Salah's 250th goal sinks Villa to send Reds third

Liverpool had reasons to dread the prospect of history being made at Anfield.

- RICHARD JOLLY

Instead, they could celebrate it. Their slump was such that they were threatened with the prospect of a seventh defeat in eight games, a fate they have not suffered since 1926, the year of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II. It was more about Anfield's beloved "Egyptian King", however. Mohamed Salah became just the third player to reach 250 Liverpool goals, joining Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in a select club of Anfield greats.

The importance of a landmark strike stretched far beyond the statistical. Liverpool ended a run of four consecutive Premier League losses, banking their first points since September. They leapt to third in the table. That, Arne Slot may argue, is no crisis.

Slot has felt results have not always reflected their performances. This, it may be argued, could prove the night Liverpool's luck turned. There was an element of fortune to both goals. Emi Martinez was the provider of Salah's opener with a misplaced pass. Then the returning Ryan Gravenberch's shot was deflected off both centre-backs, Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa, to wrong-foot Martinez.