ALTON, Va. – Max Root is no stranger to the front of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama field at Virginia Int’l Raceway, as he led the race here last year in the No. 7 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machine.

But Root paid his first visit to the top step of the podium Saturday in challenging conditions during the first race of the weekend at the 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit. As the race was declared wet by IMSA officials, every car in the field was running on Yokohama rain tires, but portions of the track dried throughout the 45-minute race.

Root managed to chase down points leader Roman De Angelis in the No. 79 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche – who started the race from the pole position and held the lead from the drop of the green flag – with just over three minutes remaining. Once the 20-year-old Californian got the lead, he quickly checked out, taking the checkered flag 35.889 seconds ahead of De Angelis to get his first win.

“It was an amazing race,” Root said. “Those were interesting conditions, something we could have never predicted, but we made those Yokohamas go as far as they could. Driving on a dry/wet track with wet tires was interesting. I couldn’t have done it without the Wright Motorsports guys and all my sponsors.”

With the runner-up result, De Angelis still holds a comfortable 65-point lead, 379-314, over Root in the season championship standings in the Platinum Cup class for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Cars built between 2017 and 2019. De Angelis now has finished either first or second in all 11 races to date this year.

Fred Poordad made it two Wright Motorsports entries on the overall podium in the No. 20 Porsche and took the class victory in the Platinum Masters class for drivers 45 years of age or over. Poordad – who also won a race here at VIR last year – also earned the race’s Yokohama Hard Charger Award as the Platinum Cup driver who improved the most positions from start to finish. He started 15th on the overall grid.

“We had a disappointing qualifying, at least I did,” Poordad said. “I thought, ‘Wow, from where we’re starting there’s not a lot I can do but keep it clean.’ But we plugged away one car at a time. Wright Motorsports gave me an incredible car today. It felt very planted. It didn’t even feel like it was wet out there. Hats off to Yokohama Tires as well, because those tires lasted me the entire race. I felt like I could have gone another 20 minutes on them.

“I’m happy today. Happy for Wright Motorsports with a couple of podiums and happy for my teammates as well.”

Jeff Mosing finished second in Platinum Masters and fourth overall in the No. 68 Topp Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machine. Alan Metni finished third in the Platinum Masters class in the No. 99 AM Motorsports/Kelly-Moss Porsche and now leads the class point standings by 21 points, 348-327, over Poordad.

Rob Ferriol drove the No. 5 Moorespeed entry to his second career victory in the Gold Cup class for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machines built between 2014 and 2016. Ferriol took the lead when class points leader Sebastian Carazo spun in the Oak Tree Turn with less than 17 minutes remaining in the race.

Ferriol then held off Carazo – especially through an intense final lap – to win by 0.365 seconds.

“My plan for the day was conservative,” Ferriol said. “Bring the car home. Make it to the checkered. These rain races, things happen. So, I figured I’d keep it close to the front and stay consistent and smart, and maybe the race would come to me. And it did.”

Carazo ended up second and continues to lead the Gold Cup standings by 38 points, 371-333, over Ferriol. Efrin Castro finished third in Gold Cup aboard the No. 65 ACI Motorsports Porsche.

ROUGEMONT, N.C. – The CARS Tour has released tentative 2020 schedules for its late model stock and super late model divisions.

Both divisions will open the season at Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C., with $10,000-to-win features for both classes on March 7.

Hickory Motor Speedway will host the CARS Tour twice, with both divisions visiting the historic North Carolina venue on March 21 and again on Aug. 1 for the fourth edition of the Throwback 276.

Orange County Speedway is back on the CARS Tour schedule with two events. The first will take place April 4-5 and feature the late model stock division battling for a $30,000 payday during the Old North State Nationals. Both division will head back to Orange County on Aug. 22 for a pair of $10,000-to-win features.

The late model stock division will have three standalone events in the months of May and June, with Ace Speedway (May 1), Langley Speedway (June 6) and Dominion Raceway (June 20) hosting the tour.

The super late model division will tentatively take the months of May and June off before returning for the tours inaugural trip to Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway for a $20,000-to-win show on July 4.

Another standalone event for the late model stock tour is scheduled for July 11 at Carteret County Speedway before the previously mentioned events at Hickory on Aug. 1 and Orange County on Aug. 22.

