Ballon d’Or not my focus, I want to win Premier League – Salah

Mohamed Salah has downplayed personal accolades, insisting his focus remains on winning the Premier League with Liverpool.

The Egyptian star, who played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s dominant 5-0 victory over West Ham on Sunday, emphasised the importance of teamwork and humility.

“I’m not thinking about the Ballon d’Or. I want to win the Premier League,” Salah told Sky Sports. “I will do my best for the team to win a trophy. There are other teams who want to catch up with us, but we have to stay humble and focused.”

Arne Slot’s Liverpool continued their relentless march toward a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title, extending their lead at the top of the table to eight points.

It was a commanding performance at the London Stadium, as the Reds notched their 23rd win in 27 matches across all competitions this season.

Luis Diaz opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, followed by a moment of brilliance from Salah, who set up Cody Gakpo for the second goal with audacious skill. Salah himself netted his 20th goal of the season shortly before halftime, putting Liverpool firmly in control.

The rout continued in the second half, with Trent Alexander-Arnold scoring from distance and Diogo Jota adding the fifth after another Salah assist. The victory left Slot delighted with his team’s display.

“I enjoyed it a lot because it doesn’t happen many times that I could just sit back and enjoy,” said Slot, who is excelling in his first season at Anfield after replacing Jurgen Klopp.

The win comes amid speculation over the futures of Salah, Alexander-Arnold, and captain Virgil van Dijk, all of whom could negotiate with foreign clubs on free transfers in January.

However, Salah dismissed distractions, reaffirming his commitment to Liverpool’s title charge.

“The only thing on my mind is I want Liverpool to win the league and I want to be part of that,” Salah added.

Meanwhile, defending champions Manchester City ended a poor run of form with a 2-0 victory over relegation-threatened Leicester. Goals from Savinho and Erling Haaland provided much-needed relief for Pep Guardiola’s side, who have endured nine defeats in their last 13 matches.

“It is not enjoyable right now, it is just relief,” Guardiola admitted. “We don’t have energy to sustain 90 minutes. Hopefully the new year can help us bounce back.”

The win lifts City to fifth place in the table, though they remain 14 points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Forest Surge to Second Place

Nottingham Forest continued their impressive form with a 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park. Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White were on target as Forest climbed to second in the Premier League table, leapfrogging Chelsea and Arsenal.

Elsewhere, injury-hit Tottenham surrendered a late equaliser to Wolves, drawing 2-2, while Crystal Palace edged Southampton 2-1 at Selhurst Park. Bournemouth secured a last-gasp 2-2 draw at Fulham, thanks to an 89th-minute leveller from Dango Ouattara.

Chelsea and Manchester United are set to play on Monday, while Arsenal travel to Brentford on Wednesday.