Liverpool struggle vs. Everton but Salah shows how key he is،
LIVERPOOL – Liverpool had 150 million reasons to entrust Mohamed Salah to the Saudi club Al Ittihad this summer. But by scoring twice in the 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, the Egypt international underlined just how important he is to Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Everton, reduced to ten men before half-time after Ashley Young was sent off for two yellow cards – both for fouls on Luis Díaz – fought desperately to emerge from the 243rd Merseyside derby with at least a point. Manager Sean Dyche even replaced two wingers with defenders at half-time to strengthen his defense in a bid to frustrate the home side.
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But Salah, once again, allowed Liverpool to score a penalty in the 75th minute after a VAR review identified a Michael Keane handball. Salah’s second goal, on a breakaway seven minutes into stoppage time, only confirmed the result. But without their opener, Liverpool could well have lost two crucial points in their bid to win the Premier League title.
“Today it wasn’t his [Salah’s] best game,” Klopp said. But you need someone who gets the ball over the line and he was that man again. He will never stop, that’s his nature.”
The 31-year-old has won everything in the English domestic game since arriving at Liverpool from Roma in 2017, and much of that success is down to the contribution he has made during his six seasons at the club. He scored 194 times in all competitions for Liverpool and registered 78 assists, while his two goals against Everton saw him first equalize, then overtake legends Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard with 105 at Anfield.
Salah now has 11 Premier League goals in nine games already this season – seven goals and four assists – and has scored or assisted in each of the last 13 Premier League home games. In six seasons, he has broken the 20-goal mark in the Premier League four times and scored 19 in each of the campaigns when he failed to do so. He has been the model of consistency for a team that has won every trophy it has competed for during this period.
When Liverpool need a goal, they can usually count on Salah to come up with something when they need it most.
“Great players do it [step up when needed]”, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk said after the Everton game. “This season, or towards the end of last season, he [Salah] We missed a few penalties, but we need to step up and get there.”
When Al Ittihad tabled their £150 million bid to sign Salah at the end of the summer transfer window, it had been football’s worst kept secret. Liverpool were preparing for the bid to arrive. Having already raised over £50 million from the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Al Ettifaq and Al Ittihad respectively, they knew the financial aid could allow them to sign one, or even two, world-class players to replace their talisman.
With Salah’s contract set to expire in June 2025, the long-term rationale for moving the player was obvious, but the reality of football was that Klopp would find it impossible to replace him this season. It simply wasn’t viable to go through this campaign without their most reliable goalscorer.
Financially, it could prove to be a decision that Liverpool’s accountants regret, but football remains the priority at Anfield and there is no doubt that the club made the right decision in rejecting Al Ittihad’s offer.
With Salah in the team, Liverpool can beat any opponent, be it 10-man Everton or title favorites Manchester City, against whom Salah has scored 11 times in a Liverpool shirt. Only Manchester United (12) have conceded more goals against Salah than City, another example of Salah’s ability to make the difference in the most important matches.
Only City striker Erling Haaland (9) has scored more league goals than Salah this season, but City have shown a greater ability to win when Haaland fails to score than Liverpool when Salah misses. That’s how important it is.
Liverpool have already had world-class players like Salah, like Dalglish, Gerrard and Luis Suárez, who possessed that invaluable ability to turn a draw or defeat into victory. And with Al Ittihad expected to return with another transfer bid next summer, this could yet prove to be Salah’s farewell season at Liverpool.
But as long as he stays, Klopp’s team has the ability to win every game they play and every competition they enter.
