2,200 fighters set for round 4 of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Fujairah

BURNLEY, England: Mohamed Salah’s stoppage-time penalty ensured Liverpool maintained their winning start to the Premier League season with a 1-0 victory at promoted side Burnley on Sunday.

With British record signing Alexander Isak forced to wait for his Liverpool debut having been left out the squad for the trip to Lancashire, the champions struggled to break down a dogged home side in the first half.

After a regroup at the break, the visitors upped the ante in the second half, with Dominik Szoboszlai finally forcing a fine save from Martin Dubravka in the Burnley goal.

Burnley were holding on for a well-earned point with ease, before the ball agonizingly struck substitute Hannibal Mejbri’s arm in the penalty area and Salah slotted the spot kick into the net in the 95th minute to break home hearts.

Liverpool are still to really get going this season, requiring a winner in the last 10 minutes of all four of their league victories so far. The goal that clinched an undeserved success at Turf Moor was certainly the most fortunate.

“I know how hard it is to create chances against a team that’s with 11 players in their 18-yard box,” Liverpool coach Arne Slot said.

“I’m not saying anything negative about them, just trying to explain how difficult it is against a Premier League team, because they are very good players as well.”

After one of the longest transfer sagas in Premier League history finally reached its expected conclusion, Liverpool supporters had hoped for their first glimpse of their £125-million ($169.45-million) goal machine.

While Slot said this week that Isak would have to be utilized carefully due to his previous injuries and lack of action so far this season, the Swede was still expected to at least be on the bench at Turf Moor.

But the wait goes on as, without their expensive new forward, Liverpool mustered just one shot on target in the first half, from left-back Andrew Robertson.

Burnley, who conceded the fewest goals in English football league history last term to earn them promotion, otherwise frustrated the champions with ease. Even Lesley Ugochukwu’s red card for two bookings in the 84th minute did not seem to fluster them.

Even without Isak, Liverpool still had much attacking talent on the Turf Moor pitch but they just could not find that killer pass.

Salah was especially below par but he made no mistake in the most pressurised moment after Hannibal had stuck up an arm to block Jeremie Frimpong’s cross.

“The overriding factor here is that everything we set about to be today, I am immensely proud of the players,” Burnley coach Scott Parker said. “The game ends in a real heartbreaking way for us. It is what it is.”

The champions’ impressive Premier League goalscoring streak stretches to 38 games nonetheless, their longest such run in the competition.

Salah has now scored 188 Premier League goals, moving ahead of Andrew Cole into outright fourth in the top goalscorers chart.

LAS VEGAS: Two Saudi boxers made their debuts on Saturday night as part of the “fight of the century” between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford.

In the lightweight division, Mohammed Alakel scored a unanimous-decision win over American Travis Crawford after 10 action-packed rounds. 

Alakel had easily won five prior matches, including knocking out his previous challenger Yumnam Singh in the first round four months ago.

Sultan Al-Mohammed earned a unanimous-decision win over American Martin Caraballo in his first fight in the super lightweight division. 

Alakel told a press briefing attended by Arab News after his fight: “I’m honored to be representing my country in these big events. It’s my first time fighting outside of Saudi Arabia … I hope to fight many more times. It’s been good fighting.”

He said the “very different” fight atmosphere between Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas did not impact his ability to win.

“Vegas is known for boxing, these big events, so obviously the energy is different. But I don’t really focus on people or the crowd that much. I focus on my opponent and the work that needs to be done,” he added.

Alakel said his opponent “didn’t surprise me at all. Of course he’s got more fights and experience, and I knew he was going to be tough.”

He added that he is “extremely grateful” for the support he has received from his country and Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation.

Al-Mohammed said he is excited to pursue boxing and build on his first fight and victory. “It’s good but I want more … I didn’t do everything I have. Next time you’ll see better than this,” he added, thanking Alalshikh and the Saudi Boxing Federation for supporting him. “Next time I’ll show you more and even better skills.”