The race is on to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland, who might be set to make a move in mid-2022.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are all interested in the Norwegian goal machine, but could Newcastle United also be a factor?.

Haaland netted 41 goals from 41 games last term for Dortmund and already has 13 this season.

 

TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE ENTER HAALAND RACE

Newcastle are the latest club to enter the race to sign Borussia Dortmund's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, reports AS.

The report claims Real Madrid are losing their grip as favourites to sign Haaland, with Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and now Newcastle potentially in contention.

The Magpies' move is said to be "not out of the question" following the club's takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund who appear set to make a splash in the transfer market in January. 

ROUND-UP

- Mohamed Salah's agent has arrived in England for contract talks with Liverpool over a £500k-per-week deal, according to the Mirror.

- ESPN reports that Premier League trio Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool are tracking Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, rivalling Real Madrid. United's interest is said to be based around whether Paul Pogba departs.

- Dusan Vlahovic will follow Federico Chiesa's lead and reject a new Fiorentina contract offer in favour of a move to Juventus, ignoring Premier League interest from Tottenham and Liverpool, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport.

- Barcelona are interested in Manchester United's Nemanja Matic, claims The Sun. The Serbian has a little over 18 months remaining on his United deal so Barca believe they could sign him next off-season on a cut-price deal.

- Goal Germany reports that Bayern Munich are making a move to sign Salzburg talent Karim Adeyemi, with the player's agent and father reportedly holding talks with the Bavarian club on Saturday.

Edouard Mendy should have been included on the Ballon d'Or shortlist, but Thomas Tuchel hopes it does not bother the Chelsea goalkeeper. 

Senegal international Mendy kept nine clean sheets during Chelsea's triumphant Champions League campaign last season – more than any other keeper in the competition. His save percentage of 91.2 also led the way among keepers to play at least six games in the 2020-21 edition of Europe's premier club competition. 

While Chelsea team-mates Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, N'Golo Kante and Mason Mount were named on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or, Mendy was left out. 

But he produced a display worthy of such recognition during Chelsea's 1-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday, making six saves to earn his 20th clean sheet in his 38th Premier League start. In the competition's history, only Petr Cech (26), Pepe Reina (32), Alisson (36) and Roy Carroll (37) needed fewer starts to hit that milestone. 

Tuchel believes Mendy should be in the running for the most coveted individual prize in men's football, but he is not overly concerned by his omission and does not think his keeper should be either. 

Asked if Mendy should have made the shortlist, Tuchel told a news conference: "Yes, but I'm happy and it is more important that he performs like this than he is on any list. 

"It should not, I hope it does not, bother him because it does not bother me too much and it seems like he is not influenced by that, which is a good thing. 

"I think that we could be on that list as a whole team because we won that trophy as a team and if we have five names or six names, I feel that we won it as 21 guys and everybody played his role. That's how football works. 

"Today we relied heavily on him again. He is the guy he is and everybody is so happy for him that he can help us. So everything is good." 

Mendy's best saves came in the final 20 minutes as Chelsea clung on for maximum points after Ben Chilwell's thunderous strike on the stroke of half-time.

Antonio Rudiger, who was absent for Chelsea after sustaining an injury while representing Germany during the international break, made his feelings clear about Mendy's Ballon d'Or snub on social media after the Blues' victory. 

"Someone explain why he's not nominated for the Ballon d'Or," Rudiger tweeted. "What a performance... EDOUARD MENDY." 

Manchester United suffered a torrid second-half spell to succumb to defeat against Leicester City in Saturday's headline Premier League clash.

Failure at the King Power Stadium places further questions over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure ahead of a daunting schedule but neighbours Manchester City did not experience similar problems as the defending champions cruised to yet another victory over Burnley.

City's fellow title contenders Chelsea made London derby history as they battled past Brentford after Liverpool's fearsome front three had comfortably dispatched Claudio Ranieri's new Watford side.

In the other fixtures, Wolves shocked Aston Villa to overturn a two-goal deficit and Norwich City fought for a goalless draw against Brighton and Hove Albion, while Southampton registered their first win over a depleted Leeds United.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform takes a look at the pick of the fixtures from the day.

