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Jurgen Klopp has explained his decision to bench Mohamed Salah for Liverpool’s game at Crystal Palace.
Salah was benched for the first time in the Premier League this season as the Reds strengthened their position at the top of the table with a remarkable 7-0 victory on Saturday.
The Egyptian was introduced shortly before the hour and went on to set a goal and score twice, taking it to 16 in 21 games in all competitions this season, to help Liverpool record their biggest away win in the history of the high. category.
And Klopp pointed to Salah’s streak of successive starts as a reason for his exclusion from the starting lineup.
“What was the plan for him not to start? That’s easy, ”said the Reds boss.
“It is the first time in a long time that we have the opportunity to do something like this.
“We played on Sunday and Wednesday, so it was clear that we needed fresh legs today.
“Joel (Matip) could come in, Naby (Keita) could come in, and then we had to think about how we can deal with that on the attack line.
“Mo had missed only seven minutes of the last four games, an enormously intense period, so it was clear it would be him.
“Games with Crystal Palace have generally been tight and close, so bringing him in for the last half hour I thought it was a good idea.
“We did that, but it wasn’t exactly the scenario we would have expected, of course.”
Salah was replaced in the XI by Takumi Minamino, who opened the scoring after just three minutes and put on an impressive performance on the left wing after being employed recently in midfield.
“We want to use Taki,” Klopp said. “The way we play, if you play for us in midfield you also need to have offensive skills, it means that Taki can play there.
“He played there twice, he did well, but more importantly in training, he looked very strong and in great shape. That is why today he was fighting for a place.
“He played an excellent game and had a good ending (for his goal). It’s in a good time so we have to use it.
“I saw him in the locker room after the game and you couldn’t help the smile on his face.”
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Two goals from Roberto Firmino and one from Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane completed the win, ensuring Liverpool is the leader at Christmas for the third year in a row.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made his first appearance of the season in a late cameo from the bench after recovering from a knee problem.
And Klopp added: “No one was hurt. We will take it with us and move on. “
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