Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League with a 5-0 demolition of relegated Huddersfield Town at Anfield on Friday night that left them on 91 points for the season.

Liverpool came into the match looking to reclaim top spot after Manchester City moved into first following a win over Manchester United on Wednesday, and they were in front seconds after the opening whistle when Naby Keita beat Jonas Lossl from a bad giveaway by the Huddersfield defence.

Keita's goal, which came in the 15th second of the match, set a new record for the fastest ever scored by Liverpool in the Premier League.

The hosts doubled their lead just past the 20-minute mark when Sadio Mane headed an Andrew Robertson cross in from the top of the six-yard box to make it 2-0.

Mohamed Salah made it 3-0 right before half-time, lofting a delicate volley over the keeper from a Trent Alexander-Arnold long ball for his league-leading 20th goal of the season.

The strike also made Salah the first African-born player to score 20 goals in consecutive seasons in the English top flight as Jurgen Klopp's team had the result done and dusted by the break.

"We are happy with the points we have and now we are focused on the next game. We have a mindset that works and we try to create problems for each opponent by working hard," Klopp said.

"It's obviously an outstanding group of players, who did well against a Huddersfield side who are much better than the result shows. They had proper counter-attacks so we needed to be patient and we scored wonderful goals."

Daniel Sturridge, in for the injured Roberto Firmino, looked to have made it 4-0 shortly after the restart when he turned home an Alexander-Arnold cross on a counter-attack, but the referee had the flag up for offside on the play.

Liverpool's fourth, and Mane's second, came shortly after though when the Senegal international backtracked to catch up to a Jordan Henderson ball into the box and head it past Lossl to extend the lead.

Klopp made two changes after the goal, giving Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain his first senior minutes since suffering a devastating knee injury against Roma in the Champions League one year ago and also bringing on Xherdan Shaqiri for the final 20 minutes.

Oxlade-Chamberlain nearly had a dream start to his return when Salah sprang him in the penalty area only for Lossl to stuff his close-range shot on the line and preserve the 4-0 scoreline, before Mane's effort at a third headed goal came crashing back off the post.

Salah made it five as full-time approached, weaving through the Huddersfield defence to be first to a Robertson square ball in front of goal and tap home to edge in front of teammate Mane in the race for the Golden Boot with 21 and 20 goals, respectively.

Robertson now has 11 assists on the season to become the first Premier League defender with double-digit assists in a season since Antonio Valencia did it for Man United in 2011-12.

The three points puts Liverpool on 91 for the season with two games to play, but they'll need Manchester City to drop points in one of their remaining three matches to have a chance at winning the Premier League for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

LIVERPOOL, England -- Mohamed Salah was tweeting pictures from a pizza restaurant in New York City on Tuesday afternoon before he went on to share the spotlight with Taylor Swift and Emilia Clarke at the Time 100 Gala at the Lincoln Center later that evening.

He then flew back across the Atlantic on Wednesday, reporting for training at Liverpool on Thursday, so it's fair to say that the forward ignored a few of the classic "dos and don'ts" when it comes to preparing for a big game ahead of his team's 5-0 victory against Huddersfield Town on Friday. But by the end of the game, which saw Jurgen Klopp's side reclaim top spot in the Premier League and move two points clear of Manchester City, nobody was questioning Salah's decision to spend two days in the United States ahead of a fixture that Liverpool simply had to win.

Had it gone wrong, with Liverpool dropping points or Salah picking up an injury that risked his participation against Barcelona in next week's Champions League semifinal first leg, then the 26-year-old would doubtless have been forced to defend himself against accusations of taking his eye off the ball. Certainly, it is difficult to imagine Manchester United's Paul Pogba making a similar trip without finding himself deluged by criticism and suggestions of poor preparation and misguided priorities.

But perhaps the difference between Salah and Pogba is that the Liverpool forward, whose two goals against Huddersfield made him the top scorer in the Premier League this season with 21 so far, always delivers, no matter the circumstances. He might not score in every game, but even when he does not hit the back of the net, Salah makes a contribution as a team player, as highlighted by his eight Premier League assists this term.

It was the same against Huddersfield, with Salah creating the opening goal for Naby Keita after just 16 seconds by feeding his teammate after a defensive mistake by Jon Gorenc Stankovic. The fact that Salah went on to score twice himself felt like a footnote to his performance, which belied any hint of jet lag following his trip to New York, which was approved by Klopp due to the manager's insistence that the player is an influential figure in the battle against racism and Islamophobia.

"Mo is a very smart person and his role is very influential," Klopp said. "In the world at the moment, it is very important that you have people like Mo."

