Liverpool have three points left from the away game against Leeds United (0-3) on Sunday, but may have had to pay a high price for it. Harvey Elliott apparently suffered a serious injury after an hour of play after a tackle by Pascal Struijk, who received a red card from referee Craig Pawson. It is not yet clear about the injury of Elliott, who was stretched off the field and replaced by Jordan Henderson.
Liverpool went into halftime with a deserved lead. Manager Jürgen Klopp’s team did not need much time to take the game to itself and reach 0-1 via Mohamed Salah. After a patient attack from the visitors, it was eventually the Egyptian who took care of the 0-1 from close range, on a pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold. It was Salah’s 100th goal in 162 Premier League matches. Only Alan Shearer (124), Harry Kane (141), Sergio Aguero (147) and Thierry Henry (162) ever did that faster for one or more clubs in the top English division.
Rest in Leeds! ???? The Reds have a cup of tea via Salah ??#ZiggoSport #PremierLeague #LEELIV pic.twitter.com/8iakVs6jpR
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) September 12, 2021
After scoring 0-1 in the twentieth minute, Liverpool were regularly threatening around Illan Meslier’s goal area, while Leeds, still waiting for a win, got no further than half a chance for Luke Ayling. Klopp’s team scored 0-2 five minutes after the break: a corner from Alexander-Arnold came through Virgil van Dijk’s head to Fabinho, who worked the leather into the goal in the second instance. It was only his fourth goals for the Brazilian as Liverpudlian and his first outside Anfield.
Salah’s milestone and Liverpool’s win were overshadowed by Elliott’s injury. Ten minutes after the 0-2, the teenager, who added a base place in the first weeks of the season the Reds seemed to have conquered, moaning in pain to the ground after a tackle by Struijk near the halfway line. Salah immediately saw the gravity of the situation and Klopp expressed his anger at the officials. An upset Struijk left Leeds with ten men.
Oi oi, red for Pascal Struijk ?? The Dutchman commits an attack on Harvey Elliott’s ankles and is allowed to leave?#ZiggoSport #PremierLeague #LEELIV pic.twitter.com/KvVasdDwRn
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) September 12, 2021
With ten men, Leeds had no chance of getting back into the game, although Marcelo Bielsa’s team still tried to force a connecting goal. However, Allisson kept zero for the third time in four competition matches and just before time it also became 0-3 via Sadio Mané. Liverpool climbs to a shared first place with the victory at Elland Road: Manchester United and Chelsea also have ten points. A home game with Crystal Palace awaits next Saturday, but the Champions League game with AC Milan is first on the program on Wednesday.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 9 |
| 5 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 7 | West Ham United | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| 8 | Everton | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| 9 | Leicester City | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 6 |
| 10 | Brentford | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 12 | Aston Villa | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 4 |
| 13 | Wolverhampton W. | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 14 | Southampton | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | -2 | 3 |
| 15 | Watford | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 3 |
| 16 | Arsenal | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -8 | 3 |
| 17 | Leeds United | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -7 | 2 |
| 18 | Burnley | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 1 |
| 19 | Newcastle United | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -7 | 1 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -10 | 0 |