Watford 0-5 Liverpool: Mane hits century as Salah continues scoring run

Roberto Firmino became the first Brazilian to score more than one hat-trick in the Premier League as Ranieri fell to defeat by the biggest margin of any manager in their first home game with a new club in the competition.

Firmino's first two goals followed Mane's opener as the Senegal international hit his 100th Premier League goal, without scoring a penalty, with only Les Ferdinand (149) and Emile Heskey (110) previously achieving such a feat.

Mohamed Salah played an exquisite pass for Mane's landmark goal but the Egypt forward also found the net as he danced through Watford's defence to become the joint-top scoring African – level with Didier Drogba (104) – in the history of the competition.

His left-footed curler also made him the first Liverpool player since Daniel Sturridge in 2014 to score in eight consecutive games in all competitions as Jurgen Klopp's side became the first top-flight side to ever score three-plus goals in seven consecutive away games across all competitions.

Leicester City 4-2 Manchester United: Foxes end Red Devils record away run

Mason Greenwood edged United ahead with his fifth strike from outside the box in 21 Premier League goals – only David Beckham and Nani have managed a higher share of goals for the club from in such a fashion of those to score 20 times.

However, just 54 seconds split Marcus Rashford's equaliser for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side to make it 2-2 and Jamie Vardy putting the hosts 3-2 to the good.

Patson Daka then became the first Zambian scorer in the Premier League, with 105 different nations now having a goalscorer, as Leicester won three consecutive games in all competitions against the Red Devils for the first time since 1901.

Not only did the Foxes, who have conceded in seven straight top-flight games under Brendan Rodgers, make history they also ended the visitors' record run as 30 games without a loss on the road came to an abrupt end.

Brentford 0-1 Chelsea: Blues make history in the capital against unlucky Brentford

Ben Chilwell's third goal in three games – as many as in his last 33 appearances in the league – inspired Chelsea to a record-breaking seventh consecutive away win in London derbies.

Thomas Tuchel's men have conceded just three goals this term – the fewest they have conceded at this stage since 2010-11 (two) – as the Blues won their 15th game against new top-flight opposition in 16 attempts.

Meanwhile, Brentford – who were stifled by Edouard Mendy's 20th clean sheet in 38 games – remain winless in seven matches against Chelsea, losing each of their last three by an aggregate scoreline of 9-0.

Manchester City 2-0 Burnley: Guardiola's men maintain dominance over the Clarets 

City cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory at Etihad Stadium, meaning they now boast a 32-1 aggregate scoreline over Burnley in their last nine games across all competitions.

Pep Guardiola's side have now kept clean sheets in six of their eight league games this term – more than any other side – as Kevin de Bruyne netted for consecutive top-flight games for the first time since July 2020.

The Clarets, who are on the longest winless run in England's top four tiers (11), are Bernardo Silva's favourite opponent, the Portugal international directly involved in seven goals in eight games.

Ben Chilwell kept up his scoring streak but gave all the credit to Edouard Mendy after the Chelsea goalkeeper defied Brentford with a string of vital saves, securing a valuable three points. 

Chelsea's 1-0 win against their west London rivals came thanks to Chilwell's fine strike in the 45th minute, his third goal in his past three games. 

Mendy produced six saves to preserve what Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel described as "not the cleanest sheet we ever had". 

The shutout was Mendy's 20th in the Premier League from just 38 starts. In the competition's history, only Petr Cech (26), Pepe Reina (32), Alisson (36) and Roy Carroll (37) have needed fewer starts to reach 20 clean sheets, Opta said. 

"It was pretty much Hell on Earth for the last 20 minutes but we did well," Chilwell said. 

"I think we've got Edou to thank. In the last 25 minutes he was superb. He's amazing. We see it every day in training, but he's getting the credit he deserves in these sorts of games where he makes the big saves and gets us the three points in the end." 

Using Opta's expected goals on target model, Mendy can be shown to have prevented 3.5 goals this season, more than any other keeper in the Premier League. 

