Dodgy Pen: Salah’s Double Extends Liverpool’s Lead as Nottingham Forest Thrash Brighton 7-0

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LONDON – Mohamed Salah’s brace propelled Liverpool to a crucial 2-0 victory over in-form Bournemouth on Saturday, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest delivered a stunning performance, thrashing Brighton 7-0 in a record-breaking win that kept them firmly in the race for European qualification.

Liverpool’s Title Charge Gathers Momentum

Salah was the star of the show at the Vitality Stadium, scoring a 30th-minute penalty before curling in a sublime second goal in the 75th minute. The Egyptian forward’s double took his Premier League goal tally to 178, moving him above Chelsea legend Frank Lampard into sixth place on the all-time scoring list. This season, Salah has netted 21 goals, marking the fifth time he has reached the 20-goal milestone in a single Premier League campaign for Liverpool.

The victory ended Bournemouth’s impressive 11-match unbeaten run and solidified Liverpool’s position as title favourites. Manager Arne Slot acknowledged the challenge posed by Bournemouth, who twice hit the post and missed a golden opportunity through Justin Kluivert.

“If you want to win here, maybe you need a bit of luck because the margins are so small,” Slot said. “It was a close call for us to win this game. We weren’t unlucky, let’s put it that way.”

However, the win came at a cost, as right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off with a suspected thigh injury. Slot confirmed the defender would undergo a scan, casting doubt over his availability for Liverpool’s upcoming League Cup semifinal second leg against Tottenham.

Nottingham Forest’s Record-Breaking Rout

Nottingham Forest bounced back from a 5-0 thrashing by Bournemouth last weekend with a historic 7-0 demolition of Brighton at the City Ground. Chris Wood led the charge with a hat-trick, taking his season tally to 17 goals and placing him third in the race for the Golden Boot, behind Salah and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams, and Jota Silva also found the net, while an own goal by Brighton’s Lewis Dunk set the tone for Forest’s dominant display. The victory marked Forest’s biggest win in the Premier League era and moved them level on points with second-placed Arsenal.

“What a difference a week can make,” Wood said. “Last week wasn’t us. Today was definitely us.”

Forest, who battled relegation last season, are now firmly in contention for a European spot, with the Champions League a realistic target. The club, which won back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, could be set for a return to Europe’s elite competition.

Everton’s Fast Start Sinks Leicester

Everton made a blistering start at Goodison Park, with Abdoulaye Doucouré scoring just 10.18 seconds into their match against Leicester City—the fourth-fastest goal in Premier League history. The midfielder latched onto a long clearance from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and slotted home to set the tone for a comprehensive 4-0 win.

Beto, filling in for the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, added two first-half goals, while Iliman Ndiaye netted a late fourth to seal the victory. The result marked Everton’s third consecutive win under manager David Moyes, who has enjoyed a strong start to his second spell in charge.

Leicester, meanwhile, slipped into the relegation zone after Wolverhampton’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Matheus Cunha scored for Wolves, who climbed out of the bottom three at Leicester’s expense.

Elsewhere in the Premier League

Fulham came from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1 at St. James’ Park, with Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz on target. Meanwhile, bottom-placed Southampton secured just their second league win of the season, defeating Ipswich 2-1 thanks to an 87th-minute winner by Paul Onuachu. Despite the victory, Southampton remain 10 points adrift of safety.

As the Premier League season enters its decisive phase, Liverpool’s commanding lead and Forest’s resurgence have added intrigue to the title and European races. With Arsenal set to face Manchester City on Sunday, the battle at the top promises to deliver more drama in the weeks ahead.

Reporting by Steve Douglas for The Associated Press.