Mohamed Salah: Happy With The Result But Liverpool Need To Improve

Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

The Reds star scored a match-winning hat trick in a nervy Reds victory on opening day.

“Wow,” Jürgen Klopp was caught on camera mouthing at full-time of Liverpool’s high-octane 4-3 victory over Leeds United on opening day.

The Reds’ Premier League title defense is officially underway, and on today’s evidence, it’s going to be a wild one. The Reds eked out a win against Marcelo Biela’s team, with the visitors taking it to the champions on their return to the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp saying wow to Leeds United's performance against Liverpool! pic.twitter.com/zTz8fFlDVW

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 12, 2020

A goal from Virgil Van Dijk bookended by a cracker of a strike and two penalties from Mohamed Salah ended up being enough, but Klopp’s side were run ragged by last season’s Championship title holders, the hosts missing a raft of golden chances and needing a late penalty to put the newly-promoted side away.

Regardless of how they came, the three points still accrued to the men in Red and the focus was still on Salah after his man of the match hat trick performance.

“I’m happy about the result and we have to keep on improving and try not to concede as many goals,” the Egyptian said, speaking to Sky Sports after the game.

“It’s more important for me to just keep focus and score the goal to get the three points.”

The 28-year-old reached an individual milestone in leading the Reds to victory, breaking Wayne Rooney’s Premier League record of 34 consecutive wins in games he has scored.

35 - Liverpool have now won each of the last 35 @premierleague games in which Mo Salah has scored - he has overtaken Wayne Rooney's competition record of 34 consecutive wins when scoring from September 2008 to February 2011. King. pic.twitter.com/7wkA9Dmywz

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 12, 2020

Bielsa’s well drilled side exposed the holders in some areas, with Salah acknowledging that the goals the Reds conceded need to focus on improvement for a tough campaign ahead.

“A tough team, they press high as well, so the intensity was really high, the winger admitted.

“We shouldn’t have conceded three, but this is the game, we have to react for that and we did a good job.

“It’s a tough team, to be fair. They had a great game. There’s no fans but they play, they react really well and they scored three goals against us—that’s huge.”

We all know Klopp said he wanted to “attack the title” rather than just defend it, but the boss will need get things shored up before Arsenal and Chelsea.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com