Why I voted for Mo Salah as Footballer of the Year. It wasn't difficult.
The mural of Mo Salah on Anfield Road has had a crown added to it – and it’s timely. Footballer of the Year gets announced today and it will be an utter travesty if it’s not the Egyptian King. I had the easiest of tasks considering my email vote. Salah. Send.
It could only be, for me, the best player for the champions, Liverpool. It could only be the likely Golden Ball winner for his 28 goals – so far – in leading the Premier League scoring charts. It could only be the leading assist-maker in the Premier League with 18 – seven clear of his nearest challenger, Jacob Murphy of Newcastle United.
Salah is the man for all statistical reasons. He’s racing through the record books. Two more goals takes Salah alongside Andy Cole as fourth leading scorer in Premier League history with 187. Two more assists will equal the Premier League record for a season held by Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20).
And Salah’s the man for so many other reasons. It’s the importance of his goals. Liverpool host Arsenal this Sunday and it was Salah’s late strike that brought Liverpool a point – and psychological lift - from October’s trip to the Emirates.
It was the speed of his run, and cunning of his movement to glide into space away from Arsenal defenders, and finish off Darwin Nunez’s pass. It’s the ruthlessness of the goals, the clinical finish to round off a breakaway for Liverpool’s third at Old Trafford.