Liverpool maintained their perfect record in the Premier League with a dramatic stoppage-time penalty, awarded after Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri handled the ball in the area. Salah’s late winner settled the tie and saw the Reds prevail 3-2 on aggregate. This victory secured them their second consecutive Super League title and kept them top of the league table with a 100% record this season.
The tussle flared up during the dying minutes of the game. Mejbri’s instinctive reaction was to raise the arms over his head in an attempt to stop the cross, which Oliver correctly ruled as a clear handball and pointed to the spot. The ball rocketed into Mejbri’s feet traveling nearly 80 miles per hour. It struck him in the arm, which was extended out away from his body. This pivotal moment had Mejbri in shock as the announcement was made.
Liverpool’s Dominance
Even with the late heroics, Liverpool had a hard time turning their first half dominance into quality scoring chances as the half wore on. Feyenoord’s head coach, the highly-rated Arne Slot, understood the difficulties Burnley’s negative defensive approach would pose. Maybe that’s why they dropped all 11 players into their own 18-yard box for most of the match.
“It wasn’t a game where we created a lot of chances, which is hard when you’re playing with 11 players in their 18-yard box,” Slot remarked after the match. It’s clear from Burnley’s tactical approach that they came to fight. They did an excellent job of neutralizing Liverpool’s assorted weapons and chances for long stretches of the game.
With this win, Liverpool extended their scoring streak to 38 games. Many of them exhibited some serious grit and competitive spirit on the way to victory, despite facing tough adversaries.
The Controversial Handball Decision
Burnley head coach Scott Parker could not hide his conflicting emotions after the penalty award. For his part, Arteta admitted there was a blatant handball but didn’t want to focus on that in his post-match remarks.
“I came into this interview room not wanting to mention or not wanting to speak about the penalty decision,” Parker stated. However, he ultimately conceded, “It’s handball. In the law of it, it’s handball.” His statement shows both a clear understanding of the rules and the fact that he’s still clearly upset with how the match played out.
Head coach Jeremy Parker pointed to his team’s gritty defensive play as a key to winning this tense opening battle. “I stood on that sideline immensely proud of this group. When they needed to dig, and when I say dig, that dig was practically 90 minutes,” he said. His players battled doggedly but were unable to stop Liverpool from claiming all three points.
Salah’s Late Heroics
As the game neared its end, Salah was set to be the man of the match and hero, scoring the winning penalty in stoppage time. His composed game-management displayed grit in moments of pressure and this became essential for Liverpool. It capped off the emphatic win and helped keep them atop the highly competitive Premier League table.
Roy Keane commented on Salah’s performance and Liverpool’s tenacity: “They keep going. They’ve got quality players and they have desire to win football matches.” It is this sentiment that drives Liverpool’s dogged determination to win at all costs this season in every game.
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