Prolific Liverpool scorer Mohamed Salah became the first away player to net a Premier League hat-trick at Old Trafford as he starred in a 5-0 humiliation of Manchester United.
The 29-year-old Egyptian also overtook former Chelsea star Didier Drogba as the leading African scorer in the most watched domestic league in the world.
Salah has bagged 107 Premier League goals, three more than Drogba, with the African ‘top five’ completed by Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane (100), Emmanuel Adebayor (97) and Yakubu Ayegbeni (95).
Here, AFP Sport highlights Africans who starred in the major European leagues at the weekend.
ENGLAND
MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)
His stunning treble inspired victory over bitter rivals Manchester United. Salah netted in the 38th minute with a predatory finish from Naby Keita’s cross, struck again in first-half stoppage-time and sealed his treble with a clinical 50th-minute effort.
NABY KEITA (Liverpool)
The Guinea midfielder put Liverpool on course for their biggest win at Manchester United with the opening goal. He ran onto Salah’s pass and slotted past United goalkeeper David De Gea in the fifth minute. Keita was also involved in the second and third goals. It was a redemptive performance by the
Guinean, who was hauled off at half-time in a Champions League win at Atletico Madrid last week after his mistakes led to a pair of goals for the Spanish club.
THOMAS PARTEY (Arsenal)
The Ghana midfielder scored his first goal for Arsenal in a 3-1 home win against Aston Villa. Partey flicked in a header from Emile Smith Rowe’s corner to put Arsenal in front. The goal ended his Arsenal scoring drought in his 40th appearance in all competitions since moving from Atletico Madrid 12 months ago. Gabon captain and forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also on target for Arsenal.
ITALY
ISMAEL BENNACER (AC Milan)
Algeria midfielder Bennacer struck the crucial goal as AC Milan moved level with Serie A leaders Napoli after a 4-2 win over Bologna. Having thrown away a two-goal half-time lead to their 10-man hosts within minutes of the restart, Milan were struggling to break down a Bologna team which went down to nine men with half an hour left. Bennacer put the visitors ahead through a sumptuous volley with six minutes remaining before setting up Zlatan Ibrahimovic to seal the points.
GERMANY
ERIC MAXIM CHOUPO-MOTING (Bayern Munich)
The Cameroon striker came off the bench to head home from a corner to claim Bayern’s third goal in a 4-0 rout of Hoffenheim as the defending champions stayed top of the Bundesliga. This was the 32-year-old’s fourth goal as a substitute for Bayern this season having also netted four goals and created three more in a 12-0 thrashing of Bremer in the German Cup.
TAIWO AWONIYI (Union Berlin)
The Nigeria striker scored his sixth goal for Union in five games when he fired home from the edge of the area to give the visitors a first-half lead in a 1-1 draw at Stuttgart. It was his 11th goal in all competitions this season.
FRANCE
MOHAMED BAYO (Clermont)
The Guinea striker scored his sixth Ligue 1 goal this season for newly-promoted Clermont in their 2-1 defeat at Nantes on Saturday. He was arrested the following day and taken into custody for failing to stop after being involved in a traffic accident, according to the public prosecutor in the city of Clermont-Ferrand.
TINO KADEWERE (Lyon)
The Zimbabwe forward started a Ligue 1 game for the first time this season only to be sent off as Lyon threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Nice. Lyon were 2-0 up going into the final 10 minutes before Algerian international Youcef Atal pulled a goal back. Kadewere was then sent off for serious foul play, and Lyon collapsed.
AFP
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