Salah Scores his 31st Premier League Goal
Mohamed Salah scored his 31st Premier League goal, equalling the record for the most goals in a 38-game season in the history of the competition, but a late strike from Salomon Rondon helped bottom-of-the-table West Bromwich Albion come from behind to draw 2-2 against Liverpool on Saturday at The Hawthorns.
Salah, who has scored in his last six games in all competitions, scored Liverpool’s second goal in the 72nd minute with a left-footed chip over goalkeeper Ben Foster after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain put him through.
The favourite to be named the PFA Player of the Year on Sunday, Salah equalled the record held by Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Alan Shearer — and he has three games remaining in which he can break it.
Danny Ings opened the scoring in the first minute with his first Premier League goal in more than two years. Sadio Mane, from a corner, fired a low cross into the centre of the box to Georginio Wijnaldum, and although the midfielder couldn’t control it, Ings pounced and slotted it left-footed past Foster.
Ings, who missed much of the past two seasons with injuries to both of his knees, made only his first start under manager Jurgen Klopp in the Merseyside derby two weeks ago. His last goal came in a 1-1 draw at Everton on Oct. 4, 2015.
He even nearly scored a second after Salah took the ball into the area in the 42nd minute and a tackle diverted the ball to Ings, with Foster saving low from close range.
West Brom pulled one back in the 79th minute behind Jake Livermore, who scored his first goal for the club since a move from Hull City in January 2017. Chris Brunt fired a corner into the mixer, and although Loris Karius turned aside Craig Dawson’s volley, Livermore finished on the second attempt.
And the club, who knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup in the fourth round in January, equalised in the 88th minute after Rondon scored from a diving header directly from a free kick by Brunt.
Liverpool made five changes, as Roberto Firmino, Dejan Lovren, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson all started on the bench with Klopp eyeing the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Roma on Tuesday.
Firmino replaced Ings and Oxlade-Chamberlain came on for Mane in the 66th minute, and Loven was subbed on for Salah in the 84th.
And West Brom, unbeaten since caretaker manager Darren Moore was appointed to replace Alan Pardew on April 2, made no changes following the shock defeat of Manchester United at Old Trafford a week ago that handed Manchester City the title.
Liverpool have not fallen to their opponents in the league since Feb. 11, 2013.