The season will conclude for both divisions on Sept. 12 at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway.

The only track that appeared on the schedule this season that is absent from the 2020 schedule is Virginia’s Motor Mile Speedway.

CARS Tour officials indicated that additional events for both classes could be added at a later date.

ALTON, Va. – How close was the 15-minute qualifying session for Sunday’s Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia Int’l Raceway?

Try 0.078 seconds between first and second and 0.156 seconds between first and third.

WeatherTech Championship GT Le Mans points leader Laurens Vanthoor picked up his second IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole, driving the No. 912 Porsche GT Team 911 RSR to the best lap of one minute, 40.630 seconds (116.982 mph). Vanthoor did that lap with just over two minutes remaining in the session and brought the car into the pits instead of taking the checkered flag on the racetrack.

That’s when Jan Magnussen sped by in the No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R with a lap of 1:40.708 (116.892 mph), just barely missing Vanthoor’s pole time. A few seconds later, here came Ryan Briscoe in the No. 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT with a lap of 1:40.786 (116.801 mph) also just missing the pole.

Was Vanthoor concerned that he pitted early?

“I was, but my engineer wasn’t,” Vanthoor laughed. “I made a mistake in Corner 1, and he directly saw I was down, but I made it up a little bit afterward. The time was going to be close to where I was and I knew I could maybe improve, but he was confident that I should box. We’re starting on these tires tomorrow and it’s going to be a long race and a long first stint, probably, so he opted that it was enough and wanted to save the tires. So, I trusted him and luckily he was right.”

Vanthoor’s previous pole also came in a GT-only WeatherTech Championship race, at Lime Rock Park earlier this year for the Northeast Grand Prix. He and co-driver Earl Bamber go into Sunday’s race leading the GTLM championship standings by 14 points, 248-234, over their teammates, Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet in the No. 911 Porsche.

“It’s our second pole and we’re leading the championship with three races to go,” Vanthoor said. “We have a bit of a points lead, but that can go away quickly. We need to maximize every weekend and be safe and get on the podium. Starting from the pole is the best way to defend.”

Magnussen and his No. 3 co-driver, Antonio Garcia, who won back-to-back races here at VIR in 2016 and 2017, are looking for their first WeatherTech Championship GTLM win since then. Briscoe and his No. 67 co-driver, Richard Westbrook, have won the last two GTLM races – at Lime Rock and Road America – and look for their third straight on Sunday.

Joey Hand qualified fourth in the No. 66 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT at 1:40.956 (116.604 mph) and Oliver Gavin completed the top five with a lap of 1:41.578 (115.890 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette Racing C7.R.

Zacharie Robichon proved that every lap counts during his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying performance in the GT Daytona division.

Driving the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, Robichon earned the GT Daytona class Motul Pole Award on the final lap of the 15-minute session. His time of one minute, 45.826 seconds (111.238 mph) bumped Frankie Montecalvo from the top spot by just .324 seconds, which Montecalvo posted only one lap prior.

Tomorrow will be the second time Robichon leads the WeatherTech Championship GT Daytona class to green this season. He was awarded the top spot at the Detroit Grand Prix in June following a disqualification of the initial pole winner.

“I mean credit goes out to the team on this one,” said Robichon, who will be co-driving with Scott Hargrove in Sunday’s Michelin GT Challenge. “They made the right call. They got the timing right. I think we got the extra lap on everybody else. I was just a tenth behind before that, but I think because of that last lap we were able to put it in. It was a little bit exciting.”

Robichon and the Pfaff Motorsports team are currently riding a winning streak. They scored back-to-back victories at Lime Rock Park last month and Road America three weeks ago. Robichon and Hargrove will be seeking their first victory as co-drivers, with Robichon winning alongside Dennis Olsen at Lime Rock and with Matt Campbell at Road America.

“It was a new team at the beginning of the year, and we’ve been able to come together as a team,” said Robichon. “We’ve been working together now as a crew at this level, and everybody knows their task, everybody is executing perfectly. The potential has been there all along, but we’ve finally been able to start hitting our stride.”

Montecalvo’s time in the No. 12 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, ultimately held on for the outside front row starting spot. His teammate Richard Heistand in the No. 14 Lexus will start third.

