Lacazette, scorer of 19 goals last season and one in one match this season, was not introduced until the 81st minute — and even then it was Torreira who eventually found the net, drilling home a loose ball 15 yards out.
Mohamed Salah scores two as Liverpool outclass Arsenal in 3-1 win
Mohamed Salah scores two as Liverpool outclass Arsenal in 3-1 win
- Salah converted a penalty after being fouled by David Luiz
- Liverpool will end the third round of games as the only team with nine points from a possible nine
Whittaker to face De Ridder at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi
- Headline bout takes place at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena on July 26
ABU DHABI: The UFC, the mixed martial arts organization — in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism — makes a return to the UAE’s capital with a highly anticipated middleweight fight, No. 5-ranked Robert Whittaker taking on rising star Reinier de Ridder on Saturday, July 26, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
Former champion Whittaker (27-8-0, fighting out of New South Wales, Australia) is one of the UFC’s most respected middleweights, rising to prominence with standout victories over Yoel Romero, Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori. Whittaker looks to return in impressive fashion with a dominant performance against the Dutchman.
De Ridder (20-2-0, fighting out of Breda, Netherlands) has swiftly established himself as one of the UFC’s most promising middleweight contenders. Since joining the promotion in late 2024 he has showcased his elite grappling and finishing abilities. Most recently, he delivered a statement win by handing Bo Nickal his first professional defeat. De Ridder is rapidly ascending the middleweight ranks and aims to continue his winning streak with victory over the former champion.
On the same card, Nikita Krylov (30-10-0, fighting out of Kislovodsk, Russia) faces Bogdan Guskov (17-3-0, fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan) in a light heavyweight matchup.
Ramazan Temirov (19-3-0, fighting out of Karshi, Uzbekistan) takes on Asu Almabayev (21-3-0, fighting out of Almaty, Kazakhstan) in what promises to be a thrilling flyweight bout.
And Ibo Aslan (14-2-0, fighting out of Istanbul, Turkiye) meets American Billy Elekana (7-2-0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada) in a light heavyweight bout that is expected to produce fireworks.
Tickets are now available via etihadarena.ae and Ticketmaster.ae.
Son, Kim and Lee tasting success in Europe despite South Korea’s soccer struggles
- Kim Min-jae helped German giant Bayern Munich lift the Bundesliga title
- “I think this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I may never have again,” Son said
SEOUL: South Korea’s national soccer team may be stumbling toward 2026 World Cup qualification and its clubs may have struggled in the Asian Champions League, but three of its biggest stars have been finding success in Europe.
Kim Min-jae helped German giant Bayern Munich lift the Bundesliga title, the 28-year-old defender’s second major prize in Europe after winning the Italian championship with Napoli two years earlier.
While Kim has two European trophies, the biggest star in Korean soccer is Son Heung-min and the 32-year-old forward is yet to win a major title. That could change next week with the Tottenham captain preparing to lead the London-based Spurs in the Europa League final against Premier League rival Manchester United.
“To complete the puzzle, you need every piece. Ultimately, I think, the most important final piece is still missing,” Son, who joined Tottenham in 2015, told South Korea media in London on Monday.
“I think I’ve been chasing that piece for 10 years. I’d love to finish that puzzle this time.”
Son was part of the Tottenham team that lost the 2019 UEFA Champions League final to Liverpool. Now, as the senior player, he’s determined to end what has been a difficult season for club — Tottenham are currently 17th out of 20 teams in the Premier League — and country, on a high.
“I think this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I may never have again,” Son said. “I hope I won’t have regrets afterward. When I return to Korea after the season, I’d like to give my Korean fans and our Tottenham supporters the biggest smile I can bring.”
Son returned to action last weekend after an absence through injury but is set to start against Manchester United. The same is not automatically the case for Lee Kang-in.
The 24-year-old Lee, an attacking midfielder has been struggling for playing time of late for Paris Saint-Germain. He has appeared in 11 UEFA Champions League games this season but was on the bench as the French club beat Arsenal in the semifinals to book a final against Inter Milan on May 31 in Munich.
That game will marks the end of the European season and the start of transfer speculation. Lee has been linked with clubs elsewhere in Europe. So has Kim, whose season at Munich has been affected by injuries.
“I want to keep playing for Munich,” Kim said last month. “There’s no reason why I should leave this team. I like playing for Munich. I want to continue playing for this team next season. It’s one thing that’s important to me right now.”
