Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s prolific goal-getter, was praised by Jurgen Klopp following an exhilarating victory against Newcastle United.

Title: Jurgen Klopp Praises Mohamed Salah’s Brilliance as Liverpool Edge Past Newcastle in Thrilling Encounter Amid AFCON Uncertainties

Jurgen Klopp expressed his admiration for Mohamed Salah’s goalscoring abilities after the Egyptian international netted a brace in Liverpool’s thrilling 4-2 victory over Newcastle United at Anfield on a chilly January night in England. The Reds’ star forward, who is set to join Egypt’s squad for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), struck twice in a pulsating encounter, including a successful penalty conversion after missing his initial attempt from the spot.

In the post-match interview with Sky Sports, Klopp reflected on Salah’s performance, stating, “Mo is a goal scoring machine. It would have been ideal if he’d scored the first penalty, but it’s all part of the game.”

Salah’s first goal came after an unselfish pass from new signing Darwin Nunez, who once again put in a tireless display despite his recent goal drought. Klopp continued, “Darwin had chances too. I would say 99.9% of players would have finished it themselves, but he chose to pass it to Mo. It was a special game and a special night.”

The Liverpool manager also praised Nunez for his efforts, acknowledging the Uruguayan’s contributions beyond finding the back of the net. “Of course he’s not happy with not scoring,” Klopp explained. “But football is a simple game – put the ball in the back of the net. Darwin kept Botman and Schar together. We needed him there. As long as Darwin has these moments, it’s all fine. Darwin will score.”

A light-hearted moment at full-time saw Klopp lose his wedding ring on the pitch amid the post-match celebrations. Fortunately, he managed to recover it with the help of a TV cameraman. “That would have been really awful,” Klopp added. “I lost it in the sea once and needed a professional diver. I had a massive shock but it’s back.”

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe expressed his frustration over two contentious penalty decisions that went in Liverpool’s favor. The Magpies felt hard done by as Sean Longstaff was denied a spot-kick when Wataru Endo brought him down inside the box, just before Curtis Jones restored Liverpool’s lead at 2-1. Liverpool were then awarded their second penalty of the match when Martin Dubravka was penalized for a challenge on Diogo Jota.

Howe told Sky Sports, “I didn’t think the second one was a penalty. And I did think Sean Longstaff’s one before that was. It shouldn’t be given. Martin has pulled his hand away. He’s had two steps before going down. For me, it’s not a penalty. Even the first one, the contact was so minimal.”

Despite Newcastle’s third consecutive Premier League defeat, Howe remains optimistic about his team’s ability to turn their form around. “You have to have the mindset that you create your luck,” he added. “Feeling sorry for yourself never has any positive outcome. The players gave everything. I back the quality of the group. In time, we’ll get the results we need.”