Perhaps in the world of modern sport, where players are surrounded by every kind of expert capable of making them discover that elusive extra 1 percent, a 48-hour trans-Atlantic trip really is nothing to worry about in terms of performance and recovery. After all, international footballers can make the journey from Bolivia to Burnley and still get off a plane ready to play 90 minutes of Premier League action, so New York to the northwest of England really isn't that much of an ordeal.

But it also goes to show how the likes of Salah can rise to the occasion, no matter how draining or gruelling their schedule. The former Chelsea and Roma forward has not hit the heights of last season, when he scored 32 goals in 36 Premier League games, but nobody else has registered more league goals than him this campaign.

Sadio Mané's two headers against Huddersfield took him to 20 league goals, to move ahead of Sergio Aguero and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (both on 19) as Salah's closest challenger for the Golden Boot, but don't be surprised if the Egyptian wins it again. This was his 100th appearance for Liverpool in all competitions since his £36.9 million transfer from Roma in July 2017 and, by scoring twice to take his tally for the club to 69, he claimed the Anfield record for most goals in his first 100 games.

Whether Salah's goal-scoring feats are enough to win silverware for his team is another matter, however. Although this win moved Liverpool on to 91 points, City can climb ahead of them again on Sunday with a victory at Burnley.

Two more victories, against Newcastle and Wolves, will see Liverpool end the season on 97 points, but it still might not be enough to win the title for the first time since 1990. It definitely won't be enough if City win their final three games to end up with 98 points.

Liverpool have lost just once in the league all season -- against City at the Etihad -- and they have now scored 104 goals in all competitions. Neither they nor Salah could have feasibly done much more, but they could still fall short.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk on Friday defended the team's decision to draft defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, calling him a "great man" who has learned from the 2016 assault case that has triggered some criticism of Tennessee's first-round pick.

Simmons was moved to tears as Strunk addressed the aftermath of the March 2016 case -- in which a 17-year-old Simmons was caught on video striking a woman who was fighting his sister -- and vouched for his character. Simmons pleaded no contest to simple assault and was allowed to enroll at Mississippi State, where he was suspended for one game. He has repeatedly expressed remorse for what happened and gratefulness for getting a second chance with the Bulldogs.

Strunk said she watched the graphic video but still felt comfortable signing off on the team's selection.

"We discussed the incident and watched the video together," she said. "It begins with trust from Mike (Vrabel, the Titans head coach) and Jon (Robinson, the Titans general manager). I needed to be comfortable because at the end of the day I had the final decisions. It didn't take me long to see that this young man had an incident in high school. We all can look back on our lives in high school and wish we had done things differently."

Robinson and the Titans conducted extensive interviews with Simmons and people at Mississippi State to better grasp the defensive tackle's character, and Tennessee as a group decided he deserved a second chance. Strunk pointed to Nashville as a place that gives people second chances.

"The best thing is he's lived the life of, 'I am truly sorry and I'm going to be a good man.' That made it easy for me to become comfortable with Jeffery," she said. "We are getting a great football player, that goes without saying, but we are getting a great man. Our locker room is so important. We only have good men in there and this young man is a good man."

Simmons was visibly emotional as Strunk vouched for his character.

"I made a mistake and I regret it," he said at the introductory news conference. "To hear her say all of that, I am grateful. The key word she said was trust. I tell her in front of you guys that she can trust me. I won't let her down or either one of these guys [Robinson or Vrabel] down. I am grateful."

Simmons was considered a top-five draft prospect this past fall but his stock dropped due to a combination of the 2016 assault case and a torn ACL suffered while training after the season.

Although he isn't likely to be on the active roster when the season starts, the team expects him to have a significant impact in the future.

Defensive end Brent Urban, who the team signed Friday, should pay more immediate dividends. The the 6-foot-7, 300-pound free agent previously played for Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees in Baltimore.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Acknowledging the irony that he will begin his NFL career with the same team that used to employ the quarterback he once called "a clown" on Twitter, new San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa expressed remorse for that post about Colin Kaepernick on Friday afternoon.

Bosa called Kaepernick a clown on Twitter in August of 2016, a tweet that was deleted in the run up to Thursday's draft as part of a scrubbing of potentially controversial posts from his social media.

In his introductory news conference with the Bay Area media on Friday, Bosa said that the tweet wasn't meant to be a statement on Kaepernick's social justice efforts and apologized.

"It wasn't directed towards (Kaepernick's stance)," Bosa said. "It's not like I'm saying his stance and what he was doing, that's not what I was calling or talking about at all. It was just a specific thing that happened and me as a young kid a thought popping in my head and boom, decided to tweet it out. Bad decision. I respect what he's done. If it empowers anybody then he's doing a good thing. So, I apologize for that."

