Mohamed Salah delivered arguably his best performance of the season against Everton on Monday night, but it was not a surprise considering the system around him.
Mohamed Salah has been relatively fortunate on Merseyside. When he was identified as a target in the summer of 2017, Liverpool had already spent the previous 18 months working under Jürgen Klopp.
Over that period, the Reds had significantly improved, and Salah was part of their plan to continue evolving. Since leaving AS Roma to return to English shores, the Egyptian international has been surrounded by a functional system, packed full of players who have prospered as his teammates.
Before this season, Salah had accumulated an incredible total of 118 goals from 180 Premier League appearances, averaging one roughly every 127 minutes. On top of his ability to find the net, he’s registered a further 46 assists, breaking a whole host of records in the process.
His level has been remarkably high throughout his time at the club, and his commitment to the cause has been unquestionable, but it is certainly fair to argue that his unmatched output in the final third has been a product of what has surrounded him.
Roberto Firmino’s role as a facilitator has presented Salah with a platform to lead attacks, and technician Trent Alexander-Arnold has been feeding him from deeper areas. Sadio Mané was a skilled partner who played on the opposite flank and often distracted opponents, with Alisson Becker even catering to his strengths by allowing him to lead counter-attacks.
This term, however, things have changed. Liverpool ranks ninth in the Premier League table at present, and they have appeared far from their usual selves, with Klopp changing formation on a number of occasions as a means of stopping the rot.
Salah has been used through the middle, Firmino has been injured, Mané has left for Bayern Munich, Alexander-Arnold has been out of form, and perhaps above all else, the team’s engine room has struggled to control matches as much as before, with opponents inflicting damage on the break against the Reds.
Liverpool has essentially fallen off a cliff this season, yet some supporters have decided to blame Salah for his performances. As a seasoned professional who is earning more than any of his teammates having signed a new contract last year, the expectation is for him to deliver regardless of what is going on around him.
The 30-year-old has found the net just eight times from 21 appearances in the Premier League, which places him behind the likes of James Maddison, Rodrigo and Miguel Almirón. His number of shots on a per-90 basis is down, and his number of touches per 90 has suffered the same fate.
Many concerned supporters have questioned whether Salah is still interested because of his new bumper contract, but evidence showcased against Everton on Monday night suggests otherwise.
Liverpool exhibited perhaps their best performance of the season against their local rivals. They won by two goals to nil, amassed more than twice as many shots as their opponents, and dominated the ball from the first whistle.
For the first time in months, the Reds owned the pitch and the midfield in particular won challenges. It is a coincidence, then, that Salah also seemed back to his best?
In addition to scoring the opening goal of the game, the tricky forward posted a total of six shots while also attempting seven dribbles during the bout. For context, he’s posted more than six efforts on goal just once this season, and seven dribbles is his joint-most in a single game this term.
Speaking during beIN SPORTS coverage after the bout, Arsène Wenger said: “Tonight we again saw the Salah that wins challenges, changes pace, is present in the build-up of the game. Tonight was the first time I’ve seen him again as we know him; a world-class player, deadly in finishing. We’ll see now how he continues.”
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will now experience a run of positive form but if they do, supporters shouldn’t be surprised if Salah also benefits from an upturn. As has been the case since his arrival six years ago, the Reds’ number 11 is very much a product of Klopp’s system.
