Salah shares scoring record for Liverpool

| | West Bromwich

West Bromwich Albion kept its slim hopes of Premier League survival alive with a stunning late comeback to draw 2-2 with Liverpool on Saturday and take the shine off Mohamed Salah's latest goal-scoring landmark.

The Egypt international matched the record of 31 goals for a 38-game top-flight season set by Alan Shearer (1995-96), Cristiano Ronaldo (2007-08) and Luis Suarez (2013-14) with three matches still to spare with a clever chipped finish.

Andy Cole's record of 34 goals in a 42-game season looks well within the grasp of Salah, who took the limelight away from Danny Ings' first goal since October 2015.

The final word, though, belonged to West Brom as it came from behind with goals from Jake Livermore and then Salomon Rondon in the 88th minute.

It was just reward for the hosts, with caretaker-manager Darren Moore extending his unbeaten run to three matches, including games against two of the top four.

However, it was harsh on Ings who looked set to enjoy a day to remember after a difficult period since moving to Anfield from Burnley, with two serious knee injuries restricting him to just 11 appearances for the club in his first two seasons.

With one eye on Tuesday's Champions League semifinal first leg at home to Roma Klopp made five changes, including three of the back four, and that gave Ings a chance.

Sadio Mane worked his way to the byline and drilled in a cross which Georginio Wijnaldum controlled before allowing his teammate to blast home.

It was only the third of Liverpool's last 27 league goals not to be scored by Mane, Firmino or  Salah.

Ings was denied a second by goalkeeper Ben Foster's outstretched foot late in the half but West Brom dominated the latter stages of the half. A rare miscontrol by James Milner allowed Livermore to whip over a far-post cross which James McClean drilled back across goal, but Jay Rodriguez's lunge was inches away from converting a certain equalizer.

Ings had a penalty shout turned down after the break when Craig Dawson stepped across him to prevent him reaching Joe Gomez's pass.

Salah, quiet since an 11th-minute shot was deflected over by Livermore, came in from the periphery when substitutes Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain combined to tee him up to coolly beat Foster in the 72nd minute.

Livermore, though, gave the hosts hope with a scrambled finish from a corner and Rondon headed home Brunt's near-post free kick with two minutes to go.

Pep asks to focus on record

Pep Guardiola has indicated pursuing a Premier League record points total may be the best way to keep his Manchester City players focused over the final five matches of the season.

City are at home to Swansea on Sunday, having secured Guardiola's first English league title last weekend, as they won at Tottenham Hotspur and closest challengers Manchester United suffered a shock defeat at home to bottom-of-the-table West Bromwich Albion.

The manager, though, is concerned his squad's performance levels will drop, now that they effectively have only pride left to play for this term.

That is why he feels that chasing Chelsea's Premier League record of 95 points in a season, set in 2004/05, is a useful target for City, who are currently on 87.

"In the past, I have won the league at Barcelona and Bayern Munich with five, six, seven games to go, and the remaining games were not good," Guardiola said Friday.

"We tried to tell the players, 'Come on, keep going', but we were not able to keep going.

"There has to be a target. When the target is already done in terms of the title, what is the reason to fight? Score as many goals, get as many wins and points as we can. That's a good focus."