Premier League Round-Up: Mo Salah penalty keeps Liverpool ahead, Southampton beat Leicester

Liverpool went seven points clear at the top of the Premier League and bounced back from two successive defeats in all competitions after a Mohamed Salah penalty gave them a 1-0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

The result put Liverpool on 57 points from 22 games, seven ahead of closest rivals Manchester City who are at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday. Third-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have 48 points, host Manchester United on Sunday.

Manager Juergen Klopp was pleased with the outcome and the performance which he described as a "really nice song if not an opera of football".

"We learned from the first half and the second half was better," Klopp told the BBC.

"It was a mature performance from my side. This season it is quite a new skill and I'd like us to keep that.

"It was very hard but that is how it is. Everyone knows how difficult it is to go to Brighton."

Liverpool were clinical if unimpressive on the south coast, having lost 2-1 at City in their previous league outing before being beaten by Wolves in the FA Cup third round by the same scoreline.

After a dour first half, Salah produced a moment of trademark individual skill to win the spot kick he converted five minutes into the second half after Pascal Gross had fouled him following the Egyptian's neat footwork in the penalty area.

Xherdan Shaqiri, who got a rare start on the right flank in a reshuffled 4-2-3-1 formation, missed Liverpool's best chance in the opening half when he headed just wide after Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross.

As Brighton threw men forward in the closing stages, Liverpool twice came close to scoring again with the home team's goalkeeper David Button parrying Roberto Firmino's effort before Salah misfired wide from five metres.

Klopp singled out Alexander-Arnold, who picked up an ankle injury in the warm-up but played through the pain for the full 90 minutes.

"It was a shock in that moment," said the German. "It was the last situation of the warming up. He wants to play so he doesn't say immediately.

"On the way in we thought he couldn't play so James Milner did a warm-up but it was a brilliant decision from the medical staff and Trent. He played well."

10-man Southampton out of drop zone with Leicester win

Southampton moved out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday despite playing half the match with 10 men at the King Power Stadium.

Saints came into the contest having picked up four points in their last two Premier League away games, and found themselves in front after 11 minutes through James Ward-Prowse's penalty.

Their task was seemingly made more difficult when Yan Valery was sent off for a second yellow card just before halftime but Shane Long squeezed the ball home to double Southampton's advantage just before the break.

Leicester committed more bodies forward in the second period and soon got themselves back in the match through Wilfred Ndidi's scrappy goal in the 58th minute.

The win moves Southampton up to 16th while Leicester followed up their humiliating FA Cup defeat by League Two side Newport County with a loss that sees them drop to eighth.

Huddersfield end losing run with 0-0 draw at Cardiff

Bottom club Huddersfield Town ended their eight-match losing streak in the Premier League with a goalless draw at fellow strugglers Cardiff City on Saturday but were left fuming over a decision by referee Lee Mason.

Cardiff, in 17th place, did not manage a shot on target and Huddersfield will feel they should have picked up a rare win in South Wales.The controversy came when Mason pointed to the spot after Florent Hadergjonaj went down under challenge from Joe Bennett, but changed his mind after consulting his assistant.

Fulham sunk by two own goals at Burnley

Burnley beat Fulham 2-1 at Turf Moor on Saturday thanks to two own goals to make it three straight league wins for Sean Dyche's side and leave the visitors deep in relegation danger.

The Clarets won without a single shot of their own on target and rode their luck in a typical scrap between two teams fighting against the drop, played in cold, windy and wet conditions.
German international Andre Schurrle put Fulham, without an away win this season, ahead in brilliant fashion in the second minute, bringing down a long ball from Denis Odoi and blasting, first time, past Tom Heaton.

But Burnley got back on level terms in the 20th minute when Jeff Hendrick's low drive was turned into his own net by Fulham defender Joe Bryan.
Three minutes later and Hendrick had forced another own goal -- his drive headed in by Odoi to put the Clarets 2-1 up.

Watford come from behind for 2-1 win at Crystal Palace

Tom Cleverley volleyed a brilliant 74th-minute winning goal as Watford came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1. Palace went in front seven minutes before halftime with an own goal by Craig Cathcart in a goalmouth melee following a corner.

Defender Cathcart equalised in the 67th minute when he beat his marker James Tomkins to the ball following a corner and headed past substitute goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey at the far post with Watford’s first effort on target.

Substitute Tom Cleverley stunned Palace with the winner seven minutes later, volleying Tomkins’s clearance into the top corner.

Rice's first sinks Arsenal

In the early match of the day, Declan Rice's first goal for West Ham United earned his side a deserved first home victory over Arsenal for 13 years on Saturday -- the youngster's 48th minute strike securing a 1-0 win at the London Stadium.

Premier League: All Results and scores

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 0 LIVERPOOL 1

LEICESTER CITY 1 SOUTHAMPTON 2

CARDIFF CITY 0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0

BURNLEY 2 FULHAM 1

CRYSTAL PALACE 1 WATFORD 2

WEST HAM UNITED 1 ARSENAL 0