Mohamed Salah’s legacy at Liverpool faces scrutiny despite his impressive goal-scoring record. Questions are being raised about his performance in the biggest matches, after Liverpool’s 4-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Salah’s Missed Opportunity Against City
This weekend presented a missed opportunity for Salah to make a significant contribution to Liverpool’s trophy quest. He came up short against Manchester City. Focus has been on his missed penalty, but the missed chances earlier in the game proved more costly.
Despite his consistency and goal-scoring record, the question remains whether he has truly owned the biggest occasions often enough. Salah may well leave Liverpool at the end of this season as one of the greatest players in the club’s history. Some might argue he could have achieved much more on Merseyside.
Expectations and Scrutiny at Anfield
Soon after his arrival at Anfield, Salah shifted from being purely their main goalscorer to their reference point in the biggest games. He scored in each round of the Champions League en route to the final in 2018. This included both legs of the semifinal against Manchester City.
Expectation had swollen dramatically, scrutiny had intensified, and Salah was increasingly being turned to in the biggest moments. Liverpool’s prospects against Real Madrid in Kyiv ultimately rested on his shoulder injury, sustained at the hands of Sergio Ramos, after half an hour. Liverpool fell to a limp 3-1 defeat.
Finals Record Under the Microscope
It’s not that he hasn’t scored against the biggest teams. He has 16 goals against Manchester United, 14 against Tottenham Hotspur and 10 against Arsenal. However, his record in finals with Liverpool doesn’t make for particularly encouraging reading.
Since arriving at Anfield, Liverpool have been in nine finals. Salah has scored only twice. These were both penalties, against Spurs in the 2019 Champions League final, and against City in the Charity Shield three years later.
Lack of Goals in Decisive Moments
- He failed to score in one and a half other UCL finals against Real.
- He failed to score in both of the cup final penalty-shootout victories against Chelsea in 2022.
- He didn’t score in either 2019 victories in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
- He also failed to score in last year’s EFL Cup final.
The question for Salah, after nine years on Merseyside, is whether he has truly owned the biggest occasions often enough.