Mohamed Salah is finally back to full match fitness to deliver a massive boost to Liverpool’s title hopes.
Salah scored the winner against Brighton as he came through his first 90 minutes in the Premier League since New Year’s Day and boss Jurgen Klopp says he is back to his top level. Klopp has carefully managed Salah’s return because of his two hamstring injuries which caused him to miss two-and-a-half months of the campaign and most of the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
But Klopp says he is operating at full throttle after seeing him extend his record as the most-prolific scorer against Brighton. Salah’s well-taken winner means he has nine goals and six assists against the Seagulls, his most against any one opponent and the most in this fixture.
He has netted 22 times and contributed 12 assists this season, meaning he has been involved in 34 goals in his 33 appearances during this campaign. Salah’s 12 goal attempts against Brighton were his most in a single Premier League game and the best since Zlatan Ibrahimovic managed the same tally for Manchester United against Burnley in October 2016.
He should have scored more against Brighton, but Klopp was just grateful he took the biggest chance of the game for his goal and says he is back to full match fitness. “Yes, playing-wise, absolutely,” said the Liverpool boss. “Imagine if Mo would have finished off all the situations in his career, that would have been crazy numbers, so it’s absolutely fine.
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“But then being that calm in the decisive moment when you have to finish the biggest chance we had, it was the best football situation we played, that then makes a real goalscorer so I’m absolutely happy with everything. He could play 90-something minutes and now we just have to keep going.”
A fully-fit Salah, 31, is priceless for Liverpool as they enter the final lap in the title race with nine games to go with a two-point lead over Arsenal and three over Manchester City. Liverpool have only held this kind of advantage at this stage of the season once before under Klopp in 2020, when they walked the league, and it could be key.
Also crucial is Alexis Mac Allister’s form and the Argentinian World Cup winner set up Salah’s decisive strike with a perfect, incisive pass. Mac Allister was deserving of the man of the match award against his former club Brighton and is enjoying a particularly purple patch in his performances.
Mac Allister, 25, has three goals and three assists from his more advanced midfield role in his last five games and Conor Bradley says he is a “joy” to play alongside. “He’s just an unbelievable footballer,” said the Northern Ireland star. “I’ve never seen someone retain the ball so well. He’s so calm on the ball and he’s so composed.
“He’s just a wonderful footballer and he’s a joy to play with. I can’t praise him enough to be honest with you.”
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