Guwahati: Premier League champions, Liverpool, welcomed the newly promoted Leeds United to Anfield in a mouth-watering opening-day fixture of the 2020-21 Premier League season on Saturday. Riding on a brilliant hat-trick from Mohamed Salah, Liverpool just managed to go past Leeds in a seven-goal thriller by 4-3.
Salah was in action right from the beginning, as he drilled home a penalty in the fourth minute of the game, after his shot was handled by another Leeds new boy, Robin Koch, thus making it a nightmare start for the Leeds United.
Leeds produced the perfect response scoring an equalizer just eight minutes later with a fantastic solo effort from Jack Harrison.
Virgil van Dijk restored Liverpool’s advantage in the 20th minute as he headed in Andy Robertson’s corner taking the score 2-1 for Liverpool.
Ten minutes later, Leeds deservedly once again equalized, with their second, when Patrick Bamford was gifted the ball by Van Dijk inside the box, just before a rocketing strike from Mohamed Salah in the 33rd minute gave Liverpool their third, thus ending the rather eventful first half of the match with the scoreboard on 3-2 at half-time.
However, Man of the Match Salah, eventually sealed the match for Liverpool with a second penalty in the 88th minute.
Meanwhile, in the other two opening fixtures of the Premier League on Saturday, Arsenal defeated Fulham by 3-0 and Crystal Palace defeated Southampton by 1-0 on Saturday.
Alexandre Lacazette(8’), Gabriel(49’) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang(57’) scored a goal each for Arsenal while Wilfried Zaha(13’) scored the only goal for Crystal Palace in their respective matches on Saturday.
SCORECARD(Liverpool vs Leeds United)
Liverpool 4 – 3 Leeds United
Mohamed Salah 4’(P), 33’, 88’(P) Jack Harrison 12’
Virgil van Dijk 20’ Patrick Bamford 30’
Mateusz Klich 66’