A pair of Acura NSX GT3s swept the fourth and fifth positions, with Trent Hindman in the No. 86 Acura for Meyer Shank Racing posting the fourth quick time and Alice Powell, in her IMSA debut, earning the fifth spot in the No. 57 Heinricher Racing with Meyer Shank Racing Acura.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – The Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli championship took a dramatic turn in the series’ 47th visit to Road America in Saturday’s Ryan Companies 100.

Ernie Francis Jr. scored his third victory of the season and took the TA class championship lead in the No. 98 Breathless Racing Frameless Shower Doors Ford Mustang. Boris Said came home second, while Cliff Ebben completed the podium, with the Wisconsin driver of the No. 36 Stumpf Ford/Machavern Group/Lamers Racing Ford Mustang prevailing in a spirited late-race battle with Amy Ruman in the No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette.

Francis run to victory followed a torrid early battle with pole sitter Chris Dyson in the No. 20 Plaid Ford Mustang.

The two cars were running within a half-second of each other before Dyson spun in his race-leading Mustang on the 10th lap in turn five of the 4-mile circuit. The spin gave the lead to Francis, who was closely followed by popular veteran Boris Said in the No. 3 Elavon/Burtin Racing Chevrolet Camaro. Francis gradually built his advantage, winning over Said by 35.842 seconds.

“It was a real good race between Chris and I,” said Francis, who made it two-in-a-row after winning at Mid-Ohio. “We were going back and forth with the fastest lap. Then lapped traffic began to play a factor, and I was able to close in a little bit and put on the pressure. Then, coming into the brake zone for Turn 5, he got a little too much wheel hop into it, and I was able to go around.

“After that, I was able to pull out a gap and maintain a decent pace to take it home for the finish,” continued Francis. “I was keeping an eye on Boris. It was really great for points this weekend, and I couldn’t be prouder of the guys at Breathless Racing preparing the Frameless Shower Doors Mustang. The car was awesome all weekend. These are the kind of results we need at the end of the season, trying to pull out a championship.”

Dyson entered Saturday with a five-point lead over Francis in the standings. However, the New Yorker began experiencing problems early in the race.

“Unfortunately, we had a brake problem that was developing early on,” Dyson explained. “It’s a shame, but around this place you’ve got to have your brakes working right. We had speed today. We were quick, even with the brakes not quite right. I’m frustrated with myself, and I’m frustrated for the team, but you can’t drive this place if the car’s not stopping right.”

Dyson picked up a puncture on the early 10 spin and pitted. He worked his way back to eighth but spun again in Turn 5 on Lap 18, sustaining terminal right-front damage.

“We put a new left-rear on and went back out,” Dyson said. “The brakes seemed to have come back, but then they rapidly, rapidly faded, and I was braking earlier and earlier. Then I got down to Turn 5, hit the brakes, and I had nothing. Rather than take out Cindi Lux in the car in front of us, I just ditched and grazed the wall, trying to minimize the damage.”

Said was only three seconds behind the leaders when Dyson had his initial spin, but he also had mechanical problems down the stretch.

“I thought I had something for Ernie, but then we had a gearbox issue,” Said explained. “In the end, I only had fifth gear and was nursing it to the finish.”

Denny Lamers was the TA Masters winner, finishing eighth in the No. 66 Stumpf Ford/Machavern Group/Lamers Racing Ford Mustang.

Tim Kezman made a winning SGT debut in the No. 64 Fall-Line Motorsports Lemons of Love Audi R8 LMS.

“We jumped out front and had a pretty good run,” Kezman said. “I had some pressure early on, but I stayed the course. The car was great. My first time in this car was in practice on Friday, and the Audi is a fun car to drive. Fall-Line does an amazing job preparing the car. We had some issues with traffic, but we managed to keep it clean and bring it home in one piece.”

Kezeman won at Indianapolis in a Fall-Line Porsche, and finished third in that car at Mid-Ohio.

“I’ll be at the next race at Watkins Glen,” Kezman said. “I’ll probably be back in the Audi, because I think it will be a great car for The Glen.”

