Liverpool Defeats Watford As Firmino Scores Hat-Trick

Mohamed Salah scored a brilliant individual goal and Roberto Firmino scored a hat-trick as Liverpool thrashed Claudio Ranieri’s first match as Watford manager with a 5-0 victory on Saturday.

Salah underlined why Liverpool are so desperate to get the Egypt forward to sign a new contract with his audacious second-half strike at Vicarage Road.

Dancing through the Watford defence, Salah’s magical moment topped even his eye-catching goal against Manchester City before the international break.

Liverpool’s habit of avoiding big contracts for players over 30 has fuelled fears the 29-year-old will leave when his present deal expires in 2023.

Salah’s breathtaking goal stole the spotlight on a day when Firmino claimed his first Liverpool treble since 2018 in his first start for five league games.

It was also a memorable afternoon for Senegal forward Sadio Mane, who became only the third African player after Salah and Didier Drogba to reach a century of Premier League goals, a milestone encompassing his time at Southampton.

The Reds are the first English top-flight side to score three or more goals in seven consecutive away games in all competitions.

Liverpool, unbeaten in eight league matches this season, are now above Chelsea at the top of the table, although the Blues can reclaim pole position if they defeat Brentford later on Saturday.