Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes, like the majority of us at St Mary’s, had lost his struggle with the elements. His typically clean combover had taken on a life of its own, and the Reds’ transfer chief appeared frozen as he chatted with friends in the expensive seats.
Down on the pitch, however, his star player Mohamed Salah made a mockery of everyone shivering in the seats by removing his shirt and flexing his abs in front of the visiting Kop.
This is an all-weather player for any situation. Whether Liverpool needs a goal to turn a mediocre effort into a win against relegation fodder or a standout performance to defeat a title opponent, Salah remains the man.
So, with another two goals in this game, his fifth in a row, Salah has enhanced his negotiating position for his new deal. Liverpool simply cannot let him sail away into the sunset just yet, based on his performance this season.
If Hughes and the Reds’ high brass couldn’t see it from the stands, Salah’s numbers speak for themselves: This season, I’ve played 18 games and scored 12 goals and assisted 10 times. This game marked a century of away goals for the club, bringing his total to 223 at Liverpool and 300 overall, including his prior clubs.
In terms of modern players, he makes a stronger case each week for being the finest in recent memory. Few players in Premier League history have the ability to affect the course of games — and maybe title contests — like Salah, who is still doing so in his mid-30s.
Mohamed Salah has scored 12 goals and given 10 assists in his 18 games this season.
The Egyptian scored twice on Sunday, completing Liverpool’s comeback against Southampton.
Arne Slot’s side is now eight points clear of Manchester City after their shock 4-0 defeat to Spurs.
To put it clearly, without Salah, Liverpool would not be eight points ahead in the league. There’s no chance. This victory was another example of that.
Arne Slot’s side were far from their best, and Southampton probably deserved more than the defeat they received. Alex McCarthy made several saves, but the Saints appeared to be in good shape—and Salah was having a quiet afternoon.
But the finest players show up when it counts, as Salah did here, with an exquisite first goal — whether he wanted it to turn out that way is debatable, but the Egyptian deserves the benefit of the doubt — and a clinical penalty to seal the victory.
Without Salah, Liverpool may have returned to Merseyside empty-handed and only five points ahead, a lead that may be reduced to two next Sunday when Manchester City visits. Instead, they are eight points ahead, with Pep Guardiola’s team potentially leading by double figures by next week.
But the big question is what happens next. Salah will be able to legally chat with international clubs about joining them for free this summer in just 37 days. In six months, he might play his final game for Liverpool.
Yes, he is their highest-paid player, earning £350,000 a week plus a slew of bonuses, but exceptions seem necessary with this once-in-a-generation talent.
Once the Reds’ top brass have recovered from this blustery afternoon on the south coast, they should take note of the figures above and use the numbers to get Salah signed to a new contract.