Bosa's approach to social media came under scrutiny for the past few months for tweets like the one aimed at Kaepernick and others that garnered attention for his conservative-leaning political views and support of President Donald Trump.

Much like other prospects, Bosa said his agent had his social media accounts scrubbed of any content that could be deemed controversial as the draft drew near. In a recent interview with ESPN, he said he "had to" because "there is a chance I might end up in San Francisco."

That proved prescient on Thursday night when the Niners used the No. 2 overall pick on Bosa. Soon after, Bosa said he "loves" the Bay Area and referred to his past Twitter remarks as "insensitive."

On Friday, Bosa expounded on his social media history and said he views living in the Bay Area as an opportunity for personal growth.

"I definitely made some insensitive decisions throughout my life and I'm just excited to be here with a clean slate," Bosa said. "I'm sorry if I hurt anybody. I definitely didn't intend for that to be the case but I think me being here is even better for me as a person because I don't think there's any city that you could really be in that would help you grow as much as this one will.

"I'm going to be surrounded by people, all different kinds, so I'm going to grow as a person and I'm going to be on my own. College, you have kind of like that support system around you. Now I'm here, I'm going to be on my own, I'm going to grow up, I'm going to learn a lot of new things."

While Bosa has not yet had the chance to meet his new teammates, he will soon as the Niners are scheduled to begin their rookie minicamp next Friday. He said he doesn't anticipate having to explain himself to his teammates when the time comes.

"I think once I get in and I meet the guys and they learn who I am, I don't think there's going to need any explaining," Bosa said. "I think they're going to see who I am as a person and that will be enough."

As they do with all of their potential draft picks, the 49ers said they thoroughly vetted Bosa before drafting him, including his use of social media. They had lunch with Bosa in Columbus after his pro day, hosted him on one of their 30 allotted pre-draft visits and also spent time with him at the scouting combine.

In addition, general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan said their staff did extensive work interviewing those who know Bosa best. They came away with little question about how Bosa would fit in their locker room.

"We did a lot of talking to coaches, we did a lot of talking to Nick's teammates," Lynch said. "And what they'll tell you is he's one of the most beloved players that's ever been through there. To the rest of his teammates, to his coaches and all that. And that spoke volumes to us."

As for future social media use, Bosa said he intends to pick and choose his spots before pressing the send button.

"I've learned a lot the past couple of months," Bosa said. "I'm definitely going to think a lot more before I send something out."

INDIANAPOLIS – IndyCar has announced that the Advanced Frontal Protection debris deflector will be used in competition sooner than expected – beginning at next month’s IndyCar Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The titanium AFP, which provides frontal protection for drivers, was tested earlier this week at IMS by IndyCar teams in an open test on the 2.5-mile oval. IndyCar President Jay Frye said the sanctioning body is satisfied the AFP is ready for use in all NTT IndyCar Series races this season, starting with the IndyCar Grand Prix on the IMS road course on May 11 and including its original target date for implementation, the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 26.

“Thanks to a phenomenal effort by Dallara and all of the IndyCar teams, we are ahead of schedule in making this happen,” Frye said.

The AFP is bolted on the Dallara IR-18 chassis centerline ahead of the cockpit and is designed to push flying debris away from the driver. With brackets and monocoque reinforcement, the AFP weighs just under five pounds and has passed the same load testing as the Indy car roll hoop sitting behind and above the driver.

Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver James Hinchcliffe, among the 29 drivers who participated in Wednesday’s open test, praised the sanctioning body for continuing to prioritize driver safety.

“It’s great to see that IndyCar is always pushing safety,” Hinchcliffe said. “Obviously, this is just Step 1 in an evolution of head protection. But having been hit by a piece of debris that would’ve been prevented with this device, I’m all for it. It’s also comforting to know that behind the scenes we are still working hard on a more comprehensive solution.”

Frye called the AFP “Phase 1 of our solution” to improve cockpit safety. The next phase is expected to be revealed in May.

DALLAS – Gar Robinson has joined Lone Star Racing for a five-race IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona Sprint Cup series campaign.

Robinson, a two-time Trans-Am TA2 champion, will co-drive the No. 74 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Lawson Aschenbach.

Racing with the support of ACS Manufacturing and 74 Ranch Resort, Robinson and Aschenbach will make their first start together next weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It is the first of five IMSA GT Daytona races scheduled for the No. 74 team this year and will be followed by the Detroit Grand Prix, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Road America and Virginia Int’l Raceway.