Ken Twaits finished second in the No. 5 Wilwood Brakes/Franklin Road Apparel Audi R8 LMS. Jason Daskalos completed the podium in the No. 27 Vintage 423 Dodge Viper, followed by SGT points leader Mark Boden in the No. 46 Fall-Line Racing Beverage Flavors International Porsche 991 GT3.

Jeff Courtney, the lone entrant in the GT class, finished 22nd overall to score his second victory of the season in the 99 Matrix/RecStuff.com/Kendra Maserati GT4.

MANCHESTER, England -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said he is "lost for words" after a second Manchester United player was racially abused on social media.

Marcus Rashford was sent a series of racist tweets after missing a penalty during the team's 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Saturday, just five days after similar incidents involving Paul Pogba.

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"It's the same as we spoke about before the weekend; it needs to stop," Solskjaer said at a news conference. "I'm just lost for words. They keep hiding behind fake IDs and it's crazy we talk about this in 2019."

Rashford missed from the spot in the second half after Jordan Ayew had scored after 32 minutes, marking Palace's first league goal at Old Trafford in 15 years.

Daniel James eventually equalised two minutes from time, only for Patrick van Aanholt to score the winner in the third minute of injury time after beating David De Gea at his near post.

"I think we didn't have enough urgency and penetration," said Solskjaer. "[The first goal] was one long kick, such an easy goal, and the last goal, David has not touched the ball [all game] and they score again. Sometimes that'll be the case -- teams will come here and defend against us."

Solskjaer said he was also frustrated by referee Paul Tierney's decision to punish Gary Cahill with just a yellow card in the first half after he pulled back Anthony Martial when the Frenchman looked to be through on goal.

The Norwegian also felt his team should have been awarded a penalty when Martial appeared to be fouled by Martin Kelly in the area -- a decision that was not overturned by the VAR.

"I think we were unlucky with Martial's clear and obvious penalty," said Solskjaer. "It's a nailed on one and when the ref sees the game he'll know he's not had his best. It's a nailed on penalty, he won't slip if he doesn't have a centre back on his shoulders."

United lost Luke Shaw to an injury in the first half, but Solskjaer hopes it is not serious ahead of next Saturday's trip to Southampton, Shaw's former club.

"We'll do the scans tomorrow, but he felt something in his hamstring," Solskjaer said. "Hopefully, it won't be too bad and I hope he is going to be back for Southampton."

MANCHESTER, England -- Soft goals conceded, David De Gea mistakes and losing games they should not; for Manchester United, Saturday's defeat to Crystal Palace had a feeling of last season about it, rather than pertaining to a new era under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

There was enough in the first two games of the season, which brought victory against Chelsea and a draw at Wolves, to suggest things were moving in the right direction. However, this 2-1 reverse -- Palace's first win at Old Trafford since 1989 -- was a reality check for home fans.

Many streamed out after Patrick van Aanholt's stoppage-time winner, no doubt feeling they had seen it all before; United conceded two poor goals, and at the other end, a lack of creativity restricted the hosts to just three shots on target.

These were the same problems that contributed to a run of eight defeats from 12 games at the end of last season, which followed wins in 14 of Solskjaer's first 17 games in charge. There remains a sense that fans are waiting to find out which version of is the truth: Will the real Manchester United please stand up?

Solskjaer was quick to say after this latest setback that his team are two converted penalties away from sitting at the top of the Premier League table with nine points from nine, but that ignores obvious problems.

United are short of creative options in midfield and prolific scorers up front and this is unlikely to be the last time this season a team visits Old Trafford to defend deep and attack on the break. Neil Warnock pulled it off with relegated Cardiff on the final day of last season and his fellow septuagenarian Roy Hodgson oversaw a similar display as previously winless Palace played things perfectly.

Not that they were without help, for United seemed determined to shoot themselves in the foot. The first goal came from a simple punt up field: Jeffrey Schlupp flicked on after outjumping Victor Lindelof and Jordan Ayew took advantage of Harry Maguire's poor positioning to roll his finish past De Gea.

If that was bad, Palace's winner was even worse. After United finally found an equaliser in the 89th minute through Daniel James' excellent curling finish, Paul Pogba gave the ball away in midfield and the subsequent breakaway led to Van Aanholt rifling a shot that should have been saved at his near post by De Gea, but instead squirmed into the net.

