Mohamed Salah’s landmark goal helps Liverpool avoid Norwich shock

Goal by goal, landmark after landmark, Mohamed Salah is establishing his place in Anfield history. Less than five years after joining, he brought up 150 goals for Liverpool with a strike that combined pace, audacity and importance. As he became their second quickest player to 150 — faster than Robbie Fowler, speedier than Ian Rush, sooner than Michael Owen, Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard or Billy Liddell — he helped transform an awkward afternoon for Liverpool into an enjoyable one. It was about the spectacular as well as the statistical and it was capped by a brilliant first Liverpool goal for Luis Díaz. As their other scorers, Sadio Mane and Salah, have both become centurions under Jürgen Klopp, the precedents for the newcomer are hugely encouraging.

Yet this had threatened to be a historic occasion instead for Norwich City. Liverpool’s eighth successive win at Anfield only came after they trailed. Inter Milan had failed to record a shot on target against Klopp’s team. Norwich did and led at Anfield. For a heady quarter of an hour, they could dream of a first win here since Jeremy Goss scored the final goal in front of the old Kop in 1994. Then Liverpool’s attackers intervened.

They delivered the stunning goals twice in three minutes. The equaliser came courtesy of one of Mane’s most acrobatic goals. When Jordan Henderson floated a cross to the left and Kostas Tsimikas headed it back across the penalty area, Mane responded with a wonderful overhead kick. Minus the injured Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino, he had a rare outing as a striker, a role he may play more often if Díaz forces his way into Klopp’s strongest side. This was an auspicious start.

Then Salah plucked Alisson’s long ball out of the air, darted away from