If this is the end of Mohamed Salah's Liverpool career, it is difficult to imagine a more perfect ending. 7 days after the controversial interview at Elland Road, one of the greatest legends in Anfield's history continued to make his mark, when he and Liverpool defeated Brighton 2-0 in the Premier League and added another memorable personal milestone.
With an assist for Hugo Ekitike in the second half, Salah has officially surpassed Wayne Rooney to become the player with the most goals and assists for a club in the Premier League era. The Egyptian star's current record of 188 goals and 89 assists - a number that clearly reflects his lasting influence at Liverpool.
Salah could even add to this record, if he did not miss a good chance in the final minutes of the match, when Liverpool could close out a 3-0 victory right in front of the home crowd.
Those details alone are enough to show that the problem is not simple for coach Arne Slot in determining the most suitable role for Salah in the rebuilding system. At the age of 33, Salah is no longer in the form of a career-high goalscoring, but his influence is undeniable. Being brought on from the bench in the first half against Brighton showed that, as Salah immediately made the difference and contributed to the game.
Salah has created a public storm after his shocking statements, when he said he was being "abandoned" by Liverpool in the context of signs of declining performance. To cool down the situation, the club's board - after consulting Slot - decided not to register Salah for a trip to Italy in midweek. This decision quickly proved reasonable, as Liverpool won a minimal 1-0 victory over Inter Milan right at San Siro.
However, a player of great class and influence like Salah is unlikely to be out of the spotlight for too long. After positive exchanges with Slot at the AXA training centre, the Egyptian striker has been re-legated to the squad for the Brighton match.
Despite only starting on the bench, Salah is still a figure that attracted great attention from the media. The camera lenses were constantly pointed at him throughout the warm-up process, as he practiced with the substitutes before the match. This is a clear testament to the 33-year-old star's never-ending appeal.
After the win over Brighton, Slot did not give a definitive answer about whether Salah played his final match for Liverpool or not. However, the general feeling from the Dutch strategist as well as most of those present at Anfield is that this striker still has at least a few more chapters in the long love story between him and the Merseyside team.
The Egyptian smiled brightly as he passed by the post-match interview area, politely refusing to answer the press - the people he had just " confided" to just a week before.
"Two consecutive weeks? No" - Salah joked.
In this case, action seems to have spoken more than words. Salah does not resemble a player about to leave the club. And for the benefit of himself and Liverpool, perhaps the best way to end all doubts is to let his performances on the pitch speak up from now on.
