Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
Roberto Firmino scoring Liverpool’s seventh and final goal on Sunday was such an apt way to complete their perfect day. Two goals each for Mohamed Salah, Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo pointed to Jürgen Klopp having found his next all-star forward line, and then on came the outgoing legend to cap it all with a neat finish and that trademark smile. Neither of the new men – nor Diogo Jota – is a like-for-like replacement for what Firmino and Sadio Mané once brought to Liverpool but Gakpo’s speed and finishing, plus Núñez’s chaotic element, can still complement Salah. Gakpo arrived at Liverpool in January as a player unfamiliar with playing centrally but Sunday confirmed him as the heir apparent to Firmino. Salah, Liverpool’s new record Premier League goalscorer, was at his brilliant best, a pest to Manchester United even during his team’s difficult first half. He remains a cut above, near-impossible to stop in full flow and drove Luke Shaw, in particular, to distraction. John Brewin
