Arne Slot was providing a balanced assessment of a hard-fought Liverpool victory at the Vitality Stadium.
The Dutchman talked about the fine margins that decided Saturday’s contest and the “bit of luck” his side had enjoyed. He praised Bournemouth for giving the Premier League leaders one of their sternest tests of the season and saluted his players for digging deep to secure the points.
Then Slot paused and a smile crept across his face as he delivered his sign-off: “And having Mohamed Salah definitely helps in a game like this.”
It certainly does. Here was another match-winning contribution for the Egyptian attacker’s bulging collection as he propelled Liverpool a significant step closer to title glory.
He kept his nerve following the long wait for a VAR check, which confirmed Cody Gakpo was both onside and had his heels clipped by Lewis Cook when he burst through in the first half. Salah emphatically hammered the penalty into the bottom corner.
Liverpool lived dangerously in the second half, but Salah eased anxiety levels with 15 minutes to go with a sublime curling finish into the far corner. Yeah, he definitely helps.
His numbers are ridiculous. It is the start of February and Salah boasts 25 goals and 17 assists in 33 appearances in all competitions — no attacker in Europe’s five major leagues can compete. He is averaging a goal or assist every 66 minutes.
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Forget player of the year accolades, he is putting himself in the mix for the Ballon d’Or.
Saturday’s double took him to 21 Premier League goals — three clear of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. Salah has achieved that figure from an expected goals (xG) total of 17.3, suggesting he is finishing more chances than would expected. His shot map below shows how dangerous he is in that space coming off the right flank.
It is the fifth time in eight seasons at Liverpool that Salah has broken the 20-goal barrier in the top flight but the first campaign since 2021-22.
“It feels good,” Salah told Sky Sports. “Scoring goals, team winning, it’s an incredible feeling.
“But I said many times before that my main target this season is to win the Premier League with the team. We are going in the right direction.”
With Salah in this kind of form, Liverpool will take some stopping. Not since his debut season at Anfield when he rewrote the record books has he been so prolific.
His rate of 0.93 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season is just shy of his best of 0.99 from 2017-18, but it underlines how he has made a mockery of those claims towards the end of last season that he was a fading force. For context, when he scored 44 times in all competitions in 2017-18, he had 26 goals to his name at the start of February.
His tally of 0.58 assists per 90 in the top flight this season is the highest of his Liverpool career and highlights how he’s become so much more than just a ruthless finisher. He no longer has that searing burst of pace but over time, he has become more adept at creating opportunities for those around him.
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The burning question remains whether this is Salah’s farewell tour with his contract expiring in five months.
Discussions over an extension are ongoing. Liverpool want to keep him beyond his 33rd birthday in June but the financial package has to make sense for the club’s long-term interests.
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Increasingly, it seems Salah will be faced with a straight choice between signing a new deal at Anfield or heading for a club in the Saudi Pro League. Al Hilal would love to have him on board before the Club World Cup in June.
If it comes down to money then the most likely outcome is that a new chapter in Saudi Arabia beckons because Liverpool will not be able to compete with the wages on offer there. However, Salah must surely be looking at the bigger picture and his Premier League legacy.
Is he ready to walk away from the big stage when he is performing at such a high level?
Since the start of this season, he has overtaken Jermain Defoe, Robbie Fowler, Thierry Henry and Frank Lampard to climb up to sixth in the Premier League’s all-time goalscorers’ list on 178.
He is now only six goals behind former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, the Premier League’s highest-scoring overseas player. He is also just nine adrift of ex-Manchester United striker Andrew Cole.
Salah could beat his best return of 32 league goals in 2017-18 and that would lift him to fourth in the all-time list. If he stays beyond this campaign, he will have the top three in his sights.
Wayne Rooney (208) and Harry Kane (213) could be leapfrogged next season if Salah’s high standards are maintained. That would leave just Alan Shearer (260) ahead of him.
Not bad for a wide attacker, who spends so much of his time out on the right flank rather than lurking in the penalty box. Salah’s consistency and durability throughout his time on Merseyside has been breathtaking.
With 236 goals in all competitions, he’s closing in on Gordon Hodgson (241), who sits third in Liverpool’s all-time scorers list.
Stay for another two years and he could go beyond the tally of 1966 World Cup winner Roger Hunt (285). Ian Rush’s record of 346 is one of the few that will remain out of Salah’s grasp.
His legendary status at Anfield is secure. He’s already part of the conversation regarding Liverpool’s greatest player but he could strengthen those claims over the coming seasons.
The look of disappointment on his face when the No 11 went up on the board late on against Bournemouth spoke volumes. It meant he was afforded a standing ovation by the away end but he had his heart set on completing a hat-trick. Salah has an insatiable hunger. He’s always striving for more.
Yes, he deserves a new deal that recognises his enduring status in the world game, but there’s more than just hard cash to consider.
As he keeps reeling in the big names ahead of him on that Premier League all-time list, he doesn’t look like a man ready to wave goodbye in May.
(Top photo: Mike Hewitt – AMA/Getty Images)
