- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Liverpool wrestled to a 4-1 victory against Cardiff on Saturday and as a result, took a potentially temporary three-point advantage over title favourites Manchester City.
When City clash with Tottenham on Tuesday morning (AEDT), parity will most likely be restored. However, with a quarter of the EPL season already done, the Reds are definitely exerting pressure on City, waiting for an unexpected slip-up.
As obvious as the developing two-horse race in the world’s biggest league is, there is another and potentially more telling narrative. The return of Mohamed Salah.
After 32 league goals from 36 games in 2017-18, Salah become Liverpool’s highest all-time single-season scorer. An unfortunate shoulder injury sustained in the Champions League final against Real Madrid hampered his preparations for the 2018 World Cup and, after missing Egypt’s first match, he looked a little short of a run when he took the field against the hosts.
(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
The 26-year-old did manage a penalty in the loss to Russia and found the net again in the final group game against Saudi Arabia.
However, there were many who felt that his astonishing run of goals throughout both the English domestic season and Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final was unsustainable.
The ‘one season wonder’ tag was bandied about by some and after a rather clunky start to the new season, where goals proved far more difficult to come by than those in his debut year for the Reds, and his form threatened to prove the doubters correct.
Talk has circled and suggested that the front three at Liverpool are nowhere near top gear, despite the Merseyside club sitting atop the league and matching City week to week.
After a goal on the opening day against West Ham and another a fortnight later against Brighton, Salah became frustrated, as his prolific scoring touch of a year ago seemed to vanish. From Matchday 4 through to Matchday 8, the crafty genius could manage only a lone goal against Southampton.
However, as is usually the case, champions find a way and Salah has hit the net in Liverpool’s two most recent league matches with goals against Cardiff and Huddersfield.
As it stands, the Egyptian has five goals from ten league appearances this season, yet off the back of a perceived slump in form, has now become the subject of transfer rumours.
Matching his goalscoring exploits of last season was surely an unrealistic expectation and despite a moderate early return, the fortnight just passed threatened a return to goalscoring form.
To have any chance of hunting down Manchester City as the season unfolds, Liverpool need Salah at the club and scoring prolifically.
Without him, the Sky Blues will likely claim another piece of silverware to add to their ever growing trophy cabinet.
In other Saturday Matchday 10 action, Brighton continued their recent run with a 1-0 win over Wolves off the back of another Glenn Murray goal, while Bournemouth and Watford enjoyed 3-0 wins over Fulham and Huddersfield respectively. Southampton and Newcastle played out a scoreless draw and both took a point that may help immensely in the long run.
(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
West Ham blew another opportunity after holding on with ten men for an eternity, before allowing an 89th-minute equaliser to Leicester City.
Sunday saw Manchester United and Chelsea secure three points, yet Arsenal slipped up with a two-all draw against Crystal Palace that halts their charge momentarily.
Matchday 11 presents a mouth-watering clash featuring the Gunners at home to Liverpool with both sides in form and the winner potentially sitting second behind City on the table.
With Salah in form and finding the net again, Arsenal may struggle to keep their unbeaten run intact and Liverpool might just have a chance at the title.