Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goal to help Liverpool beat Brighton 2-1 in round 10 of the Premier League. At the age of 32, Salah still showed impressive ability to choose space and time in the opponent's penalty area.
Salah is a player with an impressive finishing touch when he is at his best. And he is exceeding his expected goals total this season. However, that is not necessarily what makes the Egyptian special. Salah's last 130 Premier League goals have been scored from an expected goals of 129.86.
In other words, Salah scored exactly the number of goals expected based on the quality of chances he had. What makes the Liverpool striker special is the way he gets into the opposition box.
Salah has had 96 touches in the opposition box this season, more than any other Premier League player. He has reclaimed the top spot from Bukayo Saka, who topped the stat last season. But remember, Salah has also topped the previous six seasons.
"The top of the table is where Liverpool belong. It can't be lower. All teams win games, but there can only be one champion in the end. That's what we want. Thank you for the support last night. Whatever happens, I will never forget the feeling of scoring at Anfield" - Salah said after the win over Brighton.
Since signing for Liverpool in the summer of 2017, Salah has had 2,261 touches in the opposition box, almost twice as many as any other player apart from Raheem Sterling. It's a truly astonishing statistic.
2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri may have the most touches on the pitch, but Salah is unrivalled in the box. If he can keep this up, the Egyptian will be on course to score even more impressive goals.
The Liverpool man is now eighth in the Premier League's all-time scoring list after netting against Brighton. Salah has not only established himself domestically, but has also been explosive in the Champions League. He is on course to equal Ruud van Nistelrooy's record of scoring in six consecutive home games.
"I don't look at the players' Instagram posts, I just talk to them, which you can't! So that's my advantage. Salah is in good form, as long as he's at Liverpool, he's always giving his best" - Arne Slot replied when asked about Salah's uncertain future.
