LONDON: With a trademark left-footed curler into the top corner and the deftest of finishes from a clinical counterattack, Mohamed Salah ended one of his longest goal droughts in the Premier League for Liverpool in style.

The champions’ chief scorer is back doing what he does best. And that should make them the biggest threat to relentless leaders Manchester City in the title race.

Salahs sublime, second-half double set Liverpool on their way to a 3-1 win at West Ham United on Sunday, which backed up a victory by the same scoreline at Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.

Jurgen Klopp’s team hadn’t won any of their previous five games and had dropped off the remorseless title pace being set by City, who have won eight straight league games.

Despite their lengthy injury list — and Sadio Mane joined it this week because of a minor muscle problem — Liverpool cannot be discounted, even if the third-placed Reds are four points behind City having played one game more in their turbulent title defence.

They jumped above Leicester City, who lost 3-1 at home to Leeds United earlier on Sunday and dropped to fourth. Sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur also lost 1-0 at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Salah, who had not scored in six Premier League matches, put the visitors ahead in the 57th minute with a fine curling lob over Lukasz Fabianski and added the second in the 68th after a lightning break following a West Ham corner.

Liverpool grabbed a third when substitutes Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain combined to set up Georginio Wijnaldum for a tap-in before Craig Dawson grabbed a consolation for fifth-placed West Ham.

Leeds have been hit or miss this season but were in the groove as they beat Leicester away despite going behind to a Harvey Barnes goal.

Patrick Bamford scored one and created two for Leeds to end Leicester’s seven-match unbeaten run, denying Brendan Rodgers’ side a move up to second in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s Spurs, without the injured Harry Kane, slipped to their second successive defeat, courtesy of 17th-minute goal for Brighton’s Leandro Trossard.

Jose Mourinho’s side, who topped the table last month, are 11 points behind City and six behind fourth-placed Leicester, though they have a game in hand.

Chelsea picked up their first win under newly hired coach Thomas Tuchel by beating Burnley 2-0 thanks to goals by Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso to move up to seventh.

The former Paris St Germain boss was brought in to replace Frank Lampard last week with a brief to haul the stuttering side back into the race for Champions League spots. A recovery under Tuchel might be too late for Chelsea to challenge for the title, though, with the London club 11 points behind City.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2021