The goalkeeper's form became a problem during that dire run at the end of last season and Solskjaer will hope De Gea's latest gaffe is a one-off, rather than a sign of things to come. After all, the manager has enough on his plate without having to worry about changing his goalkeeper, specifically what is happening at the other end of the pitch.

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United had 77% possession on a warm, sunny day, but could only muster three shots on target and this was not a defeat that was down to heroics from the visiting goalkeeper because Vicente Guaita barely had a save to make. Indeed, he was not even stretched by United's latest penalty fiasco; Marcus Rashford stepped up ahead of Pogba, only to see his spot kick hit the post.

Luck, so often with United last season, deserted them again, but Solskjaer's men also ran out of ideas, having realised it was not possible to counter attack against a team defending so deep. It was entirely predictable, some might argue, and highlighted yet again that, while Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka solidify the defence, there is a lack of invention further forward and the attacking options are weaker after the departure of Romelu Lukaku.

The now-Inter striker split opinion among United supporters, but he averaged a goal every two games and no other player boasts a similar ratio. When Solskjaer turned to his bench in the second half on Saturday, he could only throw on 17-year-old Mason Greenwood.

It is positive that the club has so much faith in such a young player and Greenwood does have enormous potential, but it is a lot to expect a teenager without a competitive senior goal to change a game. He will eventually, but not yet.

Defeat to Crystal Palace is not a disaster -- it is only the third week of the season, after all -- but it did show the problems that remain. One former United player was heard telling a group of fans "we are c--p" as he left the stadium on Saturday evening. While the situation is not quite that bad, the hangover of last season is still causing Solskjaer a headache.

Arsenal's winless run against Liverpool extended to 10 games as the visitors were comfortably beaten 3-1 at Anfield. The Gunners were blown away by Joel Matip's header and a Mohamed Salah brace, before Lucas Torreira netted a late consolation.

Positives

Despite ultimately being on the wrong end of the scoreline, Arsenal's game plan worked for most of the first half. Their defensive capabilities have come into question all too often, but there was willingness to play out from the back against Liverpool's energy. Nicolas Pepe also showed promise; on another day his curling effort could have opened the scoring.

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Negatives

Arsenal struggled to cope with Liverpool's high press and found their penalty area bombarded during the early stages, while a diamond formation in midfield led to further exposure in wide areas against full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. At 1-0 down there was still hope, but a calamitous 10 minutes from David Luiz then gifted Liverpool two second-half goals.

Manager rating out of 10

4 -- Emery gave Pepe his first start in place of Alexandre Lacazette, while Granit Xhaka returned to the starting 11 at the expense of Reiss Nelson. A defensive approach was probably the right idea against a lethal front three, but despite a strong final 10 minutes, his side never really managed to get a foothold in the game after the break.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Bernd Leno, 5 -- Could not do much about any of the Liverpool goals. Leno produced some good routine stops, but was ultimately exposed by a poor defensive display against ruthless opposition.

DF Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 4 -- Given a torrid time by Robertson and Roberto Firminho, he never looked comfortable.

DF David Luiz, 3 -- His 250th Premier League appearance will not live long in the memory after he gave away a penalty with a naive shirt pull on Salah and was left eating dust by the same player for Liverpool's third.

DF Sokratis Papastathopoulos, 5 -- Thwarted a dangerous Salah run with a strong, perfectly-timed challenge in the first half and generally demonstrated willingness to put his body on the line, but those efforts were ultimately in vain.

DF Nacho Monreal, 4 -- Made a couple of important interceptions, but this was far from his best display.

MF Matteo Guendouzi, 5 -- Crucial in helping Arsenal get a foothold in a high-tempo first half, but was too focused on Virgil Van Dijk as Matip headed in the game's opening goal.

MF Granit Xhaka, 4 -- Made the lineup after passing a late fitness test, but struggled to cope with high tempo. He did, at least, manage to play the full 90 minutes.

MF Joe Willock, 5 -- Beat Alexander-Arnold with lovely trickery, but that was his only contribution of note. Willock's passing was sloppy and he was shrugged off the ball too easily by Sadio Mane as Liverpool nearly doubled their lead just before half-time.

MF Dani Ceballos, 4 -- Failing to build on a dazzling performance against Burnley, he made little impact and was replaced by Lucas Torreira on the hour.

