In the storied annals of Premier League greatness, a new name is ascending to rarefied heights. Liverpool’s Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, wrote another glittering chapter in his Red legend on Saturday, notching a brilliant brace to fire his side to a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Salah Leaps Past Lampard
With his 177th and 178th Premier League goals, Salah surged past Chelsea icon Frank Lampard into sixth place on the league’s all-time scoring charts. The Egyptian magician is now just six goals shy of former teammate Sadio Mane’s tally of 184, with only Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Andy Cole, and Sergio Aguero standing above the prolific pair.
Salah’s first on the day came from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark, after Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga felled the onrushing Diogo Jota in the box. Twelve yards out with the game in the balance, there was never a hint of doubt. Up stepped Salah to coolly dispatch his spot-kick into the bottom-right corner, despite Kepa guessing the right way.
A Moment of Mo Magic
While his first demonstrated nerves of steel, Salah’s second goal was a moment of pure, audacious brilliance. Dancing onto a threaded pass from the excellent Thiago on the edge of the area, the 32-year-old took a touch to steady himself before unfurling a sumptuous, curling effort beyond Kepa’s despairing dive and into the top bins. Anfield has been treated to countless Salah specials over the years, but this pearler was right up there with his very best.
That second goal was a piece of absolute genius. The way he manufactured the angle and whipped it into the far corner was just mind-blowing. We’re so blessed to be watching one of the greatest to ever do it in his prime.
– Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher
Records Tumble for Merseyside’s Marksman
Salah’s Bournemouth brace not only propelled him up the Premier League scoring ladder, but also secured an impressive personal milestone. In finding the net for the 300th time in his professional career, Salah became just the fourth African player to reach that landmark in Europe’s top five leagues after Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
- 235 goals for Liverpool
- 34 goals for Roma
- 20 goals for Basel
- 9 goals for Fiorentina
- 2 goals for Chelsea
In the race for this season’s Premier League Golden Boot, Salah’s double moved him two goals clear of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and three ahead of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak. With 13 assists to his name as well, Liverpool’s talisman is once again mounting a serious charge for the Playmaker of the Season award to boot.
Uncertain Future for Liverpool’s Legend
Despite his enduring brilliance and talismanic presence, Salah’s future at Anfield is shrouded in uncertainty. With just six months left to run on his current contract, the two-time PFA Player of the Year is now free to negotiate a potential free transfer away for next season. While Liverpool will be desperate to tie down their star man to fresh terms, there is no shortage of covetous eyes monitoring his situation.
Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are just two of the European heavyweights rumored to be interested in snapping up Salah on a free, while Saudi Arabian clubs are allegedly preparing eye-watering offers to lure the Egyptian to the Middle East. For now though, Salah’s focus remains firmly on firing Liverpool in their hunt for an unprecedented quadruple.
Whether he pens a new deal or bids a fond farewell come season’s end, Salah’s legacy as a Liverpool legend is already secure. But if he can deliver more silverware to Merseyside this term and climb to the very top of the Premier League scoring tree, he may just go down as the club’s greatest player of the modern era. With Mo Salah in this kind of irrepressible form, few would bet against him achieving immortality.
