Salah leads Liverpool’s charge to open 8-point gap at the top

Liverpool capitalised on Manchester City's ongoing struggles to open up an eight-point gap at the top of the Premier League with a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Southampton on 24 November.

The result came a day after City suffered a humbling 4-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, extending their losing streak to five matches across all competitions.

The Reds now hold the largest lead at this stage of the season in 31 years and will look to further cement their position when they host City at Anfield on 1 December.

The breakthrough came on 30 minutes, but it was Southampton's insistence on playing out from the back that proved their undoing. Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy's risky pass was intercepted by Dominik Szoboszlai, who pounced on the loose ball and fired past McCarthy with confidence.

Despite the setback, Southampton found a way back into the game just before the break.

A foul by Andy Robertson on Tyler Dibling resulted in a penalty, though VAR reviewed whether the incident occurred inside the box.

The decision went in Southampton's favour, and although Armstrong's initial spot-kick was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, the forward converted the rebound to level the score.

The Saints' hopes suffered a blow early in the second half when Onuachu, one of their most effective players, had to be substituted following a collision with Cody Gakpo.

Yet, they managed to take the lead on 56 minutes through a well-worked counter-attack. Dibling, the 18-year-old academy standout, played a key role, delivering a precise ball to Armstrong, who set up Mateus Fernandes for a simple finish.

Southampton's defensive frailties, however, came to the fore again just nine minutes later.

A long ball from Ryan Gravenberch found Mohamed Salah, and McCarthy's poor decision to rush out left his goal exposed.

Salah calmly slotted the ball into the unguarded net, extending his scoring run in the league to five matches.

McCarthy's night of highs and lows continued when he produced a fine save to deny a Luis Diaz header, only to completely miss an attempted punch from the resulting corner.

Liverpool failed to capitalise on the error, but they didn't have to wait long for their winner.

In the 83rd minute, substitute Yuki Sugawara was penalised for a handball inside the box, offering Salah the chance to restore Liverpool's lead.

The Egyptian converted from the spot and later came close to completing his hat-trick, striking the post with two minutes remaining.

Liverpool's resilience ensures they remain firmly in control of the title race, while Southampton's struggles at the bottom of the table continue despite flashes of promise from their young talents like Dibling.