African players in Europe: Salah takes Liverpool to top

PARIS: Mohamed Salah raised his goal tally this season to five by converting a penalty in a 2-1 win at Wolves that lifted Liverpool to the top of the English Premier League table. The Egypt captain notched the second-half winner after Algerian international Rayan Ait Nouri had punished sloppy defending to equalise for the bottom club.

Liverpool lead defending champions Manchester City and Arsenal by one point and Chelsea by two after six rounds. Here, AFP Sport highlights some of the Africans who starred in the major European leagues.

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

Salah struck in the 61st minute after Ait Nouri had cancelled out Ibrahima Konate’s first-half opener for Liverpool. Diogo Jota was pushed over in the area by Nelson Semedo as the pair challenged for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross. And Salah stepped up to smash the penalty past Sam Johnstone.

BRYAN MBEUMO (Brentford)

The Cameroon forward helped Brentford make Premier League history in their 1-1 draw against West Ham. Mbeumo struck after just 37 seconds as the Bees scored in the opening minute for the third consecutive game to set a league record. Congolese Yoane Wissa began the remarkable hot streak when he scored after 22 seconds at Manchester City and last weekend Mbeumo netted in 23 seconds against Tottenham. “We work a lot in training to score every time, whether it’s a set piece or open play,” Mbeumo said after his fifth goal this term.

ITALY

BOULAYE DIA (Lazio)

Visiting Lazio inflicted a first Serie A loss this season on Torino with a 3-2 victory that included a goal from Dia. The Senegalese forward, on loan from Salernitana, swept the ball home on the hour mark to give the Rome outfit a two-goal advantage.

GERMANY

OMAR MARMOUSH (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Eintracht winger Marmoush’s incredible start to the season continued with the Egyptian scoring twice and laying on two more goals in a 4-2 win at Holstein Kiel. His brace saw him overtake Harry Kane atop the Bundesliga scoring charts. Marmoush opened the scoring with a solo effort, collecting the ball in his half and motoring downfield before slamming in at the near post. The 25-year-old also scored the third Frankfurt goal, coming in from the left to slam a shot into the net.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy almost singlehandedly carried Borussia back from the brink in a 4-2 comeback win at home to Bochum. The Guinea international headed in late in the first half to reduce a two-goal deficit before winning a penalty, which Emre Can converted to equalise. Guirassy then put Dortmund in front with 15 minutes remaining following a counterattack.

FRANCE

MARSHALL MUNETSI (Reims)

A 78th-minute goal from Munetsi seal the fate of bottom club Angers as Reims won 3-1 on the road to lie fourth in Ligue 1. The Zimbabwean scored off a close-range shot before Algerian Zinedine Ferhat netted a consolation goal for the home side.