Mohamed Salah opened the scoring for Liverpool on Wednesday after a stunning solo run caught Arsenal off guard in Philadelphia.
Harvey Elliott threaded a beautifully weighted pass through to Salah down the right wing, and the Egyptian left Oleksandr Zinchenko in his wake while holding off both Gabriel and Jakub Kiwior.
Salah then slotted his shot under Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein, showing the sell-out US crowd exactly why he’s considered one of the best players in world football.
Inside Lincoln Financial Field, home to NFL team Philadelphia Eagles, Liverpool were certainly the home side with Arsenal supporters outnumbered. However, the US-based Reds may have been concerned ahead of the game as Salah couldn’t find the target during the warm-ups.
The 32-year-old was uncharacteristically poor during shooting drills, blazing the majority of his efforts over the bar or wide of the target. Salah looked to the heavens in frustration, but when the big moment came, he delivered as always.
It summed up Salah’s career at Liverpool, as he’s always managed to leave his mark on games even when not playing to his highest standard. His speedy run was trademark Salah, and new head coach Arne Slot will be hoping that the winger continues to be world-class next season.
Salah is one of the greatest goalscorers in Liverpool history, currently sitting fifth on the all-time club leader board with 211 goals. The Egyptian has transformed the club since signing in 2017, when Liverpool paid Roma an initial £36.5 million.
Liverpool’s success under Jurgen Klopp was largely down to Salah’s influence, after he became the player Chelsea were hoping for when they signed him in 2014. After impressing at Basel, former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho signed Salah for £11 million, but he was soon surplus to requirements.
A breakthrough season on loan at Roma led to the Italian side signing him permanently in 2016, and after a single season they tripled their money after Liverpool came calling. Despite the inflated fee, it remains one of the greatest bargains in Liverpool history due to the success that followed.
Salah showed that he will be as important to Liverpool as ever next season, but Slot does have an early issue to deal with as the Egyptian has entered the final year of his contract.
Salah became the highest-paid player in the club’s history when he signed a three-year contract in July 2022, worth around £350,000 per week.But if Liverpool can’t reach an agreement with Salah to extend his stay in Merseyside, he will be free to walk away next summer.
Salah was worth hundreds of millions during his peak and it would be a huge loss if Liverpool didn’t receive a penny for their club legend, but it’s unlikely they will consider a sale this summer. For Liverpool and Salah moving forward, it’s all or nothing.
