Liverpool continued their historically hot start to their season by thrashing 7th place Bournemouth 4-0 today at the Vitality Stadium. The Reds entered this match having set a club record for points attained at this juncture of the season, and they continued to look like world beaters on Saturday afternoon.
Mo Salah led the way bagging a hat trick, but after the final whistle was blown he refused to accept the man of the match award. Instead he handed the award to his teammate, midfielder James Milner, who made his 500th Premier League appearance in the contest.
Mo Salah gives his MOTM award to James Milner in honour of his 500th appearance.
Heartwarming ?? #LFCpic.twitter.com/nWjghOueYl
— ?? Love4 Liverpool FC ?? (@Love4LFC) December 8, 2018
What a wonderful show of sportsmanship from Mo Salah. This is a fantastic example for all the kids who look up to him.
“It’s not a bad way at all (to get back into the Golden Boot race),” Salah said in a television interview with Sky Sports after the match.
“Top of the table and scored three goals today, clean sheet. That’s everything I can say today. My expectation is very high. But I know everyone else’s expectation for me is very high. As I said before, the most important thing, we are top of the table and we win each game.”
“I have to congratulate him (James Milner). It’s an amazing career. He deserves it today. He’s had an amazing career, so I hope we are going to win something together. But I will not accept.”
It was the second hat trick Mo Salah has achieved in a Liverpool shirt, and it gave him a dozen scoring strikes on the season.
The result put Liverpool on top of the table for the moment. They could stay up top if the result of Manchester City at Chelsea, which kicks off momentarily, ends up going their way.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Lineups.com and Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.