FW Nicolas Pepe, 7 -- Arsenal's standout performer, Pepe showed pace and promise in his first start for the club. He was unfortunate not to open the scoring with a curling effort and looked dangerous on the counter.

FW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 6 -- Unlucky to see a 20-yard lob drop inches wide when the game was goalless, but Aubameyang generally lacked his usual cutting edge and looked unusually hesitant when he found himself clean through later. He did set up Torreira's consolation strike.

Substitutes

MF Lucas Torreira, 6 -- Showed great composure to score in front of The Kop, but did little to change the course of a game that was already over by the time he was introduced.

FW Alexandre Lacazette, NR - Replaced Willock in the 80th minute and showed some attacking intent and signs of positive link-up play.

MF Henrikh Mkhitaryan, NR -- Introduced in place of Guendouzi in the 86th minute, he had no time to make an impact.

Liverpool continued their perfect start to the season, comprehensively beating Arsenal 3-1 to stay atop the Premier League. A first-half header from Joel Matip and a brace from Mohamed Salah after the break saw Jurgen Klopp's men take command, before Lucas Torreira bagged a late salvo for the Gunners.

Positives

Three games, three wins and nine goals. Jurgen Klopp's men have started the season in dream fashion, and after Man City's slip against Tottenham, Liverpool have turned up the heat early on the two-time defending champions.

Salah was at his very best in the second half -- Liverpool are an extremely tough proposition when they have their main man firing on all cylinders -- while another goal for Joel Matip is a bonus. Alongside Virgil van Dijk, now the Reds have two centre-backs that opposing teams need to worry about from set pieces.

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Negatives

Conceding late will leave a sour taste, and goalkeeper Adrian still awaits his first clean sheet. There were nervy moments in the first half -- Adrian's turnover and a poor Jordan Henderson touch to be specific -- but Liverpool were much improved in the second period.

Manager rating out of 10

7 -- Klopp has his team at the top of the table and, after winning the Champions League last season, Liverpool supporters can dream of a first league title since 1990. The players followed their manager's game plan to perfection and, against what looks to be a serious top-four contender, Liverpool were dominant.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Adrian, 6 -- One run and slide outside his area nearly ended in disaster but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's lob went wide. Adrian made some important saves, notably a good breakaway stop on Nicolas Pepe, but his play with his feet continues to worry, even if there was no repeat of his Southampton howler. He has done an admirable job, but Alisson's return cannot come soon enough.

DF Trent Alexander-Arnold, 7 -- After bursting onto the scene last season with 12 Premier League assists, the 20-year-old picked up his second of this campaign with a beautiful inswinging corner for Matip's header. Is there a better set-piece taker in Europe than the 20-year-old?

DF Joel Matip, 8 -- The Cameroon international's dramatic turnaround at Anfield continues. Matip, who scored one goal in 31 games last season, netted his second in four games this campaign, following his equalizer in the Community Shield.

DF Virgil van Dijk, 7 -- Steady as always and a real leader at the back. Van Dijk had a comfortable day and although it was not his flashiest performance, dealt well with the threat of Arsenal's heralded front three.

DF Andy Robertson, 7 -- Always a threat in attack, Robertson has become one of Liverpool's most important players. He did not find any joy in terms of end product, but did a fine job going forward and in defence.

MF Georginio Wijnaldum, 7 -- All-action and all-energy is his trademark and Wijnaldum had the Liverpool team ticking from midfield. Moreover, at times he showcased some real moments of skill.

MF Jordan Henderson, 6 -- He was a driving force, but had to be bailed out by Adrian after a fluffed touch in the 34th minute and later missed a tackle on Torreira ahead of Arsenal's late consolation. Henderson must avoid those isolated mistakes if he wants to hold on to his starting place.

MF Fabinho, 7 -- Good in the advanced midfield role, Fabinho survived an early mistake and improved as the game wore on. He played the pass that led to Salah's second goal, although the Egyptian did most of the work, leaving Luiz in the dust.

FW Sadio Mane, 6 -- Mane has been in blistering form, but it did not seem to come off for him on Saturday, as he had attempts saved and blocked, while a wide-open header went sailing over the bar.