It remains to be seen where the three biggest stars in Korean football are in August but the focus is currently on winning three prizes in European club football and bringing some good news for fans at home.
Cycling great Wiggins admits cocaine addiction after retiring
- Wiggins, who won the Tour de France in 2012, said he attends regular therapy sessions
- “There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning“
LONDON: Five-time Olympic champion and Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins says he became a cocaine addict following his retirement from cycling and is “lucky to be here.”
The British father of two, who quit his addiction a year ago, said his children wanted to put him in rehab, fearing the issue could prove fatal.
Wiggins, who won the Tour de France in 2012, said he attends regular therapy sessions, and feels “a lot more at peace” with himself.
“There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning,” he told The Observer. “I was a functioning addict. People wouldn’t realize. I was high most of the time for many years.”
He added: “I was walking a tightrope. I realized I had a huge problem. I had to stop. I’m lucky to be here.
“I was a victim of all my own choices, for many years.
“I already had a lot of self-hatred, but I was amplifying it. It was a form of self-harm and self-sabotage. It was not the person I wanted to be. I realized I was hurting a lot of people around me.”
Since ending his career in 2016, Wiggins has spoken about his father’s jealousy and being groomed by a coach as a child.
The 45-year-old, last year declared bankrupt, said disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, who confessed to doping in 2013, had helped his recovery, including offering to pay for therapy.
“My addiction was a way of easing that pain that I lived with,” said Wiggins, according to Cycling Weekly.
“I’m still figuring a lot of this out but what I have got is a lot more control of myself and my triggers. I’m a lot more at peace with myself now which is a really big thing.”
Tennis Coach Murray and Djokovic part ways ahead of French Open
BENGALURU: Andy Murray will no longer coach 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, with the pair’s high-profile partnership coming to an end after only six months, the Briton’s team announced on Tuesday.
Djokovic appointed fellow former world number one Murray ahead of this year’s Australian Open and the Serb said at the Qatar Open in February that he would continue working with Murray for an indefinite period.
However, the partnership will now end as Djokovic looks to arrest a dip in form during the clay season by competing in the Geneva Open next week, ahead of his quest for a fourth French Open title when Roland Garros gets underway on May 25.
“Thanks to Novak for the unbelievable opportunity to work together and thanks to his team for all their hard work over the past six months,” Murray said in a statement.
“I wish Novak all the best for the rest of the season.”
Djokovic, who won 25 of his 36 matches against Murray, said he was grateful for his former rival’s hard work and support in their short spell together.
“I really enjoyed deepening our friendship together,” Djokovic added.
Djokovic reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January before injury ended his campaign. He made the Miami Open final in March but his bid for a 100th tour-level title ended in a defeat by Jakub Mensik.
The Serb, who turns 38 three days before the year's second Grand Slam begins, has been woefully out of form since that Miami defeat and was beaten in his opening matches at Masters tournaments in Monte Carlo and Madrid last month.
He was expected to jumpstart his clay campaign in Rome before returning to Paris, where he won Olympic gold last year, but skipped the ongoing Italian Open without giving a reason.
Djokovic accepted a wildcard for the May 18-24 Geneva Open.
Cummins and Green set to return for Australia in cricket's World Test Championship final
BRISBANE: Pace bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and allrounder Cameron Green have been recalled from injury and young batter Sam Konstas has been retained in Australia’s squad for the World Test Championship final against South Africa next month.
Australia is the defending WTC champion and finished the league stage with an away win over Sri Lanka after a home series victory against India.
“Those series capped a consistent performance across the two-year cycle and now presents us with the incredibly exciting opportunity to defend the World Test Championship,” Australia’s chief selector George Bailey said in a statement Tuesday. “It means a lot to the group to reach the final and they are very much looking forward to the challenge South Africa will present at Lord’s.”
The same squad will head to the Caribbean for a three-test series against the West Indies following the June 11-15 WTC final.
Green hasn't played international cricket since September because of back surgery, but the 25-year-old allrounder is making a graduated return and currently batting at county level in England.
Skipper Cummins missed the two-test series in Sri Lanka with an injured ankle and Hazlewood hasn't played a test since developing a side strain in November, early in the series against India.
Both veteran pacemen have been playing in the Indian Premier League, which was suspended last week because of the border tension between India and Pakistan but is set to resume this weekend.
“We are fortunate and looking forward to having Pat, Josh and Cam back in the squad,” Bailey said.
Opening batter Konstas made an impressive debut against India with a half-century in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne but was dropped ahead of the subsequent tour to Sri Lanka.
