LIVERPOOL, England, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Mohamed Salah scored a hat-trick, including two penalties, as Liverpool began their Premier League title defence with a hugely entertaining 4-3 win over promoted Leeds United at Anfield on Saturday.

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Alfredo Morelos, an early substitute for hamstring injury victim Brandon Barker and the subject of a £16million plus bid from Lille earlier in the summer, was taken off on a stretcher on 55 minutes after visiting centre-back Ryan Edwards had appeared to leave his studs in following a challenge.

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Within a minute, substitute Glen Kamara had headed wide from a Borna Barisic cross and, after Hagi and Filip Helander had put efforts wide, the home side scored from another opportunity created on that left.

Juergen Klopp’s side grabbed a fourth minute lead after referee Michael Oliver harshly ruled that Leeds’ debutant German defender Robin Koch had handled a Salah shot which deflected off his thigh on to his outstretched arm.

However, their star performer was to be found at the other end of the field in Ryan Kent, who opened the scoring ahead of further efforts from captain James Tavernier, Kemar Roofe and Morelos’ replacement Scott Arfield.

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Watford were the more vibrant side before half-time before retreating after the break.

Middlesbrough saw chances come and go, with Britt Assombalonga their most dangerous player, but Watford showed a resoluteness often missing last season.

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Kent has been Rangers’ outstanding contributor so far this season. If a rejected £10million offer from Leeds United and reports of continued interest have been unsettling in any way, there is certainly no sign of any negative effect.

Barisic is a major weapon for Rangers given the overall quality of his delivery. Yet, he was afforded so much time to weigh up his options from the flank before firing a dangerous low cross into the heart of the area on 39 minutes .

Aina’s signing follows the capture of midfielder Harrison Reed, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, right back Kenny Tete and midfielder Mario Lemina and left back Antonee Robinson while winger Anthony Knockaert’s loan move was made permanent.

Leon Balogun also limped out of the warm-up, Ryan Jack went off after 11 minutes and Borna Barisic was replaced in the second period ahead of the Glasgow outfit’s Europa League second qualifying round trip to Gibraltar to face Lincoln Red Imps on Thursday.

The likes of Troy Deeney, Danny Welbeck, Ismaila Sarr and Will Hughes were among a raft of players absent here through a combination of injury, lack of match fitness or simply sitting in the departure lounge waiting for a move before the window shuts next month.

United centre-back Ryan Edwards did remain an impediment to progress, but what could only be described as a blinding combination of shimmies and step-overs threw the former Plymouth and Blackpool defender off-balance and opened up a shot at goal.

Rangers dominated the game and became the first side to open a Scottish season with seven straight clean sheets, beating a landmark established by arch-rivals Celtic back in 1906, thanks, in no small part, to an 86th- minute effort from visiting midfielder Ian Harkes coming back off the crossbar and keeper Jon McLaughlin denying Lawrence Shankland in the dying seconds.

It was cruel on Leeds but the Yorkshire club will take huge encouragement from their display while Liverpool, now unbeaten in 60 league games at Anfield, are up and Suggested Site running again. (Reporting by Simon Evans, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

It’s early days of course and the remaining weeks of the transfer window will bring further upheaval, but Watford proved just about superior to a Middlesbrough team who you sense would be more than content with mid-table anonymity.

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