Why Salah is far more than just a goalscorer for Liverpool
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 26 Oct 2021 16:44 BST
- 4 min read
Mohamed Salah is among the world's best players, and this season there's certainly an argument to be had that he's the outright best player on current form.
Lionel Messi has started indifferently at Paris Saint-Germain, Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticised fairly heavily since joining Manchester United, and his only real challengers are perhaps Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich, and Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz.
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However, Salah is arguably the most in-form man in the whole of Europe.
Since his move to Liverpool, the Egyptian has been setting new records time and time again, all of which started in his electric first season where he broke the record for Premier League goals in a single campaign by scoring 32.
He's not managed to reach those heights since - his level has still been world class - yet this year he might just be able to.
In 12 games in the league and Champions League so far this term, Salah has notched up 15 goals, and is currently leading the Premier League golden boot race by three. He's also scored more goals in the league than Brighton, Tottenham, Wolves, Southampton, Leeds, Burnley and Norwich.
His goal-scoring exploits can't be doubted, and he's on his way to picking up yet another top scorer's award in the English top flight, but his creativity is also something worth praising.
Salah's work for others often dips under the radar thanks to his devastating ability in front of goal, but he is the complete package in terms of a forward.
Salah's creative numbers
Taking things at face value, Salah's five league assists already ranks him joint second in the league, behind Paul Pogba and level with Gabriel Jesus and Mateo Kovacic, and delving into his underlying numbers paints the full picture.
Taking a look at this graph - which looks at key passes vs xA in the Premier League so far this season - Salah features prominently towards the top right, indicating he not only has completed plenty of key passes, but his xA is also impressive.
Leeds' Raphinha has been a name on many lips as a potential Salah replacement at Liverpool, but not only is the Brazilian a far inferior goal-scorer, this season, he's also been a worse creator. His level is still excellent, but it's not quite at Salah's.
Bruno Fernandes, alongside Kevin de Bruyne and arguably Jack Grealish, has been the chief creator in the Premier League since joining Manchester United, yet Salah isn't far behind him in pure terms this season.
Fernandes' tally of two league assists doesn't do his creativity justice, as this table shows, but Salah does have over double the Portuguese's assists in the Premier League, and his underlying numbers are also so impressive.
He's created more key passes than Trent Alexander-Arnold this season, and given the right-back's tendency to gallop forward and provide Liverpool with the majority of their creative outlet, that's shines a glowing light on Salah's contribution.
He's doing all this creative work all while still scoring every 81 minutes in the league - Salah is operating at a level like no other this season.
Liverpool as a whole have improved massively from last season, and Salah epitomises that more than any Reds player.
Far more than a goal-scorer, Salah has elevated his game this season, and it's now more clear than ever that he is Liverpool's most valuable and important asset.