Chelsea lead the way in the Premier League with 19 points from eight games, just the start they were seeking as they attempt to follow up last season's Champions League triumph with a strong domestic campaign. 

Chilwell, back in favour and showing his value with two goals for Chelsea either side of a maiden strike for England against Andorra, said: "I'm happy to get on the scoresheet. Defensively it was tough today, but we showed our steel and showed how strong we are defensively." 

Tuchel told Sky Sports that Chelsea could have managed the last quarter of the game in a better way, rather than allowing Brentford to dictate the tempo. 

Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo hit the post twice in the match. He has now been denied by the frame of the goal six times in the Premier League this season – more than any club in the competition. 

"In the end, the last 20 minutes, it was suddenly a cup game. They had nothing to lose and they felt the belief and felt the momentum with the crowd," Tuchel said. 

"Suddenly it seemed like we had one player less on the field. They brought six or seven guys into the box constantly. We were not clear enough in the challenges. They played with the energy like in a cup game. We focused too much on defending. 

"I was very, very happy with the first 65 or 70 minutes. We should have maybe scored one more but it can happen – respect to Brentford in the end. 

"It was not the cleanest sheet we ever had but very, very important to get the three points, so it was up to Edou." 

Tuchel is not reading much into his team's lofty standing in the league table, given Liverpool and Manchester City are in close pursuit. 

He said: "It's better to be there than the other way round. But it's too early, and there are way too many teams that are close, so with every draw and every loss you can lose three or four positions, so it's not the main point now in October. 

"It was a late win but a deserved win today. We needed a bit of luck in the last 20 minutes but I'm happy with the energy – I can recognise us and I'm happy with the way we play." 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted that he "made a couple of bad decisions" as Manchester United slipped to a 4-2 defeat against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

The loss saw United's 29-game unbeaten away run in the Premier League come to an end, and the Red Devils have managed just one point from their last three league games.

Solskjaer's men took the lead, but they were then overhauled and conceded a third goal less than a minute after pulling level again, before a stoppage-time goal for the Foxes sealed the result.

The Norwegian manager was unhappy with the manner of the goals his side shipped, but he shouldered the responsibility for the result which means United have won just once in their last five games across all competitions, losing three.

"When you look at the game, the four goals we conceded are all very poor," Solskjaer said to Sky Sports. "We didn't deserve to carry on the [unbeaten away] run. The performance was not good enough.

"We got a very good goal with Mason [Greenwood] and we were knocking on the door for another, but then some sloppy play and we concede. It was end to end but they created more chances. Two goals from set-pieces is disappointing and then seconds after equalising that should not happen [for Jamie Vardy's goal].

"I pick the team and Harry [Maguire] has showed no reaction [to his injury]. I hold my hands up if that doesn't work out and I probably made a couple of bad decisions.

"Lately, we have not been in great form and lost too many points. Something may have to change. Do we need more legs in there? What do we need? It is one that we have to really analyse. The one positive was Marcus [Rashford] coming back in. He’s got legs and is sharp so that's a big bonus.

"I've got many good players and every game is a different game. I am not going to put excuses up for the team I put out because it is full of top footballers and that was not good enough."

Despite United's poor form, Solskjaer insists he is not feeling the strain and is confident the team have the capacity to improve under his guidance.

"Every time you lose, the pressure builds of course, but we are used to living with that pressure," Solskjaer told the BBC. 

"We are Man United; setbacks have happened before, worse performances, and we've got to bounce back on Wednesday. I'm going to do the job as well as I can; I believe in this team."

United's first opportunity to rectify their issues comes on Wednesday as they host Serie A side Atalanta in the Champions League.

Ben Chilwell's thunderous strike ensured Chelsea retained their place at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 victory at Brentford on Saturday. 

The first league meeting between the pair since 1947 was settled by a wonderful first-half effort from Chilwell, keeping Chelsea one point clear of Liverpool and two ahead of Manchester City at the summit. 

Thomas Tuchel's side dominated possession throughout but did not force David Raya into a single save, with Chilwell's goal coming from their only shot on target. 

