Liverpool vs Leeds United player ratings: Mohamed Salah stars as champions edge past promoted side

Salah’s hat-trick clinched victory for the champions in a frantic encounter

Salah scored an opening day hat-trick (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Liverpool hosted Leeds at Anfield on the opening day of the Premier League season and a real goal-fest ensued.

The Reds led three times, only for the newly promoted outfit to reply in kind each time before a late penalty gave the home side a 4-3 win.

Mohamed Salah won and scored a penalty, before Jack Harrison netted a brilliant individual equaliser.

Virgil van Dijk then scored and gifted Patrick Bamford an equaliser, with Salah quickly smashing in his brace - only for Mateusz Klich to net Leeds’ third in the second half. And it was left to Salah to net his hat-trick from the spot in the closing stages to seal the win.

Here are our player ratings from Anfield.

Van Dijk scored Liverpool's second (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL

Alisson Becker - 5. Miscommunication for the second goal. Couldn’t do much for the first.

Trent Alexander-Arnold - 5. Looks very short of full fitness after not playing any pre-season games for the Reds and just one start with England.

Joe Gomez - 6. Hit and miss. Good recoveries, but drawn out of position more than once and couldn’t cut out a few runs directly through the defence.

Virgil van Dijk - 5. Great header for the goal, but equally poor with an attempted clearance for Leeds’ second.

Andy Robertson - 7. The best outlet for the home side. Good set-piece delivery and crossing. Defended well one-on-one.

Jordan Henderson - 6. A mix of good challenges in midfield and sloppy passes - but in his first game for a couple of months that was perhaps to be expected.

Naby Keita - 7. Created a few openings and was one of the more consistent home players in possession. Surprisingly subbed before an hour.

Gini Wijnaldum - 7. The usual industry and work rate. Should have scored with a close-range chance early in the second half.

Mohamed Salah - 9. Lethal. His first shot was probably going in before an arm stopped it, so he scored the penalty instead. Another fantastic finish for the second, a cool finish to win it late on.

Roberto Firmino - 7. Good link play and movement, but didn’t take on the shooting chances which fell his way.

Sadio Mane - 6. Always a fantastic outlet and took up good positions, but it wasn’t his day in terms of finishing.

Leeds fought back repeatedly at Anfield (Getty Images)

LEEDS

Illan Meslier - 7. Despite conceding three he made a couple of crucial saves to keep his team in the game.

Luke Ayling - 6. Always on the front foot to get forward but found it tough defensively.

Robin Koch - 6. A mixed bag for the debutant. Did well one-on-one, but beaten in the air at times, conceded the penalty and struggled with the front three’s movement.

Pascal Struijk - 6. Tidy on the ball, similarly lost his man several times in defensive phases.

Stuart Dallas - 5. Really struggled against Salah. Got forward well at times though mostly as a support option.

Kalvin Phillips - 6. Some exceptional passing and exploited the gaps in the home team’s defence. But also caught out on the ball, overrun by the Liverpool press and didn’t track runners too often.

Helder Costa - 7. One of the more progressive options for Leeds every time he got on the ball.

Pablo Hernandez - 6. Neat and tidy on the ball but overrun somewhat defensively.

Mateusz Klich - 7. Tremendously hard-working, good in transition play and a fantastically taken goal.

Jack Harrison - 6. Brilliant individual strike early on though faded somewhat in a fast-paced game.

Patrick Bamford - 7. Led the line with industry and a well-taken goal.