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PREMIER League Player of the Season Mohamed Salah set a Premier League scoring record as Liverpool sealed a place in next season’s Champions League with victory over Brighton.

Salah scored his 32nd goal of the season to beat the record of 31 goals in a 38-game season held by Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, 1995-96), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, 2007-08) and Luis Suarez (Liverpool, 2013-14).

Jurgen Klopp’s side were slow to start but blew the Seagulls away once they had found their best.

It was an impressive performance on a perfect sunny afternoon at Anfield with the Champions League final against Real Madrid to come on 26 May.

By providing the game’s opener, Salah scored his 32nd goal of the campaign – the most by a player in a 38-game Premier League season.

After Salah’s low finish from Dominic Solanke’s pass, Dejan Lovren doubled the lead by powerfully heading in Andrew Robertson’s cross.

After the break, Liverpool continued to dominate and Solanke smashed in his first goal for the club off the underside of the bar, having met Salah’s lay-off at the end of a strong run.

Full-back Andrew Robertson also got his first Liverpool goal, sweeping in from close range with four minutes to play.

Liverpool would have slipped out of the top four had they lost and Chelsea beaten Newcastle, but the Blues’ 3-0 defeat at St James’ Park was irrelevant.

Victory means the Reds matched their fourth-place finish of last season, while Brighton end their first top-flight campaign since 1983 in the safety of 15th. — BBC Sport