Bryan Mbeumo twice hit the post but Chelsea did enough to become the first team in the history of the English Football League to win seven London derbies in succession. 

After a tepid start, the game burst to life when Mbeumo rattled the upright in the 22nd minute and Chelsea went straight up the other end and scored through Romelu Lukaku, only for the offside flag to go up.

Timo Werner failed to make the most of a couple of openings before Chilwell's rasping effort fired Chelsea into a lead their dominance of the game deserved on the stroke of half-time. 

Chances remained at a premium after the interval. Mateo Kovacic's wayward shot was the only effort on goal from either team before Tuchel introduced Mason Mount in the 65th minute. 

Brentford pushed for an equaliser and Edouard Mendy kept out an Ivan Toney volley before Mbeumo struck the post once again in the 75th minute. 

Mendy made another great save to deny Saman Ghoddos and the recovering Trevoh Chalobah cleared Christian Norgaard's follow-up off the line in the 84th minute.

Pontus Jansson was thwarted by Mendy's face before the goalkeeper tipped Norgaard's overhead kick onto the bar in stoppage time as Chelsea valiantly clung on for all three points. 

What does it mean? Chilwell bouncing back 

After going from the high of winning the Champions League with Chelsea to failing to make an appearance for England on their run to Euro 2020, Thomas Tuchel said Chilwell returned for this season "mentally tired". 

He fell behind Marcos Alonso in the pecking order but has now scored in each of his Premier League starts this season, while he was on target for England for the first time in the 5-0 win over Andorra during the international break. 

Chilwell appears to be full of confidence once again and it will be difficult for Alonso to displace him if he retains this form. 

Unlucky Mbeumo 

Mbeumo has now hit the woodwork six times in the Premier League this season, which is more than every other team in the competition. Burnley are the only other team to have been denied by the frame of the goal at least five times.

Magnificent Mendy 

He did not have much to do for the first 70 minutes of the game, but Mendy came up big when it mattered for Chelsea. His saves from Toney, Ghoddos, Jansson and Norgaard were key to the Blues taking maximum points. 

What's next? 

Chelsea entertain Malmo in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Brentford are not in action until the visit of Leicester City next Sunday.   

Paul Pogba felt Manchester United deserved their 4-2 defeat at Leicester City and claimed the Red Devils have a long-standing "problem" they must resolve in terms of performances.

United's English football league record of 29 consecutive away games unbeaten came to an emphatic end at the King Power Stadium, where they conceded four times in a Premier League match on the road for the first time since April 2019 at Everton.

Mason Greenwood's spectacular opener was cancelled out by Youri Tielemans, and Caglar Soyuncu put Leicester ahead with 12 minutes remaining.

In a frantic finale, Marcus Rashford equalised on his first appearance of the season only for Jamie Vardy to make it 3-2 just 54 seconds later, with the Foxes restoring their advantage straight from kick-off.

Patson Daka bundled in a fourth in injury time as Leicester made it three wins in a row against United in all competitions for the first time in 120 years.

With four defeats and only two wins from their previous seven games this season, United are in worrying form ahead of a run of fixtures that includes matches against Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as Champions League clashes with Atalanta and Villarreal.

Pogba is concerned that such results are only likely to continue unless something changes.

"To be honest, you know, we've been having those kinds of games for a long time and we haven't found the problem," he said after the match.

"We need to find the problem. To concede goals, easy goals, stupid goals, when we know those games you play on this pitch [are ones where] the fans are going to push, put pressure on us.

"We need to be more mature, I think. We need to play with more experience, arrogance, in a good way. We have to take the ball and play our football.

"Now, we have to find the key to this change and this game. I think we deserved to lose today.

"We need to find something, we need to change something. I don't know if the mindset of all of us, the players, when we start... we really don't know. It's frustrating because it's something we don't understand and we have to find that very fast because if you want to compete and you want to win the title, those games you have to win, even though they are very hard and we're playing away.

"You need to fight their game, you need to find the right mentality, the right tactic to win those games. That's my thought. We have time to think about it and then all together, we have to stick together and find the problem."

Midfielder Nemanja Matic admitted the squad was feeling particularly downbeat but promised performances would improve.

