By Boluwatife Kehinde
Liverpool continued their flair for late drama under Arne Slot as Mohamed Salah’s penalty sealed a 1-0 win at Burnley, making it four victories from four in defence of their Premier League crown.
The champions had already edged past opponents with late goals in each of their first three games, and once again patience proved decisive at Turf Moor.
Liverpool dominated possession in a rain-soaked first half but failed to make it count. Ibrahima Konaté headed over from close range, while substitute Andy Robertson was denied. Burnley threatened through Jaidon Anthony and Hugo Ekitike, ensuring the sides went in level at the break.
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Liverpool returned with greater urgency. Ryan Gravenberch, Conor Bradley, Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai all went close, while Federico Chiesa forced Martin Dubravka into a fine save.
Burnley’s resistance was hit when Lesley Ugochukwu saw red late on, but it still seemed the champions might be held until the breakthrough came.
With minutes remaining, Jeremie Frimpong’s cross struck Hannibal’s arm in the area. Referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot, and Salah converted emphatically —clinching victory and moving himself up to outright fourth on the Premier League’s all-time scorers list.
Reflecting on the hard-fought win, Salah admitted: “It’s a tough opponent today. We tried our best to play between the lines, but it wasn’t easy. I’m glad we managed to win in the end.”
He also praised how the squad is adapting to Slot’s system: “We had a few new players in the starting line-up. It takes time to adapt, but we don’t give up. We push ourselves and the team to the limit.”
For Liverpool, it was another reminder that champions always find a way.
Manchester Derby
Erling Haaland’s second-half brace fired Manchester City to a 3-0 victory over rivals Manchester United, sealing their first derby win inside 90 minutes in five meetings and easing pressure after back-to-back defeats.
City started brightly at the Etihad, with Haaland narrowly missing the opener before Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Benjamin Šeško at the other end. The breakthrough came in the 18th minute when Jérémy Doku skipped past his marker and crossed for Phil Foden, who headed home his seventh career goal against United — a tally he has only bettered against Brighton.
The champions maintained control, though Haaland and Tijjani Reijnders squandered chances. Bruno Fernandes’ ambitious free-kick was United’s only real spark before the break, but Donnarumma dealt with it comfortably.
After half-time, City turned dominance into command. Haaland held off Luke Shaw to meet Doku’s through ball and dinked past Altay Bayındır, before capitalising on sloppy defending to finish from Bernardo Silva’s pass. The Norwegian even rattled the post between his goals, underlining his constant menace.
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The result lifted Pep Guardiola’s men to eighth in the Premier League, steadying their campaign. For Ruben Amorim, however, it marked more derby-day misery— his United side have now lost four of their last five league matches, leaving the Portuguese coach under mounting pressure.
City, meanwhile, rediscovered their swagger, while United departed the Etihad with more questions than answers.