“Texas is in my blood, it’s my family and history,” Robinson said. “To work with Lone Star Racing in Texas feels right at home. We have the same mindset and way of doing things. For example, in 1992 my Dad always ran ‘Don’t Mess with Texas,’ which was an anti-littering campaign, on his cars. When I showed up to the LSR shop the first decal I noticed was ‘Don’t Mess with Texas.’ I’ll just say we all know what proper barbecue and tacos are!”

Lone Star Racing is based the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area in Cresson, Texas, while Robinson grew up in San Antonio.

“Gar fits right in with Lone Star Racing and we are going to have a lot of fun together both on and off the track,” said Lone Star Racing Team Manager AJ Petersen. “We all appreciate the ongoing efforts and commitment of Lone Star Racing team owner Dan Knox with our 2019 program.”

Robinson is a two-time champion in the Trans-Am TA2 class, with titles in 2015 and 2017. He was also the Rookie of the Year in Trans-Am during his 2015 championship run. Robinson also finished third in his only previous IMSA GT Daytona class start at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Aschenbach is a four-time champion in what is now known as Blancpain GT World Challenge America, most recently in 2014. In 2005, he became the first rookie to earn that series championship. In IMSA competition, Aschenbach was the 2010 ST champion in the then-Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the 2014 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Pro-Am world champion. He most recently captured a win in the GT Daytona class in 2017 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

“Confidence is the word that comes to mind when I think about this program,” Aschenbach said. “We have an experienced, race-winning team and two championship-level drivers teaming up for the IMSA Sprint Cup season. Everyone has a clear goal and that is to race for podiums. I’m excited to get things rolling at Mid-Ohio with Lone Star, Gar, and the Mercedes-AMG GT3.”

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Brandon Lynn raced to his first General Tire Pole Award and put himself in prime position during ARCA Menards Series qualifying on Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway.

Driving one of three Venturini Motorsports Toyotas, Lynn posted a best lap of 53.298 seconds (179.669 mph) with his No. 20 Carolina Excavation Camry and will lead the field to green in the General Tire 200.

The pole for Lynn comes in his 11th career ARCA start and first of the season.

“The Venturini team is absolutely perfect,” Lynn said. “The car was great off the trailer. We’ve been so close here before, and Talladega is such a big deal, so that’s why we keep coming back here trying to win this thing. I think we’re pretty good, and now it’s just about putting all the pieces together in the race.”

Lynn led the Talladega ARCA race at the white flag in 2017, but ran out of fuel and finished 18th, and fought through early crash damage to come home seventh one year ago.

This time around, he’s hoping to redeem himself from those near misses and end the day with a win.

“The last couple years have been tough on us here. We’ve been right there for the finish and the victory, but something’s always happened,” Lynn noted. “I feel good about starting up front. We’ve started everywhere throughout the field for the past couple of years, and it’s nice to finally start on the pole.

“Now we just have to stay up front all day, be smart, time everything right and make it to the end.”

Ty Majeski will join Lynn on the front row after turning a time of 53.313 seconds (179.618 mph) with the No. 22 Ford for Chad Bryant Racing. Majeski was announced as the driver of that entry mid-week.

Former NASCAR modified champion Andy Seuss timed in third-fastest, followed by Gus Dean and two-time season winner Michael Self.

Riley Herbst, Brandon McReynolds, Sean Corr, Joe Graf Jr. and Grant Quinlan completed the top 10.

Thad Moffitt, the grandson of seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty, will roll off 11th for Friday evening’s 200-mile race.

Per ARCA Menards Series rules for restrictor-plate tracks, the teams went out in groups of five cars for four minutes. The fastest lap each driver turned in their respective session was their lap of record.

The General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway is set to start at 6 p.m. E.T.

To view complete qualifying results, advance to the next page.

TOLEDO, Ohio – Poor weather conditions have led to the postponement of Saturday’s Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Rollie Beale Classic at Toledo Speedway.

The event will now be held Sunday afternoon, April 28.

The time schedule will be altered for Sunday’s show, taking into account the time to dry the track surface. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 30’s Sunday morning, but the sun is expected to appear, with temps rising to the 50’s by early afternoon.

The pit gates will open at 9 a.m. The front gates and ticket office open at Noon, with practice to start at that time, pending track conditions.  Time trials will go at 1:15 p.m., followed by show time at 2 p.m.

“The wet forecast for Saturday, and, having a Sunday rain date, made this early announcement the best decision in the interest of both the race teams and fans,” noted Ron Drager, promoter of Toledo Speedway.  “We are very excited about the entry lists for this new format for our one and only open wheel event in 2019, and we think Sunday’s weather gives us the best opportunity to run this show.”