1 week ago
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Liverpool 2-0 Brighton
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Mohamed Salah's future dominated the preamble of Liverpool's must-win clash with Brighton at Anfield after his provocative comments about Arne Slot a week ago. Salah stunned the world when he claimed he had been "thrown under the bus" by the Dutchman, hinting he could leave the club in the near future. But this time, the Egyptian made sure to do his talking on the pitch, as he celebrated becoming the most influential player in goal contributions for a single club in Premier League history.
Salah rises to the summit
The 33-year-old has now racked up 188 goals and 89 assists, putting him top of the all-time standings for goal contributions on 277 in total. According to the Premier League, Salah has surpassed Wayne Rooney on 276 and now leads the all-time contributors for one club with his assist for Hugo Ekitiké as Liverpool secured a routine 2-0 win to break their run of consecutive draws. Ekitiké fired the Reds ahead within the 60 seconds of the game, before notching his second on the hour mark to clinch an important three points for the reigning champions.
The win lifts Liverpool up to sixth in the Premier League, although that could change with the majority of matches being played on Sunday, and it provides a much-needed morale boost heading into the busy festive period. But if nothing else, it provides a moment of joy for Salah on a personal level after a turbulent six-day period.
Not only did he prove a point to his manager after coming off the bench to have some say in the outcome of the game, his legacy as one of the greatest Premier League imports is cemented after creating yet another goal for one of his Liverpool teammates. While it is fair to say the Salah-Slot incident has not reflected well on Liverpool and pointed to a lack of harmony in the dressing room, firing up Salah seems to have done the trick in kickstarting their season.
Van Dijk reaches special milestone
Salah wasn't the only Liverpool player celebrating a milestone either. Captain Virgil van Dijk made his 250th Premier League appearance for the club and the Dutch veteran would've been delighted to mark that special moment in his career with a win and clean sheet, especially the latter after leaking 20 goals in 15 games this season.
Van Dijk sits 11th on the all-time list of appearance makers for Liverpool in the Premier League era and is only six behind his former teammate Roberto Firmino. Climbing into the top 10 should be an achievable milestone for the 34-year-old, who has been synonymous with the Merseyside outfit since arriving from Southampton in January 2018.
He has played a major part in their success both domestically and in Europe, with two league titles and a Champions League winners medal a clear reminder. His 18 million market value shows how he has declined as a saleable asset, but the fact he has been ever-present for the Reds says everything about how he pivotal he is to the club. With another assist, the same can be said about Salah - even if he departs in January or next summer.
Disclaimer: It should be noted that there some discrepancies in the way assists are counted by the Premier League in comparison to Transfermarkt. As such, datasets may not always align.
