ReactionMohamed Salah on Newcastle win, Reds belief, changing boots and more

Salah scored twice in the second half as the Reds moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League, but the Egyptian had earlier been left frustrated when seeing his 22nd-minute penalty saved by visiting goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

And speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the No.11 admitted he had swapped his footwear during the break, before going on to help sink the Magpies.

"The other ones [boots] I missed the pen with, I just trained with yesterday," Salah said. "It's not superstitious because I play with many boots. But when I feel it's going to play with my head, OK, out, change the boots!

"But I don't like to go in the second half of this game thinking, 'I didn’t score with this.' So I just made my mind calm and focused on the game."

Salah would later make amends for his penalty miss by giving Liverpool the lead early in the second period, and having played a big part in the goals of Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo, he then put the seal on the game by holding his nerve when the Reds were awarded a second spot-kick of the night late on.

"I'm calm. I try to do my job," he said. "I always practise. The first one I was confused because the goalkeeper was moving and he was waving and I thought, 'OK let's go in the middle', but he managed to save it very well.

"The second one I did what I did in training and did my thing."

Reflecting on the match itself, one in which Liverpool had 34 shots on goal and 15 on target, Salah added: "The players spoke in the dressing room [and said] we have to stay calm.

"I missed the pen. At half-time I was like, 'Do you want to leave for the national team with that performance?' Not really! So I had to really focus, step up and make the difference and I managed to do so."

He continued: "It's a great result for us. The game was very intense and we managed to pick up three points and now we are top of the table. We need to stay calm and win every game.

"We believe a lot. We have such good talent, they just need to work hard, nothing else. They just need to express themselves on the field, just play their football. If we manage to do that and work hard, and I see them work hard after training in the gym, that's what makes us a winning [team]."

Salah will now join up with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held across the next six weeks, and says he is targeting glory in the Ivory Coast.

"Everybody asks me the same!" he said. "I want to win this competition, I would love to win it.

"But without me, I'm sure the [Liverpool] players will manage to win games. We have fantastic players, really good quality, they just need to keep the pressure away and just play their football. We have players who can play in my position, they can do what I am doing.

"It means a lot to play for the national team, it's a great feeling. Every time I step on the field with the national team jersey, it's something I cannot take for granted. I'm just happy to play in the tournament and I would love to win it."