"Of course, we are disappointed. Everyone is sad, everyone is a bit head-down at the moment," he told MUTV.

"But we have to stick together. It's time to stick together, analyse this game as soon as possible and then think about the next in three, four days against a very good side in Atalanta.

"We are very disappointed but, in the future, I think we will show that we are much better than this."

Pep Guardiola was delighted with the fighting spirit his Manchester City team showed as they edged past Burnley 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

City had won their previous four home games against Burnley 5-0, but the visitors caused Guardiola's men some problems after Bernardo Silva opened the scoring.

That was Silva's seventh goal involvement against Burnley in eight Premier League outings – his most against any one opponent – but did not trigger the sort of landslide scoreline that was anticipated.

However, Kevin De Bruyne scored in a second consecutive City match 20 minutes from time to secure a ninth straight victory over Burnley in all competitions.

Although City now have six clean sheets in eight league games this season and struggling Burnley are winless in 11 in the competition, Guardiola acknowledged his team had been in a battle.

"We run and fight for every ball," he told BBC Sport. "Burnley play for long balls and they're a master at this.

"You have to defend set pieces well, and anything could have happened if Chris Wood had scored that goal near the end. We had chances but couldn't score more, unfortunately.

"The importance is improving our game. I am satisfied that the second half was better than first. The team showed me the way we want to play and the shape we want to play in.

"All the guys gave everything. It doesn't matter if the performance is good or not; it's important that you fight for your team-mates, and everyone was incredible."

Guardiola brought in John Stones and Raheem Sterling for rare starts following the international break and said both "played really well".

He added: "It was a difficult game. I tried to tell them to forget about the previous 5-0s, because Burnley always fight and never give up.

"They are able to go to any stadium and create a problem and know what they have to do, so I give a lot of credit to them today."

Silva, whose goal came from one of three shots while he also created three chances, said: "[It was] very hard. We know how tough it is to play against Burnley.

"We started well, the first 20 minutes were good. Then the rhythm was a bit low, we should have scored a few more goals in the first half.

"We know how tough it is, they play very direct, they're a very physical side.

"In the second half, we controlled the game well. We should have scored a bit earlier again. But it's three very important points and onto the next one."

Leicester City came from behind to beat Manchester United 4-2 in a thriller on Saturday and end the Red Devils' long unbeaten away run in the Premier League.

It looked as though United's English league record of 29 games without defeat on the road would continue when Mason Greenwood opened the scoring with a stunning strike.

However, Leicester levelled through Youri Tielemans following an error from the returning Harry Maguire, and Caglar Soyuncu prodded home to put the hosts ahead with 12 minutes to go.

In a frantic finale, Marcus Rashford marked his first appearance of the season with an equaliser before Leicester restored their lead from kick-off, Jamie Vardy blasting home from Ayoze Perez's cut-back.

Patson Daka added a fourth in injury time as United lost for the fourth time in seven matches.

Manchester City made hard work of a 2-0 Premier League win against Burnley at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, remaining just a point behind Liverpool. 

City had won each of their previous four home games against Burnley 5-0 but this time settled simply for taking three points from a slightly sloppy display. 

Coming out of an international break without some key men – and having seen Liverpool thrash Watford earlier in the day – the result was all that mattered. 

Bernardo Silva's 12th-minute strike initially hinted at a rather more straightforward affair for the champions, though it was left to Kevin De Bruyne to belatedly make the game safe. 

City's two best players from their previous game against leaders Liverpool were both involved in the opener, as Silva picked out Phil Foden just inside the box and was then on hand to slam into the net when Nick Pope could only parry the England international's low shot. 

However, the home side's unfamiliar back four – missing Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker – afforded opportunities to Burnley, who had Maxwel Cornet shoot too close to Zack Steffen after fine work from Dwight McNeil before Josh Brownhill whipped a low effort wide. 

Riyad Mahrez blasted against the crossbar shortly after the break, but frustration built among the home supporters as City again struggled to build on a strong start to the half. 

