AGENCIES

Mohamed Salah scored twice to take Liverpool nine points clear at the top of the Premier League by beating Bournemouth 2-0 on Saturday.

Salah’s double took him above Frank Lampard as the sixth-highest goal-scorer in Premier League history on another significant day in the Reds’ charge towards a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.

Bournemouth had not lost in 12 games in all competitions and had beaten Arsenal and Manchester City at home earlier this season.

“It feels good to be scoring goals, to be winning, but my main target this season is to win the Premier League with the team so we must keep going,” said Salah, whose contract at Anfield expires this summer.

Saturday’s brace saw Salah reach 20 Premier League goals in a season for a fifth time. Only Alan Shearer (7), Sergio Aguero (6) and Harry Kane (6) have done so more times than him. He became the first player in Europe’s top five league to reach 20 league goals with his first strike, while his second was his 178th goal which took him past Lampard in the all-time record books.

The 32-year-old also leads the charts for most assists in the league this season, providing 13 for his teammates. This season he has needed just 23 games to reach 20 goals – fewer games that he has ever taken to reach the landmark.