Football can be cruel, and Burnley found that out the hard way on Sunday. At the time they seemed to have made a dirty goal against the current champions, a penalty kick delightfully awarded to Mohamed Salah in the 95th minute shattered their dreams. Liverpool hardly appeared to be scoring at all in all the afternoon, when somehow they preserved their unblemished opening to the Premier League season. That is not football justice that is football theatre and Salah was the star.
Liverpool’s attack: all bark, no bite
For most of the game, Arne Slot’s Liverpool attack resembled a dog show where every pup is well-groomed but none actually knows how to fetch. With Alexander Isak not in the squad, the Reds looked toothless. Salah, usually Liverpool’s sharpest knife, seemed more like a butter spreader—crossing astray, missing the mark, and generally looking off-colour. And yet, when the pressure boiled over, he stepped up coolly from the spot.
Mohamed Salah penalty: saviour or smokescreen?
Let’s be honest—Liverpool can’t keep relying on divine intervention in the 95th minute. Four victories at the end of the game can be called heroic, but it also shouts unsustainable. The fact that Salah is punished hides greater problems: lack of creativity, inaccurate finishing, and back bailing. If Burnley had a little more composure, the Reds would’ve been exposed. Liverpool fans will celebrate the drama now, but deep down they know this act can’t run forever.
Author’s take: fortune favours the nervy
As a neutral (and someone who enjoys a bit of schadenfreude), I’ll admit I laughed. Salah wasn’t good, Liverpool weren’t good, and yet they still won. That’s the privilege of elite clubs: even when they stumble, the footballing gods hand them a soft landing. But Slot has work to do. Otherwise, the Mohamed Salah penalty at Turf Moor won’t be remembered as a heroic rescue—it’ll be seen as a warning shot for what’s to come.
