All eyes in the world right now are on Liverpool and Mo Salah after demolishing Manchester United 5 goals to nil at Old Trafford and this performance begs the question, is Mo Salah the best player in the world right now. Whenever fans fall into this debate, names like Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappe and Halaand come up but the Egyptian’s name is often overlooked by almost everyone.
Jurgen Klopp has also been vocal about how underrated his player is when he recently said when Mo scores, everyone says that is a world-class goal but no one admits that the player himself is world-class. It is time we do justice to his breathtaking performances season after season and make the case as to why Mo Salah is the best player in the world right now.
WHAT MAKES SALAH THE BEST
Most footballers hit their prime in their 20s and take the centre stage for a season or two, but Mo Salah has been doing so for ages and has never had a disappointing run of games at Liverpool. Salah set foot in Anfield in 2017 and in his first season itself broke the Premier League record of most goals per season by netting the ball 32 times. He has been the club’s top scorer every season he has played and he helped them win the prestigious Champions League trophy in 2019 followed by their first-ever Premier League title in 2020.
Liverpool lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid in 2018 and one of the major reasons was Salah’s injury in the opening minutes of the game. This shows that Salah was an integral part of Klopp and the club’s system and his importance has only solidified more by many folds over the course of the year.
The sheer consistency of his game is what makes his position at the top unassailable. Even in this season, Salah has scored in his last 10 games in a row across all competitions and on top of that, he has also provided 5 assists to his side.
MO’S STRONGEST TRAIT
Mo Salah is a match-winner which is all that matters at the end of the day. Liverpool are known for winning the game in the dying embers and it is simply because of how excellent Salah can be under pressure. Liverpool play in a 4-3-3 formation but the pace and stamina offered by Salah and Mane on the flanks enable them to play centrally as well despite having a wide formation.
Mohamed Salah’s 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒑 so far this season in the Premier League.
Crazy to think he keeps getting goals despite being deployed as a right winger, his heat map shows his positioning 👏🏻🔥 pic.twitter.com/1kjn6sp6gb
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) September 27, 2021
Passing, dribbling, finishing and pressing high, you name it, Salah is a jack of all trades and a master in all of them as well. Salah acts as a pivot on the left-hand side for Liverpool which gives him an option to either drift wide and produce a ball for their players inside the box. What Salah usually does and is exceptionally good at is he carries the ball towards the goal and leaves the opposing defenders in the dust. He then has the option to take the safety off and strike the ball into the net or make a cut back pass to the false 9 who finishes the ball past the keeper.
Jurgen Klopp as a manager is very good at bringing the best out of his players and has helped Salah unlock his potential and help the club stay among the elites in Europe. Even while facing an injury crisis at the back, Salah made up for their weak defence by staying sharp upfront and making sure Liverpool finish in a Champions League spot.
STATS BACK HIS CASE
Mo Salah is statistically a monster which is exactly why most pundits and analysts rate him so highly. Salah this season has the highest Xg (Expected Goals) in the Premier League and his Xg+Xa stat is 0.72 which according to Tifo Football is the best in the world right now.
Lewandowski has the highest goal-scoring rate whereas Benzema has the highest expected assists rate, Mo Salah on the other hand has struck the perfect balance and has been excellent in both graphs which makes him the best in the world. Since joining Liverpool, in 215 appearances, Salah has scored 140 goals and has refused to have a bad run of form ever since he joined the Reds.
Mohamed Salah is the African Player of the Year 2018. For the second time in a row #AiteoCAFAwards18 pic.twitter.com/iLKIFDnZqB
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 8, 2019
Salah has won two Golden Boots, a PFA Player of the Year award, the Champions League, Premier League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup. He has also won the African Footballer of the year twice and recently surpassed Didier Drogba and became the highest African goalscorer in the Premier League. Salah has been breaking records and setting new benchmarks for him to chase at Liverpool and is almost a god amongst men.