When referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the penalty spot after Dominik Szoboszlai went to the ground, there was no doubt as to who was responsible.
Darwin Nunez may have scored a penalty a few weeks earlier for LASK, but the Uruguayan standing in the box holding the ball was simply there to ensure the scene was set for Mohamed Salah Can pass from a distance of 12 meters.
Sure enough, the Egyptian came on to help Liverpool eventually earn a 2-2 draw against Brighton in their final outing before the recent international break.
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It was the third penalty awarded to the Red Devils in the top flight this season, just one fewer than the whole of last season.
Salah missed Liverpool matches after matches were announced
Salah missed Liverpool matches after matches were announced
Salah missed Liverpool matches after matches were announced match announced
And that allowed Salah to improve his impressive conversion rate from the penalty spot to 82.
35%, scoring 28 of his 34 penalties.
For some context, only 11 Liverpool players can boast a better ratio, with only two of them – Jan Molby and Steven Gerrard – having more shots on target than Salah.
Phil Neal, the Reds’ primary penalty taker during the late 1970s and early 1980s, scored 38 of 51 penalties.
Salah maintains confidence in himself and Klopp despite missing three of his previous five penalties before scoring against West Ham United last month, which included defeats in consecutive matches.
followed in the Premier League against Bournemouth and Arsenal at the end of last season.
“We talked and he (Mo) wants to stay as a penalty taker,” Klopp said at the time.
“We had a normal conversation about it and I said ‘Okay, you are’.
You don’t feel great in that moment and that’s what he said, because the pressure obviously increases with the penalties you miss.
“Not since Roberto Firmino was afforded the chance to complete a hat-trick against Arsenal in December 2018 has Salah not taken a penalty when on the pitch.
And he contributed greatly to Liverpool being successful from 23 consecutive penalties between October 2018 and September 2021, a club record.
Firmino, though, has now departed.
As too have James Milner – who scored 19 of 21 spot kicks – and Fabinho, who netted three times in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.
Indeed, Nunez is the only current Liverpool player other than Salah to take a penalty in regular time for the Red Devils.
The next position after Salah is therefore very much up for grabs, with the past few days showing there are plenty of contenders.
Nunez scored a penalty in Uruguay’s historic win over Brazil, Virgil van Dijk kept his composure to ensure the Netherlands beat Greece in extra time, and Dominik Szoboszlai scored to help Hungary draw with Lithuania.
However, Luis Diaz failed to convert a goal in Colombia’s goalless draw against Ecuador.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is another option previously mentioned by Klopp.
But while the right-back has converted all three of his penalties in shoot-outs for Liverpool, he has yet to be entrusted with one during the regular course of a match.
If Liverpool are awarded a penalty against Everton on Saturday, Salah will step up to take.
But if the Egyptian isn’t there, recent evidence suggests Klopp will be spoilt for choice.
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