Salah hopes win against Everton will change Liverpool fortunes

Mohamed Salah is hoping Liverpool’s 2-0 Premier League win over Everton in Monday’s Merseyside derby could herald a new beginning for the struggling side as they seek to rescue what has been a disappointing season.

The Egypt forward set Liverpool on their way to a convincing victory at Anfield when he finished off a neatly worked counterattack in the 36th minute, cutting ahead of Everton keeper Jordan Pickford to volley home a cross from Darwin Nunez.

It marked his first Premier League goal since he netted against Aston Villa on December 26, ending a barren run by his standards.

Liverpool, who had lost three of their past four league matches before meeting Everton, climbed to ninth in the standings on 32 points after 21 games, nine behind fourth-placed Newcastle United, who have played a game more.

While Salah was happy to have snapped a five-game scoreless streak, he said the win matters more as Liverpool eye a top-four finish to qualify for the Champions League next season.

“This was a very important match which can change everything,” he told beIN Sport. “This has started last week in training. We were all very excited and we [the players] talked to each other that we would turn the whole season around from this match, and I hope that will happen.”

Salah, the Premier League’s joint top scorer last season, said he does not normally get bothered by mini goal droughts but he was not happy this time around because Liverpool were underperforming.

“I don’t worry about [goals] as long as we win, but recently I wasn’t happy because I wasn’t scoring and we weren’t winning,” he said.

“But winning always helps me ... return to scoring and I hope this could be a good start. I was calm and trying to focus on training and matches, and I was sure that whenever a difficult period comes, a breakthrough gets close.”

Salah’s return to form could be timely for Liverpool as they meet Newcastle United in the league on Saturday, three days before hosting Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League last 16.

Meanwhile, Liverpool welcomed the finding of a review of the 2022 Champions League final that organiser Uefa was responsible for the chaos before the game, calling on the European soccer governing body to “take positive and transparent action” to ensure the safety of fans.

Uefa apologised to Liverpool for initially blaming the Merseyside club’s fans for the mayhem after the release of the independent review report on Monday.

The final was delayed by 36 minutes after thousands of Liverpool supporters were unable to get into the Stade de France in Paris for the match on May 28, which Real won 1-0, while French police were filmed using teargas on fans including women and children.

"[The report] fully vindicates Liverpool fans while finding Uefa primarily responsible for organisational failings, absence of overall control or oversight of safety and security, poor planning and lack of contingency plans,” Liverpool said in a statement.

“The evidence-based panel report also found that there was ‘a clear and immediate danger of a fatal crush’ and that the action of Liverpool supporters saved lives.”

Reuters