The mood lifted with 20 minutes to play when Ashley Westwood failed to clear and Mahrez toed the ball into the path of De Bruyne for a thumping left-footed finish. 

Chris Wood clipped the crossbar from close range when he could have set up a nervy finish, although the forward might have been offside as he met Nathan Collins' knockdown. 
 

What does it mean? City slow again at home

City played well in successive away games against Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool heading into the international break, although they only earned four points across the Premier League and Champions League from those fixtures. 

That would be a handy enough return if City are able to take care of business against the lesser lights, yet this was another unconvincing home display. 

Pep Guardiola's men at least won, unlike in their previous league game at the Etihad Stadium against Southampton, but they would have expected an easier ride against a team had defeated 30-1 on aggregate across their previous eight meetings. 

Bernardo brilliant

Silva is playing in the heart of the midfield this season but that did not prevent him being City's chief attacking threat. His goal came from one of three shots, while he also created three chances for team-mates. 

Sterling stutters

The talk in the build-up to this game centred on Raheem Sterling, who spoke openly about the possibility of leaving City. Having been a top performer in previous seasons, the winger started only twice across the first seven league games of the campaign. 

But Sterling was back in the XI on Saturday, handed a central striking role with Jack Grealish dropped to the bench and Gabriel Jesus only just returning from international duty. 

This was not the sort of performance that is likely to convince Guardiola to give him a prominent role, though. Sterling's only shot was blocked. 

What's next?

City are back in Champions League action against Club Brugge on Tuesday, while Burnley's wait for a first Premier League win of the season takes them to Southampton next Saturday. 

Jurgen Klopp has insisted Mohamed Salah is the best player in the world right now following another outstanding performance from the Egyptian in Liverpool's 5-0 win over Watford.

Salah moved level with Didier Drogba as the highest-scoring African player in Premier League history with a superb solo goal, whilst also producing a fabulous pass for Sadio Mane to net the opener.

The incisive showing is a continuation of Salah's blistering form so far this season, with the winger managing 10 goals and four assists from just 10 appearances across all competitions, including another stunning goal and assist in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City before the international break.

Reds boss Klopp feels the evidence is overwhelming in support of his argument that Salah stands on his own right at the top of the game right now.

"[Salah's] performance was massive today," Klopp told BT Sport. "It was absolutely outstanding. The first goal, super pass, but then his goal was absolutely exceptional.

"He was in the mood to try it in the box. He tried it a couple of times, no problem, strikers can do that. He did it. He scored the goal. Long may it continue. We obviously need the boys in this kind of shape to achieve what we are dreaming of.

"[He ranks] top. We all see it. Who is better at the moment than him? We don't have to talk about what Messi and Ronaldo have done for world football and how long they were really dominant.

"But in the moment, I think it's clear there's nobody better than him. It's not only since yesterday, he has been in this shape for a while, but he's young enough to keep this shape a while longer." 

Salah, who leads Liverpool in all competitions for both goals and assists, was keen to stress the importance of the collective, rather than focusing on his own achievements.

"I think we didn't want to start like the City game so we talked in the dressing room about starting the game well and that's what we did," Salah said. 

"All the goals were very important. Bobby [Firmino] did a great job scoring a hat-trick so congratulations to him and Sadio also scored a nice goal.

"Every time I'm in the box I'm trying to give the ball to someone to score or score by myself, so it's always about the team and playing for the team. The most important thing is we scored good goals, and all of us up front scored, so hopefully, we can carry on like that.

"I don't know [if I'm in the best form of my career]. Sometimes I don't have the luck to score goals but every time I am always trying 100 per cent to help the team. I am confident at the moment, I feel like I'm scoring goals and helping the team win points which is the most important thing." 

Is Mohamed Salah the best player in the world? Jamie Carragher has no doubt after the Liverpool forward's stupendous goal at Watford drew immediate comparisons with Lionel Messi. 

Former England striker Gary Lineker compared the wonder strike to a Lionel Messi special after the Egyptian put Jurgen Klopp's Reds 4-0 up at Vicarage Road, on the way to a 5-0 win. 

