Mo Salah – The numbers behind the greatness

Mohamed Salah has firmly established himself as one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players. With his departure from the club confirmed at the end of the season, let’s explore why he has earned this status.

Salah joined the Reds at the start of the 2017–18 season from AS Roma in a move that raised eyebrows, given his earlier, less successful spell in the Premier League with Chelsea FC. During his two seasons at Chelsea from 2014 to 2016, he was largely overlooked, making just 13 league appearances before moving on loan to Fiorentina and eventually joining Roma.

The Egyptian likely felt he had plenty to prove and prove people wrong is exactly what he did in his debut season, shattering the Premier League record for most goals in a 38-game campaign with 32 strikes. Amongst these strikes included a spectacular, Puskas Award-winning goal against Merseyside rivals Everton FC.

Salah quickly became a fan favourite and formed a formidable attacking trio alongside Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino. The dynamic winger, armed with a lethal left foot, grew more confident with each match, dominating the right flank for his new club.

His performances earned him the Premier League Golden Boot, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and a nomination for the Ballon d’Or.

The “Egyptian King” has proven himself not only in the Premier League but also on the European stage, becoming the all-time top African scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 54 goals.

In his first season at Liverpool he scored decisive goals in the quarter and semi-finals of the competition as the Red’s reached the final.   

They weren’t able to get over the line and were beaten against Real Madrid, it was a final to forget for Salah as well as he was forced off in the first half through injury putting a sour end to what was such a memorable first season for the forward.

As he did so often in a Liverpool shirt, Salah bounced back in style and in the following season Liverpool clinched the Champions League trophy beating Spurs in the final with Salah scoring the opener from the penalty spot.

Salah reached another Champions League final with the Reds in 2022 scoring important goals along the way.

That record underlines just how consistent Salah has been since arriving at Liverpool. From the 2017–18 season through to 2021–22, he scored 19 or more Premier League goals in four consecutive campaigns, something no Liverpool player had ever achieved before in the modern era.

What makes this even more impressive is the variety and importance of those goals. Salah wasn’t just padding numbers against weaker sides, he consistently delivered in big moments, scoring against top-six rivals and in decisive matches that shaped Liverpool’s title challenges.

His output across those seasons (32, 22, 19*, 22, 23) with 19 in the COVID-shortened campaign) shows remarkable durability, especially given the physical demands of Jurgen Klopp’s high-intensity system.

During that period, Salah was the driving force behind Liverpool’s rise to dominance in both England and Europe. His goals were instrumental in securing the club’s long-awaited Premier League title in 2019–20, ending a 30-year drought, as well as playing a key role in their Champions League triumph, alongside lifting the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, and EFL Cup.

The 2024/25 season was one of huge intrigue for Salah and Liverpool, with the club entering a new era under Arne Slot following the departure of Jurgen Klopp at the end of the previous campaign. After years of success and stability under Klopp, there were plenty of questions about how Liverpool would adapt to a different managerial style, and whether their key players, particularly Salah, could maintain their elite levels.

Any uncertainty was quickly put to rest. Salah delivered one of the finest individual seasons in Premier League history, thriving under Slot’s system and continuing to be the focal point of Liverpool’s attack. His consistency, creativity, and clinical edge ensured Liverpool remained competitive at the highest level, while also reinforcing his status as one of the league’s all-time great forwards.

In total, Salah registered a remarkable 47 goal involvements, scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists across the campaign. That tally set a new benchmark for a 38-game Premier League season, surpassing the previous record of 44, jointly held by Thierry Henry (2002/03) and Erling Haaland (2022/23).

Of the 191 goals Salah has scored in the Premier League, an incredible 189 have come during his time at Liverpool, underlining his immense impact at the club. He etched his name into Liverpool history in unforgettable fashion in March 2023, netting twice in a stunning 7-0 victory over Manchester United at Anfield to move past Robbie Fowler’s long-standing record of 128 Premier League goals for the club.

That milestone further cemented his legacy, placing him among an elite group of Liverpool players to reach 100 or more Premier League goals. Alongside Salah, only Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard (120), and Michael Owen (118) have achieved that feat, highlighting just how rare and remarkable his goalscoring record truly is.