During Liverpool’s 2-0 canter at Aston Villa last month, one fan waved a banner: “He pulls out the bow. Now give Mo his dough. He was referring to Mohamed Salah’s trademark bow-and-arrow goal celebration as well as the contract dance with his employers. There are rumors that the club and Its talisman has finally agreed to a new contract, but a period of uncertainty dragged on, with Salah publicly admitting that he was “very much out of it” and “it It could be his last game at the Etihad.” Manager Arne Slott disarmed the tension by saying, “Maybe, he knows about the 115 charges.”
None of the rumors or supposed standoffs have dampened Salah’s form this season. Instead, refreshingly, he is more influential than ever for his club. Just a third of the way through the past season, he has already racked up staggering numbers. In 21 games, he scored 15 goals and provided 12 assists, leading Liverpool to the top of the league and the Champions League title.
The story was not supposed to unfold this way. After last season’s delays, a public bust-up with former manager Jurg Klopp, a new manager, climbing age and Saudi’s limitless wealth dialing him down, it looked like the curtain had been drawn on Liverpool’s most celebrated player. this century. But he stayed back, whether it was by his own will or the manager’s insistence or his inability to strike a lucrative deal with the Saudi club, Salah remained. And he could give Liverpool only their second league win this century.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal from the penalty spot during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Hudson)
Some have called it Salah’s second wind. It is, and yet, it is not. Numerically he never suffered a slump or a wild fluctuation of form. Since 2017, when Liverpool acquired him, he has not endured a bad season. Every season he has scored more than 20 goals in all competitions. He has assisted 10 or more goals every season except the 2020-21 season.
However, this season has seen a resurgence. He has rediscovered his joy in red-shirted, skinned defenders, leaving them like the smoky contrails of a fighter jet, weaving his left leg like a paint-brush, letting the football pass through vicious bends. Watching him has been one of the most enjoyable experiences in a league that has been stifling physically and tactically this season. It could be the warm words of his manager, or the affection of the crowd, or his own determination not to let age diminish his prowess.
It’s clear the 32-year-old isn’t as quick as he used to be. Often, wingers who lose pace are recycled into a more central role. Thus, they could hide their loss of momentum but continue to be the central figure. But Salah has gradually become wider this season. He held the width and then cut to the edge, from where he would shoot the ball goal-ward or curl it at the back post. He makes up for the yards of explosive pace that he loses with his maneuverability and composure in one-on-one situations, his approach to designing the perfect pass and the precision of finding the most suitable man. He barely loses the ball, carries through a maze of legs, and rarely wrestles, although he is not a physically imposing presence. He has mastered the difficult task of using his body to keep defenders off the ball. The sweetest first touch in the league made him a receiving outlet for long diagonal balls from deep, often hoofed in by Virgil van Dijk.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring during the English Premier League soccer match Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Southampton, England. (AP Photo/Sean Ryan)
He keeps adjusting to new challenges and setups. The old forward line is long gone. Sadio Mane doesn’t get served from the left. Darwin Nunez is different from the hard-working Roberto Firmino. The midfield is different, more dynamic but less creative. However, Salah is not worried.
These are the little things he has polished in his pursuit of perfection. Klopp once admitted: “Every year, something new is in his toolbox. A subtle change that makes you really appreciate his talent. He’s a joy for any coach. Almost toxically obsessed with his game, he misses opportunities from open play. He watches, he studies the movements of defenders who can mark him. “Every single detail, every quirk, every pattern, he can penetrate them with a scientist’s eye,” Klopp once said.
The line of scientific artistry guides his play, not the chaos of thought. This perhaps explains his amazing consistency which makes him one of the greatest players of the Premier League era. He can own his place as the greatest goal-scorer the country has ever seen. He is eighth on the list (170). But without help there is little fun for him. He is ranked eleventh above Thierry Henry on the chart. The numbers he shares with the French legend are very similar. Both have scored 226 goals in 370 matches in all competitions. Salah has assisted eight more goals.
But numbers are not measurements either. Both bring an irresistible beauty to the game. And it is high time that Salah is considered among the most elite forwards in the world.