Salah received the ball on the edge of the Watford penalty area and was surrounded by home defenders, but he showed supreme close control to weave a path beyond Craig Cathcart, Juan Hernandez and Juraj Kucka before whipping a clinical finish into the far corner. 

It was a goal that had the hallmarks of a Messi or Diego Maradona masterpiece, with Salah's astonishing footwork leaving the defenders powerless to stop him extending Liverpool's lead. 

"My, my. Mo has morphed into Messi," Lineker wrote on Twitter. 

The goal means Salah has now scored in each of his past eight games for Liverpool; the longest run of scoring in consecutive appearances for the club since Daniel Sturridge in February 2014, also a run of eight matches. 

Carragher's instant verdict was: "Best player in the world right now." 

The former Liverpool defender's excitement was matched by all-time Reds top scorer Ian Rush, who used an Arabic term of approval to describe Salah's goal. 

"Mashallah @MoSalah The best!" Rush tweeted. 

Alan Shearer, the Premier League's record scorer, described the goal as "brilliant", and Liverpool's own Twitter match commentary enthused about the Salah strike. 

It came two weeks after his majestic goal against Manchester City, with Salah said by some on social media to be putting together his own goal of the season competition. 

The effort was his reward for persistence, with Salah's strike his fifth attempt of the game. It was also his ninth goal in seven games in the Premier League against Watford. 

The flow of goals from Liverpool amounted to dismal news for Watford's new boss, Claudio Ranieri. Roberto Firmino grabbed a hat-trick and Sadio Mane also scored, netting in the Premier League for the 100th time. 

Liverpool tweeted: "Words escape us, but we'll try... Salah shows incredible quick feet to escape the attention of three Watford defenders inside the box, before turning Cathcart and sending a curling effort into the far corner." 

Liverpool romped to a convincing 5-0 win over Watford at Vicarage Road with Roberto Firmino netting a hat-trick as the Hornets produced a hapless showing in Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge.

Sadio Mane opened the scoring with his 100th Premier League goal, calmly finishing first-time into the bottom corner from Mohamed Salah's lovely ball in behind.

Firmino profited from poor Watford defending to find the net either side of half-time, tapping in from James Milner's pass after the home defence had been carved open, before pouncing on a loose ball from a badly defended cross.

Salah then scored a sensational solo goal, making a mockery of three defenders' attempts to win the ball from him before curling emphatically into the far corner, while Firmino struck again in stoppage-time to compound the hosts' misery.

Sadio Mane has reached 100 Premier League goals, with the Liverpool star achieving a rare feat by hitting the milestone without any penalties in his tally.

Mane coolly finished from Mohamed Salah's pass early in Saturday's match at Watford to bring up the milestone.

The Senegal forward netted his first back in October 2014 as he scored the winner for Southampton in a 1-0 victory over Stoke City.

He went on to score another nine that season and followed up with 11 in 2015-16, his impressive and swift adaptation to the Premier League persuading Liverpool to spend a reported £34million on him.

While some may have had their doubts initially, Mane again settled quickly and went on to score 13 times from 27 league appearances in his first campaign.

He has reached double figures for goals in each of his previous five full Premier League seasons with the Reds, with 2018-19 undoubtedly his best.

Mane plundered a career-high 22 goals, the clinical nature of his finishing highlighted by the fact he outperformed his expected goals (xG) by 6.9. Only Lionel Messi (12), Paco Alcacer (8.4) and Iago Aspas (8.1) boasted better records than Mane across the top five European leagues that season.

Even last season when he came in for a little more criticism than usual and failed to match his xG figure of 14.2, Mane still added 11 goals.

And he is seemingly well on track to make it eight successive seasons with at least 10 Premier League goals, with his effort against Watford taking him to five from just eight matches in 2021-22.

What makes Mane's goalscoring achievements at Liverpool even more impressive is the fact none of his 100 have come via penalties.

He is the 31st player to score at least 100 goals in the Premier League, but only the third to reach that landmark without any coming from the spot, joining Les Ferdinand (149) and Emile Heskey (110) in an exclusive club.

Mane is also the third African player to that mark, after Didier Drogba and team-mate Salah.

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