FW Roberto Firmino, 8 -- No goals or assists but the Brazilian striker was integral to Liverpool's success. He picked out Salah with a brilliant pass to draw the penalty for the second goal and Firmino did his usual work in terms of drawing attention and proving a threat.

FW Mohamed Salah, 9 -- Slotted his penalty with authority and then absolutely bamboozled Luiz for his second goal, losing the Brazilian defender with a quick turn before flying in from the right to expertly finish low into the far corner. Salah is back to his best in the early part of 2019-20. Is the Ballon d'Or in his future?

Substitutes

MF James Milner, 6 -- Came on for Wijnaldum and picked up where the Dutchman left off in terms of running. Never afraid of making a tackle, either.

MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, NR -- Came on for Mane and didn't do too much. It is just good to see him back on the pitch after his injury-ruined 2018-19.

MF Adam Lallana, NR -- Only on for four minutes, replacing Firmino.

England 67 and 156 for 3 (Root 75*, Denly 50) trail Australia 179 and 246 (Labuschagne 80) by 202 runs

Josh Hazlewood beat Joe Root's bat by a lick of paint with a ball that buzzed outside off stump just inside the last hour of yet another dramatic day of this Ashes series. The hint of a smile at the corners of Root's mouth spread into a nonchalant grin as he eyeballed the fast bowler who was following up his leather-bound assault with a little verbal one.

The pair were locked in battle, just as their respective sides were, playing out a scene that had seemed so very unlikley just hours earlier at the start of play on day three of the third Test at Headingly.

Root and Joe Denly - two England batsmen needing big scores as much as any - had dug in and turned the match on its head, a recurring theme in a series that has seen momentum swings , twists and turns throughout. The pair put on a 126-run partnership, Denly reaching his second Test fifty, and Root unbeaten on 75 at the close.

The 67 all out England coughed up in their first inings had heaped more pressure on England's batting lineup and these two hadn't escaped - far from it. Questions swirled over the influence Root's role as captain and his move one place up the order to No. 3 was having on his battting performance and Denly was struggling to establish himself as a Test player in his sixth match.

But the pair came together after England had stumbled again to 15 for 2 in their second innings chasing a lofty target of 359, set when Australia resumed on 171 for 6 and Marnus Labuschagne, who was not out on 53, proceeded to reach 80 and top score for the tourists for the third time in as many innings as he guided them 246 all out.

In reply, England lost thier openers cheaply, Rory Burns to a Hazlewood delivery he should have left but which he prodded to David Warner at first slip and Jason Roy to a gem from Pat Cummins which zeroed in on off stump. It looked like Australia, who lead the series 1-0 would have retained the Ashes by the end of the day.

But some dogged batting from Root and Denly frustrated Australia's bowlers, as demonstrated in that exchange between Hazlewood and Root, which didn't end there. Hazlewood followed up immediately with another ball that beat Root's bat moving away slightly off the seam, and then a length ball that had the batsman shouldering arms and copping another earful.

It was an intense and important spell from Hazlewood, who had taken 5 for 30 in England's first innings. Nathan Lyon kept Denly on his toes in the next over, with a big appeal for a catch at short leg which came off the pads, an appeal to the DRS for leg-before which was sliding down and an attempted run out - all of which Denly survived.

Hazlewood struck on the third ball of his next over though, pummelling Denly with a short ball that hit the glove and looped to Tim Paine behind the stumps. Denly had faced 134 balls for his 50 and 21 more without adding to his score but he had produced an innings sure to boost his confidence and secure his place for now, his delicious pull through midwicket off Hazlewood for four midway through the second session one for the highlights reel.

Likewise, Root went a long way towards answering his critics after scoring consecutive ducks in his previous two innings with his 57 at Edgbaston his only knock of note in this series before now. He is still far from Mark Butcher's unbeaten 173 which allowed England to chase down 315 against Australia at Headingley in 2001, but the England captain will have his sights set on producing something special at his home ground.

Denly's exit brought in Ben Stokes, who scored fifty in the first Test and was Man of the Match with an unbeaten 115 in the second, bolstering England's hopes this time around.

Australian skipper Paine, in trying to keep his troops' pumped up late on the third day, yelled from behind the stumps: "We'll get two more tonight boys, two more in the morning". They didn't get the former. They will need the latter and much, much more.