The Saudi riches being thrown the way of Mohamed Salah should not prevent Jürgen Klopp enjoying the international break with supreme optimism over the present and future of Liverpool. His remodelled team excelled again in a dominant defeat of Aston Villa with Salah, almost inevitably, to the fore.
Unai Emery’s visitors arrived at Anfield in confident form but were comfortably eclipsed by a tireless Liverpool performance in which Klopp’s players shone on and off the ball. Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring inside three minutes and Villa never threatened to respond. An own goal from Matty Cash plus a tap-in from Salah maintained Liverpool’s stylish and unbeaten start to the new campaign in the 300th league game of Klopp’s reign. The Egypt international, subject of a rejected £150m bid from Al-Ittihad and continued interest from the Saudi Pro League, was involved in all three goals. It could easily have been five. There was no sign of Salah being distracted by speculation around his future as he got on with the job of winning.
